Pre-Tribulation Rapture Proof – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

turn in your Bibles to first Thessalonians chapter 4 and our text will be verses 13 through 18 I'll ask you to stand if you're able you can follow along as I read if not where you're seated is fine the Apostle Paul by the Holy Spirit is writing to the church there in Thessalonica and says verse 13 brothers and sisters we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind who have no hope you're still going to grieve but not like those who don't have hope and here's why verse 14 for we believe that Jesus died and rose again this is the Gospel and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him again speaking of death according to the Lord's word verse 15 we tell you that we who are still alive who are left until the coming of the Lord will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep for the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a loud command with the voice of the Archangel and with the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first after that verse 17 we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will be with the Lord forever therefore verse 18 encourage one another with these words wow chicken skin let's pray thank You Lord Lord would You at this time as only You can bless and anoint the teaching of Your Word bless it to our understanding especially concerning this doctrine this passage that we have before us today Lord speak by Your Holy Spirit we pray in Jesus' name Amen and Amen you can be seated thank you so probably goes without saying and I can see the look on all of your faces as I was just reading that passage like many of you I'm sure I've really been looking forward to this particular passage and I think for what would be deemed obvious reasons chiefly because of the specificity with which the Apostle Paul by the Spirit of God writes to this church concerning the sound doctrine of the rapture of the church in the six verses within our text today we have three of I would argue are many and I would even say numerous proofs in scripture as to why it is that the rapture has to happen before the seven year tribulation Wow pastor you're pretty dogmatic you better believe that I am well but pastor with all due respect the doctrine of a pre-tribulation rapture is not a matter of salvation that's correct however and there is a however while it may not be a matter of salvation it is most certainly a matter of sanctification and I'll explain why and how I get there the impact that this truth this sound doctrine of a pre-tribulation rapture can impact our lives in a profound way listen to what the Apostle John wrote in his first epistle the third chapter verses two and three he says dear friends now we are children of God and what we will be has not yet been made known but we know that when Christ appears we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is and then he says this all who have this hope in Him purifies themselves just as He is pure in other words those who have this hope live with the anticipation even the expectation of the imminence of the Lord's return at any time what do they do those who have this hope in His appearing what do they do oh they purify themselves they get their affairs in order they get ready and they are ready because He can come at any time see if I believe that somehow the church goes through part of or even the entirety of the seven-year tribulation you in effect and you'll forgive me for the bluntness with which I say this but you'll have to rip out pages in your Bible with verses like this one and many others with it as well what I want to do today is look at three proofs and I use that word proof I know it's a strong word and by the way conspicuously absent from any teaching on the rapture will be this word theory it's no theory it is truth it is doctrine it is sound doctrine and what I want to do today and please forgive me I know that I am very passionate about the pre-tribulation rapture and I'll try to do my best I ask the Lord while we were worshiping to just temper me and that's kind of a tall order sometimes I think but just to settle me in this regard I realize that this is a very well let me just say it like this since this is the service that gets uploaded to YouTube there are many who will take issue and do with any teaching about a pre-tribulation rapture and the vitriol the the viciousness is really grievous and so what I want to do is just say especially for anyone watching online you know let's just agree to disagree agreeably okay but as far as the Word of God is concerned and the passage that we have before us today I want to show you why it is that the rapture absolutely has to happen before the seven year tribulation here's the first one it's because it's the trumpet call of God now at first read this would seem sort of inconsequential I mean here's this I guess you might say even nebulous detail that we're told that there's going to be this trumpet call but it's the trumpet call of God notice in verse 16 where Paul says that there will be this loud command and with it the voice of the Archangel and very important the trumpet call of God okay pastor how does this prove that the rapture is before the seven-year tribulation because in Scripture there are two trumpets there's the trumpet of angels for Israel and the trumpet of God for the church and please please please make that distinction a lot of people get into a lot of trouble concerning the sound doctrine of a pre-tribulation rapture when they fail to distinguish between the church and Israel and in fact I'll take it further and say that a false teaching known as replacement theology which replaces Israel with the church as God's elect that false doctrine that false teaching is roommates with the other teachings concerning the rapture the false teachings concerning the rapture because you see if the church replaces Israel then you are forced to put the church in the tribulation why because the purpose of the tribulation is for the salvation of the Jewish nation and when you fail to make that distinction then you're basically putting the church in the tribulation what's the purpose of putting the church in the tribulation the church is already saved the bride is already saved why would the bride need to go through the tribulation no it's for Israel so you have the trumpet sound of angels which is for Israel and you have the trumpet sound of God which is for the church listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 24 speaking of the second coming and He's speaking to the disciples concerning Israel listen to what He says then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory notice all the tribes this is the second coming every eye will see and He will send His angels not even an archangel this is angels with a great sound of a trumpet that's the trumpet for Israel and they will gather together His elect Israel from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other that's the distinction in the letter to the Thessalonians Paul makes it very clear that it is not the trumpet of angels for Israel this is the trumpet call of God for the church here's the second one and I know this might seem like a firm grasp of the obvious but the second proof in our text of a pre-tribulation rapture is that we're caught up in the air I want to draw your attention to verse 17 this is actually where the word rapture is in the Bible and what it is if you have a Latin Bible anybody have a Latin Bible here today raise your hand nobody I had an online member last time I mentioned this from Romania post a comment and said in our Romanian language it's the word rapture so anybody have a Romanian Bible the word rapture is in the Bible depending on the language of the Bible you have now in the English language it's translated with two English words caught up harpazo in the Greek rapturos in the Latin and it means to be caught up with great force and great speed raptured up snatched away quickly that's what the word means so back to verse 17 Paul says we who are still alive and remain will be raptured up to meet the Lord in the air and oh by the way we will not precede those who died in Christ because the bodily resurrection is first the dead in Christ rise first I might need to maybe explain this quickly if you'll just bear with me but the best explanation I ever heard concerning this was the analogy of a light bulb okay so the light bulb burns out what do we do we take it out put it in the rubbish goes back to the earth from where it was created what happens the electricity goes back to a source what happens to the light it's ceased we are like that light bulb when we die our body like the bulb goes back into the ground dust to dust from where it was created the electricity like the spirit back to its source to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord in spirit what happens to the light that's the soul its deceased and it will again live for all eternity when we have our glorified bodies and when the bodily resurrection takes place which is first then they get their new bodies and then we Paul writing to the Corinthians in chapter 15 verses 51 and 52 will put off our old bodies I cannot wait put off corruptible and we put on incorruptible in the twinkling of an eye which by the way I won't maybe we'll talk about this in chapter 5 but it's a it is a fraction of a nanosecond that's how quick it's going to be we who are alive and remain when we get our new bodies so the bulb is electricity is the spirit and the soul is the light and what Paul is saying is that the dead in Christ are going to rise first that's their bodily resurrection well where are they now well in spirit they're with the Lord to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord well then they're going to get their bodies first that's fine and then we who alive and remain will get our new bodies in the twinkling of an eye and we will meet them in the air now you're asking me the question because I can read your minds just a moment something's coming in right now oh wow oh my how does this prove that we're going to be caught up raptured up harpazo whatever you prefer prior to the seven-year tribulation I'm so glad you asked because I'm going to give you the answer the reason it proves a pre-tribulation rapture is because Jewish bridegroom's would come as a thief in the night at an hour that nobody knew and they would abduct their bride take them away that's what Jesus is saying here you know it's been a few years since I've done this and so I thought after seeking the Lord it would be appropriate today to once again talk about this it is to me one of the most convincing and compelling proofs of the pre-tribulation rapture and it has to do with ancient Jewish wedding customs it's typology it paints this magnificent and beautiful picture of a pre-tribulation rapture I hope you understand that when Jesus is speaking to His disciples He is speaking to them and they would have understood it by the way He's speaking to them as a bridegroom would speak to His bride what I want to do is share with you this is actually an abbreviated explanation of the typology specific to why the rapture absolutely has to happen before the seven year tribulation I'm going to go quickly stay with me in the Jewish wedding it's a marriage covenant Ketubah and it's made in writing for the bride as a promise to the bride that it will be fulfilled with our wedding it's a new covenant and it's made in writing in the written word of God for us as the bride and the old covenant promise is fulfilled I'll have the verses there on the screen you can write them down they're also on your notes the Jewish wedding they would then break bread and drink from the cup to seal the betrothal Kiddushin this is the betrothal the the new covenant marriage covenant with our wedding he breaks bread and drinks from the cup at the Last Supper sealing His new covenant in His blood what if I told you that every time we partake together of the communion table as we do on the first Sunday of the month we are celebrating our betrothal to our bridegroom Jesus the Christ this is how they would seal it the bridegroom now we have the written covenant and the bridegroom would then give the cup to the bride and then she would drink from the cup as if to say I will marry you will you marry me I will marry you I accept and they would eat from the bread that's how they would seal the betrothal of this new marriage covenant with the Jewish wedding the groom pays the price Mohar showing the bride his love for her with our wedding Jesus paid the price cost Him everything on the cross and this shows us how there's no greater love than His laying down of His life for us the Jewish wedding this is where it gets interesting the groom after the betrothal they've they've sealed now the engagement they've partaken of the bread they've drunk from the cup and now they are betrothed to get married so what does the groom do he goes to his father's house and he builds a bridal chamber a room addition on his father's house you know when Jesus said to His disciples behold I go to prepare a place for you in my father's house are many mansions dwelling places depending on which translation you have and if it were not so I would not have told you that I go to prepare a place for you and where I will come back and I will take you He's talking as a bridegroom to his bride that he is betrothed to gets even better the father was the only one in Jewish tradition who knew the day or the hour of the groom's return to abduct catch away rapture his bride can you imagine trying to plan a wedding invitations you know date don't know time don't know only the father knows nobody knew but the father and Jesus said that no one but the Father knows the day or the hour of His return for us as His bride now with the Jewish wedding when the bridegroom comes the groomsmen run ahead and shout he's coming and how do they do it by blowing a trump with our wedding our bridegroom comes it will be with a shout of the trumpet of God that Jesus is coming now you're going to notice on the screen Revelation chapter 4 verse 1 and here's why in the first three chapters of the book of Revelation you will find the church mentioned 19 times from chapter 4 verse 1 on church isn't mentioned chapter 6 through 19 of the book of Revelation are all about the seven-year tribulation guess how many times the word church is found in chapters 6 through 19 this is not a trick question it's 0 not once why is the word church not in chapters 6 through 19 which is all about the seven-year tribulation because the chuch isn't in the tribulation that's why because in verse 1 of chapter 4 John hears a voice like the sound of a trumpet and it says come up hither he's raptured up he now has for all future by the way from chapter four verse one on to chapter 22 it's all future you know where we are right now we're in Chapter three still the seven letters to the seven churches chapters two and three church history from chapter four verse one when that trumpet sounds and John is caught up everything is future it's actually interesting the book of Revelation I don't want to get too far off into this in the interest of time but you really have this as one called it divine outline chapter one John is told to write that which he has seen that which is now and that which is to come here after in other words that which is past present and future chapter one past he was an eyewitness of Jesus Christ glorified and now at the right hand of the Father that's chapter one chapters two and three present church history seven letters to seven churches literal churches chapter four verse one rapture chapters six through 19 tribulation chapter 20 millennium chapters 21 and 22 the new heaven and the new earth beautiful and they they say the book of Revelation is a hard book to understand you know that it's the only book in the entire Bible that promises a blessing to those who read it hear it and take it to heart well here's the next one in the Jewish wedding the groom snatches away and abducts his bride with our wedding Jesus our groom will rapture us away as He abducts us as His bride in the Jewish wedding the groom takes his bride to this chamber this place that he prepared for her in his father's house and they consummate Nissuin and celebrate for a period of wait for it seven Shavua days with our wedding Jesus will take us to His bridal chamber that He prepared for us in His Father's house and we will consummate and celebrate for a period of seven years it has to be before the seven years one commentator said it best this way while the world is tribulating we're going to be celebrating I don't want to be tribulating I want to be I want to be celebrating consummating in the Jewish wedding there's a big feast this brings me great comfort because it means that there's going to be food in heaven can I get an Amen on that you have to understand in the Middle Eastern culture and this is true in my Arab culture in the Middle East it's everything is centered around the feast the food the breaking of bread together so after the seven the bride and the groom emerge from the bridal chamber and they have this huge wedding feast the wedding supper of the Lamb if you don't rapture the bride until halfway through the seven-year tribulation we have a problem if you don't rapture the bride you know until the wrath is poured out you have a problem listen I don't mean to overstate it but don't mess with typology you can ask Moses about that he did that it cost him the Promised Land by the way because he was commanded the first time to strike the rock the rock is Christ and water came out the second time he was so angry and God says speak to the rock and water will come out what does Moses do he strikes it ho after he does that it's like Mo big no-no Mo and you see that rock was not to be struck a second time because Christ was only crucified once struck once and after the crucifixion you speak to the rock you speak to Christ and he ruined the typology and it cost him entrance into the Promised Land that's how serious the typology is everything in the Old Testament points to the person of Jesus Christ who is the fulfillment of everything and I mean everything all of the sacrifices all of the service in the temple everything pointed to the person of Jesus Christ one said it this way the Old Testament conceals what the New Testament reveals what's the New Testament reveal Jesus Christ it all points to Him and then lastly in the Jewish wedding the new home of the bride was Jerusalem and it was the bridegroom who came to the bride to dwell with her and it is from the New Jerusalem that Jesus our bridegroom will dwell with us forever and ever here's the third reason lastly the rapture has to happen before the seven year tribulation because we can encourage one another notice in verse 18 where Paul says we're to encourage one another with these words now you have to understand that the Thessalonians were very discouraged very battle-weary they were downcast and Paul wants to encourage them and he says you can encourage each other with these words okay well how does that prove a pre-tribulation rapture well think about this how could Paul say encourage one another with these words a third of the population of earth is just going to be killed wiped out it's going to be unspeakable horror unthinkable during the seven-year trib therefore encourage one another with with it doesn't fit does it well how does it prove a pre-tribulation rapture because if it were not before the seven-year tribulation the Apostle Paul would be warning about surviving and not encouraging about escaping perhaps you've heard the rapture referred to as the Great Escape I love it I actually didn't used to love it when well-intentioned Christians would say to me concerning the sound doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture oh you just want to escape I'm like yeah you think and you don't you want to be here for that have you read what's going to happen during the seven-year tribulation you want to be here for that Lord willing next week we're going to be in Chapter five and the reason is is because chapter five comes after chapter four I know that's deeply profound and we're going to get to another one of my favorite verses a verse that we talked about quite often in our prophecy updates and that's 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 3 and here's why Paul says while people are saying peace and security destruction will come on them suddenly as labor pains on a pregnant woman and they will not escape now why would he say it like that I mean keep in mind he just got and by the way there were not chapter breaks and verses there weren't chapter and verses in the original writings that didn't come till later so this is right after he gets done saying we who are alive and remain will be caught up to meet and encourage each other with these words and then after he talks about the we who were alive he talks about the they who were alive when this happens and to me the the emphasis is on we will escape they will not escape he escapes the rapture when sudden destruction and the thing about sudden destruction you know what the thing about sudden destruction is its sudden again I know deeply profound I'm not trying to be cute or clever it's going to happen so suddenly so quickly and it will come upon them as a pregnant woman I mean this is the analogy that the Savior himself used in describing the time of the end it will be like birth pains it comes with greater intensity and greater frequency and it's going to come on them not we who are alive and remain they will not escape we who are alive and remain will escape and it has to be before the seven-year tribulation there's one less thing and then we'll close and go to our prophecy update throughout the Old Testament we have pictures of a pre-tribulation rapture example Joseph takes a Gentile bride before the seven-year famine that's a picture of a pre-tribulation rapture how about Noah many Christians say well you know the Ark is salvation and no Noah and his family represent Israel they go into the flood and are saved in the midst of the flood but where's Enoch oh I love chapter 5 I love it when we're told Enoch walked with God and was no more because God took him yeah he raptured him pre-flood pray for he was a pre-flood believer yeah that's my thinking Enoch is a picture of the church and Noah a picture of Israel oh there's many throughout the entirety of the Old Testament but when you get to the Book of Daniel another very interesting one you know Shadrach Meshach and Abednego you remember that you know from Sunday School probably you know the flannelgraph and here they go into the fiery furnace there's some details in that by the way the reason why they were thrown into that fire furnace is because they would not bow down to the image that was with six instruments played 60 cubits high six cubits wide 666 they would not bow down to that image and they were cast into the here's another detail very important seven times hotter fiery furnace not six look it up just check me out don't take my word for it be a Berean search the scriptures see if this be true it wasn't eight times hotter no it was seven times what a coincidence no coincidence Shadrach Meshach and Abednego are a picture of Israel they will go into the seven times hotter fiery furnace of the seven-year tribulation and be saved in the midst of it Nebuchadnezzar is dumbfounded we put three of them in there there's four and the fourth looks like the Son of God it is it's Jesus they're saved by Jesus in the midst of the seven times hotter fiery furnace like Israel will be saved by Jesus their true Messiah in the middle of the seven-year tribulation where's Daniel oh good question I'm glad you asked you asked right he's not there why not oh because pre furnace Daniel is taken up exalted to a high position pre furnace picture the church Shadrach Meshach and Abednego a picture of Israel see how important it is to distinguish between the church and Israel the rapture let me just say lastly I know I said that that was already the last but this is the last lastly okay the rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ must happen before the seven year tribulation you be encouraged and you encourage one another I know many of you are going through some very difficult times and I want to encourage you with these words with this word from God's Word I myself am so encouraged probably couldn't tell I mean I think to myself that at any time that trumpet is going to sound and my daughter Noelle and my mom and I hope my dad too they're going to get their bodies first the bodily resurrection will take first and they're going to be in the air and I'm going to meet the Lord and see them again in the air are you kidding me by the way what is Paul writing to them about to begin with he's answering their question about their loved ones that had died what happens to them how does that all work together with the rapture and what one okay this will be the last last last one don't you find it interesting I do that the Apostle Paul this is his first epistle that he ever wrote by the way was to the Thessalonians and he as we have learned wished and longed and wanted to go back because he was ran out of town he was there some believe for only three weeks don't you find it interesting that he plants this church and he talks to them and encourages them concerning the sound doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture in a period of only three weeks wow wow the first time the Gospel is written in one of his epistles is to this church wow what does that tell you okay I said that was the last so let's pray Lord thank You I pray for anyone here today or watching online that's really hurting downcast and discouraged and struggling Lord I pray that You'll encourage and strengthen their hearts with these words with this truth from Your Word that's soon and very soon that trumpet is going to sound and we who are alive and remain are going to be caught up and we're going to be with You forever and ever Lord come quickly Maranatha in Jesus' name Amen

Channel: J.D. Farag

Views: 110,118

Rating: 4.8788748 out of 5

Keywords: Pre-Trib, Rapture, Tribulation, Trials, Difficulty, Spiritual Warfare, Satanic Attack, Devil, Love, Hope, Pray, Faith, Affliction, Suffering, Happy, Joy, Humility, Fear, Death, Hardship, Loneliness, Impossible, Problems, Jesus, Weary, Discouraged, Despair, Kindness, Compassion, Brokenness, Gentleness, Depression, Thessalonians, Holy, Bible, Help, Free, Life, Strength, Peace, Truth, Light, Salvation, Forgiveness, Gospel, Spirit, Lord, Grace, Mercy, Messiah, Pastor, Ministry

Id: l1OeBtQFR4M

Length: 44min 9sec (2649 seconds)

Published: Sun Jan 19 2020