Lesson
11
Jesus
Comes for His Church
V. Jesus Comes
For His Church
The Apostle Paul in
writing to the church at Thessalonica told of the great hope that was ahead for
the Bride of Christ, the church. This is commonly called the rapture of the
church. Paul made several things clear to the church concerning this monumental
event in I Thessalonians 4:13-18.
¥ Concerning the dead,
we are not to sorrow as one without hope (Verse 13).
¥ Because Jesus rose
again he will raise the dead in Christ also (Verse 14).
¥ The Lord himself will
descend from heaven. There will be a heavenly shout with the voice of the
archangel included, and the trumpet of God will sound (Verse 16).
¥ Those having died
after living their lives for Jesus will be raised first (Verse 16).
¥ The living saints
will be caught up together with the dead saints in the clouds (Verse 17).
¥ All will meet the
Lord Jesus in the air, never to be parted again (Verse 17).
¥ We are to comfort
one another with this truth (Verse 18).
Jesus, in Matthew
24:40-42, spoke of this tremendous time, and warned of the danger of not being
ready. There will be a separation between those who are ready for the rapture
and those who are unprepared.
¥"Then shall two
be in the field, the one taken, and the other left" (Verse 40).
¥"Two women shall
be grinding at the mill, the one shall be taken, and the other left"
(Verse 41).
¥"Watch
therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come" (Verse 42).
¥ There will be a
resurrection of the righteous dead.
¥ Jesus Christ will
return for His bride,
¥ There will be a
glorious catching away of the saints of God.
¥ There will be a
wonderful reunion with the saints of God that have gone on before.
In his letter to
Titus, Paul said it so well.
"For
the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us
that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope,
and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ"
(Titus 2:11-13).