Resurrection and Rapture

The primary text for this talk is 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till 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, 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. In this 45-minute talk, Geoff considers the following: • Those who have Fallen Asleep in Jesus • Those who Remain Alive at his Coming • Timing of the Resurrection • Timing of the Rapture The Bible to be totally consistent. According to our primary text, the “Rapture” of those who remain alive until the coming of the Lord, will take place after the dead in Christ will be raised from the dead. According to Revelation chapter 20, this first resurrection will take place at the beginning of the Millennial reign of Jesus. This is “at the last day” confirmed by Jesus in the following passage: John 6:39-40 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” Regardless what we think about the age of the Universe or even the age of the Earth, there is no doubt that there is 6000 years of Biblical History in the present age. We await the “last day” which is the seventh day, typically known as the Millennium.