Tommi wrote:
I was delighted to find a Bible verse listed among the Google gadgets for my Homepage--thank you. I have studied the Scriptures for years and find your doctrine to be correct. I am interested, however, to know your understanding of Scripture in regard to the body of Christ during the Milinium. Will we be in the heavenlies or on the earth? I am not sure about the differences between those who adhere to the Acts 9 Vs Acts 28 teachings. As I mentioned already, one area where I'm confused is end times..."Where will the body of Christ be?" I would greatly appreciate your thoughts and look forward to your reply.
Your Sister Christ,
Tommi
Dear Tommi,
God Bless you, and thank you for writing; it is always a blessing to hear from someone who believes in The Mystery. Your questions are good ones, and the short answer is in Ephesians 1:18: Paul is praying that ye may know what is the hope of His calling.
We are prepared by the will of the Father (Eph. 1:4), the work of the Son (Eph. 1:7), and the witness of the Spirit (Eph. 1:13). These form a basis for the prayer, At the beginning of the prayer, Paul asks that the recipients be readied by three gifts; the spirit of wisdom, revelation, and enlightened eyes,
The three main parts of the prayer are that we may know; what is The Hope of His Calling, what the riches of The Glory of His inheritance, and what is the Greatness of His Power. These all give us a setting for our subject: What is The Hope of His Calling?
There was a time when Gentile believers attending the Synagogue had no hope (Eph. 2:12). What hope there was belonged to Israel. After Acts 10, the Gentiles could, by faith through Grace, share in The Hope of Israel. But actually, the Gentile believer of that time was without hope,
Even in Acts 28, Paul was in bonds for the hope of Israel, even after he had been preaching to Gentiles for many years. That was Paul's hope.
So, there was a time or season when Gentiles were without hope. 'But now' in Eph. 2:13 marks the change, and the Gentile believers have Hope ever since.
But this is God's Hope in our text. So what is it? We find Calling and Hope linked together in Eph. 4:4. There must be a close relationship. Colossians 1:27, "Christ among you (Gentiles) The Hope of Glory," shows that ultimately Christ is The Hope. And where our Hope is marks the place where our Calling is. We are called to be in Heavenly Places where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. We also note in 2 Timothy 1:9 that our Calling is a Holy Calling and is connected with a Purpose that goes back before age times. Our choice was also made before age times, before the overthrow (Eph. 1:4).
Israel had a Calling and a Hope. But they were connected with a land and a people here on the earth awaiting The Coming King of Glory. That was when Salvation was of the Jews. That time will come again when The Lord gathers His people, Israel, and the two days of Hosea end and The Kingdom is back on the scene,
But now, after Acts 28:28, Salvation is of the Gentiles for the last almost 2000 years, and there has been a New Hope and Calling. So, we dare not confuse the two. We can preach Christ today without any reference to Israel or Israel's covenants. We can preach Christ today without any reference to the earth and The Kingdom that is coming.
This Hope of His Calling was a part of The Secret, or Mystery that was hidden in God for ages and generations. But it is NOW made manifest to the saints. These saints are Members of The One Body. This Secret, The Dispensation of The Mystery, completed The Word of God. It is the last word.
What is our Hope? When Christ, Who is our Life, is made Manifest, then shall we also be made Manifest with Him in Glory. His Calling for us has placed us Far above all principality and power and made us sit in Christ Jesus in The Heaven of heavens at God's Right Hand.
The Hope of His Calling has such a high spiritual level that there is little historical detail as to how, when, and where it will be completed.
Titus 2:13: "Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Notice the close relation here. "The Great God is The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, God manifest in flesh (1 Timothy 3:16).
And where will this appearing take place? It will be in Glory, Colossians 3:4, When Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. So in glory answers the question, Where? Again we find that Christ, God manifest in flesh, was received up into Glory (1 Timothy 3:16). With these witnesses, it is no problem to find the place or location of The Hope. It is in Glory.
But where is Glory? That question is also settled for us. Five times, we find it mentioned in Ephesians. In Greek it is en lois epouraniois and is translated four times as In heavenly places and once as in high places.
Before Acts 28:28, this Hope and place is never mentioned in such terms. It is mentioned in Hebrews as Holiest or Holy of holies. The first occurrence in the Bible is in Deuteronomy 10:14 as The Heaven of heavens. It was known by the ancients, but no mention of anybody or being in that place except God Himself.
And this place is The Hope of The Church, which is The Body of Christ. That Hope is so real and so certain that we are said to be quickened together with Christ, and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus. There is where our homeland or commonwealth (citizenship) is (Philippians 3: 20). So we can feel that we are strangers and pilgrims in this world. Our home is not here.
Our life is hidden with Christ in God until that day of manifestation when we shall be manifested with Him in Glory. And it is now further revealed that there are powers in that place. They are specified as principalities, powers, might, and dominions. And these are made one with the church and Christ Who is Head over both, making them one family of God. See Ephesians 1:9-10.
However, at the present time, The Church is making known the Manifold Wisdom of God to these powers in The Heavenly Places. Ephesians 3:10.
Note that none of the foregoing mentions of The Hope have anything to do with the personal presence of the Lord on earth, His coming in clouds, and His Kingdom on earth. All this was the hope of Israel, God's earth people. And this includes the new earth and the New Jerusalem, which will be on the new earth.
In view of this great Hope, we should walk worthy of Christ, worthy of this great calling. And something else, and of great importance, is the fact that there can be rewards, prizes, and crowns for those who are faithful. These are for works, that is, allowing Christ to work out His work today in and through us. The secret of joy and peace is Christ living in us. If we endure (suffer), we shall reign with Him.
All God's Blessings,
The Believers
Ben wrote:
I don't doubt or accept anything you have written only because I do not possess the skills to present an educated response. But, this one thing I am absolutely sure of: if we as a society were as concerned with being "Jesus" in our world as we are telling the world what He said, then the world would be a much better place today. Truth is, no one truly knows how justification, free will, or any other doctrine determines our fate. But we know absolutely that there are hungry people, homeless people, hurting people, sick people, and others.
What we do to the least of these, you do also to Jesus... I paraphrase, but that came from His mouth, not mine!
If we Christians are serious, then instead of spending hours speculating on the meaning of obscure scripture, let's get out and love the world. Let's hold the head of the aids patient, let's feed and educate the orphans of aids parents, let's build a roof over the head of the cold, etc. Let's go out and let our actions do the talking.. let the Christians of the world unite and SHOW the world who Jesus Christ is and stop TELLING the world who Jesus Christ is!
By the way, this is what I believe James was trying to say.
In Christ,
Ben
Dear Ben,
God Bless you, and thank you for writing. We agree with you that James was saying, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" Mat 22:39.
He also carefully instructs us that:
James 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
James 1:23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
James 1:24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
James 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein , he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
What we don't agree on is first that "no one truly knows how justification, free will, or any other doctrine determines our fate" and secondly that there is any such thing as "obscure scripture." While it is certainly true that we should be good to one another, it is Truth that none of us can be truly good. Only by the finished work of Christ Jesus our Lord do we have redemption.
1 Cor. 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
1 Cor. 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1 Cor. 1:31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
We must always remember:
Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
It is the Gospel that saves not the good works of men for:
Isa. 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing , and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Remember:
John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
God's Word, not men's works, bring life; men's works are temporal, but:
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
God and His Word can not be separated, just as we and our words can not be separated. God reveals to us:
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
So Jesus Christ, Who is the Bread of Life, is the Word of God, and the Scripture makes known Christ Jesus. So if anything in this old world can Truly be known, it is The Saviour, The Son of God, The Word of God, Who is God. Many things in this world are obscure, but He Who is the Light of the world can be seen and known clearly by His Word, which His Spirit reveals to us:
Eph 3:14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Eph 3:15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Eph 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Eph 3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
Eph 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Eph 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
All God's Blessings,
The Believers
Paul wrote:
Does John 17:20 speak of me, as if Jesus knew of me 2000 years ago as he was talking to his father? Can this be connected to His intercession before the throne now spoken of in Romans 8, and the ongoing perfecting of the saints?
Paul
Dear Paul,
God bless you, and thank you for your question. The answer is greater than anyone could ever imagine in that God has always known those who are His and even after seeing all of man's failings, He sent His Son to save us and make us one with Him. Look at that wonderful Truth in Ephesians:
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Before this world, God knew us by name in Christ Jesus, and He made us through the work of the Saviour to be holy and without blame. It does not say we will not make mistakes; it tells us because of the Saving Grace of His Son, we will not be blamed for them and will be holy in His sight. Because of this, look at the results:
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
We already have ALL spiritual blessings and:
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 1:8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
All far beyond what mortal men could conceive. Now, a question to consider is if Eph 1:11 says He does everything after the counsel of His own will, how can one counsel? But God is One. He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, proving once again that Jesus Christ is God and that The Very God, Who knows everything from everlasting to everlasting, knew each of us by name and predestinated us to His purpose. Now, don't get caught up in that word predestinated as Calvin did; we are not dominos, but realize that God in His infinite wisdom foreknew you and that you would believe, and so called you by name in Christ to be His. The Lord Christ Jesus, Who created all things purposed you and all who believe to be His inheritance:
Eph. 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
All God's Blessings,
The Believers
Bobby wrote:
I would like to see your scripture support for any Dispensation of Grace believer going through the Tribulation.
Thank you.
Dear Bobby,
God Bless you and thank you for writing. We have no Scripture support showing if Grace believers or more specifically members of The Body of Christ will or will not go through the tribulation period. There is NO Scripture that gives any indication as to a time of those who inherit citizenship in The Heaven of heavens departure. We can only look to Israel as an indication of about when our Hope will be realized. We know from Scripture that the first century believers knew and believed they would go through the tribulation and the Scripture proof of that we will supply. The word "rapture" is not found anywhere in the Biblical texts and is a term used by some to describe what they call an early departure of the church. This is not sound Biblical doctrine and we are enclosing a teaching to help you discover what the Bible teaches regarding these important matters.
Paul said in verse 1 Thes. 4:15 "This we say unto you, By The Word Of The Lord .... Paul was quoting and using The Word of the Lord to show them their Hope. That Hope, as found in 1 Thess. 4:16-18 is detailed with its shout, voices of the archangel, and trumpet and was written down in The Word of the Lord.
In 1 Corinthians 15, when writing about the same Hope of resurrection (which some call the "rapture"), he says in 1 Cor. 15:54-55 “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” If Paul means what he says and says what he means, the Hope of 1 Corinthians 15 was prophesied in The Word of the Lord.
Paul is quoting from two different Books in The Word of the Lord, Hosea 13:14 and Isa. 25:8, to show the Corinthians their hope. This agrees with what Paul said in Acts 26:22, where summing up his Acts ministry, he said,” Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come.” Paul’s Acts ministry and what he wrote in his Acts epistles can be found in the Old Testament Scriptures, and that includes the Hope he wrote about in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15.
In this article, we will show that the Hope that Paul wrote about in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 is not only found in the Old Testament Scriptures but was taught by Jesus Christ in His earthly ministry in Matthew 24 and other places. That this runs contrary to what is taught in most Bible churches today is certain, but there are as many "doctrines and traditions of men in "Bible churches,” as there are in denominational churches in this country.
For years it has been the “party line” in most “Bible churches” that 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 are the promised hope of The Church today and that no one knew or wrote about this hope prior to Paul. This doctrine has been preached for so long and so loud that Christendom accepts this with no questions asked. But yet, we just read that what Paul said to the Thessalonians about their hope, he said to them by the Word of The Lord. And we read in 1 Corinthians 15 that when that resurrection takes place, Old Testament Scriptures would be brought to pass.
The question that Bible believers need to answer these days is, who are we going to believe? Are we going to believe what the preachers say because they have been saying it for so long and loud, or are we going to believe what the Scriptures say, where they say it, as they say, it? We should always endeavor to study to show ourselves approved before God, and let the traditions of men fall where they may, no matter what the cost.
Let it be said at the offset of this article that we do not believe that the Hope of the Church today is found in 1 Corinthians 15 or 1 Thessalonians 4. We believe that God revealed a new and better Hope to Paul after the Acts period and that it is found in his Prison Epistles.
If you are serious about your bible study, and you want to get to the bottom of this issue and find out for yourself if what we are saying is true, we recommend you get three Bibles and lay them out before you. Open one to Matthew 24, another to 1 Corinthians 15, and the other to 1 Thessalonians 4. The subject is the same in all three books, and it is resurrection. We are going to compare what Jesus says about the resurrection in Matthew 24, which He taught during His earthly ministry, with the resurrection Paul wrote about in 1 Cor. 15 and 1 Thess. 4. If Jesus and Paul say the same thing, then they must be talking about the same resurrection. On the other hand, if they say contradictory things about the resurrection, then they are not speaking of the same resurrection. In Matthew 24, Jesus taught the 12 apostles about resurrection, and He said in Matt. 24:29-31 ...
- "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Mark 13:27 "from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven")
Let’s compare what Jesus says here with what Paul says.
(1.) THE HOPE OF MATT. 24 IS THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
Matt. 24:30, "They shall see the Son of man COMING"
Matt. 24:29, "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the COMING of the Son of man be"
The Hope Of I Cor. 15 And I Thess. 4 Is Also The Second Coming Of Christ.
1 Cor. 15:22-23, “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s AT HIS COMING”.
1 Cor. 1:7, “So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.”
1 Thess. 4:15, "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto THE COMING OF THE LORD shall not prevent them which are asleep"
The hope of the Acts Believers was the coming of the Lord. Paul mentions it ten times in his Acts epistles. Check them out and see for yourself, 1 Cor. 1:7, 1 Cor. 4:5, 1 Cor. 11:26, 1 Cor. 15:23, 1 Thess. 2:19, 1 Thess. 3:13, 1 Thess. 4:15, 1 Thess. 5:23, 2 Thess.1:10, 2 Thess. 2:1.
Now, if the Lord has already come once to die for sinners, then the coming we have been reading about must be His Second Coming, right? Why is it so hard for Bible believers to admit that? A Bible believer once said that his hope was not the second coming of Christ, but it was the “rapture,” and he quoted 1 Thess. 4:15. Doesn’t Paul say they would be caught up at the COMING of the Lord? And doesn’t he mention His coming ten times in his Acts epistles? And if Christ has already come one time, wouldn’t this be his second coming?
(2.) IN MATT. 24 WHEN JESUS COMES, HE COMES IN THE CLOUDS.
Matt. 24:30 says, “They shall see the Son of man coming in the Clouds Of Heaven”
In 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15, when Jesus Comes, He comes in Clouds.
1 Thess. 4:17 says, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them IN THE CLOUDS, to meet the Lord in the air.”
If you want to know where the clouds are, look up into the air, and you will see them. It’s the clouds in the lower atmosphere.
(3.) IN MATT. 24 WHEN JESUS COMES IN THE CLOUDS, HE WILL COME WITH ANGELS.
Matt. 24:31, "And He shall send forth his ANGELS"
In 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15, when Jesus comes in the clouds, He will come with Angels.
1 Thess. 4:16, “HE will descend from heaven with... the voice of the ARCHANGEL.
Michael is the archangel and the prince of Israel (DAN 12:1-2), and where Michael goes, so do His Angels, read Rev. 12:7.
(4.) IN MATT. 24 WHEN JESUS COMES IN THE CLOUDS WITH ANGELS, A TRUMPET IS BLOWN.
Matt. 24:31, “And he shall send his angels with a great SOUND OF A TRUMPET”
In 1 Thess. 4 and I Cor. 15, when Jesus comes in the clouds with Angels, a Trumpet is blown.
I Cor. 15:52, “For The Trumpet Shall Sound and the dead shall be raised “1 Thess. 4:16 says, “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven ..with The Trump Of God”.
(5.) THE TRUMPET THAT IS BLOWN IN MATT. 24 IS THE LAST TRUMPET, FOR IT IS BLOWN AFTER THE GREAT TRIBULATION.
Matt. 24:29, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days ... Matt. 24:31 "he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet.”
The Trumpet in 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor.15 is specifically called The Last Trumpet.
1 Cor. 15:52, "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, At The Last Trump: for the Trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised.”
If Paul said they would be raised at the last trumpet, that means there are other trumpets blown before it. There is no denying the fact that before the second coming of Christ, trumpets are going to be blown. In Rev. Chapters 8-9-10-11, there will be at least seven trumpets blown before The Lord Jesus comes. In 1 Cor. 15, Paul said the dead would be raised at the Last Trumpet. If there are 7 Trumpets blown before He comes, which Trumpet is Paul referring to? That’s easy, it’s number 7 in Rev. 11:15, and it so happens that when the seventh trumpet is blown in Rev. 11, a resurrection of the Saints takes place, they are judged, and rewards are given out to them, read Rev. 11:15-18. Also read 2 Cor. 5:8-11.
Every trumpet that is going to be blown before Jesus comes is found in the Book of Revelation, so don’t waste your time running all over the Bible, trying to find another trumpet to get around the last trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15. If a trumpet is going to be blown, if a seal is going to be opened, if a vial is going to be poured out in the tribulation, You will find it in the Book of Revelation or Daniel. If it’s not in those Books, don’t waste your time searching through the Scriptures to come up with another trumpet, vial, or seal. (It’s amazing what people and preachers will do to get around these clear records! Just believe the Book and relax; for 1 Cor. 15 and 1 Thess. 4 is not your Hope. God gave us a new and better Hope, and it's found in the Prison Epistles of Paul, and it takes place before the first trumpet even blows. We will lay out the details of this Hope later, but we are studying the Acts period, and a pre-tribulation Hope was unheard of; in fact, that false doctrine only surfaced about 150 years ago.
When the resurrection of Matt. 24 takes place, not only will The Lord descend from Heaven in the clouds with His Angels and a Trumpet, but a Voice will be heard also.
The voice is not mentioned in Matt. 24, but it is in John 5:25-28. It says, "The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live"
In 1 THESS. 4 and 1 COR. 15 When the Lord descends from Heaven into the clouds with Angels and the sound of a Trumpet, a voice will be heard.
1 Thess. 4:16 “The Lord shall descend from heaven with a Shout ...
The shout is for the dead; the trumpet is for those alive.
(7.) IN MATT. 24 WHEN JESUS COMES WITH HIS ANGELS AND A SHOUT AND THE SOUND OF A TRUMPET, HIS ELECT WILL BE GATHERED TOGETHER.
Matt. 24:31, “They shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Also read Mark 13:27)
In 1 Cor. 15 and 1 Thess. 4, When Jesus comes with a shout, a trumpet, and angels, His elect will be gathered together.
2 Thess. 2:1 “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto HIm.
And those that he gathers together here are his elect also, according to 1 Thess. 1:4, and 2 Thess. 2:13.
(8.) IN MATT. 24 WHEN JESUS COMES IN THE CLOUDS, IT WILL BE SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED.
Matt. 24:42, “Watch, therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
In these verses, Jesus compares his coming with a thief breaking into a house. A thief comes suddenly and unexpectedly. He comes in and then gets out as fast as he can with the valuables and jewels he came after.
In these verses, Jesus Christ is as a thief breaking into a house. The house is this world that the devil is the god of (Matt.12:29). As a thief breaks into a house to take something of value out, His coming is to take his elect out of this world so that he can destroy it along with the devil (2 Pet. 3:10).
The Resurrection in 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15 will be sudden and unexpected also.
1 Cor. 15:52 “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: For the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised...”
When Paul says: “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,” he is showing you HOW FAST that resurrection will take place. But when he says "AT the last trump”, he is showing you WHEN it will take place. It will be sudden and unexpected, just like the Hope of Matt. 24.
(9.) WHEN THE RESURRECTION OF MATT. 24 TAKES PLACE; BELIEVERS WHO ARE ALIVE WILL BE CAUGHT UP WITHOUT DYING.
This fact is brought out by the Lord in John 11. In John 11, Lazarus, who was Martha’s brother, died, and she wants Christ to raise him from the dead. And Jesus said unto her in John 11:23, “Thy brother shall rise again.” Martha saith unto him, "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said unto her: “I am the resurrection; and the life: he that believeth in me; though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die ... believest thou this?”
When Jesus said, "he that believeth in me though he were dead, yet shall he live.” He is referring to those who are dead when the resurrection of the last day takes place. And when He said, "whosoever liveth and believeth in me," He is referring to those who are alive when the resurrection of the last day takes place, and he says: “They shall never die.” When the resurrection of Matt. 24 takes place, those believers who are dead will be raised, and those believers who are alive will be gathered together without dying.
When the Resurrection of 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15 takes place, believers who are alive will be caught up without dying.
1 Cor. 15:51 "I shew you a Mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed."
The Mystery of 1 Cor. 15:51 is not the resurrection, but it’s the fact that there will be some caught up without dying. But this is a mystery hidden in the Scriptures, for in 1 Cor. 15:55, Paul quotes Isa. 25:8, which says, "O Death where is thy sting?" In other words, in the Old Testament Scriptures, it was written down that somebody was going to get out of this life without experiencing the sting of death.
This is what Jesus is referring to in John 11:26 when he said, “He that liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” That was the only time that Christ mentioned that fact to anyone, and prior to Paul, it was the general consensus that by the time that resurrection took place, all believers would be dead. But God opened up the Scriptures to Paul, and he was the first man to fully understand that fact and write about it. But nevertheless, it was in the Old Testament Scriptures, even though concealed.
Isn’t it wonderful how the Bible opens up when you just believe what the words say and ignore what the preachers say?
(10.) THE RESURRECTION AND HOPE IN MATT. 24 WAS, OF COURSE, PROPHESIED BY THE PROPHETS.
The Hope of 1 Cor. 15:54 and 1 Thess. 4 were, of course, implied.
1 Cor. 15:54 “Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory, O Death where is thy sting? “O Grave, where is thy victory?”
When the resurrection of 1 Cor. 15 takes place, Old Testament prophecies concerning resurrection will be brought to pass, namely Hosea 13:14 and Isa. 25:8.
(11.) THE HOPE OF MATT. 24 WAS ISRAEL’S HOPE.
The resurrection Jesus describes in Matt.24 is the hope of the New Covenant that God made with Israel.
Hope of Paul’s Acts Epistles was The Hope of Israel.
Acts 28:20 "For this cause, therefore, have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the Hope of Israel, I am bound with this chain.
Paul refers to the Hope of Israel 4 times in Acts.
1. In Acts 23:6, he mentions the Hope as being resurrection.
2. In Acts 24:15, he mentions the hope as being resurrection.
3. In Acts 26:6-8 He mentions the hope as being resurrection.
4. In Acts 28:20-23 he mentions the Hope in connection with the Kingdom of God.
The Hope of Israel was to be resurrected into the kingdom of God; as a matter of fact, the only way they could get into the Kingdom of God was by resurrection.
That’s exactly what Paul is showing the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 15. In that Chapter; he is showing them how to get into the Kingdom of God, and guess what he told them had to happen for them to get in? They had to be resurrected and changed. WHY? Because in 1 Cor. 15:50, he said:
“Now this I say; brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
And in 1 Cor. 15:51, he told them they would all be changed, and the change would take place in resurrection. 1 Cor. 15 and 1 Thess. 4 is the hope of Israel. The hope of Israel was resurrection into the Kingdom of God, which is exactly what Paul is writing about in this chapter.
You say: “How did Gentiles in that Church end up with Israel’s Hope?” Because in the Acts period, they were grafted into Israel the good olive tree, according to Rom. 11:17. And being grafted into the tree, they partook of the fatness of the olive tree. The fatness of the olive tree was the blessings and promises made to the fathers, who were the root of the tree - Rom. 15:27. And one of those blessings and promises was their Hope of Resurrection.
(12.) BEFORE THE HOPE OF MATT. 24 TAKES PLACE; THERE WILL BE A FALLING AWAY, THAT IS, APOSTASY AND THE REVELATION OF THE ANTI-CHRIST.
In Matt. 24:11 Jesus said, "Many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (A reference to apostasy)
Matt. 24:15, "When ye, therefore, shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the Holy place ..." (A reference to the anti-Christ Dan. 11:31)
Matt. 24:24, "There would be false Christs; and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." (A reference to the Devil working false miracles.)
Paul said the exact same thing would take place before the Resurrection of 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15 would take place.
2 Thess. 2:1-2 "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him; "that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor as by letter as from us that the day of Christ is at hand."
The day of Christ in 2 Thess. 2:2, was his coming and their gathering together unto him in 2 Thess. 2:1. The Thessalonians were “all shaken up” because somebody wrote them a false letter and told them it was at hand; that is, it was immediately to take place. If it were true, they were to soon face the wrath of 2 Thess. 1:8-9. So Paul, to assure them that His return was not imminent, tells them in 2 Thess. 2:3 “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
For years Bible believers have wrestled with these Scriptures because they have been taught that the “so-called” Rapture in 1 Thess. 4 was a pre-tribulation rapture. We speak from personal experience. For once, we believed that until we compared the records from The Scriptures.
When we finally made up our minds to just believe what the Scriptures say, the verses shined onto us like the noonday sun! What is Paul saying here? He is saying that the day of Christ in 2 Thess. 2:2 was His Coming and their gathering together unto Him in 2 Thess. 2:1 is the same Hope found in 1 Thess. 4.
Somebody wrote a letter to them, forged Paul’s name to it, and told them it was at hand that is soon taking place. They were shaken up, for if that were true, then what Paul had taught them was wrong. Paul writes this letter to assure them that they had not been taught anything but The Truth about The Day of Christ that is, His Coming, which was still their Hope and gave instructions again on what would happen before His Coming. Paul said the Day of Christ would not take place until after a period of apostasy and the revelation of the Anti-Christ, which they knew had not taken place. (He also mentions the Devil working miracles in 2 Thess. 2:9)
The point that we are making is the Hope of 1 Thess. 4 which was the Day of Christ, would not take place until AFTER a period of apostasy and the revelation of the Anti-Christ, just like the resurrection in Matt. 24. Don’t get uptight thinking you’re going to be here when the Anti-Christ is revealed, for 1 Thess. 4 is not your Hope. We have a new and better Hope found in the Prison Epistles, which is described in the article That Blessed Hope. And that Hope takes place before the Tribulation ever begins, maybe years before.
We believe these 12 similarities between Matt. 24 and I Cor. 15 and 1 Thess. 4 are enough to convince any fair-minded believer that we have been looking at the same resurrection. If they are not the same, then there will be two resurrections that will take place in the future at the same time that are identical! Well, the reason they are identical is because they are the same.
The Body of Christ has ONE HOPE, but it is not found in 1 Thess. 4 or 1 Cor. 15; it is found in his Prison Epistles.
ADDITIONAL NAMES CONCERNING THE HOPE OF THE ACTS EPISTLES
When speaking of “Bible Things,” we should use “Bible Names.”
The word that most Christians use today for the resurrection is the word “Rapture.” The word “Rapture” is not Scripture at all. It does not appear in the Bible even one time. Upon looking at its definition, it is a terrible word to use for resurrection. The word “Rapture” means “Violence of a pleasing passion.” “A state or experience of being carried away by overwhelming emotion, ecstasy, or passion in a carnal, sensual, sexual manner.” As a matter of fact, the word “Rapture” comes from the Latin cognate raptus, meaning “seized and taken, kidnapped by force, snatched hold of and then taken hostage, carried off or away.” In Medieval times, raptus was sometimes used to describe the euphoria soldiers experienced after defeating a foe in battle, then seizing the opponent, and taking him away as a captive. Greek raptus virginum Sabinarum is a reference to the Sabine virgins, who were raped and abducted. Why would anyone want to use a worldly word for violent, forceful rape as a word for the resurrection of saints?
Whenever Paul writes about resurrection, he always uses the word “HOPE" (See Titus 2:13, Acts 28:20, Eph. 1:18). The word “HOPE" is the Bible name for resurrection, not the carnal, sensual word “Rapture."
People use 1 Thess. 1:10 to try to prove that the resurrection in 1 Thess. 4:15-18 takes place before the tribulation period begins. They point out that it says they would be delivered from the “wrath to come” and that they were not appointed to wrath in 1 Thess. 5:9. But, that cannot be true, for Paul also told them they would be resurrected at the last trumpet in 1 Cor. 15:52, and the last trumpet is the seventh of seven, that will be blown DURING the tribulation before Lord Jesus comes at the end. Paul also told them that the Day of Christ, which was His Coming and their gathering together unto Him, was not at hand, for it would be preceded by a falling away and the revelation of the Anti-Christ, which all takes place During The Tribulation, Not Before. (2 Thess. 2:1-6 ) You cannot ignore these facts when reading 1 Thess. 1:10.
The question then that we must answer is, “What is the Wrath to Come”? That expression appears three times in the Bible, Matt. 3:7, Luke 3:7, and 1 Thess. 1:10. In Matt. 3 and Luke 3, it is identified as the day that Jesus comes in a fire to burn up the chaff after He gathers the wheat into His garner. That day is at the Very End of the tribulation.
That’s the wrath of 1 Thess. 5:9 that they were not appointed to. That’s the "wrath to come” they were delivered from in 1 Thess. 1:10. As a matter of fact, even the tribulation saints are delivered from the wrath to come, and no believer, including the tribulation saints, is appointed to wrath. Before the wrath to come is unleashed upon this earth, at the very end of the tribulation, many believers from different ages will, by that time, have been resurrected. (Though not all at the same time.)
Also, the “wrath to come” that Paul wrote of in 1 Thess. 1:10 will not come until after the last trumpet is blown (Rev. 11:18), and it was at the last trumpet that they were to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. That’s why Paul told them that they could “Rest" when the wrath fell in 2 Thess. l:7.
If 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15 are the Hope of The Church today (notice we said “IF”) and “if" God did not reveal a new and better Hope to Paul after the Acts period, then you can be assured that The Church will go through the tribulation just like Paul said.
And it would be false doctrine to preach a pre-tribulation resurrection. Furthermore, if you believe that 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15 are the Hope of The Church today, then you ought to be honest enough to preach that it will take place at the end of the tribulation and not before. And we have more respect for a man that believes that 1 Thess. 4 is his hope and preaches that it will take place at the end of the tribulation than we do for a man that claims it as his hope but denies that it takes place at the end of the tribulation like Paul says it will.
We do realize that what we have written is not going to be “well-liked or received” by most Bible believers, but somebody has needed to stick their necks out and say this for a very long time. We know this is not going to “win many friends and influence many people," but somebody has got to be willing to become even the filth and off-scouring of the world and be looked upon as an evil doer by God’s own people. If that is what it takes for people to get their eyes open to what their Hope is, it is well worth it. The devil is doing everything he can to keep you from seeing the Truth about this Hope, and the one spoken of in the Prison Epistles
When men go up against the doctrines and traditions of men that have been believed and taught for many years, they will find themselves alone on the outside looking in. Their own friends will turn against them and turn away from them and accuse them of being troublemakers. That’s what happened to Paul, but he was willing to suffer abuse if that is what it took to show and reveal the Truth to people that God revealed to him.
It would be much easier to just go along with the religious system and preach their “rapture” as being the hope of the church today. It would be much easier to just ignore and even deny what Paul said about the Hope in 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15, like everybody else is doing. But when God changes His program and replaces it with something new and better, it is wrong to go on preaching what He changed.
In other words, if God revealed a Hope to Paul in his Prison Epistles that is different and better than the one he wrote about in The Acts Epistles, wouldn’t it be wrong to go on teaching the Hope in the Acts epistles as the Hope of the Church today?
We hope this helps,
The Believers
Barry wrote:
What was the 14th Epistles Paul wrote? I only know of 13. Rom. Thru Philemon.
Barry
Dear Barry,
God bless you, and thank you for writing. Maybe this will help:
Chronological Order of Paul's Epistles
Seven Epistles before Acts 28
- GALATIANS. 'The just shall live by FAITH' (Gal. 3:11).
- 1 THESSALONIANS. 'Faith, Hope and Love'.
- 2 THESSALONIANS. Written to correct erroneous views arising out of the first epistle and emphasizing Satanic counterfeit (2 Thess. 2:1-17).
- HEBREWS. 'The just shall LIVE by faith' (Heb. 10:38).
- 1 CORINTHIANS. 'Faith, Hope and Charity' - these 'abide.'
- 2 CORINTHIANS. Written to correct erroneous views arising out of the first epistle and emphasizing Satanic counterfeit (2 Cor. 11:4-15).
- ROMANS. 'The JUST shall live by faith' (Rom. 1:17).
The Hope of Israel is in view from Acts 1:6 to Acts 28:20. It appears in Acts 26:6-7, Romans 15:12-13 and 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18. All reference to 'The twelve tribes,' 'The reign over the Gentiles, ' and the 'Archangel’ cease at Acts 28:28. With the setting aside of Israel, a new dispensation comes into operation and a new set of Epistles.
Seven Epistles after Acts 28
- EPHESIANS. The revelation of the Mystery.
- PHILIPPIANS. Bishops and Deacons. The Prize.
- PHILEMON. Truth in practice.
- COLOSSIANS. The revelation of the Mystery.
- 1 TIMOTHY. Bishops and Deacons.
- TITUS.
- 2 TIMOTHY. The Crown.
The pieces of evidence for the exact dating of these Prison and Pastoral Epistles are not sufficient to enable anyone to dogmatize. All that we feel can be said with some measure of confidence is that 1 Timothy and Titus were written in the interval of freedom that intervened between the two years at Rome (Acts 28:30), when Paul was treated as a military prisoner and allowed some measure of liberty, and the subsequent imprisonment when he was treated as an 'evil-doer,' and from which there was no hope entertained of release, except by death.
All God's Blessings,
The Believers- GALATIANS. 'The just shall live by FAITH' (Gal. 3:11).