Bible Study

 

A1 Scripture

B1 "Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you be sorrowful as those who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, thus also God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall by no means precede those who have fallen asleep. Because the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall always be with the Lord. So then comfort one another with these words. " (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, EMTV)

B2 "Our friends, we want you to know the truth about those who have died, so that you will not be sad, as are those who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will take back with Jesus those who have died believing in him. What we are teaching you now is the Lord's teaching: we who are alive on the day the Lord comes will not go ahead of those who have died. There will be the shout of command, the archangel's voice, the sound of God's trumpet, and the Lord himself will come down from heaven. Those who have died believing in Christ will rise to life first; then we who are living at that time will be gathered up along with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. So then, encourage one another with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, GNB92)

A2 Outline--Addressing concerns

B1 About those Christians who have already died

B2 About those Christians who are still alive

B3 About Advent

C1 The Lord himself

C2 Announcements

D1 Shout of the archangel

D2 God's trumpet

C3 The order

D1 The dead rise first

D2 The living are caught up to heaven second

C4 The place--the clouds

C5 The location--with the Lord

C6 The comfort

A3 Notes

B1 About the Christians who have already died

C1 Some thought that the Christians who died had no hope of resurrection and heaven.

C2 Some thought that the resurrection who take place long after the rapture, thus there was no hope of being together with these saints for a long time.

C3 The state/condition of the dead.

D1 Death is because of sin. (Romans 6:23)

D2 God wishes for repentance of sinners (1 Timothy 2:4).

D3 Since no one seeks God (Romans 3), God, himself, initiates salvation by opening our eyes and hearts to our true condition (Acts 26:18), its punishment (Ephesians 2:1, Revelation 21:8), salvation by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), trusting in the Lord Jesus for salvation (Psalm 2:12, Ephesians 1:12-13), confession (Romans 10:9), and calling on the name of the Lord (Romans 10:13).

D4 At that point one is saved from God's terrible anger/wrath (Romans 5:9)

D5 There is consciousness after death (Luke 16:19-31, Luke 23:43, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, 2 Corinthians 5:1-8, Matthew 27:52 (bodies that slept, not souls)

D6 After death, the Christian's body goes to compost, but his spirit goes to God (Acts 7:59, 2 Corinthians 5:8, Philippians 1:23)

D7 For those who do not believe

E1 Die (Hebrews 9:27)

E2 Temporal punishment (Gehenna part of Sheol/Hades)

E3 There is a resurrection (John 5:28-29, 1 Corinthians 15:42, Revelation 20:5-6)

E4 Lake of Fire (Second Death, hell) Revelation 20:14, Revelation 21:15)

E5 Never ending punishment (Matthew 18:8, Matthew 25:41, Matthew 25:46)

E5 There is no annihilation or any temporary punishment (Revelation 19:20, Revelation 20:10)

C4 Paul clarified with the truth.

D1 There is a resurrection.

D2 There is hope.

B2 About the Christians who are still alive

C1 Exempt from God's wrath

C2 Forever with God

B3 Advent (specifically the Second Advent, here also Parousia)

C1 Parousia

D1 Means presence and depending on context refers to a return or arrival

D2 Often translated coming as in

E1 "...so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints." (1 Thessalonians 3:13, EMTV)

E2 "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall by no means precede those who have fallen asleep." (1 Thessalonians 4:15, EMTV)

E3 "And then the lawless one will be unveiled, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth, and will destroy by the brightness of His coming." (2 Thessalonians 2:8, EMTV)

D3 Coming

E1 First coming as in 2 Peter 1:16

E2 Second coming

F1 Part 1--The Rapture

G1 For His people--1 Thessalonians 4:17

G2 Before the Tribulation--1 Thessalonians 5:9

G3 Not visible and is instant--1 Corinthians 15:50-54

G4 Imminent and no special events

H1 Titus 2:13

H2 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

H3 1 Corinthians 15:50-54

F2 Part 2--Second Coming

G1 With His people--Revelation 19:14

G2 At end of tribulation--Revelation 19:14

G3 Visible to all--Revelation 19:11-21

G4 Certain signs must be fulfilled

H1 2 Thessalonians 2:4

H2 Matthew 24:15-30

F3 For further information see here and here

C2 The Lord--this is Jesus

C3 Shout of the archangel