|
I Thessalonians
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Picture not available yet
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
By Peter Marshall McLewin
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Chapter Links
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
A closer look at three words in verses seventeen.
“Then we who are alive and remain will 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.”
I Thessalonians 4:17
The first word is “air.” The Greeks used two words to describe air. The first word, aer, refers to the dense air of the lower atmosphere. The second word, aither, refers to the thin air of the upper atmosphere. Keep in mind that, on a clear day, Mount Olympus can be seen from Thessalonica. From the top of Mount Olympus at 6,403 feet, a Greek would look up to thin air (aither) or look down to dense air (aer).
The use of these words in Scripture makes an interesting study. For example, we read in Ephesians 2:2 that Satan is “the prince of the power of the air.” The word for air, aer, means that the activities of Satan and his host of demons are limited to the lower atmosphere of the earth.
Paul tells us that the Lord will descend into the aer, that is, the lower atmosphere. Jesus will come within 6,403 feet of the earth, and somewhere within that space we will meet the Lord along with the saints who have gone before us! That will be the greatest church homecoming of all time!
The second word that we need to study is “cloud.” In verse seventeen the word cloud is not preceded with a definite article. Paul says that believers will be caught up in clouds, not in the clouds. This changes the meaning of the sentence significantly. The believers are the clouds! This is the same word that we find in Hebrews 12:1-2 where the writer says, “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses...” Millions of believers gathering to our Lord Jesus Christ will appear as clouds in the sky, viewed by those who have been left behind. Dear reader, examine your heart. If you have not accepted Christ as your Savior, do it today. Don’t risk being left to face the day of the Lord. If you are not sure of your salvation, please e-mail me today and give me the opportunity to introduce you to Christ.
The third word that we need to consider is the word “caught up.” The Greek word is harpazo. It has various meanings that all add understanding to this verse.
Harpazo:
1. To carry off by force: In this meaning we discover why the Lord descends within the lower atmosphere (less than 6,403 feet). Satan and his host are at work seeking to shield believers from the resources of heaven. Sometimes people say, “My prayer did not seem to get through to heaven.” That is one of Satan’s objectives. Demons seek to disrupt God’s will for Christians and the church. These demons will even try to prevent Christians from meeting Christ in the air, but they will be no match for Christ when He appears in their air space to claim His church. Jesus will exert His omnipotent power to raise saints from the dead and translate to heaven all living believers!
2. To rescue from the danger of destruction: In this meaning we discover that the catching up of the saints in the air to meet the Lord protects them from the destruction that accompanies the Day of the Lord. What is the purpose of the tribulation? It is not to test followers of Christ, but rather to give those, who have not bowed their knees to Him, one last opportunity to do so. During the tribulation hundreds of people will turn to Christ for salvation. Many of these will be martyred for their faith. The primary purpose of the tribulation is to give the world, and especially Israel, time to repent. The church will be spared these terrible days.
3. To claim for one’s self eagerly: In this meaning we discover what the fulfillment of Jesus’ words in John 14 will be like...
.
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. a If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3
The Bridgegroom of the Church is coming from heaven to claim His Bride. He will come in a moment, in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye. We will be transported to heaven faster than the speed of light. We will be transported faster than the speed of thought. Jesus is coming to eagerly claim His bride and take her home to His house.
Final thoughts:
Neither the words rapture nor the term the second coming of Christ are used in the Bible. These are terms that are used by theologians to distinguish between events that are described in the Bible. The name given to an event is not nearly as important as the event itself. Every scheme detailing the events of the end times has challenges to overcome. Whatever timeline one uses, all of the events mentioned in Scripture need to be accounted for. I am comfortable with the view that the church is going to be caught up into the air (raptured) before the seven years of tribulation. That does not make this view correct. It is better to believe that the church will go through the tribulation and be pleasantly surprised than to believe that the church will not go through the tribulation and be terribly disappointed. My purpose has been not so much to defend a particular timeline of events as it has been to explore the actual words that were chosen by the apostle Paul and draw conclusions from what those words might have meant to his original readers. I hope that this study has stretched your thinking about the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. I’m sure we can all agree with John’s final words to us all.
“He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” Revelation 22:20-21
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Study Links
Thessalonica
First Missionary Journey
Second Missionary Journey
Third Missionary Journey
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Greece Report
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
This site was written and produced by Peter McLewin, all rights reserved, 2001
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| page created with Easy Designer |