1 Thessalonians 4:13 (NKJV) But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
From what we see written in First and Second Thessalonians, we infer that some false teachers had come, teaching that the resurrection had already taken place and that the Thessalonians had missed it. This would mean their loved ones, who had died, apparently were not raised.
In 2 Timothy, Paul speaks of some false teachers who were teaching something like this. 2 Timothy 2:16-18 says:
2 Timothy 2:16-18 (NKJV) 16 But shun profane [and] idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.
Paul compares their teachings to cancer. Cancer is hard to root out and deadly, and so are such teachings, so much so that this teaching overthrew the faith of some. (The Greek word used in the original is γάγγραινα(gaggraina) from which we get the word “gangrene.” Although scholars disagree on how to translate the word, the concept communicated remains the same. Since I am using the NKJV, I have used the same word that appears in my text. Your translation may use a different word.)
The cancer of these teachings is still with us. Teachers stray from the truth for different reasons. Some stray because of bitterness and envy, some stray because of greed, and some stray to gain followers. When we allow sin to rule in our hearts, the devil takes the opportunity to deceive us. Thus, the epistles contain a lot of instruction concerning false teaching and false teachers.
In Acts, when Paul spoke in any given location, he taught about the resurrection: first, the resurrection of Jesus, and second, the resurrection of the dead. From this, we can gather that knowledge of the fact that God will raise the dead to life again is essential. And this is precisely what Paul says here in 1 Thessalonians 4:13. He says, “I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep.”
We must not be ignorant. We must be sure of the basic facts concerning the resurrection.
First, we can be sure that the resurrection has not yet occurred.
Let’s look at 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 (NKJV) 13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
The Thessalonians mourned loved ones who had passed away, just like we all must do at some point. However, Paul says, “You have hope! Because Jesus will bring with Him all who have died in Jesus.” Therefore, there is your proof that the resurrection has not yet occurred.
“What,” you ask me. “How does that constitute proof?”
Paul discusses more in verses 15 through 18, and we will examine those verses. However, let me summarize them. The fact that they had loved ones in the grave is proof, because they are in the grave. If God raised them, they would not be in the grave.
However, there is more to this. Let’s read verses 15 through 18.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 (NKJV) 15 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 will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 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 thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
First, look at verse 15. It says, “that we who are alive [and] remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.”
Next, look at verse 16. It says, “And the dead in Christ will rise first.”
Finally, look at verse 17. It says, “Then we who are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”
These three events occur in the specified order. According to 2 Corinthians 15:51-52, these events will happen in a moment, making them effectively simultaneous.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (NKJV) 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
The second proof that the resurrection has not taken place yet is the fact that we are still here. We have not been caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
The devil leads people astray concerning this truth because it creates fear and uncertainty. Fear does not come from faith, and whatever is not of faith is sin. Therefore, it is essential to comfort one another with this truth.
Our loved ones are still in the grave, and we are still here, so the resurrection has not taken place yet. Paul does not want us to be ignorantof the fact that the resurrection has not yet occurred. This is the first basic fact about the resurrection that we must know. The second and third basic facts are also truths that many stumble over.
The devil has created a lot of confusion over the following two facts because this confusion creates doubt about the word of God and uncertainty about our purpose as believers and as the Church.
These facts are more complex, so I will introduce them to you now, but we will need to examine them more closely later. Many people take the approach that these truths are not essential, but the word of God treats them as crucial. The details I am referring to are part of the prophecies of the Bible. Almost a third of the Bible is prophecy. From this fact alone, we can see that God wants us to be aware of what is happening. But that is the point of Satan’s efforts. He seeks to sow confusion about what God tells us, thereby creating uncertainty and doubt about the word of God.
The second fundamental fact we must understand is that the resurrection of the dead we are awaiting is not the only resurrection that will happen, and it is not the return of Christ that will bring the end of the world.
The third basic fact is that verses 16 and 17 of 1 Thessalonians 4 say nothing about Jesus’s feet touching the ground. Instead, these verses say that we who are alive and remain will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.
With the second fact, we must understand that there is more than one resurrection that God tells us about. We must be clear which resurrection we are talking about.
With the third fact, the one about Jesus' feet not touching the ground, we must understand what God has revealed to us about His plans for the last days.
Oh, come on, Joe, what is so important about what is going to happen? It will all work out in the end, right?
Several issues arise from this truth, but the most significant one is its impact on our work as the Church and our goals. What is our purpose? Why does God keep us here?
Where are you with these facts?
Do you know what is at stake when we talk about the resurrection?
The resurrection is a matter of salvation. Jesus said that He was going to prepare a place for us, and He promised to return and take us to that place. If there were no resurrection of the dead, His promise would be meaningless.
And if we understand that there is a resurrection of those who died in Christ that is separate from the resurrection of the rest of the dead, then we will understand the urgency of telling the world about what is coming.
In Revelation 20, we read:
Revelation 20:11-15 (NKJV) 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is [the Book] of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Jesus spoke of the lake of fire as a place where the fire is not quenched and the worm does not die. And He spoke with urgency because many more people will end up in this place of suffering than will end up in His Father’s house. When His disciples asked the way to where He was going, Jesus said:
John 14:4-6 (NKJV) 4 “And where I go you know, and the way you know.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Jesus is the way to His Father's house, and He is much more than that. Jesus is the answer for all of life’s problems. All our issues have their roots in a spiritual problem. For one thing, before sin, the world was perfect, and there was no suffering or sorrow.
In answer to the problems caused by sin, God says:
Isaiah 53:4-6 (NKJV) 4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He [was] wounded for our transgressions, [He was] bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace [was] upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
The Bible says, “By His stripes we are healed.” The only way we will ever be complete is by coming to the Father through Jesus. This is the truth that transformed the Thessalonians, and it continues to transform people today.
Which resurrection will you be a part of? The key to being in the good resurrection is found in Romans 10:9-10.
Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV) 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
If you do what these verses say, you will be one of us who will meet the Lord in the air, and thus be with Him forever!
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