50 Days to Understanding the End-Times More Accurately - Day 15 - Hand in Hand
DAY 15 - Hand in Hand
Since you may require some more convincing, we will examine more of what the Bible says about this subject.
We must first recall that Paul started the 2nd chapter of 2 Thessalonians with this statement, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him” (2 Thessalonians 2:1). Then, in the very next verse, he continues with the following, “That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand” (2 Thessalonians 2:2).
Why is it that Paul begins to speak pertaining to Jesus Christ returning at the rapture and then immediately mentions the “Day of Christ”?
Am I accurate in believing that the same day the church is raptured, the “Day of the Lord” will begin?
Let’s examine Paul’s previous teaching on the subject to these Thessalonian believers.
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:4)
When the man-made chapter break is removed, we can read this portion uninterrupted, just like the Thessalonian church did when they first received it.
We see, again, that the rapture and the “Day of the Lord” go hand in hand, just like in 2 Thessalonians 2.
In a similar manner to when Paul mentions these events in his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul teaches on the rapture in this first letter and then continues with “But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-2).
Undoubtedly, these two events are clearly linked both in the mind of Paul and in the pages of Scripture.
To conclude otherwise is to either be irrational or to believe that the Bible is irrational.
It is not a coincidence that Paul mentions “the day of the Lord” just three verses after he speaks on being “caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air” in 1 Thessalonians or when he mentions “our gathering together unto him” and “the day of Christ” so closely in 2 Thessalonians.
Point #1: 1 Thessalonians teaches about the “Day of the Lord” three verses after teaching about the rapture.
Point #2: 2 Thessalonians mentions the “Day of Christ” in the verse following the mention of the rapture.
Point #3: If the “Day of the Lord” is the “Day of Christ”, and if the rapture occurs immediately prior, these occurrences shouldn’t surprise us.
2+2=4
Thanks, @narrowminded
In case you missed them,
Introduction
Back Cover
1 : The Foundation
2 : The Tribulation
BONUS : A Biblical, New Testament Understanding of Tribulation
3 : The Seventieth Week of Daniel
4 : Not Appointed to Wrath
5 : Wrath vs. Tribulation
6 : The Day of the Lord
7 : The Lord Alone
8 : The Exaltation of the Antichrist
9 : Promises
10 : The Presupposition
11 : 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4
12 : The Revealing of the Antichrist
13 : Same Day - 1
14 : Same Day -2
A key corollary to this (correct) understanding of the end times event sequence is that:
There is no second chance for people to repent after the rapture.
If you are "left behind" all that there is left for you is the Wrath of God.
A lot of pre-tribbers are counting on the hope that there will be a seven year period after the rapture when newly-convinced skeptics (loved ones) can still be saved and that it is these "tribulation saints" that will go into the millennium as mortal humans, perhaps with greatly extended lifespans.
But, these sudden destruction verses where they shall not escape imply that no one who is not raptured will survive. All "tribulation saints" are raptured and will have immortal bodies in the millennium. If so, then where do these "millennium mortals" come from?
"And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should be believe a lie." (2 Thessalonians 2:11)
What cause? - "because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." (2 Thessalonians 2:10b)
That makes it pretty clear.
Yes, and also:
He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you. --2 Thes 1:8
Amen.
Yet there are some of His people still on the ground when He touches down:
Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!… -- Zechariah 1:3-4
Christians are arriving with the Lord.
Who is on the ground, in Judea, fleeing through the new valley?
:o)
Thessalonians 2:11 is a very thought provoking verse! Helps us to understand why some people act how they act.
Yes. Multiple times we see where "God gives people over" to a certain sin, lifestyle, or mentality, because of their rejection of Him.