“He will come again to judge the living and the dead.”
This phrase from the Apostles’ Creed reminds us that Jesus promised to return and that God the Father has committed all judgment to him. Unfortunately, this teaching is sadly neglected in churches today.
I have been retired from pastoral ministry since 2018. I have attended worship services every Sunday since that time. I cannot remember hearing a single sermon on the second coming of Christ. Research in the religious life of America bears this out. People in the pews are not hearing as much as they used to about the “blessed hope” of the Lord’s return. They are uninformed about this precious truth. Ignorance of this subject led Paul to write about the coming of the Lord in 1 Thessalonians 4.
When he wrote about the “coming” of Jesus Christ, Paul used a word (parousia) which meant showing up in person. It was a word that might have been used of the arrival of friends from a journey, their personal presence. The apostles Peter and Paul used the word ten times in their writings to refer to the Lord’s second coming.
In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul describes some spectacular supernatural events that will accompany Christ’s coming. First, the Lord will descend from heaven with a shout, or “loud command” (v.16). Most likely this refers to his call to the believing dead to rise in new bodies suited for eternity.
The archangel will speak. The only archangel named in the Bible is Michael, the defender of Israel. His voice will be a shout of victory over the devil and his dominion. This is a reminder of the role of angels in the events described in the book of the Revelation. The archangel’s announcement will mark the beginning of the end for Satan.
The trumpet of God will sound. Paul’s Jewish readers would think of the blowing of the ram’s horn (shofar) for the feast of trumpets. Paul’s Gentile readers would probably associate this with an army bugle call to close ranks and march into battle.
Of course all this represents a disruption in the status quo of history. This reminds us that all things are not going to continue as they have been indefinitely. Jesus’ second coming will be a supernatural intervention. Paul goes on to boldly describe it in terms that are nothing short of miraculous.
The miracle of resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:14-15)
“Those who have fallen asleep in Jesus” are the Christian dead. Their bodies, not their souls, are asleep, awaiting the awakening called the resurrection. For believers, death is not unconsciousness. The “dead in Christ” are as alive as he is. “Asleep” is a word picture to illustrate the temporary nature of death for their physical bodies.
At the resurrection, the bodies of those who are in Christ will be reconstituted. Their new bodies will be joined to their spirits, already with the Lord. They will “rise first” (v.16), before the living believers ascend. Then together, the living and the resurrected believers will be transformed and will be taken to be with the Lord forever.
The miracle of the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:17)
“Rapture” is a word used to refer to the snatching away of all of God’s people worldwide “to meet the Lord in the air.” Jesus taught that no one knows when this will occur. Paul’s attitude (“we”) was one of expectancy and we should also live in anticipation of the sudden appearance of “the Lord himself” (v. 16).
Who will be “caught up,” or raptured? The context tells us that it is those who are “in Christ,” living and dead. Throughout the New Testament they are referred to as spiritually chosen in Christ, new creations in Christ, crucified and raised with Christ, seated in the heavenlies in Christ, complete in Christ, baptized into Christ, abiding in Christ and sanctified in Christ.
What will happen at the rapture? The apostle John answers, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2).”
The miracle of reunion ( 1 Thessalonians 4:17)
“Together” is a beautiful word. It implies the gathering of God’s people in the presence of Jesus and the complete absence of the sins, ignorance, and misunderstandings that spoil our relationships here on earth. There and then we will know and be known with clarity, joy and perfect harmony. If family reunions are good here on earth, how much better will they be in heaven?
Are you ready for all this? Do you love the thought of Jesus’ return? Do you pray the way we are taught to pray in the New Testament: “Come, Lord Jesus, come?” Can you speak the words of the Apostles’ Creed with certainty: “I believe that he will come again to judge the living and the dead”?
Pastor Randy Faulkner