In past postings I have referred to the first resurrection in which God’s Very Elect saints will rise to meet His Son in the air.  Nothing is more important than this event, for it is those who rise to meet Him who will rule the universe forever with the Father and the Son from New Jerusalem.  Therefore I feel the need to refresh our memories of exactly what will take place upon Christ’s arrival in the air, above the earth, who will be involved in that once-in-history event and what will take place immediately afterward.  The Apostle Paul evidently felt the same need when writing his first letter to the church located in Thessalonica.

But before going into the actual event, Paul felt the need to remind the Thessalonians that the instantaneous journey from the earth to where Christ will be awaiting them will not be without cost to those making the trip.  That cost, as Paul explains, is obedience to the One Whom they will join in the clouds.  He explains that cost in chapter two, verses 9-14 where he reminds the church of “how holy and justly and unblamably” he and his companions had conducted themselves during a previous visit when they “preached to you the Gospel of God.”  Paul reminded them of “how we exhorted and comforted and commanded those who believe” in terms of their service to God.  Note that believing in Christ was not enough for the church to receive salvation.  Much more had to take place between their conversion and the return of Jesus “with salvation” (Heb. 9:28/ 1 Pet. 1:5).  The apostles exhorted them to “walk worthy of God Who called you to His kingdom and His glory.”  In verse 19 Paul included a sobering reminder, noting that it was the apostles HOPE that they would remain in the right spiritual condition until the return of Christ for His true saints.  As I emphasized in the previous posting, we are (being) saved by HOPE with faith that God will do what He promised to do–save us upon Christ’s return.  Recall that Paul asked why would one hope for what he already has?  WE ARE NEITHER SAVED NOR BORN AGAIN IN THIS LIFE.  What we have is the HOPE of salvation (1 Thes. 5:8).

For this reason Paul exhorted the church (and all salvation seekers then and now) to follow the apostles’ teachings and examples of sanctification–having been set aside for holly works (4:1,2).  He reminded them in verse seven: “For God has not called us to uncleanness, but to SANCTIFICATION.”  WE ARE SET ASIDE FOR HOLY WORKS, NOT FOR SIN AND REPENTENCE.  We either answer His call and live, or answer Satan’s call and die.  As Moses told the Israelites, we have two choices: life and death.  Let us choose life by “refraining from even the APPEARANCE OF EVIL” (5:22).  I have had two ordained ministers “straighten me out” on this matter.  One told me that he sinned thousands of times each day.  The other one called herself: “this old sinner saved by grace.”  Both “knew” that heaven awaited them and that I was a religious nut case.

Later in chapter four Paul gets down to the subject at hand and paints a most glorious picture of what the true saint can look forward to in the future.  Beginning with verse five he writes about the resurrection of God’s true saints upon the arrival of His Son.  Paul tells the people not to worry about those who are “asleep” (dead) relative to the resurrection.  He assures them that the dead have not lost their HOPE (vs 13).  Verse 14 is one of the most misunderstood passages in the Holy Bible.  The wrong interpretation of the verse supposedly makes the rapture theory legitimate.  Here Paul tells us that “they who are asleep Jesus will bring with Him.”  The question is, from where and to where?  Without knowing the rest of the story this would seem to say that He will bring with Him those who had died in the past and had been with Him ever since.  Here is where we must search out His “fine print” in order to learn the Truth concerning the first resurrection, about the so-called “rapture” and about the destination of those who will meet Him in the air.

In verse fifteen Paul tells us that those who are alive upon the return of Christ will not rise to meet Him before those who are dead.  Here is the first clue.  The dead will rise.  But from where will the dead rise?  From the grave.  Who will arise first?  The dead.  Two questions concerning the dead: First, have they been dead in heaven since their deaths?  If so, why did they go there only to remain dead?  Secondly, how could the dead rise from heaven and wind up on earth?  In verse 16 we find that the DEAD IN CHRIST will rise (from earth) first.  Afterward, (vs 17), those who are still alive and REMAIN (on earth) will be caught up (rapier–“raptured”) together with them (the risen dead) to where they will “meet the Lord in the air.”  This verse brings up another instance in which an error has caused much misunderstanding.  Where will the saints live forever with Jesus?  Consensus holds that He and His people will forever live in heaven where Jesus supposedly will take them.  Is this true?  Let God’s “fine print” give us the answer.

Turn to the Book of Zechariah chapter 14.  Here we find the Lord telling us that there will come a time in the future soon after His return when the forces of evil will unite and come against Him and His people who will all be on earth, specifically in the Promised Land.  “Then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those (earthly) nations ….  And His feet shall stand on THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, which is near Jerusalem ….” (14:1-4).  Obviously, Jesus and His saints will have arrived back on earth, specifically on the Mount of Olives.

We know from these and other passages that, following the first resurrection, Jesus and His saints, along with His mighty angels, will descend to the Mount of Olives where they will fight the nations that have come to destroy Jerusalem, which will be under attack at the time of their arrival.  Jesus will destroy those nations.  Much is written about mankind’s final war in which millions will die.  Once Christ’s enemies have been destroyed, HE AND HIS VERY ELECT WILL BUILD THE KINGDOM OF GOD.  Following the millennium (1000 year reign of Christ and His saints over the earth), there will be created a new earth and a new heaven.  Following their creation, New Jerusalem will descend from heaven, along with God Himself, to the area where Old Jerusalem now stands.  From there Jesus and His saints will rule the universe for ever.  For more details read The Kingdom of God.  Key word–Kingdom.  L.J.