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First Thessalonians chapters 4 and five, beginning with verse 13 of chapter 4. For that would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep.
That you sorrow not even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again.
Even so, them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you, by the word of the Lord.
That we which are alive and remain under the coming of the Lord shall not prevent or precede them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout.
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 the seasons, brethren, you 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 the him as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.
But she, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
Ye are all the children of light and the children of day. You're not of the night, nor of the darkness.
Therefore, let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober.
For they that sleep, sleep in the night.
And they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and foreign help, the hope of salvation.
For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who died for us that whether we wake our sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together and edify one another even as also you do.
Or now that in the early chapters of the book of Acts, we see that there was still when the Lord Jesus Christ went up on high, there was a bonafide a good offer made that if Israel would still repent nationally, God would send Jesus back for the restitution of all things and the Kingdom would be set up.
We know that by the time we get to Acts Chapter 7.
There's a message sent up to heaven in the stoning of Stephen. We will not have this man to reign over us, God of course, knowing the all things beforehand. In the next chapters we see then God raising up a man, Saul of Tarsus, a man that was prepared from his mother's womb, as we learned from Galatians 1.
And God is going to use him as a special vessel.
For the whole truth of bringing out of the church. Now, Paul was given many revelations, we learned, But specifically four are mentioned, aren't there?
There is one in connection with the gospel in Galatians chapter one.
The and that's outlined for us, shall we say, in the book of Romans, how a man can be just before God, then the three special revelations given to him connection with the church. What in Ephesians 3 that the Jew and the Gentile should be 11 Newman united to Christ in glory, forming that one Newman head and body. So the mystery of the church.
Was made known to the apostle Paul. Also the 2nd revelation not in an order now I'm just mentioning then would be the fact that the apostle Paul was never in the upper room when the remembrance of the Lord was instituted. So he had a special revelation from the risen Christ that this the remembrance of the Lord Jesus Christ because an ultra dispensationalism.
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They teach that that was something that was just for the early Christian Church when it was in its transitional period.
But thank God that which is most blessed to us each Lord's Day was given to the apostle Paul as a revelation, something that should characterize those believers, you and I, until the Lord Jesus Christ comes back again, this do Remember Me.
Then, of course, the other revelation would be what we have before us in First Thessalonians chapter 4. The apostle, visiting early in Thessalonica, had given them truth about the coming of the Lord the day of the Lord. We learned that in chapter 5. But now a special revelation is given to him in connection with the Church, and that those that had died and those which remained, that the Lord Jesus is going to come and take us to be with Himself.
So these revelations, at least four, as we say, one in connection with the gospel.
3IN connection with the church given to the apostle Paul, some of it unfolded here before us. I mentioned we might mention in connection with the revelation in First Thessalonians chapter 4 that we could connect with that what we have in First Corinthians chapter 15.
Verse 51. This is in connection with the resurrection.
The two are linked together, the resurrection of the Saints and the catching up of the Saints, to be with Christ in glory.
And it was appropriate that the apostle Paul should get a revelation in connection with resurrection because.
The resurrection in the Old Testament times was looked at as a general thing, a resurrection of everybody. There wasn't any distinction in resurrection. But now we have this revelation here, and it's stated this way in verse 51 of chapter 15 of First Corinthians. Behold, I show you a mystery.
Well, that word mystery is something like the word secret. I show you a secret that is, here's something that is given to the apostle Paul that before it was revealed to him, it was secret. It was hidden. It wasn't strange to God. It was hidden in him like the truth of the church. It was hidden in God. But now he says, I show you this mystery.
We shall not all sleep.
But we shall all be changed, and you connect that with what we have in First Thessalonians chapter four in a moment.
And the twinkling of an eye at the last trump, or the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. So Speaking of those who have died in Christ, and those who are still living that belong to Christ. And the living will be changed, and the dead will be raised incorruptible. And then of course, in First Thessalonians.
Four tells us that they're going to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.
The Lord himself shall descend to to meet them there in the air. What a glorious truth this is. We're going to see him. We're going to see the one who died for us, the one who loved us and gave himself for us. We're going to be caught away from this scene up to meet him and be taken to the Father's house. And if we want to read more, we can read about that.
In John's Gospel chapter 14.
Read that portion of scripture with this particular scripture too, because the Lord, the Lord is making an announcement there really in John 14, and it's the truth of the Lords coming in its Christian aspect that we're getting there.
The Lord has gone to prepare place for us. The very fact that He's there as a man means that a place is prepared for us there, and He's coming again to receive us unto Himself, that where He is, we might be also. So this is what we have really brought before us in this scripture that's just been read to us. First Thessalonians chapter 4.
Now it says in verse 13, I would not have you to be ignorant.
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The Apostle Paul was giving these dear Saints of Thessalonica.
This revelation, this truth, because he didn't want them to be ignorant about it. Some of their loved ones who knew the Lord had died and they were wondering now what's happened to them? They've lost out, they've lost everything. Nor the apostle says, I don't want you to be ignorant about that. And isn't it wonderful that we have this Scripture that when we lose brethren, we lose loved ones in the Lord? We know what's happened to them. We know where they are.
We are not ignorant about it because God has given us His word about it for something. Notice that.
In verse 15 of the 4th chapter, the verse 18 is the parenthesis and chapter five really is a continuation from what you get from verse 14.
Now as you remarked, I would not have been ignorant concerning them with our sleep and verse 14 for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, Even so them also asleep and Jesus will God bring with him well, how is he going to bring with him well, the following verses is the rapture the Lord coming.
Four years old. For many years I used to.
Think that this was a Raptor verse 13 and 14, but it is not the Raptor. You get the Raptor in verse 15 and that's how they can come with him because the rapture has taken place and.
The regime there with the Lord.
Revelation chapter 19. It speaks of an army that comes with him, with the Lord out of heaven.
Well, no doubt this is what this is referring to here. We're going to be brought with him, it will be taken up so we're with him and we can come back.
And be part of that new Jerusalem that will hover over the earth during the Millennium while the Lord is reigning here on the earth will be associated with the Lord Jesus Christ in His reign over this world.
And everyone.
Who belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ will have a part in that be associated with Him. No one will be left out.
What a wonderful expression this is for all of us that belong to the Lord Jesus, which sleep in Jesus. We have that blessed hope to death overtake us, but we understand it and we take it in not by our thoughts or our reason, but it's because the Holy Spirit has been dwelled us and by faith we can enter into these things. I was thinking when the Lord in John 11.
Was telling this to his own disciples.
And he said, our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I may wake him out asleep. They couldn't enter into that. And he had to say plainly, Lazarus is dead. Well, how wonderful it is. Now we have the mind of Christ, we have the Holy Spirit within us, and by faith we can enter into the blessed truth that those that have gone ahead are asleep in Jesus.
When the disciples heard it.
From the Lord himself they couldn't enter into that it's too precious isn't it? And it takes it takes the faith through the Holy Spirit of God, which by the grace of God we have now in order to enter into this blessed truth. The 14th verse has been very interesting in this way that.
As it's been already pointed out, this would be is appearing, wouldn't it, when he comes back with his Saints. But if you notice it says or if we believe.
That Jesus died and rose again. Even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
Isn't it precious to know that God's whole plan is the exaltation of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and when He appears, we appear with Him. When He's glorified, when He has His rightful place, then the Saints are there too with Him. I was thinking of it is don't we get a thought in?
First Timothy chapter 6 where we get the.
The Lord Jesus and God brought so closely together.
First Timothy chapter 6 and verse 13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession, that thou keep this commandment without spot, unremucable until the coming, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Which in his times he shall show.
Who is, who is the blessed and only potentate, the king of kings and Lord of Lords? God is going to show he's going to display his beloved Son in that day. I wondered if there wasn't some connection between verse 14 and those verses that we have in First Timothy chapter 6 that that title the King of kings and Lord of Lords. I think of a verse in Revelation 17.
To read to us Revelation 17, verse 14.
We read.
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of Lords and King of kings, and they that are with him, and that's what our verse says, are called and chosen and faithful. Now those are not the angels, we are the called ones.
The epistles are addressed to the called ones, and we are those whom he's called out of darkness into his marvelous light, called to be a people for his name. And so those who are with him when he returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, are called and chosen and faithful. How precious that we are so identified with him that when he returns we will be with him and we will be like him.
Isn't it? It's called and chosen. When were we called in time? When we were chosen in eternity? What a what a glorious portion this is, isn't it some folks that said, well, why should we take up prophecy? You know, that's not very profitable for our hearts. Well, dear ones, we would say this, that anything that relates.
To the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
His work, His person, His glory, His offices, anything that touches upon the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, it should be precious to us. And so if we do, if we should get into some prophetic things, it isn't just to feed the intellect, but it's to know of those coming scenes of glory in which there are two men in the Word of God.
The man in responsibility, Adam.
And the man of God's purposes and counsels the Lord Jesus Christ. And so anything that touches upon that Blessed One is important to us. Now our part is that we're waiting for the rapture. We're waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ to take us to be with himself. Blessed moment that can come at any time. But how about the revelation? How about the time when the Lord Jesus shall come with the armies of heaven and put down?
All of the iniquity and rule and reign as King of kings and Lord of Lords. Well, Second Timothy chapter four, I think has a word for our hearts and consciences there in that connection. Second Timothy chapter 4 and verse 4.
The apostle Paul now is at the end of the pathway. This is his last epistle. He might say that what we're reading in First Thessalonians is false first epistle that he wrote in about 51 to 53 AD, somewhere around there on his second missionary journey that we connected with the book of Acts.
This second Timothy would be the last epistle, possibly the 14th one that our fossil road. And here he says henceforth, and verse eight, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love the rapture. That's not what it says.
Unto all that love his appearing.
All we love is appearing as believers. We love that that moment when the Lord Jesus Christ shall be manifested, and when He shall have everything that is rightfully His. There's coming a day right now it's Sit down at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool. Or one day in Psalm 2, ask of me, and I will give you the heathen for thine inheritance. And he will ask, and he'll come with those armies, and be irresistible as the lion of the tribe of.
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And put down everything. Of course, as I say, our blessed hope then is his coming. But here there's a crown of righteousness that we can have in the coming day if we love is appearing. We might say that a little bit later on in verse 10, there's a man who loved the wrong thing, a Christian.
Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world. Now what are we loving? Do we love the appearing when the Lord Jesus Christ shall have his rightful place? Or do we love this present world? Doesn't say evil world either, does it? Here He's delivered us from this present evil world, Galatians one. But Demas love this present world could have had a fair appearance. It could have been something that was more lucrative to him than going out preaching the gospel.
But he loved this world and he was the loser for it and all. If we set our affections on things down here, that's going to rob us of the joy of the Lord. Connection of John 14 has been referenced recognized when he says to his own who were sorrowing.
He says, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am.
That must have been precious to their hearts. The very thought of the blessed Savior setting before them, the emphasis. I will receive you onto myself.
Not referring to the completion of the councils of God, although that would be true. Not referring to the place to which we would go, that's spoken of that where I am.
But unto myself, and if it is precious and real to his own heart, that you and I as redeemed ones would be with him.
And like Him, and therefore His praise and glory. Then what ought to characterize us now? We understand, beloved brethren, the truth concerning the coming of the Lord. But I wonder if it is fresh in our hearts. I remember traveling, if you pardon the reference a moment, remember traveling with a dear woman who was only saved about four weeks.
And we began to speak about the coming of the Lord.
1St Thessalonians 4 simplified scriptures that we've had before us again and again. Her heart just seemed to throb in her face. It was that beam of the fresh sense. You mean the Lord who loved thee and died for me is going to come really and truly.
And take me with everyone else to be with himself.
She thought it was marvelous. She said, wait just a minute till I write all these scriptures down so that I can send this to my son who has just also recently known the Lord Jesus as his Savior. It was fresh, it was real. It was.
Perhaps the first time she had ever heard of the glory of these truths. And I, in sitting here this afternoon of Finn enjoying what has been before us. And I would challenge our heart, beloved brethren, is it fresh and real? And does it mean something to our heart that the Lord Jesus has not only died for us?
And given us the fullness of the Word and the glory of His purpose.
But he plainly told us that I will come again and receive you to myself.
He says this do in remembrance of me.
Where I am, there shall also my servant be. May the Person of Christ be fresh and real. And may these glorious truths as we sit here during these days, the Lord willing, be real in our hearts, as if we were hearing them for the very first time, the truth of the Word of God.
Made real by the Spirit of God to the Saints of God. May there be that sense.
In which we would be here in the Lord's presence to receive the word of God for the honor and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ in verse 15. It seems to me that.
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That the Apostle Paul is giving us a witness, a testimony. Now witnesses or testimonies can be words that are hung upon. Often times you get into a courtroom.
And witnesses are brought to the witness stand, and whatever side has the witness, they're hanging upon the words of that witness that the judge might hear those words and make a favorable decision. Well, here we have one giving a testimony. He's giving a real testimony. He's telling something that he has heard.
Now there are those.
That doubt the word of God.
But God speak, and holy men of old wrote as God speak to them, and they spoke by the Holy Ghost, or they wrote by the Spirit of God.
Witness was given to them, words were given to them to write, and they wrote them down. Here we have the apostle Paul writing down, telling us what the Lord told him.
For this we say unto you, by the word of the Lord, You have any doubts about this? Well, it's a testimony of the law of the apostle Paul to what the Lord told him.
Hang on, do we find assurance in it? Do we really cling to it? Is it a foundation for us to stand upon? God has spoken. The Lord Jesus Christ spoke to the apostle Paul and he's writing it down. It's his testimony. Do we believe it? The whole word of God is a testimony of God to us. Do we believe it? Does it mean something to us?
Sometimes we read the word of God.
Perhaps in our private reading and we're just reading words, but does it mean something to us? Well, I need to be stirred up in this myself to really know that when I'm reading this book, I'm reading God's testimony to me, holy men of all space as they were moved by the Spirit of God. Oh, I'm thankful for that testimony. He says the Lord told me this.
That we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them.
Or precede them, or get ahead of them which are asleep. And he goes on to tell the whole thing that the Lord told him. It came directly from the Lord Jesus by the apostle Paul to us. These are the words of the Lord Himself through His servant.
And the whole story is here.
This passage could not be quoted from the Old Testament.
It was not the word of the Lord until the apostle received it by special revelation.
Then it was the word of the Lord, and this is acknowledged by.
Peter in his second epistle.
If you'll notice in the third chapter as he writes in verse 15 and account, the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him as written unto you, as also in all his officials speaking in them of these things in which.
Are some things hard to be understood?
Which they that are unlearned and unstable rest as they do also the other scriptures. So this informs us that this truth of the Lords coming for His people is scripture also. And they rest these scriptures under their own destruction, evidently.
It was necessary for the apostle to instruct these Thessalonians in this way.
Because of the rejection of Christ and the introduction of Christianity and the change that came about.
Because in coming to his own, his own received him not being in the world that was made by him. The world knew him not, and there's a change in dispensations. So Peter makes a reference to the present truth.
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And we can be thankful for what is known in the the religious world, shall we say, as dispensational truth.
Aren't we glad the Lord is coming and that we're not put in the expectation of a long hard struggle to finally advance the cause of good until the the works of evil are defeated? The Lord is coming and you refer to that is appearing in Revelation 19.
A few years ago in Walla Walla, WA, the subject of the Lord's coming was taken up.
Not in the way that it's so vitally concerns us, because we'd love to see him, just as that Lady on the train, or whatever mode of travel it was, was so intensely glad in the thought of the Lords coming and she would see him.
But the ministry in those meetings had quite a two and quite a bit to do with the Lord having his rifle placed in the appearing.
And both are necessary and we can be thankful for the truth of the rapture. And may I close this with the question, what is the rapture? Because the young people would like to know.
Really means to catching up.
That's in simplicity what it is. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. I think we have it right there.
In verse 17, shall be caught up. That's the rapture. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air, raptured away, caught up in connection with the coming of the Lord. You know, we know it as a doctrine.
Think of whether Brother Reeve has been saying we know this as a doctrine, but is it reality in our walk? And it's been interesting to me to see in this chapter, chapter 4, that the beginning of the chapter brings in our walk. Now if there's a if there's a careless walking Christian here today, I don't believe.
You're really looking for the Lord to come? That's a sad statement to make.
But we need to be careful as to our walk. We receive the truth of God on the principle of faith. That's true, But to enjoy it, we should be wound walking in it. And you find that in that first verse of this chapter. I I don't want to go back to those verses, but just the thought of referring to responsibility now in connection with a truth that we know as a doctrine.
But do we really enjoy it? Is it really before us?
The first verse says furthermore than we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as you have received of us how you ought to walk and to please God, so you would abound more and more. Or if we're walking in the in the enjoyment of that fact that we know that perhaps today the Lord would come.
What a joy that is, and we can say we can respond as we find in Revelation. Even so, come Lord Jesus.
And the Spirit, it's the Spirit of God in US.
That keeps the coming of the Lord before our souls. That keeps it alive in our souls, doesn't it? We're entwelled by the Spirit of God, that divine guest, and he says where he's given us of his Holy Spirit. Well, we should consider then our walk as to the fact that we may see the Lord today face to face. I believe these are important points in connection with the coming of the Lord rather than.
We know it as a doctrine, but.
Shouldn't we know it as a practical truth in our lives? Most of us have heard that old saying.
An honest confession is good for the soul.
This chapter was being read.
My ears were listening and I didn't recognize the chapter until they got to verse 13.
We dwelt so much on the Lord's coming, the Rapture, but we'd forgotten the instruction in the first part of the chapter.
Now the word.
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Refers to beautiful feet.
And we don't usually talk about beautiful feet, but.
Beautiful of the feet of those that preach the gospel, who walk according to the truth of the Word and proclaim it in that way.
I.
And notice of all this in this chapter, that God is brought before us many times. It's God, isn't it? As such. And God is holy.
He is our Father, that's true if God is our Father, but we must remember that God is holy and he's never the same. Holy God, He hasn't changed because of His grace or His love to us, and so it's to please God.
The will of God.
Which know not God all through God is going to bring those back with him, with his Son, when he when he brings him in that place of exaltation. So it seems that God is brought before us here, isn't it?
Very, very much the trump of God and so on. So it's well for us to remember that God is holy.
What?
I suppose could be summed up in verse three of first John 3.
The Epistle of John. The First Epistle of John, chapter 3.
And verse 3.
And every man that had this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.
Every man that hath this hope in him I take to him there refers to the Lord Jesus Christ, and that's what we have in our Scripture. Hope in him brought before us the blessed hope. And every man that hath this hope in him, what does he do? Purifieth himself.
Having this truth before us, the coming of the Lord.
It has a purifying effect upon us.
It's part of that which the Lord is doing, purifying our hearts, cleansing, cleansing us with the washing of water by the Word, and having His coming before us in this aspect any moment He may come. It has a purifying effect.
Every man that has this hope in him purifies himself even as he, the Lord, is pure. What's the standard? The Lord himself, the Lord himself, and we need to keep him before us. And how do we keep him before us? Well, we think about him, but we read about Him and as you're reading about him in the Gospels, throughout the Word.
It has an effect upon us.
Reading about him, seeing him as he walked, we get a picture of himself, a picture that the Spirit of God gives us, not a picture that some man has painted, supposed to be a picture of the Lord Jesus. That kind of a picture of the Lord is not going to purify anybody. It'll make him an idolater of anything. But it's a picture that the Spirit of God gives us as we read about the Lord.
Christ in the Word, and having Him before us, what can it do but purify it? We get face to face with Him, and we judge ourselves, and we see ourselves in the light of Himself, and we confess to Him what we are.
And what we have done.
And it's good for our souls. Our brother mentioned confession. Honest confession is good for the soul. Well, this is what we need. Honest confession before the Lord, getting everything right with Him. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Hebrews 6, verse 18 and 19.
We have the hawk vets and these two verses.
And by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation or comfort. Who have planned for Rapids to lay hold upon the hope set before us. Well, we've had the hope. It's the hope of the Lord coming for his own. We we expect him any moment. And.
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Laying hold upon the hope, I believe, is laying hold with the hand of faith. Do we really have faith that the Lord may come today?
It's laying hold of that. If we are going to get comfort, consolation from this hope, there needs to be that practically whole with the hand of faith upon it. And then it goes on to say verse 19, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul. We're living in a day when the tide of evil is rising higher and higher.
And when there is a high tide, bullet has to have a good anchor, or it will drift. And if you and I do not have an anchor for our souls, we're going to trip with the tide of evil. And so the apostle says, which hope we have.
As an anchor of the soul, so the hope is an anchor for us both sure and steadfast, and which enters into that within the veil where the forerunners were centered. Even Jesus made a high priest forever, half the order of Melchizedek. So by faith we see the Lord Jesus, that God's life had enough, we see him there. What's he doing?
Oh, his eyes upon us this afternoon.
He knows that the sorrows of problems and trials and difficulties of each one of us.
Some different than others. Nevertheless, we are all passing through a world that's full of trial and trouble, and it affects every home.
Well, how wonderful as Saints of God we have a hope, we have a comfort. Well we need to lay hold of it. And this is what is going to, I believe, put into practice in our lives when our brother Heinz who is bringing before us. I believe it will affect our walk and it there should be that loved one for another.
Oh, if I thought this afternoon, I was sure that the Lord would come.
Before this meeting was over, or before the day was over, could it be that I would harbor in my heart an unkind, unforgiven spirit against any my brother? Oh, I'm sure if we had that. Oh, and really believe that the Lord might come today. Oh, wouldn't we want to get right with one another?
Well, I believe these truths are very needful and precious to us. They do comfort.
Asked a very sensible question. If we are waiting for the coming of the Lord, isn't it also true that there are practical things in life which we need to have and we need to do in a responsible manner?
And the answer is yes. And however the emphasis is clearly set out for us in Scripture. Maybe if we looked at it in picture form, it might be helpful. Turn back to Genesis 24.
I believe we'll see the relationship.
Of a practical circumstance.
Genesis 24 we have the subject.
Of the servant obtaining a bride before Isaac, and we have then Rebecca at the end of the chapter going.
Reverse 61 Rebecca rose and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels and followed the man, and the servant took Rebecca and went his way.
The servant surely setting before us in picture the Spirit of God now leading on and you and I now going on as Rebecca, who was to be that bride for Isaac. And then verse 62, Isaac came from the way, the way of the well.
And verse 63 Isaac went out to meditate in the field eventide.
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And so forth. Verse 64. And Rebecca lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
Why didn't my act as if the sentence ended there? Because if you and I were mostly thinking about the camel, we would have some provision for watering the camels. Previously in this chapter there was the question of animals, and we are told of watering those animals and caring for them. What about the watering process and all of the things in relationship to this camel?
We're not told anything about it. She lighted off the camel, period. I believe clearly, brethren, that there is a little hint here that the camel had properly served the purpose to carry Rebecca through a difficult journey following the server. But now that Isaac is there and she's going to be with him, the camel has nothing further to do with the story, and we needn't be concerned as to what became of.
Camel and so if we in our lives can sense the Spirit of God is that servant that would indeed lead us on in the way to be with that blessed One. And that we do have a camel. We do have provision for a difficult journey and during the journey there are responsibilities. The camel was no doubt provided for. When we get to the end of the journey, we abruptly have that.
She lighted off the camel, and she had said unto the servant, What man is this, beloved brethren? What man is this, the man Christ Jesus?
Will anything then be of any importance? No, during this life? Important Yes, as it serves the purpose to go from where we have been taken in His matchless love and grace unto Himself. That's the only purpose and to be tended to in a responsible manner. But when our eyes can see that blessed man face to face.
Nothing else would have any value. And may there be a sense in our souls, as we have it in Luke 12, of waiting and watching? Both are suited. Both have to do with the sensitivity in our heart of the One for whom we long. And may there be, I believe.
An instruction for us in this little hint concerning the camel Useful, suitable, suitable. But surely when we seek.
What man is this?
All then the camel has no purpose, no further reference to it or provision for.
We noticed that there are two companies really in this portion of Scripture.
Verse 15 speaks of those that are alive and remain and those that are asleep.
Well, that's the case right now. Many dear Saints of God have died. They're spoken of as being asleep.
Put to sleep by Jesus or sleep in Jesus?
But there's still a goodly company that are still alive.
Well, if the Lord should come right now, what would happen?
Well, that's what's told us here.
The dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. Now He tells us here in verse 15 that those who are alive are not going to get ahead of those who are asleep.
That's really what the thought is. They don't really have a better position. The ones that are dead really have a better place because the the scripture brings before us that the dead shall be raised first, then the living changed.
See the dear ones who have already died in our sleep in Jesus.
They're going to be raised.
Just how it's all going to be done, I don't think anybody of us really knows, but it tells us in Philippians 3, it's according to the power whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto himself. The Lord knows how to do it, and He will do it according to His power. And when He does it, it's going to be done just right.
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And the dead are going to be raised first.
Well, it would seem that when they come out of the graves, they come out complete spirit, soul and body already with bodies change new bodies. Not a different body now. No, because it's shown a natural body is raised, a spiritual body. It it, it's the same body.
Well, the body may have lain in the grave for hundreds of years.
Thousands of years doesn't matter to the Lord and maybe.
The Saint of God has been swallowed by a fish and.
Maybe the body has been swallowed by many fish, disintegrated in the water, and those fish have been swallowed by other fish. Well, where are the elements of that body scattered all through the ocean? According to the power whereby he is able to subdue even all things unto himself, He'll gather them all together.
Oh, what a wonderful thing to know that we have a Savior like that who can save our souls, and we're going to have the salvation of our bodies, the redemption of our bodies too. The Lord takes care of everything. He doesn't leave one thing out, and we're so thankful for that. And that's the hope that those who have died in Christ.
Have that the Lord will take care of the whole thing.
And raised them from the dead. And how about us, the living? Well, when the Lord comes to take his own, to be with himself, we're caught up to meet him in the air before we're gone, before we go, we're changed right here. The Lord should come right now. Those of us who are the Lords would be changed right here. And whatever isn't suited for that scene up there will be dropped off.
We'll have a glorified body.
Like unto the Lord's own body of glory. And will be to go up together with those who've been raised from the grave, and meet the Lord in the air. Two companies going up together. Not two separate companies in the sense of being separate or different. No, but the Lord takes care of the dead first, then the living.
Well, it's a principle with the Lord to go to the weakest first.
You find that all the way through Scripture goes to the weakest one first. Well, this is wonderful, isn't it, that those who've died in Christ, they'll be taken care of. And this is the assurance that the apostle is giving to these Thessalonians, your loved ones who've died in Christ. Everything is all right. The Lord is going to take care of them. They'll be raised, they'll be with me, and they're going to be with me.
At their period in the glory when I reign over the earth, the Lord has given that assurance and His word.
Comment on.
This asleep in Jesus because there's a doctrine in Christendom that is called the soul sleep. As if all people after they die, the soul sleeps.
Well, we believe that this is a terrible doctrine which would certainly be proven very easily from Scripture to be incorrect, because when it comes to the resurrection, every first first to the body, doesn't it? We know that the soul of the believer is with Christ. We have several scriptures that we can quote to depart and to be with Christ, which is.
Far better.
And absent from the body present with the Lord.
Or the Lord told the thief on the cross, today thou shalt be with me in paradise. So a conscious existence after death. We have in Scripture even Luke 16. But we also want to state very plainly that the believer only who has fallen asleep is in Jesus, is spoken of as being asleep in Jesus.
A state of rest can only be in connection with those who have died in faith.
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But the unbeliever is not asleep.
And so we have to clearly see these things in order not to be LED astray by teaching that is taught by Jehovah Witnesses, and certainly Adventists and people like that teach that. But how comforting for us to know that those who have gone to be with the Lord, that Scripture speaks of them as in a state of rest.
A slave and the Lord Jesus.
Will raise them the body and unite body and soul in the resurrection. And together with the living being changed. We go to meet the Lord in the air. But what a comfort for us to know that they're resting. We do not look at their bodies so much as decaying, but as resting in pride before we leave the war.
Caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. Unite us together.
Again, that little word, lovely word together is brought embarrassment. You're caught up.
We will survive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds then these morning, the air. How conscious that is, and the Lord knows our hearts that perhaps.
Have missed loved ones and this is a comforting hope that they're going to be united for today. We're going to be joining together.
Say there is nothing that can improve the blessedness of the dead except resurrection.
And looking back at verse 14.
We can observe that the same power that wrought in the resurrection of Christ.
Will also be exercised in the resurrection of the dead.
Those who've fallen asleep in Jesus.
There's no limit to the power of God and resurrection because He is the living God.
And it's wonderful to know that this victory over death was won by the man Christ Jesus.
As you learn in First Corinthians 15.
Since by man came dead.
By man came also the resurrection of the dead.
That's Christ the first roots, and afterwards they that are Christ at his coming.
To verse 21 of that First Corinthians 15 might be helpful to notice verse 22.
Some are not too clear as to it.
Brother Javadan Red for a sense by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead. Verse 22 of First Corinthians 15 For ask in Adam all die, Even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Now that all refers to all for the simple reason that the subject is the power of God in Christ Jesus. In connection with who He is. We have been speaking about those who have died in Christ.
Those who have died in faith before God, and when we speak about them being raised to be with Christ, that's principally what we have had before us. Now what about those who have died?
But who have not died in faith, and who have not accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior, by what power shall they be raised?
In connection with the coming Day of Judgment.
1St Corinthians 1522 We just read it. So in Christ shall all be made alive. That is, there is the marvel of the power of God in Christ Jesus and with respect to those who have died in their sins.
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Let's look at Revelation chapter 20. Make sure we see that it's an entirely separate matter. Revelation 20 and verse five. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. That is, it is at the end of that period of time. Then there's a little season. We recognize that, but the point being, it's at the end.
Of that period.
That we have any reference to those who have died outside of faith before God, those who have died in rejection of Christ, with any reference to them being raised, they will be raised in the power of the glory of the Son of God.
Man Christ Jesus raised for what purpose? For judgment, to stand before the great white throne, which is at the end of chapter 20, and their lot is plainly shown. Verse 15 of chapter 20 of Revelation. Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast in the lake of fire.
But the resurrection has to do with the power of the glory of the man Christ Jesus. And it should thrill our hearts, beloved, because it's the vindication of the glory that belongs alone to him that is really involved in the subject of coming display of judgment.
It has to do with the support of the glory of God. It has to do with the acknowledgement of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As the King of kings and Lord of Lords, and to that extent, as we had before us earlier, loving his appearing and loving all that would flow out after that in connection with support of the glory that belongs to Him is something that's critical and real to our hearts. But we ought to recognize in First Corinthians 15, the contrast is the first man.
Adam and the.
Contrast with the last Adam, we have that throughout the chapter and we have the differences spoken of for instance in verse 45 in First Corinthians 15 and saw it as record the 1St man Adam was made a living soul, the last item a quickening spirit.
We have therefore reference as well, do we not? To John 11, I am the resurrection.
And the light resurrection in connection with those who have died.
Light in connection with those alive, and all in connection with himself. Is that as you see it?
I was reverses in John 528 and 29. Is that what the Lord Jesus is saying there might read that verse 48 Marvel out at this, for the hour is coming, into which all that are in the graves shall hear is voice shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life.
That have done evil under the resurrection of their nation.
Resurrection has to do them with the body, doesn't Resurrection has to do with the body. And oftentimes we hear a statement made, it's a little bit wrong, but we don't make a man an offender for a word that we're going to have a new body.
Well, God could in his own divine power create a new body from that dust. But that's not the truth of strict. That wouldn't be resurrection. Resurrection is that body that went into dust.
The Lord is going to raise that body. It's going to be changed and fashioned like under His body of glory. There would be a separate creation of God by divine fear gave a new body to that one, but it's going to be a change body fashion like under His body of glory.
In which of course no more like in Philippians chapter 3.
There, this body is a body of humiliation. It's a body that's subject to decay, the organs malfunction, a lot of suffering in it. Not so in that glorified body, as we learn from First Corinthians 15. Also resident within now is the old nature.
And sometimes we like to believe the holiness doctrine that it could get burnt out, but it just ain't the truth of Scripture, that's all. There's nothing in the Bible that says that it's going to throw a second work of blessing, get burned out. It's there. It's been condemned in the cross, and we need to keep it in the place of death.
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But the why might say one other thing and I stand to be corrected on this.
I think they're ones that the apostle Paul said at one place I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ. 2nd Corinthians 11, he speaks about how he was beaten and no gal, he had scars all over that body, but I don't believe they'll be there on that body in glory. There's only going to be one man in glory with scars.
The Lord Jesus Christ.
Behold my hands and my feet to draw out our hearts affection throughout all the ages of eternity. We'll look upon those scars and we'll remember. I love my Master, I love my wife, I love my children. I will not go out free. And so he went and was crucified on the cross of Calvary. He bears alone the marks in his body.
There are some very unusual things said in verse 16.
For the Lord Himself, that's one thing.
Shall descend from heaven. That's another thing.
With a shout, that's the third thing.
With Archangel voice, that's the fourth thing, and with the trump of God.
The 5th.
Thing Some unusual things are said in connection with the Lord's coming.
And of course, what can we say about the coming of the Lord itself?
That will be.
An unusual thing.
No doubt that moment when we're caught up to meet the Lord in the air will be a moment for which all other moments was made.
Everything looking forward to that, because that surely is what we have in the word himself.
The Lord Himself.
A brother was speaking about Isaac and Rebecca.
Well, Isaac himself.
Was out there in the field waiting.
For that price, I don't know if he even knew what her name was.
He had never seen her before.
She had never seen him.
But he was waiting for that moment. I believe that's what the meditation was about. He was meditating in the field that day. That moment that he would have his companion, the Lord is meditating that moment that He'll have us with himself.
Well, it's mentioned first in John 14. Receive you unto myself. And here we have it, the Lord Himself.
It's a personal thing with him.
His delight.
And he is going to be fully satisfied.
To have us with himself.
And wonder if wonders were going to be like him.
Not anything about us, no staying, nothing that will mar that scene. Everything gone just like himself and all of us like him. And what a company that's going to be all around himself.
I suppose we'll all be happy to be there. Well, perhaps some solemn things that have been said.
Have stirred us up this afternoon and we do want to be purified and ready to meet Him. There is a sense in which we are ready, but there's another sense in which I'm afraid we're not ready. We're not walking in the spirit of self judgment, but all when we think about His desire for us, longing to have us with Himself.
Surely this stirs our hearts.
His joy stirs us to be happy. His love stirs us to love Him.
There are 7 because the five are from heaven, but the Spirit and the Bride, they come. Those are the two on earth. There you have the completeness of all in seven things.