08 1 thessalonians 5v1 11 The Great Divider

The Rapture and the Return of Jesus The Rapture and the Return of Jesus ChristChrist

1 Thessalonians 5:1-111 Thessalonians 5:1-11

The Great DividerThe Great Divider

(Four differences between the Saved and the (Four differences between the Saved and the Unsaved)Unsaved)




(Four differences between the Saved and the (Four differences between the Saved and the Unsaved)Unsaved)I. KNOWLEDGE VS. IGNORANCE

Vs 1-2Three terms we ought know.

A. "Times and seasons“

Only used three times in the Bible; Dan 2:21, Acts 1:7.

The term has to do with God's power over the nations.

The next kingdom to come will be that of the Anti Christ during the Tribulation period, after that, Christ will return to this earth to defeat Anti Christ, and set up His own 1000 year kingdom!The unsaved world is in the dark about all of this.






B. "Day of the Lord“

This term is used to describe what we often call the Tribulation period.

It will be a time of trouble on this earth such as the world has never seen. Although people like •Hal Lindsey •Jack Van Impe and •Tim LaHaye have made the study of such very popular, still the unsaved world does not believe it.






C. "Thief in the night"This term describes how suddenly the Tribulation period will begin.

Put all of this together with what he had already told them about the Rapture in the verses just before this and you see that, just after the rapture of the Church, God will begin to work out these "times and seasons" through the Tribulation.





II. EXPECTANCY VS SURPRISEVerses 3-5

In 2 Peter 3:4 you have people scoffing,

And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. (KJV)





III. SOBERNESS VS DRUNKENNESSVerse 6-8

The unsaved person like the drunk person, lives in a false paradise, with a false security.

He is unaware of the dangers he faces, or he uses his alcohol to help him ignore those dangers.

The Christian is alert, aware, and anticipating the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.





IV. SALVATION VS JUDGMENTVerse 9-11

Five reasons why I do not believe the Church Age Christian will go through the Tribulation and the Rapture will occur before then

A. The nature of the Tribulation.

The Tribulation has two purposesFirst, to judge the GentilesSecondly, to purge Israel







B. The nature of the Christian.

The Church age believer has already been judged in Christ.

Christ suffered for our sins and we therefore do not look for another time of judgment.







C. The promise of Christ’s imminent return.

Imminent means "ready to happen."

It is something that could take place at any moment and without any warning.







D. The seven churches of Revelation.

These seven churches are used to portray seven stages that the Churches have gone through in history.

The Church in Ephesus would be the Churches during the days of the Apostles.

The church in Laodicea would be the false religion of the Tribulation.

And that would put our age as the Church in Philadelphia.





.IV. SALVATION VS JUDGMENTVerse 9-11


Jesus says of that church,

"I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."[1]

[1] Revelation 3:10







E. 2 Thessalonians 2

Gives a specific timeline (which we will study later).

08 1 thessalonians 5v1 11 The Great Divider

Spiritual

return of jesus christ

lord jesus christ

great divider

anti christ

church age christian

tribulation period

salvation vs judgment

ignorance vs