15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 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:
17 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. 1 Thessalonians 4
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 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.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5
The apostle Paul speaks here of two events and two kinds of people.
The first event he refers to is the coming of the Lord, what is commonly called the rapture of the church. Jesus is going to come down from heaven with a shout which only the saved will hear. It will be such that it will be audible not only to the living saints, but also to the bodies of the believers in the grave. Together we all will meet the Lord in the air. Hallelujah!
Notice in speaking of this event he includes himself with the believers.
We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord
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.
That is event number one. Then there is the second event.
The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
Then he shifts from we to they and them.
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them… and they shall not escape.
There is the second event, the day of the Lord, that even the Old Testament prophets spoke of. It is not going to be happy hour for those who chose not to believe in Jesus. This is after the rapture and is commonly known as the great tribulation.
Believers will not participate in that event. We will be gone. Hallelujah again.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now I have two questions.
1. In which group of people are you?
2. In which event will you be found?
I like the expression, It would behoove you. And now I say to you, It would behoove you to decide quickly which event you want to be in by virtue of you decision concerning Jesus.
Choose wisely!
Purpose! Ministries
A Praying Church - A Healing Church - A Holy Spirit Church - A Preaching Church
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