The Dead Shall Rise First

Introduction: The Purpose of Paul's Teaching on Grief

0:02 Let us turn again this morning to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, as we continue our studies in this particular paragraph, bounded by verses 13 and 18. Just briefly, by way of review, I remind you of the larger context of this passage. The Apostle is dealing in chapters 4 and 5 with the general subject of the walk of believers a walk that should have as its focus not their own blessing or happiness, but pleasing the heart of their God who has redeemed them. For he had declared unto them that he had already instructed them how to walk so as to please God. And now he expands his original teaching that they might abound, that is, be filled up and overflow with such a walk. And then he plunges right into practical areas. Indicating that walking so as to please God is not mystical, ethereal, undiscernible experience, but it's practical Christian experience that touches the areas that the Apostle deals with in this fourth and fifth chapter.

1:25 He dealt with the subject of sexual purity, the subject of brotherly love, of sanctified industry, and now he comes in verse 13 to the subject of how believers grieve. When loved ones die, that's his subject. His subject is not the second coming of Christ directly. His subject is those who fall asleep, and his particular concern is that believers do not grieve with the hopeless grief of unbelievers.

1:57 So he says in setting out his purpose, we would not have you ignorant brethren concerning them that fall asleep. That ye sorrow not as the rest who have no faith. No hope. So he states his purpose in verse 13.

2:12 Then in verses 14 to 17, he proceeds to accomplish that purpose. Since he would not have them ignorant, he's going to give them some facts. And so he gives them the facts that they need to know regarding their dead loved ones. And I keep emphasizing that this is the subject.

2:31 So whatever he says about the second coming, he says only so far as it relates to this subject of death. Dead loved ones, and particularly the relationship they will have to their living brothers and sisters and loved ones in Christ. He states the doctrine generally in verse 14, and we studied that last week. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

The General Doctrine: Union with Christ

3:02 And the general statement of his doctrine focuses upon the glorious truth of union with Christ. And he says, wherever Christ is, they are, so that when he appears, they'll be with him. That should set your heart at rest. Then in verses 15 to 17, he gives the specifics of that general doctrine based upon a special revelation.

3:24 Verse 14 to 15, for this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, something that hitherto had not been revealed. And what was that something? Not the truth of the resurrection, not the truth of the second coming of Christ, but the precise relationship of living believers and dead believers at the second coming. That's the thing that is a new revelation.

3:48 As he calls it in 1 Corinthians 15, 51, behold, I show you a mystery, something hidden till now. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. And then he proceeds to give essentially the same teaching that is found here. Well, how does he do it?

Correcting Misconceptions: The Dead Shall Not Be Preceded

4:04 Well, by the word of the Lord, he corrects the false notion. And that's as far as we got last week. In expanding the doctrine in specific details, he clears away the false concept. We say unto you by the word of the Lord that we who are alive that are left till the coming of the Lord shall in no wise precede, go before, have any advantage over them that are fallen asleep.

4:30 And so the clearing away of this notion that somehow living saints had first class citizenship in the kingdom of Christ when he comes, Paul clears that away. And I think if he came back to our churches today, he'd clear it away again. The whole idea that the most blissful state is to be alive when the Lord comes. He says, no, those of us who are alive.

4:53 In fact, there's almost a veiled use of language here. We're the leftovers. We who are alive that remain that are left over. We'll have no advantage over those who sleep.

5:05 So if there's. Any thinking that in any way is poisoned or is effected, infected with the leaven of this idea that the most wonderful thing is to be alive when the Lord comes and we'll sort of have it over those who've had to go through that mundane experience of death. Paul corrects that idea at the very outset and says, no, we shall not have it over them in any way. We who are alive and are left over.

The One Who Comes: The Lord Himself

5:32 All right. Now this comes brings us to verse 16, which is the. Positive delineation of the specific facts of what happens to dead loved ones at the coming of Christ. Having cleared away the misconception, he now seeks to lay into their cleared minds the right conception of the truth, the facts as they really are.

5:58 And here we have them for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel. And with the trumpet. Of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first, then an adverb of time, then not until then only when this has been accomplished, we that are alive that are left shall together with them be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord.

6:36 Wherefore comfort one another. With these words, having considered Paul's purpose, verse 13, the general statement of his doctrine, verse 14, the beginning of the specific statement, verse 15, clearing away the misconception. We come this morning to expound the true state of affairs, particularly now with regard to dead loved ones at the coming of Jesus Christ from the dead. This is not teaching.

7:08 What about his second coming in general? There is not enough here to satisfy all of our questions, but there is enough to comfort and to give us all the consolation we need when death strikes our loved ones. First of all, then, consider the one who comes for the Lord himself. And in the original, this is very emphatic.

7:34 It should be. It could be rendered more literally. In the following manner, for himself, the Lord. In other words, having established the general doctrine that the comfort of the Christian is rooted in union with Christ, if we believe he died and rose, then that sleep will God bring with him, he once again puts the whole focus upon the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, himself the Lord.

8:09 So whatever happens to your dead loved ones and happens to you in terms of who's first or second or who's left behind or who precedes or has it over the other, he says, as it were, put these considerations into the background for a moment. And the vital factor to remember is the one who comes. Notice that he called this same person Jesus in verse 14. For if we believe that Jesus.

8:39 Died and rose again. That name Jesus used without the words the Lord and Christ particularly refers to him in his humanity, in his weakness, as the God man suffering, bleeding and dying. And it was Jesus who died and rose. But it's the Lord who will come back.

9:04 For Acts 2 36 declares that after his death and resurrection. And his ascension to the right hand of the Father. Acts 2 36 says God has made him both Lord and Christ. And he has been seated upon a mediatorial throne of absolute sovereignty and power.

9:26 Where he now sits as king of kings and Lord of lords. And scripture says he is now reigning and he will continue to reign until all enemies shall be put under his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. And when you parallel this passage with 1 Corinthians 15.

9:47 It's at that time in the twinkling of an eye. When the last trump sounds and the dead are raised incorruptible. Paul says then at that point shall come to pass that saying. Death is swallowed up in victory.

10:02 So that all of our thinking of the Lord Jesus in his present state must be that of a sovereign upon a throne. No longer. No longer. No longer the man Jesus in weakness.

The Attendants of His Coming: Shout, Voice, and Trump

10:13 But the Lord Jesus Christ in power and in glory. And it is the Lord himself who shall come. Well the next thing he tells them in the specifics is something about the attendance of his coming.

10:30 And the order of the original is more like this. For the Lord himself in a shout. And in. The voice of the archangel and in the trump of God.

10:46 He tells them not only the one who comes. But who or what his attendance will be. When he comes it will be in the midst. In the context of these three things.

10:59 A shout. A voice. And a trump.

11:04 Now let's consider them. God put them here for part of our comfort. And I confess this has been perhaps the most difficult part. Of the exposition of this passage.

11:14 Whatever he's saying is geared to his purpose. Verse 13. This is to be for the comfort of the saints of God. In the face of the death of their loved ones.

11:25 Well what does a shout and a voice and a trump have to do? Well I'm not sure. I think I've got an idea. But let's bring together something of what scripture teaches about these three attendants of the Lord.

11:38 If we think of him as the bridegroom coming. Here's his three best men. The shout. The voice.

11:44 The trump. The shout. What is the shout? It's the word that was commonly used for a war shout or a signal shout.

11:54 But most often in scripture it is used of a verbal command given by a ruler to a subject by a superior officer to an inferior. It's the word used of Pilate giving commands. Thank you. Thank you.

12:12 Thank you. Thank you. commandment that the body of Jesus should be taken down from the cross. It's the word used of the jailer who was given commandment that he should beat the apostles.

12:24 So that the whole general context in which this word is used is that of a command of a superior officer to inferiors. Someone speaks with binding authority. Now what is that shout? The Lord himself in a shout.

12:45 Well I would like to suggest that it probably or perhaps, let me say perhaps, is that shout or voice mentioned in John chapter 5 and verses 28 and 29.

13:05 Having said that the hour cometh and now is, verse 25, when dead people shall hear the word, the voice of the Son of God and live, a reference of course to spiritual resurrection as men hear the voice of Christ. Our Lord goes on to say this should not cause a stumbling block that men would hear my voice and come to life for there's a time when all men shall hear my voice and come alive. That is at the last day. Verse 28, marvel not at this for the hour cometh in which all that are in the tomb shall hear his voice.

13:44 And shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation. So what then is this shout? I would like to suggest that it probably has reference to this very utterance of Christ. That when he comes it will be in the context of a shout that will wake the dead.

14:12 Do we have any example of that? In Acts 11, Jesus stands in the presence of death. There's the stinking body of Lazarus. There are the weeping loved ones.

14:25 And the Son of God with his own eyes red with his own tears for it says of him that he wept, said, Lazarus, come forth. And he didn't speak as a suggestion. He spoke with authority and a dead man came forth. Wrapped in his grave clothes.

14:46 Someone has said, the reason he mentioned his name is he simply said come forth. All the graves would have vomited out their dead at the voice of the Son of God. Well, whether that's true or not, one day they will give up their dead. And so he'll come with a shout.

15:02 Remember now, this was said for the comfort of believers who'd lost their loved ones. Do you see how this would give comfort? When he comes it'll be with a shout. All those dead loved ones will recognize that voice.

15:16 They'll come forth. Comfort one another with these words. The Lord himself will bring them with him. Their disembodied spirits will be with him at his coming.

15:27 But his voice will sound and the grave shall yield its death. Well then, what is this voice of the archangel? The whole concept of an archangel is difficult to trace out for the biblical materials are scanty. But we do find Michael called a prince in Daniel 10.13.

15:54 In Jude 9 we read of Michael the archangel. And also in Revelation 12.7. Now as far as I know, when you get beyond this reference and those three references, the Bible is silent about this matter of the archangel.

16:11 Revelation 12.7 says there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels going forth to war. Well what then is here for our comfort?

16:22 He says the Lord himself in the midst of a shout, the voice of the archangel. Well let me suggest that I believe this is what the source or the basis of comfort is in these words. There seems to be a matter of rank and order amongst the angels. Therefore if angels are what they are declared to be in scripture, those sent forth to do service for the heirs of salvation, Hebrews 2 and verse 14, they are ministering servants to meet the needs of the saints of God.

17:01 Then in this hour, when some of the most basic needs of the saints will be met, it's not surprising that angels should be connected with the meeting of those needs. And there are several other references that indicate at the coming of Christ, angels will attend his coming and will have a particular function. Matthew 24 and verse 31 says, He shall send forth his angels with a shout or with the voice of a trumpet. Let me get the thing straight here.

17:37 24.31 He shall send forth his angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Well, if the angels are going out to gather together the elect, and it seems to have reference to the living elect, and if no angel goes out without submitting to his superior, could it be that the orders are given by the archangel and all of the angels in obedience gather the elect of God? Now, we usually think of the elect of God only in terms of our part of the globe.

18:16 But remember, this world's round. Some of the elect of God, we're here, they're down here. Now, if they're going to see the Lord and hear the voice, I don't mean to be irreverent. As I try to picture this and take the words at face value, will there be some heavenly entourage in some form of orbital movement around the earth gathering the elect as they move?

18:42 And the archangel speaks, gather the elect from such and such a place. Will they speak in the language of those particular areas? I don't know. These are things that go through my mind as I think about this.

18:55 But one thing is clear. The angels are the peculiar ministers to gather together the elect, particularly the living elect. Now, you see what is there for comfort? The voice will raise the dead.

19:10 Now, they're alive, as we'll read a little bit later. And along with the living saints, I mean, the shouts shall raise them. Then the voice shall, of the archangel summoning the other angels, to gather together all of the elect of God. Then we have this last factor, the trump of God.

19:30 It's going to be in the midst of a shout, the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God. Now, what's the significance of the trumpet? There are two basic significances of the trumpet in Scripture. One, it is used to call attention to an unusual manifestation of the presence of God.

19:49 In Exodus 19 and verse 16, the record of Moses' ascent into the mount where God came down in fire and in thunder says that the trump sounded louder and louder. Exodus 19, 16, It came to pass in the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud upon the mount. And the voice of a trumpet, a trumpet exceeding loud, and all the people that were in the camp trembled. Here was this unusual manifestation of the presence of God.

20:27 Thunder and lightning, things that are audible, things to the ear and to the eye, and then this terrible trumpet blast that caused fear. That seems to be the significance in Psalm 47, 5 where it speaks of God has gone up with a shout, with the sound of a trumpet. Here is this unusual manifestation of God going up into His dwelling place in the midst of a trumpet sound. But the strong use of the trumpet in the Old Testament seems to be that of the instrument by which the people of God were assembled together.

21:08 In Numbers chapter 10, God gave specific directions about the forming of two silver trumpets that were to be used to summon the people together. So whenever there was to be a convocation of all of Israel, when that special trumpet sounded, every Israelite knew, I'm to go to a specific place. I'm to go and gather with all the people of God. Can we blend these two concepts together in terms of that last trump that will sound?

21:37 For that's what it's called in 1 Corinthians 15, 52, for the last trump shall sound. It will be an announcement of this unusual manifestation of the glory of God in the person of His dear Son. And it will be a summoning together of all of the people of God of all ages. Matthew 24, 31, the verse we looked at previously said that the angel shall go forth with the great sound of a trumpet to gather the elect.

22:10 1 Corinthians 15, 52 says, at the sounding of the last trumpet the dead shall be saved. They shall be raised incorruptible. Now why does God tell us these things? He not only tells us who shall come but the attendance of His coming.

Reasons for Knowing the Attendants

22:30 As I said earlier, I don't know all of the reasons, but I think there are two. Number one, if anyone claims that Christ has come and you haven't heard a shout and a voice and a trumpet, it's not this Christ. There is no reason for anyone acquainted with Scripture to be led astray by some other Christ. If they say, lo, He is here, He is there in the secret places, Jesus said don't listen to them.

23:06 If you ever got any questions, ask yourself, did I hear a voice, the shout, and the trumpet? When Jesus comes to glorify living saints, to raise up dead saints, it will be with those three attendants, not two of them, all three. So this is said probably one reason for the stabilizing of the saints of God, that they might not be led astray. But the second reason, I've hinted at earlier, for the comfort of the people of God, that voice, that shout to raise the dead, that voice to call together the living, and then the trump to gather together both living saints and dead resurrected saints. Unto their Lord. Now there may be many other reasons that we'll have to wait until we hear the shout and the voice and the trump to find out why. So much then for who comes, the attendance that is coming, now will you notice the manner of His coming.

The Manner of His Coming: Descending from Heaven

24:14 And I'm sticking very close to a word by word exposition, because I don't want to inject anything here that is not there, but I don't want to leave out anything that is. What is the manner of His coming? Notice. The Lord Himself, in the midst of the shout, the voice, the trump, shall descend from heaven.

24:39 And that word, descend, simply means come down. It's the word used in Matthew 17, 9, as they came down from the mount. Matthew 27, 40, let Him come down from the cross, if He be the Son of God. Now what's the significance of this?

24:57 Why does Paul say, the Lord with these attendants shall come down from heaven? In a peculiar sense, or in a very real sense, not peculiar in the sense of odd, but a special sense, you and I have worshipped a hidden, veiled Christ. Veiled to the eye of sight, for Acts 1, 11 says, this same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, and that's where He is. Hebrews 9, 24, says that He is taken from us into heaven, now to appear in the presence of God for us.

25:40 There will be no sight of Christ except to the eye of faith, until that day when He comes down out of heaven. And anyone who claims to see Him after the flesh, prior to this manifestation, that has shout, voice, and trumpet, is on dangerous ground. For the Scripture says that the heavens must retain Him until the restitution of all things. And so He's going to come down out of heaven.

26:14 Have you ever been taunted by people? I have. They said, now look, come on, you can't really believe. You mean there's some place out there where you actually believe the Son of God?

26:22 Look, we've got telescopes that penetrate thousands and thousands and thousands of light years into the mystery of our universe. We now have electronic telescopes. I was reading about this the other day, this place they hollowed out, I forgot how big it is, where they're getting these pulsars, they're getting these sounds from way out, thousands of light years. And people say, now come on, really?

26:46 You really believe? I say, yeah, I sure do. Where? I don't know.

26:51 It's none of my business. But I know that the Bible calls that place heaven. And the Son of God is going to come down from heaven. Now, where that is, I don't know.

27:03 That's none of my business. And it's none of yours. But He's going to come down from that place. Now, what will be the order of events when He comes down from heaven?

The Order of Events: The Dead Shall Rise First

27:14 All right, what does Paul say? When He comes down from heaven, in the midst of these three attendants, the dead in Christ will rise first of all. You see what Paul is doing? He's saying, you people who've been hoodwinked, either by some of the influence of heathen philosophy or by someone claiming to be a prophet amongst you, and you've been grieving for your loved ones who've died because you feel, well, if anything, they'll just be second-rate citizens when Christ comes back.

27:52 He said, I've got news for you. When the Lord comes back, you're going to see that His first concern is for His dead saints. He's going to raise them up first. You're going to have to stand on the sidelines waiting till He accomplishes that task.

28:09 They should be raised first. And the word first here means first in order and in time. It's the word used all the way through Scripture to signify first in time, first in order, first in rank. What is the first and great commandment?

28:26 Same word used here. Used all the time in narrative. Someone says, I will first go here. So Paul is, in a very beautiful way, further, as it were, bending the nail over to dispel this idea that living saints have any advantage over dead saints.

28:44 They shall rise first. Who? The dead in Christ. Those loved ones for whom you've been grieving.

28:52 Their bodies will be raised up because their union with Christ has not been severed by death. They are dead, but they're still in Christ. They're glorified spirits with Him. And in a way that is mysterious to us, their bodies that may be in a state of dust are still united to the Son of God.

29:15 They are dead, but they're in Christ. And He'll manifest that they have been the object of His concern in this interim period. For when He returns, descends from heaven, His first job will be done. His first job will be to raise them up.

The Gathering: Living Saints Transformed and Caught Up

29:31 Then He says, the living who are left over would be a literal translation. The living who are left over shall together with them be caught up in the clouds. At this point, what Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 15, 51 and 2 will occur. In the twinkling of an eye, we shall all be changed.

29:55 And God having raised up the dead saints will then perform that marvelous work of transforming our bodies of humiliation like unto His own glorious body, purge out the last remains of sin from us in the twinkling of an eye, that mighty work of God. And then He says, together with them we shall be caught away. That word together means at the same time. They get raised up first, we get taken care of second, but at the same time, we shall be caught away.

30:31 It's a literal translation of that word. It's the word used when they tried to catch hold of the Lord Jesus and make Him a king. It's a word that speaks of a powerful seizing upon. And so Paul is reminding these believers that when the Lord Jesus comes, there's a sense in which we don't cooperate one iota in what He does.

30:54 This is a seizing upon of divine power. To accomplish the work of resurrection and final transformation of the living saints. And he says, together with them. See the comfort again?

31:10 He says when Christ comes back, those loved ones will be with Him. And when He does His work of resurrection, we will then be with them. Oh, how He pours the comfort in. In just these little innuendos.

31:25 Comfort one another. And where will we be caught up together? In the clouds. Now what does He put clouds in here for?

31:36 Well again, I can only answer from what Scripture seems to indicate. For clouds are many times associated with unusual manifestations of the power of God. It was the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day. The cloud of the Shekinah glory.

31:56 And the prophecies concerning the coming of Christ often associate the cloud. Jesus was received up in a cloud. Acts 1. The angel said, He'll come in like manner.

32:07 Matthew 24, 30 speaks of Him coming upon the clouds of glory. 26, 64. The clouds connected with His coming. Revelation 1, 7.

32:18 Behold, He cometh with clouds. Because here is the manifestation, the epiphany, the outshining, the brightness of His glorious coming. And so we shall be caught up in the clouds. What for?

32:37 To meet the Lord in the air. This word, to meet the Lord, is a unique word. It's the word used when a certain dignitary was coming to a Greek town. Some of the choice citizens of that town would go out to meet Him, for the last leg of His journey, and would accompany Him back to the place to which He was making His visit.

33:04 And when they would do that, that was called an apontasis, which is just a transliteration of the Greek word. You find a beautiful illustration of this in Acts 28, 15, where the same word in the original is used. Notice Acts 28, 15. I hope this doesn't wear you.

33:22 The Lord's told you what's going to happen, and I just want to be faithful to tell you what He's told you. Not much application this morning. This is mostly instruction, but this is necessary, so just stick with us. Acts 28 and verse 15.

33:44 Paul is on his way to Rome, and he comes at a certain place, verse 15, and from thence the brethren, when they heard of us, came to meet us, that's the word, as far as the market of Appius and the three taverns, whom when Paul saw, he thanked God and took courage, and when we entered into Rome, Paul was suffered to abide by himself. These people hear that Paul is coming, he gets to the outskirts, they come out to meet him, and they accompany him back into the town. It's the word used of the parable of the virgins. Behold, the bridegroom comes, go out to meet him, and so the attendants would go out to meet him, and accompany him back to the place of the wedding feast. So we shall go out together to meet the Lord in the air. What for? What's the result of this?

The Grand End: Ever with the Lord

34:46 Now some would love to have it read, and so we shall come back with him to set up this kingdom here on earth. Others would like it to read, and so shall we escape the terrible tribulation to follow. Well, if either of those things is true, it's not here. If that's taught elsewhere in Scripture, that's a matter of other Scriptures to determine.

35:15 But you notice where Paul leaves the issue right where he started it. The dead in Christ have been raised first. The living who remain have been transformed secondly. Together, at the same time, caught up in the clouds to go out and to meet the Lord, and, result, so shall we.

35:36 So shall we ever be with the Lord. Silence. Period. Disappointed?

35:50 You see, he doesn't tell us what we might want to know to satisfy curiosity, but he tells us everything we need to know for our comfort. With the Lord. With the Lord. With the Lord.

36:03 May I say that that's the grand end of redemption for which Christ himself yearns? One of the most staggering verses in all of Scripture, to my understanding, is that which is found in the prayer of our blessed Lord in the 17th chapter of the Gospel of John. I can understand in some measure how he'd pray that we'd be kept from sin because when the child of God sins he brings reproach to his Lord. I can understand how he'd pray that we might be one, that by our love to one another we might reflect the reality of our relationship to him.

36:40 But when he says, in verse 24, Father, I desire that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am. I don't understand that. I can in some measure understand how he'd desire while we're down here representing him, we'd bear a good witness, but that he should say, I desire that they be with me. May I say it reverently?

37:09 He's lonely without us? I say it reverently. I desire that they be with me. That they be with me where I am.

37:21 Why? That they may behold my glory. For he knows that that which will be the heaven of heaven to a child of God is to look upon his Lord with unsinning eyes and heart. And so out of his great love for us he says, I will, I desire that they be with me where I am.

37:44 That they may see my glory. For that's all that their hearts will need. To be utterly ravished. And I say to you this morning, if your heart does not leap up with a spontaneous amen and say, oh God, that's true.

38:03 If you somehow feel that your eternal bliss is in any way connected with any other events that may or may not attend the second advent of Christ, there's something defective in your relationship to the Lord Jesus. And frankly, I'm disturbed when people make the blessed hope to escape from bad things down here or setting up kingdoms with grapes as big as beach balls over in Palestine or something else. Something's wrong! For the apostle has as the focus, we shall be with the Lord.

38:44 Someone has said the heaven of heaven is that we're with him forever. And the hell of hell, is that he'll say, depart from me forever. The Lord Jesus is going to have a church until his second advent. And this is one of the most wonderful promises of the triumph of the church.

39:11 He says, not if some may be alive and remain. He says, those who will be there when he comes. He's going to have a church. So let everybody say what they will about the demise of the church.

39:23 The Lord Jesus is going to have a church till he comes. But when he comes, that living church will have no advantage over the church comprised of the glorified spirits in heaven whose bodies are interred in the earth. They should be raised up. We then changed in the twinkling of an eye, together caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and whatever else may follow in the prophetic scheme.

39:51 The child of God need only know this for his comfort personally. And then to share that comfort with others. The Lord willing, we shall look at verse 18 next week. What use we are to make of this doctrine.

Exhortation: Are You In Christ?

40:10 But I close this morning with this exhortation that there are some of you here who aren't included in this passage. This passage says nothing about how the Lord will deal with those out of Christ at his coming. Chapter 5 tells us something about that and it's frightening. It uses words like sudden destruction.

40:36 Second Thessalonians 1 uses words like everlasting punishment. Oh friend, this paragraph of comfort is only for those in Christ. Are you in Christ? Is there a vital union between you and the Son of God?

41:02 Has the Holy Spirit brought you to the end of yourself? Brought you to the place where you've gladly cast yourself a helpless, hopeless sinner before a sovereign, willing Savior who says come? If not, you've sat there this morning and you couldn't have cared less about this wonderful revelation that God gave through the apostle about the state of living and dead saints at the coming of Christ. I wish I had the time to go on into chapter 5 in order to hold before you the sober warnings of this same manifestation and the terror that follows to those who are not in him. May God grant that the Spirit himself will stir you up to be concerned about whether or not you're in him. Those of us who by his grace are, may we never be found sorrowing as those who have no hope. Those loved ones who've gone before, he's going to take care of them first when he comes back again.

42:15 We in our glorified bodies shall see them, with them and with the Lord. That's all we need to know for perfect comfort, for perfect bliss. May God grant that we shall know it and when death intrudes into the circle of our experience, call to remembrance these words. Go back over this passage carefully.

42:40 Word by word. That this might be the source of your comfort in the face of death. Let us pray.