The Rapture of the Saints - 14

Eschatology is the technical term for the study of last things that is those events that surround the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. I probably am not telling you anything you don't know when I tell you that there are widely divergent interpretations of the Scriptures. The deal with last things and sometimes very heated debates over what is the proper meaning of the text. Today we come to the one of the major passages about the second coming of Christ is one of the last third of first Thessalonians chapter 4 of the second coming of Christ as remember is mentioned in every single of the five chapters of first Thessalonians, but in the first three chapters. It is just a brief reference a passing reference. Without a great deal of information, but this extended passage in chapter 4 and another extended one in the first part of chapter 5. Going to a great many details, but as we shall say they don't provide all of the details that we wish they didn't but they do provide a great many that we otherwise would not have the text before us today in first Thessalonians 413 and following describes for us what is known as the rapture of the church with the rapture of the saints, and that is very profitable for us to study it carefully, but only to see what is there, but also to make note of what is not there and I think both of them are probably equally important in regard to a proper understanding.

So we are going to see. First of all, the problem. Second, a clarification that will address the problem. Third, and elaboration, which will extend a little bit further. The clarification that is given to address the problem in the number for an application for this teaching the only application that the Scripture gives us for the teaching of this passage, but we start with an examination of the problem in verse 13 then which is the reason for writing all of this section the process, but I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope in the problem is first of all, a gap in their understanding and secondly, a defect in their behavior based upon this gap in their understanding a gap in their understanding regarding the fate of believers who have died evidently saints who had died after Paul's departure from Thessalonica and now they are wondering what's happened to our departed loved ones fall calls them, having fallen asleep. A beautiful phrase, a term for death that is found a number of times in the New Testament Scriptures very common term for the death of the St. when Jesus said to his disciples. Let's go to Bethany to visit the family of Lazarus. He said for behold, he sleeps he sleeps he died of course in Jesus went to resurrected, but he said he sleep when Jesus raised to life.

The daughter in Mark chapter 5 that had died and Jesus said to the mourners. Don't worry, she's sleeps and they laughed him to scorn. But nevertheless Jesus one in raised her back to life indeed she was sleeping a beautiful term beautiful term and it indicates that believers who have died are not in agony.

The not in turmoil there resting. They are, as it were sleeping. It's a beautiful euphemism to describe the death of the St. and furthermore there going to awake sleep is something that is not permanent. It's temporary.

We all enjoy a good night sleep. Or maybe I should say we all enjoy it when we get a good night sleep. I hope we all enjoy a good night sleep. I hope you're all getting sufficient sleep at night, but when we go to sleep at night. We expect to wake up. Occasionally we don't.

I've never not, and neither have ever you not awakened from sleep, but there are times when people go to sleep and then they never awaken out of that sleep until you talk about the time they do awake. But sleep is a good word to describe the death of a saint.

And that's the word that Paul uses here. In fact, did you know what the word Cemetery means.

I didn't until this week I read in a book and I sent him a check on that and I went to a dictionary to make sure. Sure enough Cemetery means a sleeping place to turn for the place will relay the bodies of the dead was that was given to that location by Christians who believed that their loved ones are sleeping in the grave and in a cemetery. They are in a place of sleep, but this term sleep. Of course, refers only to the body go elsewhere in Scripture to find out that when death occurs, we call death physical death. When death occurs, there is a separation of the body and the soul of the soul goes immediately in the presence of Lord but the body goes into the grave. The body has, as it were going to sleep and so Paul tells us elsewhere. Absent from the body present with the Lord just like that, but as far as the body is concerned, goes into the grave and it goes into a sleep the sleep of death, and so this gap in the understanding of the Thessalonians things was in relationship to those who had died, as well as in relationship to Christ return and how to put together an understanding of what happens to those who have died in regard to Christ's return.

And all this I think is a very good testimony to their strong focus upon the second coming of Christ.

It seems to me that this implies that they were looking for the second coming of Christ with eagerness, they anticipated that with great joy.

They considered it to be a wonderful glorious event in many ways the climax of their salvation. They were looking forward to meeting the Lord at his return. But now some of their loved ones had died.

Are they going to miss this event are they going to be denied the celebration that takes place when believers are united with their Lord, are they going to miss out on the triumph of Christ's return.

How are our dead loved ones who were who died believing in Jesus.

How do they relate to this wonderful anticipation of the second coming of Jesus Christ and so the fact that they had questions like this is in itself a testimony to their full upon the second coming of Christ. We would probably add a greater focus than many Christians have in our day, who seem to forget the importance of this great truth. But there was the problem of a gap in their understanding and there were secondly because of this defect in understanding a a gap in their behavior defect in their behavior because Paul indicates that some of them were sorrowing about their love ones in the same way as unbelievers sorrowed concerning their dead loved one. Paul said, I write to you.

I don't want you to be ignorant. I I've got to fill in some gaps in your understanding. I don't want you to be a dry don't want you to be be unknowledgeable brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow like those. Or, as those who have no not, please. And here's a place for careful examination. Please do not misunderstand Paul to say that Christians should not grieve the death of their loved ones. That's not what he says what he says is Christian shouldn't grieve in the same hopeless way as unbelievers grew is not the act of sorrowing it's not the act of grieving. It's not the act of weeping. It's not the act of missing our love ones that is displeasing to the Lord. That's natural.

That's normal. In fact, you would have to wonder what kind of relationship you had with that person. If there seem to be no sorrow, no grief, no, no, concerned about their departure, but there is a joyful grief and there is a hopeless grief. And Paul said you need to have a better understanding so that your grief will be God honoring grief will be joyful grief, it will believe be believing grief, it will be anticipatory grief, it will be grief that you know is coming to an end because of a glorious reality that is taking place which you don't fully understand, and this indicates that Paul had not had opportunity to teach them the details. Prior to this letter that is now forwarding to them.

Many of the other statements that Paul made any in here are reviews.

They are repetition. He says I told you this, when I was with you.

You already know this but I'm going to tell you again when he comes to this particular section he says now here's something that you don't know because you haven't been taught so brethren, I need to fill in the gap in your understanding. We need to correct this area of ignorance in your in your theology, so the defect in the behaviorist somewhere apparently grieving like unbelievers because both unbelievers have no realistic hope of the future.

The seeming finality of death.

He gets great despair.

Unbelievers have no hope beyond the grave. Even if they hope there something beyond the grave. There's no foundation for their help is no reality for think they really don't have any reasonable way to to anchor that hope upon truth because they don't know they don't have truth.

It's just a big like and that's why many of the unbelievers we know seem to go into on consumables sorrow with the death of a loved one because they have no hope. It's all despair. But Paul said it shouldn't be that way for believers. Believers have a glorious hope: the Bible, the blessed hope, the grave is not the end.

Glorious future awaits believers beyond the grave and an informed mind corrects defective behavior.

Some of you are sorrowing like unbelievers. Let's give you the truth that will correct this behavior so that in the future you will not sorrow like those who have no hope.

That's the problem. The Paul addresses so we come to the needed corrective what what is going to correct their improper understanding and behavior we have. This clarification of verses 14 and 15 for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, that could be translated and probably should be translated for since we believe that Jesus died and rose again. It is a certainty that every true Christian believes that for since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

This clarification involves a foundational truth. A subsequent corollary an authoritative revelation and a necessary reunification. Are you ready first of all Paul begins with a foundational truth. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again the foundational truth is the truth.

The doctrine of the death and resurrection of Christ. Jesus died does anyone doubt that Jesus took upon himself our humanity in order that he might die. He did that for the very purpose of experiencing death of undergoing depth of tasting death for his people.

He died but Jesus was also resurrected. He didn't stay in the grave he came out of the two. He conquered death, he came forth with a glorified body ache resurrection body a and eternal body talks about the two kinds of bodies in first Corinthians chapter 15 how that this mortal body cannot put on immortality. This mortal must put on immortality.

There's got to be a change are earthly bodies are not prepared for Kevin. They are not.

They are not capable of living for eternity.

But Jesus died just like all of us will die unless were in that group that are alive in Jesus we turns some will be whether anyone here will be or not. Only God knows, some will be but the experience of 99.99% of the whole entire human race is that we are born and we die we live in between those two events that is certain is we are born, they have certain is certain is there is a day of our birth. There is also a day of our death comes to all of the stress as is normal in this clockwork.

You might say we love to celebrate birthdays were not so keen to celebrate deaths, but that's all part of life is born celebrate those birthdays. Marty and I celebrated the third birthday of our eighth grandchild yesterday. What a joyful event but one of these days were going to gather around the casket. Some of our loved ones if they don't care the renderers. First, we don't ever know how that's going to be and that's part of life is well born were die. Jesus took upon humanity in order to die, but he rose again. He came out of the grave he was resurrected and that all of us agree is a fundamental doctrine as part of the gospel. You're not a Christian. If you don't believe that what's the most condensed statement of the gospel in Paul's writings in first Corinthians 15, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures how he was buried in what rose again. According to the Scriptures.

That's the gospel you're not a Christian.

If you don't believe that. Listen to make you're not a Christian.

If you don't believe that I never know who may be listening to this, but by the video by sermon audio or lifestream. You're not a Christian.

If you don't believe that if you don't believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus, then you don't believe the gospel if you don't believe the gospel, then you are not a Christian. No matter what you may call yourself. So Paul is saying, of course, you will believe that since we believe that Jesus died and rose again. That is a foundational truth that underlies all the Christian faith every Christian person, but he says we need to understand there is a subsequent corollary to that truth that maybe we haven't understood there's something that is linked to the truth of Christ's death and resurrection, which will be very helpful to you at this point what is that back to verse 14 for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus anything.

If you believe the one you shouldn't have any trouble believing the other.

If you believe that Jesus died and rose again you do, don't you believe in Jesus died and rose again then please note struggle with believing this truth also revealed in Scripture that Jesus is coming again and will bring with him the souls of the departed saints is a subsequent corollary since we believe the one we should also believe the other.

Jesus participated in our death so that get into this in just a moment, but it all goes together. Jesus participated in our death so that we may participate in his resurrection work to put it even more strongly Jesus participated in our death, Jesus tasted death, Jesus tasted death for every one of his people, so that every one of his people will also taste his resurrection. Resurrection is essentially related to Christ's resurrection united in Christ, we must share in his death, united to Christ, we must also share in his resurrection. You understand by the work of the Holy Spirit. We are united to Christ in faith united to Christ in faith, we partake of his death. He has death becomes our death. His payment for sins becomes our payment for sins, we have entered into his death.

He did that for us, but we we receive the benefit of it. We partake of it. We are involved in the death of Jesus. That's part of what we typified when we follow the Lord a believers baptism and what we say buried in the likeness of his death raised to walk in newness of life right and if we partake of his death as we do. We must also partake of his resurrection. One is just as necessary as the other. We must partake of his death to have payment for our sins. We must partake of his resurrection because united to human resurrection.

It's inevitable that we shall be raised as well.

We are united to him. That's the corollary necessary corollary and if you are doubting any of this.

Please understand this is an authoritative Revelation verse 15 for this we say to you by the word of the Lord. This is God's word by the word of the Lord. This is not Paul's personal idea.

This is declared by divine revelation. He simply passing along what has been given to him by God as an apostle of Jesus Christ. He received direct revelation from God and he said I'm telling you this, by the word of the Lord. It is as authoritative as it is as if Jesus had said these very words by the shores of Gallo, so there is a necessary reunification. This we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep because believers are not only joined to Christ. But there also joined to one another. How many bodies of Christ are there one dollars a separation into two categories, two groups, the Paul is referring to here. There are those who have died in Jesus and there are those who are still alive in Jesus.

So that looks like maybe two categories, but keep in mind is only one body, all of us who are saved are not only united to Christ, that we are also united to one another, and death doesn't change that dying doesn't sever our our union with Christ and dying doesn't sever our union with other believers.

I doesn't sever our union with living believers were still united to them in Christ.

That's why these two different categories will be united to Christ return. Don't worry about your dead loved ones missing the return of Jesus Christ, you can be certain, they won't because they are as much a part of the body of Christ is, living believers and God is going to see to it that they're going to be as much a part of the rapture of the saints. As you are. And so we who are alive until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep, were not going to get there before they do, and they're not going to get there before we do, so that's a clarification that should help you not to sorrows those who have no hope. And then he goes on to what I've called an elaboration of verses 16 and 17, which in many ways just add some additional details to what he's told us in verses 14 and 15 and so on. This elaboration we have Christ's glorious return described.

We have the dead saints resurrection declared we have the living saints rapture explained and we have the intended result revealed Christ's glorious return described verse 16 for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel with the trumpet of God.

That's the's description of Christ. Glorious return is personal. The Lord himself is not going to send angels to represent him. Angels will be involved, but he's not sending a representative. He is coming himself.

It is personal.

This same Jesus, the angel said in in acts chapter 1 verse 11. The same Jesus who was taken up into heaven, will what will so come in like manner as you've seen him go into heaven.

Same Jesus. That's what Paul is saying here the Lord himself. It is personal. Number two.

It is purposeful Lord himself will descend from heaven. This is big stuff here he is ascended back to heaven enthroned upon the throne of the universe, where he has been for 2000 years must be some pretty big event to cause him to leave again to leave his heavenly throne, and to descend down to earth. There must be something huge. There must be a big purpose involved in.

Indeed, there is. It is the rapture of the saints is purposeful. Number three. It is public. There will be a shout. There will be the voice of an archangel that will be the trump of God trumpet of God. There will be a shout.

The Greek word indicates an order command doesn't tell us what the command is says I have a speculation, but it doesn't tell us, but there will be a shout will be the voice of an archangel. There will be the trumpet of God. No, there's a lot of speculation about these three elements are the three separate things are they two things is that one thing all combined together after the commentaries to get all this kind of dialogue and the I don't know this. I know it's designed glorious is designed to call attention to it. It's designed to be public designed to be to be arresting is designed to be something that is heard all over the world.

When the Lord to sands from heaven with a shout, with the command with an order. I wouldn't be surprised what that command is arise. All believers in the gray that's the command just like when Jesus stepped up to the tomb of Lazarus and he order the command what they say Lazarus come forth, somewhat, is that if he hadn't said Lazarus than every person in the gray would've come forth with that command but he restricted it. Lazarus come forth now is another order another shot another command. Maybe not told this speculation, but maybe that's what it is.

Believers in the graves, and Jesus says that I can assure you they will every single one.

You don't have to worry yourself about what about those who work buried at sea and eaten by the sharks and silverware. Don't you worry about that. The God who created this world out of nothing, has no difficulty resurrecting the bodies of all of his saints in presenting them with a glorified body, but this is a public announcement.

I wouldn't be surprised if you don't have a illustration in the conversion of the apostle Paul, the Damascus Road who were told all those who were with him heard the voice from heaven, but they didn't understand the words he didn't understand the message distinctly that they knew something had taken place that they this didn't happen without them knowing something is going on here when the when the light from heaven break greater than the noonday sun flashed around them and this rumbling voice noise from Kevin spoken only Paul. It evidently understood distinctly what the command was, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is in something like that when the Lord descends from heaven with a shout voice of an archangel with the trumpet of God is going to be a rumbling throughout the whole world and the whole world's going to be aware something big is taking place, but only believers are to really understand what so Christ's glorious resurrection described the dead saints resurrection revealed again. Verse 16 the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel.

The trump of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. The dead in Christ will rise first. That is first in priority first before the living saints are rapture. Why they need to be resurrected in order to join the living saints in the rapture to be an item going to go up together reason that living saints will not precede those who are sleep is because of Paul now gives us the details and make this all clear because the dead saints are going to be resurrected and they're going to be now living saints and then all the living saints will be rapture together all one body we thirdly we have a living saints rapture explained the living saints rapture asked Blaine verse 17 then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. We who are alive and remain, Paul says we may have taken from that the concept of Paul expected to be alive when this occurred, I couldn't deny that that may be what he say we who are alive or he could just simply be acknowledging that he's in the company the living of the time. He writes this and this is what happens to the living but but he could very well be saying I expect released. I hope to be in that number. We who are alive and remain shall be caught up and here's where we get the word rapture caught up rapture did. That's a Latin phrase our English theology, but it comes from the Latin rapture, which means to take by force.

We shall be as the Greek says caught up together with them with the ones with an resurrected first in the clouds to meet the Lord in the year if you will take the time to do it and study all of the second coming passages in the New Testament will find the clouds are mentioned in an awful lot of clouds are prominent in the second coming of Christ.

And here we have it again. We are caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. A great reunion.

It's going to happen in the air and that tells us about the living saints and now we got the dead saints resurrection. We got the living saints, rapture, but now we come to the intended result. Why is this designed by God.

The last part of verse 17 tells us thus we shall always be with the Lord. That's why that's what this that has been described occurs so that we shall always be with the Lord be ever and forever with the Lord, you realize that when this happens the whole church of the Lord Jesus Christ is going to be assembled together in one place for the first time in history were church means the assembly of the saints, and every time we assemble as a local church. It's a small portrait of the bigger reality. But the truth of the matter is the church universal has never assembled yet in one place, but it and here's where it starts and when after this happens, it will be assembled together forever. Because if were all going to be forever with the Lord never separated from him then were never going to be outside of the presence of each other as well. Will we.

If you don't like going to church. You can have your to be a have trouble in this. That's pretty much what I was going to be church 24 seven. The whole assembly assembled in worshiping God and glorifying him and praising him. We shall be with the Lord in the presence of Christ ever to be separated from him again, though in one sense we have been separated from him now as he has been with us person of the Holy Spirit. But yes, there has been a separation. The apostles felt very keenly. When Jesus said I'm going away. I'm going away. If I go I will recess I will come again and receive you and to myself that where I am, there you may be also. But I'm going away and they said no, no, no, you can't leave us, we can't be separated from yes you can. And yes you will and I will give you the comfort of the Holy Spirit, who will in many ways be better than my presence with you but yes we are going to be separated until what until this time when the Lord returns, and then we shall be forever with the Lord, never to be separated again.

We will be forever with him forever.

He is, where will he be if he's in heaven will be with him in heaven. Where will he be if he's on earth will be with him on earth where will he be. We don't know is a lot of things to consider in Scripture about where he will be but one thing we know is where ever he has always and forever never separated from our Lord ever again.

Which is why some saints saying there's going to be meeting in the great great by some things that song are speculative but that much right on target.

Is this going to be a meeting in the year.

Great great bye-bye you can be sure that now we come to the application. Why is all this given for comfort for Satan. Therefore, with this new knowledge.

This extended knowledge. This fuller knowledge.

Therefore comfort one another with these words, those who are grieving like those who have no hope, comfort them with these words. That's the purpose of it comfort. The dike divinely intended purpose for this passage is to minister comfort to the saints. See other any other purposes other may be, but the only one that were told the only one of the Bible tells us, is this is what the passages for its surrender, comfort to the saints, not for eschatological speculation, which can become addictive and problematic at times but it is to promote comfort to the believing saints who have lost their loved ones.

There's a command to comfort and there is the means of comfort. Therefore comfort comfort one another with these words I'm instructing you to do that and how do you do it with these words with the words of Scripture with the words of truth with the words of sound doctrine. You don't provide much comfort with emotion, empty pleasantries, ungrounded speculations, sentimental platitudes, but when you come to Scripture word of God and give them truth then you provide real comfort. He doesn't say wherefore argue with one another about these words it says wherefore comfort one another. Now couple things in closing, I tried to show you what is in the passage and I think we've looked at it pretty thoroughly. But there are still some unanswered questions because not everything that I wish I knew has been told to me so there's a question. For example, when will this occur and that there's actually two parts of the question.

First of all, when will this occur in Earth's history. We are 2000 years later. Since these words were spoken.

It hasn't happened yet. When will it occur in the truth of the matter is, were not told the truth of the matter is, the Bible is very clear that were not supposed to know were supposed to be ready every day of our lives were not supposed to know when this will happen. Paul's going to be a little bit more with that aspect of in chapter 5. For right now, but there he doesn't tell us anymore that I'm telling you now actually worry, we don't know when this is going to happen in history. Well, another aspect of when will this occur when will this occur in relationship to the great tribulation answer.

You listen to me. Same answer we are not told. Does that surprise you were not told to insert a personal story true story when I started pastoring here many, many, many years ago I came out of a strong dispensational background and I preached what I had been taught with a little bit of not sure what word to use a little bit of unhappiness that I knew I was preaching things that I couldn't prove from Scripture, but I assume that they had to be true. Okay, I really had a commitment to only preaching what I knew to be true. I can show to people from Scripture, but this was so complicated, but everybody I knew believed that everybody I knew, taught it all my life I had been taught, the pre-tribulation rapture dispensational view of the second coming of Christ, and I assumed that it had to be true and all I heard about other positions was those folks don't take the Bible literally and so forth are paying attention to them so my assumption was I just need more time. I haven't had enough time to really get in and and study the Scriptures sufficiently to find this for myself so now I am pastoring now I am preaching now I have hours in the week to study now I'm going to Scripture not going to find this, and I meant to show it to you from the Bible and I remember how puzzled.

At first I was that it was harder to find than I realized. I took down Dwight Pentecost book, things to come. You might call that the encyclopedia dispensationalism started reading that particular reference to the rapture and the timing of the rapture is a lot of their page after page after page in some ways it was very convincing. But as I looked at other realized well. This statement depends upon having accepted the previous statement, but it really preapproved the previous statement, the previous statement depends on on accepting this statement, but when you really look at it. It's just it's a whole string of presuppositions and if the first one is not correct then it's like a house of cards. The whole thing falls down based upon a particular interpretation of Daniel 70 weeks, and so forth. And if this is true. If we accept this interpretation of Daniel 70 weeks that it follows logically that this must be true, so forth and so on and the only problem was, nobody had demonstrated some of the things in Scripture and the more I looked, I came to the conclusion that the Bible does not anywhere tell us the timing of the rapture of the church youth group that is the truth you can't find it anywhere.

I still remember reading one particular dispensational is to talking about the rapture of the church and he taught he made the bold statement about the pre-tribulation rapture of the church and put in parentheses.

This proof text first Thessalonians 413 directing well maybe most of his readers wouldn't take the time to study that. But I already had and I knew that that passage, the one before us this morning says absolutely nothing about the time when this will take place is a pretrip is a big trip is a post-trip. Is it no trip. It doesn't does not say does not say anything in reference to the time of the tribulation was a shocking realization to me years ago really wise and started just by asking questions will if that's true in regard to the pre-tribulation rapture that there really is not clear in Scripture. Maybe there's some other elements of this letter similar in nature, so I will not go any further into that, but that's one unanswered question. When will this occur. Another hands unanswered question who will be raised. We know part of the answer that question which is answered here, the believing dead. The Christians who died will be raised, but the unanswered question is, how about the unbelieving dead are they going to be raised at this time and of course that's were some of the debate comes in I'll just read one statement. I'm not saying this is the final answer, just reading one statement for the benefit of those who are absolutely certain that the unbelieving could not be raised at this point let me read John 528 and 29 Jesus said do not marvel at this for the hours coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation.

Now if you are certain that the unbelieving dead are not raised at this time. The first Thessalonians for you to have to have good explanation for the words of Jesus in John chapter 5 and I'm not saying that there is no valid explanation, but I'm just saying it's not quite as simple and clear-cut as a lot of people think it is so we don't know the answer their questions, not dealt with here with the unbelieving dead be raised one third question that's not answered where we go after the rapture back to heaven or onto earth they may never thought about this before, so almost always assumed that we arise and meet the Lord in the air and then we go back to heaven with him. That means he's going to come again another time, but it's there's a lot of reasons which I don't have time to get into now to come to the conclusion that we meet him in the air and then accompany him. He he started down from heaven to earth is he not coming to earth to see you so maybe not, but it's possible please at least consider the possibility that he is gathering his retinue and then they're all going to accompany him in the grand triumphal entry. See comes to earth, that would be one position, but the fact of the matter is, were not told this passage doesn't tell us and really that is not clearly spelled out anywhere in Scripture. That position is based upon certain presuppositions and logical deductions but when I find is in virtually every eschatological position. A good number of speculative presuppositions that are impossible to build out in Scripture, that's my conclusion I have come to believe that much eschatology is based upon speculation and logical deduction.

If your logic is corrected every point well and good, but if it if there's any point at which it's not absolutely correct, then it all falls apart. I've come to the conclusion that is much less about the details of the second coming actually revealed that many people believe and declare that's why my conclusion is that wisdom demands caution not dogmatism when it comes to eschatology will be wiser if you will tread lightly. What if God does not intend for us to understand all the details I had time to get some scriptures that I think indicate exactly that. But just for now. What if, in the area of eschatology. God doesn't intend for us to understand all the details any more than in the prophecies about the first coming of Christ.

He didn't evidently intend for everybody to understand all the details. At least nobody did. There were a lot of things that did not get answered until Christ came. Now, now we understand now we understand the prophecy that we understand the details now all falls into place.

He's come. We were looking for him. There were certain things were looking for certain things that were not clear becomes all becomes clear what the second coming is like that.

If it is, are you okay with that. If it is are you willing to live with that. You really be patient with that you willing to wait on the Lord shall we pray father how grateful we are for the word that you have given how eagerly we look forward to the revelation yet to come. How eagerly we look forward to the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us