The Rapture (Introduction) I Thessalonians 4:13-18

We come now to Paul’s grand exposition on the subject of the Rapture of the church.  It had come to Paul’s attention that there was a grave concern on the part of the believers with respect to what will happen to their Christian loved ones who died before the advent of the Rapture.  Paul had taught vigorously that Christ’s advent (His coming for His saints) could happen at any time.  As you would recall, and, since Paul’s departure from them, there had been a number of them who had died before the Lord came.  The question that pervaded their minds was: “Will our loved ones experience the bliss of this grand event (Rapture) or would they remain in the heart of the earth? Paul certainly had to dispel any doubts that the believers had with regard to their loved ones’ relationship to this event by informing them that both groups – the translated saints, as well as the dead in Christ saints – will experience the joy of the event.  Paul had to labor hard to correct the misunderstanding that these believers had regarding their loved ones’ inclusion in the Rapture experience.  As ministers of God, we are called upon...