Christ Will Return Series

1st Thessalonians 4:9-18 offers words of fraternal love and how we should work towards an orderly life while awaiting Christ's return. “But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing. But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if 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. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with those words.”

Jesus Christ's return will wrench open a great divide. This time of rapture will divide humanity into two distinct groups which you might label “The Haves” and “The Have Nots.” The “Haves” are the believers in Christ and the “Have Nots” will not believe in Christ—Yet!

The 1,000-year reign of Christ, called the Millennium, will offer those who have not known Christ an opportunity to believe in Him. This is not an “extra chance,” it is the endmost and only remaining opportunity for the unbelievers. Just think back over your own life, how many times could Jesus and the Holy Spirit have given up on you? By finally knowing and accepting Jesus, you are blessed today.

For those caught up and brought up on that day, called the people of the firstfruits, the judgment happens. 1st Peter 4:17 relates, For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

For those who are alive at the start of the Millennium, they are ones who will have lived through the cataclysmic events of the return of Jesus Christ—called the “day of the Lord” in the Bible. Their physical lives will continue as the Kingdom of God is established here on earth (Revelation 5:10). Jewish believers who survive the Great Tribulation will live in Israel during the Millennium while believing Gentiles will populate the nations. They and their children will live on Earth during the Millennium, as will people of an unbelieving nature.

One important change during this time, however, will be the interaction of the spirit world with human beings. During the Millennium, Satan will be bound (Revelation 20:1-2). The firstfruits, God's twelve tribes, 144,000 are sealed and at Christ's return they will be actively teaching the remaining people God's ways. Commenting on this time, Isaiah 30:20-21 says: “And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers. Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.” Satan's constant influence, which had caused people to sin, will be replaced by spirit beings who will help guide people into godly paths.

Because of this positive teaching and guidance by spirit beings and the fact that God's law will be going out to all the earth from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:2-3). It seems that people living in the Millennium will know that this is their opportunity to respond to God.

Let us read 1st Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 on the comfort of knowing Christ is coming. But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, 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. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.