The Return Of Christ Series

Do we know the exact time of the return of the Lord? Yes, we do!

But didn’t Jesus say, “that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven” (Mathew 24:36). Yes, He did say that.

Then how do we know the day and hour of the return of Christ? It is when the trumpet sounds.

It is just that we do not know when the trumpet will sound. So, no we don’t know the day or hour of Christ’s return. This is not a joke about the time of Christ’s return. Instead, it is a joke about the eccentric people who think they know the time of Christ’s return. Of course, no one knows when Christ will return.

Paul is writing to the Thessalonian Church about the return of Christ and about Christians who die before the return of Christ. In Acts 17 we read he was only there in Thessalonica for three Sabbaths. He may have worked there longer if that meant he worked with the Jews for three Sabbaths and the Gentiles he worked with additionally and styed longer than three weeks. Philippians 4:16 indicate he was in Thessalonica more than 3 weeks but still only a short time. Paul is writing new believers who have not had much time to grow deep in theology.

When Believers Die (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17)

Paul said he doesn't want these believers to be uninformed. You can imagine how little they had been instructed. This is especially true considering they may have been coming from a gentile background. Paul had only been with them a very short time.

In act 17 it says Paul was in Thessalonica three sabbaths, but we are thinking Acts 17 mentioning three sabbaths is the time just with the Jews in the Synagogue. He might have spent more time in Thessalonica with the gentiles. This seems to be the case because of the reference that the Philippian church gave him gifts while he was in Thessalonica more than one time (Philippians 4:16). But even with possible amount beyond the three weeks mentioned in Acts 17 Paul was in Thessalonica only a short time. Then there was an uprising and he slipped out under the cover of darkness (Acts 17:10).

Paul instructed the church that when a believer dies, they are not to grieve like those who have no hope in Christ. They must have experienced a believer dying already and Paul was giving them instruction on this. Probably no one in this new church knew what to say at the funeral when a church member died.

There was lots of good news when Timothy brought back the report to Paul and Silas as they were waiting in Athens to find out about their faith. It was a joy for Paul to find out their testimony was ringing out in Macedonia and Achia. But they were needing some help to clear things up when a believer in Christ died.

It's not that they are not to grieve at the death of a fellow believer. But their grief is different than those who have no hope in Christ. As believers we do grieve when we lose loved ones. But for believers we are grieving for ourselves and our loss, not for the person that died.

This assurance believers have is because of the hope we have in Christ. When a believer dies r they are present with Christ in heaven. Our grief is for ourselves because we have lost someone important to us. Our lives will not be the same without them. There is grief but not like those who have no hope.

There is a complete difference between a funeral for a believer and an unbeliever. “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord’’ (2 Corinthians 5:8)

And Paul makes it clear why we have this hope because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. And so, he is explaining that those who died as believers will also rise because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

When Jesus comes again those who've already died have not missed it. They will be resurrected. As believers all of us, those who died before the return of Christ and those who are alive at the return of Christ will meet the Lord at his second coming.

We will be with the Lord forever. Our faith in Christ has changed our destiny for eternity. We will be with the Lord forever. And we are to encourage one another with these words. This is a very encouraging part of our Christian faith that will be with the Lord forever in heaven.

The Day of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11)

Paul didn't want the believers to be uninformed about people who died but now he is saying you are informed about the day of the Lord. He told them you are informed about there being no revealed set time of Christ’s return. Paul says there is something that the new believers in Thessalonica know very well, The Day of the Lord. Paul is using this term, Day of the Lord, as the return of Christ. In the time of the Old Testament the Day of the Lord was some big military event and coming day of judgement.