I Shall Know Him

I SHALL KNOW HIM

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17

God is so good. God is sooooo good! Although we have failed God so many times, He has never failed us. When things in our lives have got the hardest, that’s when God has been the strongest. When we have been too weak to walk alone, God has carried us. He is the Creator and the sustainer of all life. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of all things.

The birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, was foretold thousands of years before it was fulfilled in every minute detail. He Himself fulfills at least 109 separate and distinct prophecies that prove He is the Messiah.

In the 4 gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, we find that Jesus prophesied over 170 different events to come. Now, 2000 years later, many of these prophecies have been fulfilled. There is simply no reason why we should believe that those prophecies that relate to future events, things yet to come, will not happen.

The signs of those times are everywhere, and the day and the time is drawing close when up in Heaven God will say “it is time,” and God’s trumpet will sound announcing that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming again.

Jesus said in John, Chapter 14, verse 3, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” Rejoice and be happy my friends, for the Lord is coming back to take His people home!

In the fourth chapter of the book of First Thessalonians, the apostle Paul describes the first phase of the second coming of Jesus. Let’s look at what Paul said in verses 13 thru 17.

13. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Look at verse 15 again – “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord.” When you have divine revelation you surely don’t need human speculation. We have God’s word that Jesus is coming back again.

Psalms 119:89 says “Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.” When God’s word says it, then it is settled in heaven and it ought to be settled on earth as well. There’s not a prophecy anywhere in the Bible that either hasn’t come true or will come true. Jesus is coming back again, and He’s coming for you and for me. Glory to God!

Sometimes when I read these scriptures I get to where I want shout and holler and put my dancing shoes on!

Now let’s look at the return of Jesus Christ. In verse 16 of 1 Thessalonians, Chapter 4, the Bible says, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven.” My friends – the Lord himself is coming back for us. He is coming visibly. He is coming bodily. He is coming personally. He is coming gloriously! Shout it from the rooftops – Jesus is coming back.

In Acts 1:10-11, we read, “And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he, Jesus, went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

This same Jesus who was born of a virgin is coming back.

This same Jesus who stilled the raging seas is coming back.

This same Jesus who fed the 5000 with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread is coming back.

This same Jesus who was nailed to a cross is coming back.

This same Jesus who conquered the grave is coming back.

This same Jesus who sacrificed His life in order that we might have life eternal, is coming back to take us home.

You know, after the resurrection and before Jesus ascended to heaven, He appeared to His disciples, all except Thomas, who was not there when he came. Let’s look at John 20:24-29;