Messianic Perspectives

Guest (Female): Peter prophesied that in the last days, scoffers will say, "Where is the promise of Christ's coming?" Is this prophecy being fulfilled in our generation? We'll talk about it today right here on Messianic Perspectives.

Liz Aielo: Shalom and welcome to Messianic Perspectives, a daily program where we look into the scriptures from a distinctive first-century Jewish point of view. I'm Liz Aielo. Today we're talking about the promise of his coming with our Bible teacher Dr. Gary Hedrick. I'll be back a little later with information about a special offer, so have your pencil and paper ready. Now with today's study, here is Dr. Gary Hedrick.

Dr. Gary Hedrick: Thank you. It's good to have you with us today, listening friend, as we continue our series on the promise of his coming. In the last program, we were talking about 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. What makes passages like 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 so exciting is that this is where the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is revealing truths that were never before understood.

This is brand-new revelation, just like the Torah was in the days of Moses. In Judaism, they would say Paul is bringing *chidushim*, that is, he is introducing new interpretations. This is new revelation. You say, "Well, why was there a need for more revelation?" Very good question. The answer is that there were many truths that were not revealed in the Old Testament and many questions that were not answered.

We call them mysteries. In New Testament terminology, a mystery is some aspect of truth that was hidden in the Old Testament but has been revealed in the New Testament. And one of those mysteries is what we call the first resurrection. That's why when Paul was talking in 1 Corinthians 15 about the resurrection that occurs at the time of the rapture, what did he say?

He said, "Behold, I show you a" what? "A mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." You see, it was a mystery because this was an aspect of the biblical teaching of the resurrection that had never before been revealed.

Of course, in the Old Testament, God had revealed that there would be a series of resurrections at the end of time. In the Jewish scriptures, the Prophet Daniel had said that many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt. So the Old Testament did make a distinction between the two resurrections—one for the righteous and another one for the unrighteous, one for those who are saved and another one for those who are not saved.

So even in the Old Testament, there was a distinction between the two resurrections. What they didn't understand was that those two resurrections don't happen at the same time. There's a thousand-year interval between those two resurrections. Never before had this truth been revealed. So it was a mystery. And that's what Paul is teaching the Thessalonian believers here in chapter 4.

These Thessalonian believers were concerned that their deceased brethren would miss the promise of the kingdom because they thought they wouldn't be resurrected until the end of time, after the thousand-year reign of the Messiah. They thought believers who died before the second coming were going to miss out on all the blessings of the glorious millennial kingdom of our Lord.

So Paul says, "My friends, it's time for me to show you another mystery." He says in chapter 4, verse 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." Now, in the Jewish culture of that day, this term "sleep" spoke of physical death. It was the separation of the spirit from the body, the *pneuma* from the *soma*, with the spirit going to be with God and the body remaining behind, asleep in the grave.

The Jews knew nothing of soul sleep. When they spoke of the dead being asleep, they knew it referred to their bodies. Their bodies would sleep and wait for the resurrection. Then he says in verse 14, "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." At the coming of the Lord, some will arise from the dead and some will remain in the graves.

The ones who sleep in Christ shall come forth. Their spirits are now in heaven, in God's presence. Their bodies sleep in the grave. Those are the ones Paul says Jesus will bring with him when he comes. "Even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him," he says. And when he brings them, they will be reunited with their new resurrection bodies, resurrection bodies that will be like the resurrection body of the Lord Jesus Christ after he was raised from the dead.

Now notice the two categories. First, the dead in Christ are raised at the time of the second coming. And just as the second coming occurs in two stages, the first resurrection occurs in two stages: one stage at the time of the rapture and another stage seven years later at the end of the tribulation. At the end of the tribulation, the Old Testament saints are raised along with the saints who are martyred during the course of the tribulation.

So that's the first category: the dead in Christ. Second, the dead who are without Christ are not raised until after the millennium. So you're either in Christ or you're outside of Christ. Those are the two categories. You're either in or you're out. And the difference is whether or not you believe and obey the gospel. You say, "What is the gospel?" It's right here at the beginning of verse 14 where he says, "For if we believe that Jesus" what? "That Jesus died and rose again."

That's the gospel: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If you believe that Jesus was who he said he was and that he died for you and that he rose again on the third day according to the scriptures, and you make it personal by applying it to yourself and you say, "He died for me and I'm accepting what he did for me," then when you can say that, my friend, you are a believer. You are in Christ. That's it.

You say, "It can't be that simple." Oh, yes, it can be. You say, "I thought you had to go through christening and baptism and catechism and confirmation and all kinds of rigmarole." No, what you're talking about is religion. Churches and religions can be very complicated, and yes, there is a lot of rigmarole. But what I'm talking about is a person, Jesus Christ. He's not a religion. He's a person. We don't believe in some religion. We believe in him, in his death and burial and resurrection. And that's the gospel, plain and simple.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 that he had preached the gospel which he had received, namely that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15 verses 3 and 4. That is the gospel story. To believe and respond to the gospel is to be saved. In Romans chapter 10, verses 9 and 10, we are told that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Now Paul anticipated that certain people would take issue with this teaching. So he says in verse 15 of 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord." In other words, he's speaking with divine authority. By the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede those or prevent those who are asleep.

We are not dealing now with man's word or man's opinion or man's interpretation, but with the word of the Lord. You may do with my opinions what you want, my friend, but not so with the word of the Lord. Jesus said heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away. Matthew 24:35. He has said that he is coming back again. And when he comes, the dead in Christ shall rise and all believers shall be changed and be caught up to meet the Lord.

Everyone else will remain behind to meet the wrath of God during the tribulation period. Now notice how clearly and unmistakably scripture teaches the order of events when Jesus comes. Remember, this is information that was never revealed in the Old Testament. The coming of the Messiah occurs in two stages, seven years apart. What is in view here in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 is the first of those two stages, which we call the rapture of the church.

This glorious event includes seven steps. Number one, the Lord descends from heaven. Number two, once he enters the atmosphere, he shouts. Number three, the voice of the archangel is heard. Number four, the trumpet or the shofar sounds. Number five, the dead in Christ are raised first. Number six, living believers are transformed or glorified. Number seven, together we all rise to meet the Lord in the air.

Now let's start reading in verse 16 and let's see if we can pick out each of these seven steps. In verse 16 he says, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven"—there's number one—"with a shout"—number two—"with the voice of the archangel"—number three—"and with the trump of God"—number four—"and the dead in Christ shall rise first"—number five. Verse 17: "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up"—number six—"together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air"—number seven.

"And so shall we ever be with the Lord." Notice he says the Lord *himself* shall descend from heaven. There is an amazing parallel between the events of the second coming and ancient Jewish wedding procedures. And we've talked about this before—how the bridegroom would leave his bride during the betrothal period and go to prepare a place for her.

But what often happened in ancient times was—now watch this—when the bridegroom was ready to receive his bride, he would send for her instead of going to get her himself. The wedding party would go to the home of the bride's father and then take her back to meet the groom, who would be waiting for her at his father's house.

See, being a former rabbi himself, Paul understood the parallels between these events. So he wants to make sure we understand that in this instance it is the Lord himself who comes to get us. He doesn't send his angels. He comes himself. And notice something else: we will meet those who have died before us even before we meet the Lord.

The dead are raised first and their spirits, which came back with the Lord, are united with their resurrection glorified bodies. Then it says the rest of us are caught up together with them in the clouds. You see, we are with them before we are with the Lord. Isn't that a wonderful thought?

There are so many people who've gone before me that I'm looking forward to seeing again. You may have someone who was very near and dear to your heart that you're looking forward to seeing again, and you will. In fact, they are the ones who will introduce us to the Lord. What a wonderful thought and a glorious hope. Well, we're out of time again. We'll continue with this on the next program. Until then, this is Gary Hedrick saying God bless you. Take care. Bye-bye.

Liz Aielo: Thank you, Gary. And thank you, listening friend, for tuning in today. If you liked what you heard today, you will be pleased to know we've taken all of the programs in this series and placed them on one convenient CD entitled, *The Promise of His Coming*. And it's yours for a gift of just $6 or more to Messianic Perspectives. Just visit our secure online store at messianicspecialties.com to place your order.

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And as always, when you're in touch with us, please mention the call letters of this station. If you're listening to our webcast or podcast, we need to know that too. I'm Liz Aielo. Join us next time, won't you? As Dr. Gary Hedrick continues our series of studies on the promise of his coming, right here on Messianic Perspectives.

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