6. Tuesdays with Thomas 11.25.25

Rapture Ready, not all are going – 1st & 2nd Thessalonians

I have been bumped off face book soooooo many times. Please subscribe so you don’t miss any of these timely messages.

Thessalonians Paul’s first recorded writing

After being on a refreshing one-year sabbatical with our Lord Jesus and His Word, starting the process of sharing what I have learned is a little harder than I expected. It started with questions: Lord why are we on the earth, and what is your purpose for our lives today in 2025?

Even though the information I have is MASSIVE, I have simply started with 1st Thessalonians highlighting Chapter 4 verse 11 & 12. In time, if you stay with me, we will master 1&2 Thessalonians together.

¹¹ 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, ¹² that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

STUDY HELP IN MARKING YOUR BIBLE: circle names of people, put a square around names of places, highlight in dark blue all prophesies spoken and fulfilled.

Second foundational truth The Rapture

Remember this is the first written work of Paul that God calls His Word and inserts into Holy Scripture and the second foundational theme being the rapture. Again, let that sink in your spirit for a minute.

When Paul walked into the city of Thessalonica, he walked into a Greek world of idol worship that had a horrible belief of what happens after death. There were temples and statues giving honor to the Roman gods: Zeus King and god of the sky, Poseidon god of the sea, Hades god of the death and afterlife. Their philosophy of the afterlife was dark, horrible and hopeless.

Within this setting, Paul preached the rapture and the message of eternal hope as Jesus who rose from the dead will come again and rescue those who believe in Him. Together they would enjoy the victory of His coming Kingdom. Paul’s first written work recorded in the Holy Scriptures gives us the foundation truth of being “RAPTURE READY” at all times. Last week we highlighted in our Bibles in dark blue, all 13 verses in 1^st & 2^nd Thessalonians dealing with the rapture of the believing followers of Jesus.

1 Thessalonians: 1:10

1 Thessalonians 2:19

1 Thessalonians 3:13

1 Thessalonians 4:14-18

1 Thessalonians 5:2

1 Thessalonians 5:4

1 Thessalonians 5:9

1 Thessalonians 5:23

2 Thessalonians 1:7

2 Thessalonians 1:10

2 Thessalonians 2:1

2 Thessalonians 2:2

2 Thessalonians 2:3

I also re-posted the 6-minute animated video on what the Thessalonians believe about life after death.

(Click for VIDEO – What the Thessalonians believed about life after death)

I have done a lot of teaching on the Rapture and have included a link to the Rapture chapter of the 1919 book by Ira Surface First and Last. If you want to take a deeper dive into the rapture, Click for the teaching.

Chapter 8 – THE RAPTURE

1919 End Time Time Line by Ira Surface – 1st rapture Thessalonians

Take a few moments and find at the top of the chart, THE FIRST RESURRECTION, Revelation 20:4-6.

Note the three bubbles at the top of the chart and the arrows that point up to them. The first resurrection consists of THREE RAPTURES in perfect order. Rapture one is the rapture Paul addressed in Thessalonians that happens before the 7-year tribulation, this is the one we are to be prepared for.

Highlights of the first rapture – the rapture will be:

Before the 7 Year Tribulation.

At a time when the world is not thinking of looking for Him

For those who look ardently for Him and have made themselves worthy, will be the only ones who will see Him at that time.

The glorified, selected Gentile body which includes the Bride of Christ will be called up to meet Jesus in the air.

This first rapture is a prophetic picture of the first fruits of the Jewish early barley harvest.

ORDER OF EVENTS

Start watching: The rapture will happen any time after Israel becomes a Nation. (Wait, that already happened in 1948!).

World governments will be proclaiming Peace, Peace.

The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the arch-angel, and with the trump of God

The dead in Christ shall rise first

Those 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.

This Rapture Exclusively Gentile

1. Matthew 22:14 Jesus concludes the parable of the wedding with this statement there will be many called, but few chosen.

Matthew 20:16 Jesus made the same statement with the workers in the field. This seems to indicate that the ones chosen are those who have qualified, especially, for this rapture.

2. The Parable of the Persistent Widow Jesus asked the question: when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? Luke 18:8

3. In our study of Thessalonians Paul continues the thought with one outstanding word.

ALIVE AND REMAIN

…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. 1 Thessalonians 4:15

Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together. 1 Thessalonians 4:17

Alive – Those that are spiritually alive, spiritually active and vibrant, meaning there are some who are not vibrant.

Remain – those who complete the course, pass through the hard circumstances, those who are destitute yet survive. Like a remnant of a garment, a little tiny piece, a remnant at the end of the age.

mystery of lawlessness is already at work; 2 Thessalonians 2:5

Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 2 Thessalonians 2:3

The hope which Paul holds out to the church is the fact that those who are qualified, at the coming of Christ, shall be (not may be), caught up to meet Jesus in the air.  Thus they escape the fearful tribulation which is to come upon the earth

Those who are not ready to meet Jesus when He comes at the rapture will pass into the first six stages of the tribulation.  John says of these (Rev. 7:14), These are they who come out of the great tribulation.”

Next Tuesday? Oh, who is The Wonderful Bride of Christ?

Father God we are asking for discernment as we war against deception. Amen.