The Thessalonian Epistles
How God Fulfills Prophecy
Lesson II
Written:
We know that the major theme of these Epistles is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. There are more Scriptures dealing with the Second Coming than those written about the First Coming.
The First Advent or Coming of Jesus Christ to this earth was not one event but rather a series of events that took place over a period of time. All these events were predicted in the Scriptures. Likewise, the Second Advent or Coming of Christ is not one event but also a series of events also predicted in the same Scriptures.
Two of the major events of the Second Advent are the Rapture or removal of the Church from earth to heaven to be soon followed by the bodily visible return of Christ to earth. An event we refer to as the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
The first epistle to the Thessalonians majors on the first event of the second advent which we believe to be the Rapture of the Church. The second epistle to the Thessalonians deals primarily with events associated with the Revelation or Return of Christ to this earth.
In the first letter Paul wrote to clarify their understanding regarding the Rapture. He tells us in chapter one that when they had turned to God, they were waiting for God’s Son from heaven (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
1
Thessalonians 1:10
(10) And to
wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, [even] Jesus, which
delivered us from the wrath to come.
1
Thessalonians 4:11-12
(11) And
that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your
own hands, as we commanded you;
(12) That
ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and [that] ye may have lack
of nothing.
It would appear from what is written in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, that some of them had ceased to work and were already in need when Paul wrote the letter. Their attitude must have been, if Christ is coming, why work? There are some people like that today.
During our lifetime, a number of groups have sold their property waiting for the Lord to come having followed some date-setting preacher. We remember one group selling property and planning to move to a place called Carrot River. At the time a brother wrote a letter in which he said, “I guess they are going there to eat carrots.”
Advice given to us over sixty years ago is still good advice today. “Live as if Christ would come today. Plan as if he would not come in your lifetime. And always remember the words of Jesus, ‘Occupy ‘till I come.’ ”
The Thessalonians made another mistake. Some of their number died and they concluded those people were not really saved or they would not have died. They all were expecting to be alive when the Lord came. It was with this background that Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
1
Thessalonians 4:13-18
(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.
(18)
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
The passage begins with the words: “But I would not have you ignorant brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that is those who have died. So he wrote, the Lord is going to come and bring with him the souls of those who have died to be united with their bodies that shall be resurrected. Not only resurrected but changed from mere earthly bodies to heavenly bodies. At which time those who have died and those who are still living on earth will be ‘caught up’ to be with him in heaven.
The passage declares plainly that at the moment of the Rapture, Christ only comes to the air. He does not come to the earth. The believer’s destiny is then to be forever with the Lord. These words were written to comfort those whose loved ones had died.
If we have read the Scriptures correctly, at that time the Church, which is now the espoused Bride, will become the Bride of the great Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. We must not limit our understanding to our human experience, but it does remind one of the happy days when our espoused lady became our actual wife. What a day of joy we experienced. And are we not to learn from this Bible language that the day of Rapture will be a day of great joy?
Zechariah
2:12
(12) And
the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose
Jerusalem again.
In order to fulfill the promise of the first Coming of Christ, a Nation through which He would come and a land to which He would come had to be chosen. The land is still well known. It is called in Scripture “the holy land” (Zechariah 2:12). That means ‘set apart land for a Divine purpose.’
We look upon it as being important because
of
We remind you that both advents of Christ are predicted in the Scriptures. Often, both advents are predicted in the same context and at times both advents can be found in one verse. Our conclusion from these facts is that the predictions must have the same kind of fulfillment.
Isaiah 7:14
(14)
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive,
and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Matthew
1:22- 23
(22) Now
all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by
the prophet, saying,
(23)
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they
shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Micah 5:2
(2) But
thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, [though] thou be little among the thousands of Judah,
[yet] out of thee shall he come forth unto me [that is] to be ruler in Israel;
whose goings forth [have been] from of old, from everlasting.
Matthew
2:1-6
(1) Now
when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king,
behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
(2) Saying,
Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the
east, and are come to worship him.
(3) When
Herod the king had heard [these things], he was troubled, and all Jerusalem
with him.
(4) And
when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together,
he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
(5) And
they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the
prophet,
(6) And
thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of
Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
Zechariah
9:9
(9) Rejoice
greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King
cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an
ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
Matthew
21:1-5
(1) And
when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount
of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
(2) Saying
unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find
an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose [them], and bring [them] unto me.
(3) And if
any [man] say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and
straightway he will send them.
(4) All
this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet,
saying,
(5) Tell ye
the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon
an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
Isaiah 7:14 had predicted a Virgin birth.
Matthew 1:22, 23 tells us that the Virgin birth was a fulfillment of that Scripture.
Micah 5:2 had predicted the birth of Christ to be at Bethlehem.
Matthew 2:1-6 tells us that Jesus was born at Bethlehem fulfilling the prediction.
Zechariah 9:9 foretold that this coming One would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey.
Matthew 21:1-5 tells us that when Jesus rode on the donkey that prophecy was fulfilled.
So we ask and reason: if verses pertaining to the first coming were so literally fulfilled, why will other Scriptures, which evidently have to do with the second coming not be fulfilled in the same manner?
Some examples:
Isaiah 11:9
(9) They
shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full
of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
Has that ever been fulfilled in any recorded history? Is it true of today? We think not.
Micah 4:3
(3) And he
shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they
shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation
shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any
more.
When has that prophecy ever had a fulfillment?
Then Zechariah 14:1-5.
Zechariah
14:1-5
(1) Behold,
the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of
thee.
(2) For I
will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be
taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city
shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut
off from the city.
(3) Then
shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in
the day of battle.
(4) And his
feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before
Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst
thereof toward the east and toward the west, [and there shall be] a very great
valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it
toward the south.
(5) And ye
shall flee [to] the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains
shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the
earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come,
[and] all the saints with thee.
Notice these specific predictions.
Verse 2: All nations shall gather against Jerusalem.
Verse 3: Then the Lord shall go forth and fight against those nations.
Verse 4: And in that context, His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives. And the mount shall cleave in two, one part moving north, the other moving south to create a very great valley.
Then verse 5: The Lord shall come with all his saints.
When have these predictions ever been fulfilled?
When have the nations ceased learning war?
When has the Mount of Olives been so divided?
When have all the animals had peace with each other?
When has all the earth been filled with the knowledge of the Lord?
We are convinced that these Scriptures have never been fulfilled in the same manner as other Scriptures were fulfilled when Jesus came the first time.
We are convinced that God has been interpreting Bible prophecy and predictions by fulfilling them for 4000 years.