Skip Heitzig: The Rapture: What & When – 1 Thessalonians 4

Join Pastor Skip Heitzig at Calvary Church as he unpacks the Rapture of the Church from 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18. Discover why the Rapture has generated both great hope and debate among Christians, how it relates to the coming Tribulation, and what the Bible and early church fathers taught about escaping God’s wrath.

In this teaching, you’ll learn about:

• The perplexities that troubled the Thessalonian believers
• The participants in the Rapture—those asleep in Christ and those alive at His coming
• The particulars of the event: Return, Ruckus, Resurrection, and Rapture
• Early church writings that reveal a pre-tribulation hope
• What Scripture says about our glorified resurrection bodies

Be encouraged by the Blessed Hope (Titus 2:13): Jesus could return at any moment to gather His Church.

Scripture references include: 1 Thessalonians 4, 1 Corinthians 15, John 14, Matthew 24, Revelation 19, Acts 1, and more.

Watch now and be equipped to understand, anticipate, and share the hope of Christ’s imminent return.

#Rapture #BibleProphecy #EndTimes #SkipHeitzig #1Thessalonians4

The Rapture: What & When – 1 Thessalonians 4

Calvary Church with Skip Heitzig – The Rapture of the Church

Did you know that about 90% of the Book of Revelation either quotes or references the Old Testament? From the beginning, the Lord communicated a great deal about the future to His people.

In this teaching series, Pastor Skip explains the theology of the end times and the differing conclusions biblical scholars have reached. The end may be nearer than you think. We’re finding that God is doing exactly what He says.

Introduction

Turn in your Bibles to 1 Thessalonians 4. We’re continuing our series The End is Near? We’ve spent 11 weeks on this already, and now we come to the topic we introduced last week—the Rapture of the Church.

Whenever a natural disaster occurs, there are evacuations. Emergency services go door to door or make phone calls to get people out of danger zones before a hurricane, mudslide, or earthquake strikes.

I read a story about a man in Southern California who didn’t get the evacuation message during the fires and rains that triggered mudslides in the San Bernardino Mountains. Cars and buildings were buried. His relatives were distressed—they hadn’t been evacuated and feared the worst.

That is similar to the concern the Thessalonian church had when Paul wrote to them. They were worried about themselves and about loved ones who had already died in Christ. Had they missed the great evacuation Paul had told them about—the event we call the Rapture of the Church?

The Tribulation

We’ve already learned in this series that:

• A coming period of suffering for the world is called the Tribulation.
• It will be the worst period in human history.
• It has many names in Scripture: The Day of the Lord, The Time of Jacob’s Trouble, The 70th Week of Daniel, The Tribulation, The Great Tribulation, The Day of Wrath, The Wrath of the Lamb, The Hour of Testing, The Day of Vengeance of our God, The Indignation.
• It lasts seven years in two halves (first three and a half years, then the second three and a half years). The second half is worse.
• At the end of the seven years, Jesus will return all the way to the earth (Matthew 24; Revelation 19).
• That return is preceded by unmistakable signs in heaven and on earth.

But there is also another event spoken of by Jesus, Peter, Paul, and John—an imminent event, meaning it could happen at any moment.

This creates tension:

• On one hand, Scripture says Jesus could come at any moment.
• On the other hand, it says He cannot come until certain signs are fulfilled.

The solution: two stages to His coming.

1. First, He comes for His Church in the Rapture (a signless, imminent event).
2. Later, He comes with His Church in the Second Coming (an event preceded by many signs).

The Classic Passage – 1 Thessalonians 4

“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you 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. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” —1 Thessalonians 4:13–18

Three Features: Perplexities, Participants, Particulars

1. The Perplexities (v. 13)

The Thessalonian church was young (only months old). Paul had already taught them about end-time events, including the gathering of believers before the Tribulation. Yet they were suffering severe persecution, unlike anything before.

They began to wonder:

• “Have we missed the Rapture?”
• “Are we already in the Tribulation Paul warned us about?”
• “What about our dead relatives who were believers? Did they miss it too?”

Their confusion actually shows they held to a pre-tribulation view. If they believed they would go through the Tribulation, they wouldn’t be surprised by suffering. Their distress was that they expected deliverance but were now under persecution.

Paul writes to comfort and clarify.

Early Church Fathers on the Pre-Trib Hope

Some claim the pre-tribulation Rapture is a recent doctrine (tied to John Nelson Darby in the 1800s). But the early church wrote of escaping the Tribulation:

• The Shepherd of Hermas (2nd century):
  “If you prepare yourselves and repent with all your heart and turn to the Lord, it will be possible for you to escape it [the Tribulation].”
• Irenaeus (2nd–3rd century):
  “When in the end the Church shall be suddenly caught up from this, it is said, ‘There shall be tribulation such as has not been since the beginning, neither shall be.’”
• Ephraim the Syrian (4th century):
  “All the saints and elect of the Lord are gathered together before the Tribulation that is to come and are taken to the Lord, in order that they may not see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world.”

So the idea of being delivered from the Tribulation is not new—it has deep historical roots.

2. The Participants

Two groups are involved in the Rapture:

1. Those who have died in Christ (“those who sleep”).
2. Those who are alive in Christ when it happens.

“Sleep” is a euphemism for death, describing the body—not the soul. When believers die, their souls go immediately to be with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). Their bodies “sleep” until the resurrection.

Paul comforts them: their dead loved ones will not miss the Rapture. In fact, they will rise first.

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.” —1 Thessalonians 4:14

The resurrection of believers is guaranteed because Jesus Himself rose from the dead.

3. The Particulars

There are four distinct stages of the Rapture, summed up in four words:

(a) Return

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven…” (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

Jesus will personally come for His Church—not sending angels, but Himself (John 14:3).

(b) Ruckus

“…with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God…” (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

Three sounds:

• A shout (like a commander’s call).
• The voice of an archangel (perhaps Michael or Gabriel).
• The trumpet of God (used in Scripture for assemblies, celebrations, or battles).

(c) Resurrection

“…and the dead in Christ will rise first.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

Believers who have died will be raised, their bodies glorified and reunited with their souls. Resurrection Day is Rapture Day.

Our resurrection bodies will be:

• Our same earthly bodies, but glorified (Romans 8:23).
• Incorruptible, immortal, with advanced properties like Christ’s body (1 Corinthians 15:51–53; John 20:19; Acts 1:9).

(d) Rapture

“Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17)

The Greek word is harpazo (to snatch, seize suddenly). In Latin, rapio—from which we get “Rapture.”

Used in other places:

• Philip “caught away” after baptizing the Ethiopian (Acts 8:39).
• Paul “caught up to the third heaven” (2 Corinthians 12:2).
• Enoch and Elijah were taken directly to heaven (Genesis 5:24; 2 Kings 2:11).

It is a supernatural relocation of believers—alive and transformed—into Christ’s presence.

The Blessed Hope

All of this happens “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52). Dead or alive, believers will be instantly changed—mortal to immortal, corruptible to incorruptible.

This is why Paul calls it “the blessed hope” (Titus 2:13).

“Therefore comfort one another with these words.” —1 Thessalonians 4:18

Closing

When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time will be no more, when the saved of earth shall gather on the other shore—when the roll is called up yonder, we’ll be there.

Thank You, Father, for this hope—the blessed hope of the Church.

May we be ready and may we help others be ready through the Gospel.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.