The End of Eschatology

We come now to the reading and the preaching

of God's Word, and I ask then that you would

open up to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. This morning

1 Thessalonians 4 · chapter mention

will be in verses 13 through 18. We are continuing

our sermon series through this book, this letter

from Paul to the Thessalonians. And as we come

upon What is really a challenging section, this

is going to deal with eschatology. If you're

unfamiliar with that word, here's kind of a brief

definition. Eschatology is the study of last

things, the study of the return of Christ, the

study of the resurrection, the study of the new

heavens and the new earth. This is what we're

talking about today. And this is indeed a difficult

section, but we lean upon the help of the Holy

Spirit. we go about and so we have the word before

us let us read would you give special attention

to the reading of God's holy word first Thessalonians

4 13 through 18 but we do not want you to be

uninformed brothers about those who are asleep

that you may not grieve as others do who have

no hope For since we believe that Jesus died

and rose again even so through Jesus God will

bring with him those who have fallen asleep For

this we declare to you by a word from the Lord

that we who are alive Who are left until the

coming of the Lord will not precede those who

have fallen asleep For the Lord himself will

descend from heaven with a cry of command with

the voice of an archangel and with the sound

of the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ

will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are

left, will be caught up together with them in

the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so

we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, encourage

one another with these words. The grass withers.

And the flower fades, but God's word stands forever.

Let us pray. Father in heaven, we thank you for

this text. We thank you for the hope that is

in here, the hope of the return of our savior,

the hope of the resurrection, Lord. But this

is challenging for us. And so would you be with

us and would you help us as we go along? These

things we pray in Christ's name. Amen. This week,

I saw a meme or a gif or a jif, whatever they're

called, I don't know, on the internet. And it

said this, don't let the guy who really wants

to teach eschatology teach eschatology. Like,

subscribe, amen. However, if we don't... let

the guy teach eschatology, who wants to teach

eschatology, there is a time when nobody would

teach eschatology. Because throughout centuries

of the church, at times, people have really shied

away from these doctrines. Because it is challenging.

Because we have so many questions. It's been

pointed out many times that Luther and Calvin,

great reformers, great commentators, never wrote

a commentary on Revelation. Something though

has happened, really kind of in our lifetimes,

where there has been extreme zealousness for

the return of Christ. There has been a thirst

for this knowledge of the return of Christ, which

is good. And there are a lot of resources out

there about eschatology these days. Unfortunately,

a lot of it's unhelpful. There are a lot of resources

out there that are unhelpful. Within our lifetimes

there have been predictions about the return

of Christ. They have been erroneous. There have

been works of fiction that were written about

the return of Christ. They have been erroneous.

People have written about the return of Christ

and oftentimes it just doesn't hold up to biblical

scrutiny. And today, friends, as we look at this

text, we want to handle this very, very carefully.

And so I'm not going to cover every eschatological

angle. I couldn't do that. And I think this text

compels us not to overdo it. Because as we look

at 1 Thessalonians 4, 13 through 18, the Apostle

Paul is hyper focused here. He's not writing

to answer every single question that we have.

He has a purpose for writing this. And actually,

as I look at it, I see two big purposes for this

text. Paul writes to clarify and Paul writes

to comfort. Paul writes to clarify and to comfort.

Let's start with clarifying. What is he clarifying

here? I see that he's clarifying the saints,

the sights, and the sounds. The saints, the sights,

and the sounds. Look in verse 13. He does not

want them to be uninformed. He does not want

these Christians there to be ignorant about the

return of Christ. And he says about those who

sleep. This is talking about those who have passed

away. This is a common metaphor. Sleeping is

a common metaphor. for those who have died. He

is clarifying what happens with deceased saints,

with believers. There seems to be trepidation

in Thessalonica, trepidation amongst believers

that their loved ones who have passed away would

somehow miss out on the resurrection, that they

might miss out on the return of Christ, that

they would miss out on some of the benefits of

the resurrection. But maybe we're wondering why?

Why would Thessalonians think that just because

people have died that they would miss out on

the return of Christ? Well, there's probably

a couple different reasons. One, remember that

Paul was only in this city for maybe three weeks.

Acts 17 says three Sabbaths. That's a lot to

learn in a little bit of time, right? And we

ourselves are still learning this. I don't know

of any eschatological experts within our sanctuary.

We are still learning just like the Thessalonians

were. However, there could be something else

going on that they may have stuff to unlearn.

There is an apocryphal book called Second Estrus.

And within this apocryphal work, There is in

about chapter 14, it says those who survive until

the second coming are more blessed than those

who died before. Those who survive until the

second coming are more blessed than those who

died before. This is what this work says. So

the Christians here, they need clarification

on this. They need correction on this. And so

look in verse 14. What Paul does as he writes

about what Christ did. and what Christ will do.

Christ died and rose again, he tells them. What

Paul is giving the Thessalonians is the good

news of the gospel. He is telling these believers

who are upset, who are grieved, who are concerned,

believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will

be saved. He's telling them, he's reminding them

that Christ has died for our sins, that Christ

was sinless and yet was our substitute. So he

tells them what Christ did and now he's gonna

say what Christ will do. Christ will come again,

he says. And really as they're concerned about

perhaps missing out on the benefits of the resurrection,

Paul writes this in such a way that it almost

sounds like it's a promotion to have gone ahead

to be with God. He's writing of believers who

have died who go to Jesus, but then look there

in verse 15. For this we declare to you by a

word from the Lord those that we who are alive

who are left until the coming of the Lord Will

not precede those who have fallen asleep So rather

than missing out on the benefits of the resurrection

what Paul says here is that the dead in Christ

go first, right? the dead in Christ are raised

a Friend asked me not too long ago. He said Why

did Jesus have to be raised? Wasn't it finished

on the cross? The answer, why did Christ have

to be raised, is so that we will be. Romans chapter

six says that we will have a resurrection like

his. And so the dead and Christ, they go first.

But after that, then the believers who are alive

are caught up into the clouds. And these are

not ordinary cumulus clouds. Perhaps we are to

think here of the very cloud in which Jesus ascended

by the Spirit. And so what do they do when they

get there, when they're in the clouds? Notice

that it says that in verse 17, we who are alive

who are left will be caught up together with

them in the clouds. We have a glorious reunion

of believers together with Christ in the air.

This is wonderful, and I think this is a point

that we oftentimes miss about that because we're

caught up in other elements of this. We want

to know when is this going to happen, right?

And we're going to get there next week, but for

now, we need to understand that Christ is coming

back, the dead in Christ rise first, and then

those who are alive go up to meet him and them

in the air. However, As we look at this, please

let's see something else. Let's look at the sites

here. Verse 16. See the Lord descending. As the

Lord descends, this should cause us to remember

how the Lord ascended. If you will, go to Acts

Acts 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1. Acts chapter 1, verses 6 through 11.

Acts 1:6–11

to see how Christ ascended. So, when they had

come together, they asked him, Lord, will you

at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? And

he said to them, it's not for you to know the

times or the seasons that the Father has fixed

by his own authority, but you will receive power

when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. and you

will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea

and Samaria and to the ends of the earth." And

when he had said these things, as they were looking

on, he was lifted up and a cloud took him out

of their sight. And while they were gazing into

heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them

in white robes and said, men of Galilee, why

do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus

who has taken up from you into heaven will come

in the same way. as you saw him go into heaven.

Friends, Jesus will return as he left. And it

will not be a representative from Jesus either.

It will be Jesus himself. Again, from verse 16,

the text says, for the Lord himself. This is

reflected in your English because it comes from

the Greek. What Paul wants them to know is this

is no one else coming to them other than The

Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ comes

to them. And friends, I want you to know this,

that when Jesus returns, his return will be unmissable.

His return will be unmissable. Some believers

approach this text and think of a secret rapture.

That everybody is going about their day, doing

their thing, and then all of a sudden the believers,

The problem with that is this text indicates

a worldwide visible event. The text shows us

his return will be visible, but not just visible,

but also audible. Again, verse 16. There are

three big sounds within verse 16. Let's look

at these. The first one. the Lord himself will

descend from heaven with a cry of command. Now

it's not altogether clear who issues this cry

of command, at least from our text, but if we

go to some other texts, we might understand who

this is, because Jesus talks about himself in

John chapter five. He says, the hour is coming

when all who are in their graves will hear his

voice and come out. So this seems to indicate

to us that the one issuing the cry of command

is none other than the one who is coming to them.

This is Christ. The second sound, it mentions

the archangel, the voice of the archangel. Again,

doesn't say who it is, but if we go to the book

of Jude, we see the archangel is identified as

Michael. And so this may refer to Michael. The

third sound is the sound of the trumpet of God.

In the Old Testament, the trumpet sound often

signals the very presence of God. I want to take

you to one scripture in the Old Testament and

one scripture in the New Testament to see a little

bit more about this trumpet sound. Zechariah,

just listen, Zechariah 9 14. Then the Lord will

appear over them and his arrow will go forth

like lightning. The Lord God will sound the trumpet.

and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the

south. And then from 1 Corinthians chapter 15,

1 Corinthians 15 · chapter mention

a chapter that is all about resurrection, 1 Corinthians

15, or 15, 51 through 52. Behold, I tell you

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 trumpet. for the trumpet will

sound and the dead will be raised imperishable

and we shall be changed. Friends, this is very

audible. This is very vocal. Commentator Ken

Jones says, to make all of this a secret, all

of these sounds a secret, turns these sounds

into something akin to a cosmic dog whistle.

Friends, there is a genuine ruckus. going on

in the heavens. And we cannot deny the visible

audible evidence. If it's supposed to be a secret,

why does Paul write as though this is the most

public event of all time? I like how another

commentator puts this. Daniel Hyde says here,

let me say this as clearly as I can, but with

love for you in my words. The hope Paul offers

is not a secret rapture. There was nothing veiled

about the birth of the Son of God upon earth.

There's nothing hidden about what is going to

happen when the Lord comes again. This hope for

a dramatic public and visible return of Christ.

But if you don't like his words, perhaps you'll

like Revelation 1 7. Behold, he is coming with

the clouds and every eye will see him. even those

who pierced him and all the tribes of the earth

will wail on account of him even so. Amen. Perhaps

I'm belaboring my point because we're now asking,

all right, Jesus is coming. He calls the dead

in Christ and the believers who are alive up

to himself. But then what? What happens after

all of this? Well, friends, that's not addressed

within our text. And so I'm not going to spend

as much time on it here, but I do want to direct

you towards the next book of the Bible, Second

Thessalonians, chapter one. Second Thessalonians,

chapter one, five through 10. This is lengthy,

but listen, this is God's word. This is evidence

of the righteous judgment of God. that you may

be considered worthy of the kingdom of God for

which you are also suffering since indeed God

considers it just to repay with affliction those

who afflict you and to grant relief to you who

are afflicted as well to us when the Lord Jesus

is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels

in flaming fire inflicting vengeance on those

who do not know God and on those who do not obey

the gospel of our Lord Jesus They will suffer

the punishment of eternal destruction away from

the presence of the Lord and from the glory of

his might. And when he comes on that day to be

glorified in his saints and to be marveled at

among you who have believed, because our testimony

to you was believed. In a word, what comes next,

friends, is the judgment. What comes next is

the judgment. Still, there are some who try and

insert a thousand -year gap in between the return

of Christ and between judgment. But there are

so many passages that speak of the judgment occurring

right after the return of Christ. Consider the

book of Daniel chapter 12, one through two. At

Daniel 12 · chapter mention

that time shall arise Michael, the great prince,

who has charge of your people. And there shall

be a time of trouble such as never has been since

there was a nation till that time. But at that

time, your people shall be delivered. Everyone

whose name shall be found written in the book.

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the

earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and

some to shame and everlasting contempt. What

a premillennious does then is not just advocating

for a second coming. but advocating for a third

coming. It's almost as if there's people who

would say, Christ has died, Christ has risen,

Christ will come again, and then he'll come again

after that. Friends, I don't think that's what

this text is telling us. There's also an assumption

back in 1 Thessalonians 4 that when Christ comes

to take believers, he comes to take them to heaven.

But you'll see within the text that is not stated.

This is challenging, I know. but it's not stated.

And so we have to look to other scriptures that

can help us. Perhaps you remember the parable

of the 10 virgins and the bridegroom in Matthew

25. The bridegroom comes and the women go to

meet him. And then what do they do? They all

go the rest of the journey to the wedding feast.

It's the same thing in Acts chapter 28. Paul

Acts 28 · chapter mention

goes to Rome, the believers meet him and they

accompany him on the remainder of the journey.

And so this is a possible view that as Christ

comes and we are called up to him in the air,

then we descend the rest of the way to be here.

That is a view, and I think it's a good view.

It's also a predominant view of the early church.

Perhaps you've heard of the name John Chrysostom.

He was the Archbishop of Canterbury in the 300s.

He is the one called Golden Mouth because of

his preaching. And he said this again in the

300s, if Christ descends from heaven, why will

we go up to meet him in order to be honored?

Well, when a king enters a city, those whom he

honors go out to meet him. And so it is a view

within the reform camp that as Christ comes,

we meet him and we come the rest of the way.

Well, now at this point, maybe you're saying

this is a lot. We're still wrapping our minds

around it. What do we do with this? What kind

of application do we have with a message like

this? The application is do not delay knowing

Jesus Don't put him off anymore everybody Every

human being will be judged the just and the unjust

But only the just only the believer only those

who have the righteousness of Christ will be

safe consider how Hebrews chapter nine, twenty

seven and twenty eight puts this. And just as

it is appointed for man to die once and after

that comes judgment. So Christ, having been offered

once to bear the sins of many, will appear a

second time not to deal with sin, but to save

those who are eagerly waiting for him. Christian,

are you waiting for the return of Jesus? Are

you ready? for him to come. Consider how 2 Corinthians

6 puts this. Behold, now is the favorable time.

Behold, now is the day of salvation. Friends,

the day to believe in Jesus is today, not tomorrow,

not when you get tired of that secret sin that

you crave, not when you get the right job. Not

when you have your life all cleaned up. Not when

you get married and not when you have kids. Today

is the day of salvation. But friends, our text

also shows us something else. Today is the day

of comfort. Today is the day of comfort. You

all, many of you are in situations where you

need comfort. You have been in that cemetery

next door. On some of the heaviest, the hardest,

the darkest days of your life, you know what

you needed then. You needed comfort from God's

Word and Paul richly supplies. Notice here within

this text, as Paul talks about this difficult

doctrine of eschatology, he doesn't lead them

through a systematic theology course on eschatology.

What does he do? He gives them hope. He gives

them comfort. Paul writes to help Christians

grieve. This text helps us know how to grieve.

We grieve with hope. Notice the text does not

condemn grieving. There are some of us who think

it's a virtue to never shed a tear. We're stoic

like that, right? But if you'll remember, what

did Jesus do when his friend Lazarus died? Jesus

wept. He wept even though he knew that he was

going to raise Lazarus. And so what this text

helps us to do is to grieve with hope. There's

no greater pain than losing a loved one. But

from this text we realize those loved ones who

die in the Lord, they don't miss out on anything.

This should help us to grieve the next time something

sorrowful comes our way. This should help us

when we have a neighbor, a friend, a family member

who is grieving to give them this passage and

to help them grieve. Also, let's recognize who

this is talking about. This is talking about

those who die in the Lord. Psalm 116, 15. Precious

in the sight of the Lord is the death of his

saints. Friends, we need to share this text with

others. We need to help others grieve. Why? Because

verse 17 is so very important. So that they will

always be with the Lord. Being with the Lord

is the purpose of resurrection. Being with the

Lord is the best part of this passage. And friends,

eschatology without hope completely misses the

boat. Friends, I want you to know today that

nothing can separate you from the love of God

and Christ Jesus. Perhaps you know this passage.

from Romans chapter 8, 38 and 39. For I am sure

Romans 8 · chapter mention

that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor

rulers, nor things present, nor things to come,

nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything

else in all creation will be able to separate

us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Friends, that's pretty all -encompassing, isn't

it? Nothing can snatch you from the hand of Christ.

When He comes, He will not leave you. I hope

this is coming through loud and clear, that Christ

is coming, and He doesn't lose any of His children.

But also look at verse 18 as we close. This is

also what we can do with this text. Therefore,

encourage one another with these words. Paul

writes to a church. Paul writes to a family of

believers who are misinformed and grieving as

a church, as Fairview Presbyterian Church. Let's

not let others grieve in this way. Have this

scripture in your back pocket. Commit this scripture

to memory. Hide it in your heart and hide other

passages that speak to the glorious resurrection

and the coming of Christ. that speak to our heavenly

home, because our Savior, He laid His life down

and He was raised so that you too will be raised.

And so be comforted, Church. Christ is coming

for you. And whether He comes in your lifetime,

whether you're already with Him in spirit, you

will always be with Him, because Christ loses

none. Let's pray.