The Lord Descends From Heaven Meeting Him in the Air 1 Thes. 4:16-17 #14

We finally arrive at the verse where we're talking about meeting the Lord in the air. And I wanna give you as much as I can on that particular point, but I'm not gonna rush through it because it's so important that you follow along with the process, if you please. Good morning to Leon and to Alvin. Now, what does it mean to meet the Lord in the air? How are we to understand these words? With the background that we've developed on the cosmic temple, that is the temple mountain and God's throne in the mountain, as we've seen in so many Old Testament passages, we've seen in terms of his throne in the tabernacle that sat above the cherubim, both from Exodus 25, 22, as well as Ezekiel chapter one, Psalm 68 and many other passages. With that background, also the feast days being interwoven into that. You know, I haven't said very much about the feast days. I did mention the Feast of Trumpets and that's critical in 1 Thessalonians chapter four as well. Now I can tell you for many, many years, I didn't even know that the feast days existed, but the feast days are so critical in understanding the subject of the end time because they are God's appointed festivals that lay out the entire end time structure, beginning with Passover to the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the first fruits to the Day of Pentecost, which were the spring and summer festivals. And then to the fall festivals, all of which occur in a single month, beginning with the Feast of Trumpets, which was called the unknown day, the hidden day, the very day people talk about when they say no man knows the day and the hour. And many of them, like I did for many, many years, had no clue that that was one of the Hebrew festivals that was in line with things that were appointed days of God that they celebrated on an annual basis and that were typical and foreshadowed the end time and therefore had a very distinct order and time which needs to be understood. And we'll have to cover those again at some time in the future. Don't have time to go into it today, but you have the Feast of Trumpets, and then you have the Feast of the Day of Atonement, also the Feast of Tabernacles. And then at the end of that, as they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles in booths, they had the eighth day festival, which was Shemini Atzaret. That was the beginning of their new festival year. So all of those things was absolutely powerful in terms of understanding this. So when you see the trumpet in 1 Thessalonians 4, that means that we're talking about the Feast of Trumpets. And that's very important. Good morning, Germaine, and to Ferdinand. There may be others of you who have slipped in on me, but good morning to you as well. Now, that being the case, we have to see that that's also incorporated into what was taking place. And by the way, even as we've compared Exodus 19, Exodus 19 took place at the time of Pentecost. So you can see feast day all through these appearances, these theophanies of God. Now, another thing that we want to mention from that was the Lord's descent from heaven. Now, that's where we talked about. We started off in Genesis 11. We looked at Exodus 19, but as you will see today, there were other examples of God's descending from heaven, even in the Old Testament that I didn't cover, some of which I will mention today. And so let's begin. Now, when we start talking about the meeting of the Lord, I'm going to talk about this as airspace, okay? So I'm just gonna call it that for this morning. But First Thessalonians chapter four, and the verse is 17, and we'll be looking at 16 and 17 pretty much in our study this morning, but where the text says, for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with the 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. Now, so, so many people have come to this text and they have assumed without any justification that we're talking about a rapture of saints from the earth that people are literally gonna be taken up in literal clouds above the earth and leave a lot of people left behind. You have a popular series by Tim LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins, et cetera, of the, I think it's the Pre-Tribulation Institute or whatever that was, who wrote these very popular books, had movies on them, sold 60 million plus copies and probably still selling them and had movies out about them. They talked about this left-behind rapture theory that was, you know, from John Darby and Morgan Edwards, et cetera, and many others. And so they've been promoting this, people like Dr. Thomas Ice, et cetera, and they're just zealously promoting this theory of a rapture from the earth, indication whatsoever in terms of the scripture. And it's because, as Jesus said on one occasion, they do err not knowing the scriptures or the power of God, not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God. And so that's why people are failing to understand resurrection terminology in the Bible. That's why they're failing to understand the symbols that are found in the scripture. Ignore the time statements, which are so blatantly in the face of all of these passages. In other words, when the Bible tells you, then we who are alive, as we demonstrated very early on in this study series, that this was referring to people living in the first century who were then alive. And thus the Bible affirmed very clearly, as Jesus did in his personal ministry, that some of them would be alive when these events occurred. Now, ladies and gentlemen, none of them are alive today. Not a single one of them are alive on earth today. So did Jesus lie or did these things happen as he said? Not as we think, for the most part, that is those of us who are ascribing to them some literal yet future to be fulfilled connotation. Or did they happen as the Lord said? Who do you want to be the liar? You or God? The Bible says, let God be true and let every man be a liar. And so we'd have to stick with what the Bible says. Now let's go on. So we're talking about this air space. So one of the first places that we encounter the term air in as far as the Bible is concerned, in the epistles is in Ephesians. Now this is not the first because Thessalonians was written before that. So 1 Thessalonians obviously is the first, but we have another scripture that talks about it in Ephesians chapter two, verses one and two. Yes, David Curtis was one person who taught about these days, Dale. First person I learned them from was Bill Kanningeiser, the late Bill Kanningeiser, when we did a seminar in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1995. That's when also we spoke on the same lecture with David Chilton, who converted to full preterism before he died and was really a shock to the world of scholarship. But nevertheless, we'll move on. At any rate, the scripture says in Ephesians two, verses one and two. And you, dead in the trespasses and the sins, in which once you did walk according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air. Now I'm quoting from Young's literal translation of the Bible, but notice that he renders the passage as according to the ruler of the authority of the air. So the air was a realm in which authority was exercised, in which power was exercised. He says, the ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Now, ladies and gentlemen, this is very important for us to understand. The text says that Satan was the spirit or the ruler of the authority of the air. Notice that we have other texts that speak of Satan as a prince or a ruler. Now you'll see in the King James and then the New King James, it'll call him the prince of the power of the air, but Young's literal translated as the ruler of the authority of the air. So this is a realm or a sphere in which authority is exercised. But when we turn to John chapter 12 and verse 31, Jesus makes the statement at the time of his, when he's about to be crucified and glorified, he says, now is a judgment of this world. Now shall the ruler of this world be cast forth or be cast out according to the King James version. Now, understand that there's a very significant time statement here. The Bible says, now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the ruler of this world be cast forth. Now, you know, for people who don't read the entire context, they would assume that Jesus is just talking about an event that would occur simply at the cross. But ladies and gentlemen, if you read a little further down, but also a little further up in the context, you'll get a much more comprehensive meaning of what Jesus is talking about. For example, in John 12 and 48, speaking of the same judgment, the Bible says he who is rejecting me, saying has one who is judging him. So notice that this was something that was already in process. And all you have to do is read the gospel of John to see that John 318, John 336. But he says, he who is rejecting me and not receiving my words or my saying has one who is judging him. The word that I speak, that will judge him in the last day. Now, some people just go to John 12, 48, they see the concept or the words, the last day, and they just run roughshod over the context and say, well, you see, the Bible says this is the last day. So we must be talking about the last day of time, which the Bible says nothing about, and therefore claim that this is all in our future. But wait a minute, didn't Jesus say, now is the judgment of this world? Now shall the ruler of this world be cast out? Now, something else we need to notice in the context of John if you back up a few verses to John chapter 12 and 25, and I have a video out on this that's more comprehensive on Facebook, excuse me, not Facebook, but on YouTube. So look up the study for the last day, I believe, in John 12, I can't remember what the name of the video is, but it's on this particular point. But if you'll notice in John 12 and verse 25, same context, Jesus talks about the hour that he is about to be glorified, that the Father is about to glorify him, makes, is very important. This is why it's so important to read the Bible carefully, because a lot of times these partial contexts are stated, and if you don't understand the scripture in a comprehensive manner, you will miss the correlations that are to be made from these passages. There's my good friend, Paul, and there's Dilip as well. But notice, in John 12, 25, the Bible says, he who loves me, or excuse me, he who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it. Now, that statement is sitting there, and we don't have much of a context there, but when you look at the parallel passages in the Synoptic Gospels, it's in a very well-defined temporal context. That's the very same text that we have that is connected to Matthew 16, verses 27 and 28. Now, in Matthew 16, starting in verse 24, you will find that very language. Beginning in verse 24, Jesus said, for what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Now, notice, in verse 25, he who loves his life will lose it. So, listen to the language. Well, the Son of Man, excuse me, let's go back. Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Back and point out this particular statement here. That's verse 25. I think I must have mis-typed it there, but he says, for whoever desires, it's verse 25 in Matthew 16 as well. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it. That's how the context begins. But whoever loses his life for my sake shall find it. Now, that is the exact same phrase that you find in John 12, 25. My point is this. That the context in which that is found is an eschatological context. That's why Jesus goes on and says, for what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each according to his works. And literally, the text says, for the Son of Man is in the glory of his Father. So at the time Jesus uttered the words, just like he said in John, now is the judgment of this world, now will the ruler of this world be cast out, he said over here in Matthew, for the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each according to his works. Now watch verse 28. Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not die, who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. Now, I remember when I was at the South Haven Church of Christ a couple of years ago, in 2016, when they were having their eschatology seminar. In other words, they were there trying to refute covenant eschatology, and there was a young man, what was his name? I can't even think of his name now. Man, how did I forget his name? At any rate, but anyway, he got up and he spoke, and he was referring to us, even called my name in the audience, and quoted this passage to all his brethren sitting in the audience, and I don't even know whether they really, but I mean, he did not mince words. He said, look, brethren, you guys gotta stop fighting these guys on this text. This is not a Pentecost passage. This passage refers to 70 AD. He says this belongs to them, and yet, you know, they just go right along, tipping through the tulips and ignoring it, but this is a passage about the return of Christ, and he admitted that it occurred in 70 AD before an entire audience of futurists, for the most part, with the exception of the couple of preterists who were in the audience. Drew Leonard is his name, Drew Leonard. Go back and check out his lecture. It's also published in the book. So my point is, that's the language that Paul is using in 1 Thessalonians 4 when he says in verse 17, then we who are alive and remain, because Jesus told them some of them would yet be alive. So when you go to John 12 and you see that statement, he who tries to save his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake shall save it unto eternal life, that statement is in the context of the imminent return of Christ, which means that the last day of John, very two men like Sam Frost, is the last day of the age of Moses. It is not the last day of time of which the Bible says nothing. Now, ladies and gentlemen, at this point, it doesn't look like, look, I've got seven pages of notes, and I haven't even gotten through the first paragraph yet. So I doubt that we're gonna finish this today, but that's okay. That means we got plenty more coming for you later. All right, and those of you who have a question or you want to call in, the number is 901-260-5926. Again, that number is 901-260-5926. If you have a question pertaining to the lesson, we hope that you'll have it prepared, ready to go, and then we will answer that question to the best of our ability. All right, now let's go on. So we've seen the correlation and the context there that Jesus would come, but another passage that talks about Satan as the prince, and that would be in John chapter 16. Now, this is another context that has time statements in it. It's also a context that is limited to the eschatological work of the Holy Spirit. Now, I know people try to draw the Holy Spirit out from its eschatological work into our time and beyond, but, you know, Dunn and I, Dunn Preston and I, were having a conversation about this last Tuesday night when a gentleman who was a very popular preacher here in the city of Memphis, by the name of, man, I'm forgetting names, I'm so terrible this morning, it's a crying shame, but I'll think of it in a moment. At any rate, we were looking at Billy Lewis. That was Dr. Billy Lewis, okay? And Dr. Billy Lewis used to debate, brethren in the Church of Christ all the time, about when miracles would cease. He took this position that, well, they will cease when the last man upon whom the last apostle laid hands died. Now, look, find that in the scriptures, and you can collect $1,000 from me today if you can find it in the scriptures, but I guarantee you, you will never find it in the Bible. You'll never find it there. And yet, that's what they teach. But you see, they got involved with men like Ben Franklin and men like, you know, in the Guy in Woods debate, they got involved with men like Dr. Billy Lewis, who were Pentecostals, and they knew 1 Corinthians 1, six through eight, and they would hammer these brethren with this text that says that they should come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. And they said, well, you see, the Bible says these gifts are gonna continue until the coming of the Lord. That's why I don't understand why we have people out there calling themselves full preterists and still wanna advocate that these gifts are still operable. That's a contradiction. It's a fallacy. And I love you dearly, but it just doesn't work. Now, in John chapter 16 and the verse of seven, Jesus said, nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send him to you. He will convict the world of sin. That was a part of the work of the Holy Spirit and of righteousness and of judgment. See, the role of the Holy Spirit was to bring about judgment, was to convict the world of judgment. But he says of sin, do not believe in me, of righteousness, because I go to my Father to make the atonement so that men could become righteous. And you see me no more. Of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. All of that was a part of the work of the eschatological spirit out in the last days, but will only continue up till the time of the destruction of the temple. That's Micah seven and verse 15, according to the days of their coming out of Egypt, that's 40 years, and it doesn't extend beyond that as far as the eschatological role of the spirit and those gifts that were poured out in relation to that. Very, very important. Now, here's the point. If you continue to read John, just like we suggest that you do in all of these passages, when he talks about the coming of the Holy Spirit, now let's read a few verses. Verse 13 says, however, when he, the spirit of truth has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak, and he will tell you things to come. He will glorify me, for he will take of what is mine and declare to you all things that the Father has are mine. Therefore, I said that he will take of mine and declare to you. Now, remember, Jesus talked about going away and coming again, but now watch. And see, this context starts as early as John chapter 14, which definitely talks about going to the Father's house and then returning so that where he is, he could receive the saints to himself. But notice in verse 16, a little while. See, this is what they don't read. This is what they won't pay attention to. This is what they don't want to hear. A little while, and you will see me no more. Now, wait a minute. Did it take Jesus 2,000 years to leave them? Ladies and gentlemen, you know the answer to that question. Did it take him 2,000 years to leave so that the Holy Spirit could come? Well, if a little while didn't take any more than about 50 days, and the entire ministry of the Holy Spirit was 40 years, then the little while can't extend beyond 40 years for his return. How difficult is that? A little while, and you will not see me. And again, a little while, and you will see me because I go to the Father. The disciples were a little bit shocked about that, as most people are. And so they said among themselves, what is this that he says to us? A little while, and you will not see me. And again, a little while, and you will see me because I go to my Father. I think some seven or eight times in the context, he mentions the little while. All you have to do is read the New Testament passages like 1 Peter 1, I think, Revelation 6, 9, and other passages, and you will see Hebrews 10, 37, particularly, and you will see the emphasis on the very, very little while for the return of Christ. And yet people wanna put 2,000 years in there. And counting, doesn't matter how many times their prophecies fail, they just get back up like the ever-ready battery and keep on prophesying error. Well, ladies and gentlemen, God says if it doesn't happen the way you claim it happens, that's the sign of a false prophet. You need not follow them, nor be afraid of them. But you see, the work of the Holy Spirit in terms of convicting the world of sin and of judgment and of righteousness was within the realm of the Holy Spirit's ministry. Now look, I'm gonna venture off script for a moment. That's Daniel 9, 24, where Daniel said 70 weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city. To do what? To finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for the people, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to anoint the most holy, and which one did I miss? To seal up the vision and prophecy. Look, I looked up every single commentary that I had on hand and everyone online, and you really don't need a commentary. All you need to do is read the text. Every single one of them placed the sealing up of vision and prophecy, the work of the prophetic office, and the prophecies themselves being fulfilled in the 70 weeks of Daniel, that was prescribed as the time for the holy city and your people. So these guys would have to advocate. Now we know the dispensationalists do it, but all these other guys like the Amillennialists, et cetera, and some of these, they would have to advocate. Israel are still a people of God. That's the problems that they get into. Jesus put the work, Daniel placed the fulfillment of the work of the Holy Spirit, the sealing up of vision and prophecy, within the 70 weeks, and that harmonizes with what we're reading here in the New Testament. All right, let's move on. All of this is setting the stage for what's taking place in the air, ladies and gentlemen, because there's a framework for this airspace that we're talking about in 1 Thessalonians chapter four. In 2 Corinthians chapter four and verse four, the scripture says, whose minds the God of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the image of God should shine unto them. Now, let's go back to Ephesians two. I want you to notice something in that passage. Let's look at it a little bit more carefully. I want you to note something in Ephesians two, in this airspace that Satan was the ruler and the authority of. Notice the text says, in which you once walked, according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, according to the authority of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. Now, do you see what has happened here? Do you recognize that the authority of Satan has been bound so that it is only affecting the sons of disobedience? It's not affecting the believers. That means his authority has been limited. Wait a minute. That means something has happened in this airspace that we're talking about. If he was the ruler of the authority of the air, and now he's got, there are people who are no longer under that authority, some change has happened in the air. You got to see that. And it was going on in real time when people's feet were still flat on the ground. I guarantee you, over which he was ruling the sons of disobedience did not require them to be raptured up off the earth. And with these saints who were no longer under his authority who had yet invaded his airspace, if you please, or invaded the airspace, it was his temporarily, none of them had to leave the ground. This is important, ladies and gentlemen, for all you rapture folk out there, this is very, very important. In other words, what you have to see is that being caught up in the air was an already but not yet process. They were already in the airspace, the saints were, already affecting Satan's ability to rule over them. His authority was being put in check. Look at what Paul said in verse three. He says, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. He's saying we were just like the sons of disobedience in time past, but what has changed? They're no longer being ruled in that airspace. They have taken some authority in the airspace. Now, when we read on down, you will see that this is precisely the case. You see, Satan had no authority over the faithful saints in Ephesus, unlike how he had ruled over them in time past. And the reason for that was because of their redemption in Christ, which was also not the Bible says. Rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses and sins or in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace, you have been saved. Now watch this, ladies and gentlemen, don't miss it. And raised us up together. There's your raising up. And raised us up together and made us sit together. Where? In the heavenlies. In the heavenly places in Christ. So now they have already begun to be raised. So if you wanna talk about the rapture, then talk about it from this perspective, already being raised back in the first century to the heavenly places. Now, if you follow all of the symbolism and the Old Testament background that I've given you, you'll know that they are ascending into of God, into the air, which Satan is no longer able to control. There's a shaking up going on in his kingdom. Now, here's what Jesus saw in Luke 10 and verse 18. This was prophetic. It's not referring to something that happened in the past. Jesus said in Luke 10, 18, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Now, I've pointed out to you before that when God appeared on Mount Sinai in Exodus 20 and verse 22, that he spoke to them from the top of the mountain, he had come down to the earth. And yet it said he spoke from heaven. Why? Because that was the moment God, where his presence was. Satan occupied a realm of authority, the airspace. But I want you to understand that he's gonna be thrown out of that airspace. I'm calling it airspace for those of you. This is just what the Bible says, the air in both Ephesians and in first Thessalonians four. I'm just trying to give you a visual, all right. And there's a reason I'm calling it airspace, all right. Because you don't want any foreigners invading your airspace. But that's what had happened. And so they're getting him out of the air. Now, just think about this. If Jesus beheld Satan cast out of heaven, and then we see that he is cast out of the air, then that's just telling you that air and heaven are being used interchangeably in the scripture. When the Ephesians are being raised up to sit in Ephesians one, three, and Ephesians two in verse six, that just means they're being raised up into the air, into a realm of authority and power. And if you don't believe the saints have power, and let me say this, ladies and gentlemen, we gotta get away from this, oh, the devil made me do it, and I'm under so much trouble. No, as a saint, you are a king and a priest, and the Bible says you have the power to rule the nations. That's what being in the kingdom is all about. That's right, Terry, Satan was held up under the old covenant. That was the realm in which he was working. That's why when you read Ephesians, it says that in the ages to come, he might show. Because they were in what the Bible calls this age, and that's where Satan was operating. Because sin was operating in that age. The blood of bulls and goats couldn't take it. So they didn't have the authority within that realm, which was abdicated by Adam in the garden, who, by the way, was a priest in a temple garden as well, or in a temple setting as well. So what we're talking about is this removing from this airspace. And look, this is not a foreign concept, because you can go to the Old Testament and you can read about Lucifer falling from heaven. Lucifer is the king of Babylon. His place of authority he would lose when the Medes and Persians came and destroyed them. He was cast out of heaven, his realm of authority where he ruled. Then you have the city of Capernaum in Matthew chapter 11 and verse 23. And you are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. Do you see the concept? But when we go with these very literalistic concepts and we don't let the Scripture interpret the Scripture, then we end up with all these fanciful interpretations that make no sense. I know many of you have come in since I acknowledged you. I can't stop now. I have to try to get as much work in as I possibly can. And wow, well, we got a lot to say. We have a lot to say. There's a lot more that I've got to share with you. And we're in the last five minutes of this broadcast, which means that I only have about two and a half. But nevertheless, these saints at Ephesus had already begun to occupy this airspace. Now, look at Ephesians six. Now watch this very carefully. Ephesians chapter six. See, I told you some airspace was being invaded. In Ephesians six, the Bible says in verse 12, for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers or authorities, against the rulers of the darkness of this age. That was the age of Moses. That was the age of the first century. Watch, against spiritual hosts of wickedness or spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places. So you had spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places. Some say that the broadcast is skipping. I don't know why we're getting this skip. I hope everything turns out okay. Maybe the technicians will work on that in time to come so that we have a smooth. At any rate, ladies and gentlemen, the Bible says, now I wanna back up and read verse 11. See, look at what's going into that text. Paul tells them, put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Even my wife said the skipping. All right, so they were to be armed so they could stand against the wiles of the devil, but where were they fighting? In heavenly places. But where were they? That's why when you go to Revelation chapter 12, we already shared that with you, I believe on last week, where we talked about the church being caught up to God. She bore this male child who was to rule all the nations with a rod of iron and her child was caught up to God in his throne. That's the same word rapture. But notice what happens in this context. Now the woman is still on earth because it says the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place prepared by God that she should be fed there, 1,260 days. Now that's not a long time, ladies and gentlemen. Look at my video on Revelation on YouTube where I go through the 1,260 days and explain what that means in the book of Revelation so you have an understanding of it. But notice in verse seven, he says, and war broke out where? In heaven. Now this was a future. This is not something in the past. These were things that were shortly to take place. War broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. I submit to you, that's what Jesus saw. That's what the saints were fighting for. They were fighting for that airspace in order to remove Satan from heaven. And my producer says I have one minute. Well, ladies and gentlemen, that's all the time that I have for today. It's been a pleasure to be with you. I thank you for tuning in. Be back on next week because I've got a lot more to say about this topic on this airspace. The first Thessalonians chapter four, verses 13 through 18. Visit us at the Rains Road Church of Christ, 33 East Rains Road. We'll see you next week. May God bless you all.