The End Times in Chronological Order: A Complete Overview to Understanding Bible Prophecy

by Ron Rhodes

1 THESSALONIANS 4:16-18 the dead in Christ we who are alive Encourage one another with these words. 1 THESSALONIANS 5:10-11 asleep awake Encourage one another and build one another up. We can thus infer that both passages refer to the rapture. There are also parallels between 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and Jesus’s description of the rapture in John 14:2-3. For example: • John 14:3 depicts Jesus descending from heaven to earth. Likewise, 1 Thessalonians 4:16 says Christ “will descend from heaven.” • In John 14:3 Jesus says to believers, “I will come again and will take you to myself.” First Thessalonians 4:17 reveals the believers will be “caught up” to Christ. • In John 14:3, Jesus promises, “I will…take you to myself, that where I am, you may be also.” First Thessalonians 4:17 affirms that believers “will always be with the Lord.” • Jesus shares His words in John 14:1 so that His followers’ hearts will not be troubled. Likewise, Paul shares the information in 1 Thessalonians 4:13,18 to minimize grief and bring encouragement. These similarities make clear that both passages are referring to the same event—the rapture of the church. The scriptural evidence reveals that it takes place prior to the tribulation. This is confirmed in the fact that the rapture involves Christ coming for His saints in the air prior to the tribulation, whereas at the second coming He will come with His saints to the earth to reign for a thousand years (Revelation 19; 20:1-6). The fact that Christ com...