## Countdown to the Millennium

## I Thess. 4:13-18

If there is one thought that seems to dominate the minds of people right now, it is the new millennium. Y2K! What will it mean? What will it bring? Over the next few weeks I want to bring a series of messages entitled ‘Countdown to the New Millennium’. I will be preaching on things to come. We will look at several of the major events in the prophetic program of God for this earth and its people.

Now I want to say up front that I will not be sensationalizing anything. No hidden Bible coded messages, no new revelations from God, and no fictional characters and events like the popular series by LaHaye. I will simply be reminding you of what many of you have heard before, and hopefully it will be a source of encouragement and blessing to you. Perhaps it will spur you on to do some additional study in the Word. If so, that will be fine with me.

Tonight we will consider the very next thing to happen ... the coming of Jesus Christ in the air to rapture the believers out of this world! Rapture!

Now the word ‘rapture’ doesn’t appear in the Scripture, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t happen. I believe that in our text tonight, the apostle Paul describes for us the next event in the prophetic schedule and we call it the rapture.

Let me also say, that I believe the Word of God teaches us that this event will take place BEFORE the tribulation. Not in the middle, and not after. The Bible teaches a pre-tribulation and pre-millennial rapture of ALL believers!

I. There Will Be Great Sounds.

A. The Shout. cf 1 Th. 4:16

This is the Victor's shout. Watch a ballgame and observe what takes place when a team scores. Now consider what happens when they win a game. What about when they win a tournament? When Jesus comes there will be power in His shout of victory.

It will penetrate all the graves, pierce to the depths of the sea, and will be heard by every believer upon the earth! It may be that this great shout consists of only one word: COME!

This has been God's favorite word. To the weary and burdened He has invited to come ... To the hungry and thirsty He has said come ... And in that day He will say to all who have believed upon Him ... come up to be with Me forever!

B. The Voice of the Archangel.

The archangel is the leader of the heavenly hosts. There will be great commotion in heaven when Jesus goes out. He will be going out to get all the redeemed souls who have been saved by His grace.

Angels are not redeemed, but they are certainly part of God's program for the believers. They have ministered to us time and time again.

C. The trump of God.

When the trumpet blows in the army camp, the men rush from their tents and fall into line. When God's trump shall sound every saved person everywhere will fall in line and be taken up to join the great multitude in heaven. The shout will be so loud, the voice will be so clear, and the trump will be so distinct that every child of God will hear and go up to meet Him.

II. The Great Savior's Appearance.

A. The Lord Himself.

No substitutes! "This same Jesus" cf Acts 1:11

I will come again" cf Jn. 14:3

B. Suspended between heaven and earth.

The last time He was suspended between heaven and earth was when He hung upon the old rugged cross. But this time the focus isn't His death, but it is our eternal life with Him forever This time, He will be coming for His own! He will not return directly to earth at this time ... that will come seven years later. We will meet Him in the air.

III. The Great Events on Earth.

A. The dead in Christ shall rise first.

Not every grave will be opened. Those who have died rejecting Him will remain in their graves until the close of the millenium.

Most believers are in man-made graves, but some have gone down in the seas, been burned to death, torn in pieces by explosions, but Jesus knows where everyone of them is and they will be resurrected by His power.

B. Next, the living believers will be caught up.

This is where we get the concept of the rapture. Those who are still alive when Jesus comes in the air will be changed in a moment.

(1 Cor 15:51-52) “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, {52} In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

Every believer will be raptured! If one is saved at 7:00 and Jesus comes back at 7:01 they will be caught up to heaven!

Before they can be baptized, read their Bibles, witness, tithe, etc. After all, it is by grace not by works!

C. We shall all be changed.

Whether dead or alive, we must all receive our new bodies. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God we must be changed. We will have a new body-we shall be like Him!

(1 John 3:2) “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

In a moment, a twinkling of the eye. So shall we ever be with the Lord!

Only those "IN CHRIST" will be part of the rapture. Will your family and friends be there? Who will tell them about this wonderful coming event? Who will help them sort out all the confusing misinformation to find the truth?