Broadcasting the Gospel everywhere became
the mission of the Thessalonian Christians
because they believed that Christ was coming
again.

This doctrine produced such motivation as the
world has ever seen. No one should miss the
opportunity of hearing that Jesus is coming
back and that, we should trust Him.

The believers at Thessalonica became
broadcasters of the Word of the Lord.
Being totally confident in the return of
Jesus Christ, they saw themselves as
having a great message.

The result was a mighty program of
evangelism to that, '. . . .in every place
your faith toward God is spread abroad,
so that we need not to speak anything"
1 Thessalonians 1:8.

Those who anticipates Christ's return doesn't
want to go anywhere, do anything, or commit
to any principle that they will not be proud of
when He comes.

So it is a doctrine of 'purifying hope' "And
every man that hath this hope purifieth him-
self even as he is pure" 1 John 3:3

The Rapture will not only deliver a gener-
ation of living Christians who are caught
up to be with Him.

It also upholds the reason for which every
Christian has lived a godly life in all of the
church age.

His return will be a testimony to this and
all previous generations that the life that
was committed to Christ was not that of
a fool. The wisdom of loyalty will be
settled forever when Jesus comes again!

Those in the church at Thessalonica became
followers of Christ. For them the deep mystery
of life was no problem.

They believed He would come again and every
step they took to pursue His perfect will would
soon be valid.

The Rapture of the Church will bring a quick
end to the foolish, mindless human attitude
of this world.

People will not care or be interested in their
grand businesses, sports or intertainment.
Our generation has lived by foolish and vain
deceit rather than the word of God.

They [the Thessalonian Church] received
the Word in much affliction, with joy in the
Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 1:6

Their constant awareness of the reality of
Heaven made them have little confidence
in the word of man. But they did have a
great confidence in the Word of God.

The Church at Thessalonica became one of
the classic churches of the New Testament
because of their anticipation of Christ's
return.

Paul said that they did several things which
made them one of the great churches of early
christianity.

Our attitudes as believers, are not to be fearful
but to be filled with excitement of Jesus' com-
ing.

"And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom
he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which
delivered us from the wrath to come."
1 Thessalonians 1:10

Paul compliments those of Thessalonica and
says that they were waiting for the return of
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to come from
Heaven, by being watchful .

Christ is coming again for the believers.

This is the "special coming" the Rapture
of the Church. This is not His final coming,
when He comes in power and great glory,
but rather of His special relationship with
those who believe in Him.

For them, He will make a special journey!

God is preparing a special place for His child-
ren.

He is making arrangements for our home
in heaven. We can be sure that they are
being prepared with love; they will be splen-
did beyond our imaginations.

There will be plenty of room in Heaven!

Jesus Christ promises us that His Father's
house has many mansions. We can be
confident of a grand home which is far
better and more beautiful than the best
there is here on earth.

The Lord Jesus makes a promise to the
disciples that He will come again and receive
them to Himself.

We are not to be troubled, but confident in
faith. We that know that our eternity is
secure and who walks by faith, will be seen
as not having a troubled heart.

Fear of the future is gone when we trust in
God and truly believe in Christ.

Jesus Himself tells us how we should con-
template His return, as he spoke to His
disciples.

"Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in
in God, believe also in me. In my Father's
house are many mansions; if it were not so,
I would have told you. I go to prepare a place
for you. And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again, and receive you unto
myself, that where I am, there ye may be
also," John 14:1-3

Other believers have reacted differently, by
becoming fearful at the idea of Christ ret-
urning.

Being greatly settled into the things of the
world, they resent even the suggestion that
all of that will be suddenly gone some day.

It is not good to get so attached to things in
any manner that would make the instant
disappearance a resentment.

What should be our attitudes as believers
about the future? Especially the Rapture!

We can't do as some where great groups
of people went out into a field or up into
the mountains, putting on white gowns
and looking up waiting for Jesus to come.
They really believed that Jesus was coming.

But their lack of knowledge of the Bible
led them to set a specific date and time of
His return. All it caused was disappointment.

The Bible tells us specifically not to do that,
That no one knows but the Father. Not even
Jesus!

We are to have a sense of certainty about the
events of past prophecies and it comes from
faith that God will bring it all to pass.

Of the timing, we are not to set the day or
the hour of His return. Still with all the
things we see going on around us in our
world today, surely it should cause us to
look up for our redemption is drawing nigh.

Christ is coming again! We must be ready!

The events in the prophetic Word are a part
of this mystery called 'time'.

The end-time events are controlled by the
God who stands above time and is able to
do with it as He wills.

The fulfillment of the Tribulation is in
the midst of events that certainly appear
as the events of our times.

The timing of prophetic events are shown
in Scripture to be unavoidable, but they
are always subject to change in the hand
of God.

It could be that Israel has taken independent
action against Babylon. Even as far as being
nuclear

The last two of these judgments take place
during the days of the Tribulation. This would
mean that the Rapture may happen between
Stages One and Two. If that's the case, the
Rapture could be a part of God's soon to be
plan.

Jeremiah says, "At the noise of the taking
of Babylon the earth is moved, and the cry is
heard among the nations" Jeremiah 50:46

He tells us that a day is coming when all the
nations will gather to war against Isreal.

Stage Three, the destruction of Babylon by
Israel, could be the act that draws interna-
tional concern.

And even military action against what they
will see as aggression by Israel.

Stage Two, the coming of the Soviet Union
against Babylon, can also be seen described
in Ezekiel 38.

This battle takes place after the beginning
of the Tribulation.

The nation of Israel
". . . .Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the
LORD of hosts is his name.
Thou art my battle-axe and weapons of
war: for with thee will I break in pieces
the nations, and with thee will I destroy
kingdoms;" Jeremiah 51:19-20

A single nation from the north.
"For out of the north there cometh up a
nation against her, which shall make her
land desolate, and none shall dwell therein:
they shall remove, they shall depart, both
man and beast." Jeremiah 50:3

An international military alliance.
"For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up
against Babylon an assembly of great
nations from the north country: and they
shall set themselves in array against her;
from thence she shall be taken: their
arrows shall be as of a mighty expert
man; none shall return in vain."
Jeremiah 50:9

Jeremiah the prophet tells that there will
be three phases of destruction of Babylon,
three military powers will cause its down-
fall.

An international military alliance.

A single nation from the north.

The nation of Israel.

The Day of the Lord, the time of judgment
upon the world, cannot come until the
Rapture comes first.

Isaiah, being an Old Testament prophet,
didn't foresee the Rapture of the Church,
or even the Church itself. If Isaiah were to
speak in our time, He might say, "the Day
of the Lord is at hand and therefore, the
Rapture comes soon. A time of judgment
is coming upon the earth but the Church
will be delivered from it!"