Jensens survey of the old testament adam 521

CHART 90: 1 THESSALONIANS: THE JESUS IS
COMING AGAIN


CHART 91: PREMILLENNIAL SCHEME OF
WORLD EVENTS

The classic New Testament passage on the
rapture of the church is 1 Thessalonians
4:13-18. The word rapture is not found in
the Bible, but it very appropriately
represents the phrase “caught up” of 4:17.
(The Latin translation of the Greek word is
rapiemur, hence our word rapture.)
Read the paragraph, and observe what it
teaches about (1) the comfort of rapture
truth, (2) the basis of rapture truth, and (3)
the events of the rapture.


CHART 92: INTERMEDIATE STATE OF MAN
BETWEEN DEATH AND RESURRECTION

Paul wrote about the rapture mainly to
comfort Thessalonian Christians who had
been recently bereaved by the death of
loved ones. (Read 4:13.) They did not have
doubts that those would some day be
resurrected. But they were grieving because
they thought their loved ones would miss
experiencing the glorious events attending

Christ’s return. Their big questions were,
When will we be resurrected, and How will it
happen? Study Chart 92 concerning the


intermediate state of people between death
and their resurrection, as background for
this rapture passage. Read the various verses
cited on the chart.7
In your survey of 1 Thessalonians you
observed that at or near the end of each
chapter there is a reference to Christ’s
return. Read the passages again, and note
why Paul refers to the event in each passage.
B. PAUL’S MINISTRY (1:1—5:28)
The enemies of Paul had driven him from
the city of Thessalonica with the hope of
aborting his evangelistic mission (see Acts
17:5-15). Apparently, the enemies pursued
with other tactics as well, such as slanderous
rumors about Paul’s personal life, motives,
and methods in his evangelistic campaigns.
This would account for Paul’s devoting so