Scripture Reading:

2. Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:20-24

3. "Then comes the end" But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.

4. Within the premillennialist camp there are several schools of thought as to what point Christ takes the Church into heaven. Pre-Tribulation Rapture - before the start of the Tribulation Mid-Tribulation Rapture - at the mid-point of the Tribulation Post-Tribulation Rapture - at the conclusion of the Tribulation Pre-Wrath Rapture - the church will go through the great tribulation by Antichrist during the end times, but will be raptured immediately before the 'Day of the Lord' wrath, when Christ cuts short the persecution of Antichrist. Partial Rapture - only those who are faithful in the church will be raptured or translated and the rest will either be raptured sometime during the tribulation or at its end.

5. Who What When Where How

6. The Promise of His Coming Who "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven…” 1 Thess. 4:16

7. Who The Lord Jesus Christ

8. When

9. There have been many predictions and theories offered about when the Lord will return • Rapture and millennial reign of Christ • 1033 a thousand years after Christ’s death • 1284 Pope Innocent III • 1794 Charles Wesley (Methodist) • 1850 Ellen G. White (7th Day Adventist) • 1890 Joseph Smith (Mormon) • 1914, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1925, 1941, 1975 & 1994 Jehovah’s Witnesses • 1936, 1975 Herbert W. Armstrong (World Wide Church of God) • 1988 Hal Lindsay (“The Late Great Planet Earth”) • 1988 Edgar C. Whinesant (“88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be In 1988”)

11. 2 Peter 3:1-12 This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation." For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

12. Tit. 2:13; 1 Cor. 1:7; Phil. 3:20-21; Heb. 9:28; 2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 22:20; “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus…” “awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ…” “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…” “…so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” “…in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. “ “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”

13. When Don’t know Eagerly await Be prepared

14. How & Where

15. Acts 1:7-9 “And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.’" “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God……” 1 Thess. 4:16 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 2 Thess. 5:1-2 “…the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire.” 2 Thess. 1:7 “Behold He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him….” Rev. 1:7

16. Deut. 18:18-22 “I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die. You may say in your heart, `How will we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?' When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.”

17. How • come in the same way He went • with a shout and trumpet of God • with mighty angels in flaming fire • like a thief in the night (unexpected) • every eye will see Him Where • coming in the clouds • will meet Him in the air

18. What is going to take place?

19. 1 Thess. 4:14-16 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. “…in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye…” The Resurrection of the Dead 1 Thess. 4:17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 1 Cor. 15:52

20. John 5:28-29 "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.” Millennialists have multiple comings and multiple resurrections

21. we will be given a “glorified body” 1 Corinthians 15:35-53

22. 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. But someone will say, "How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?" You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So also it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living soul." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly. Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

23. heaven & earth burned up

24. 2 Peter 3:3-4, 7-10 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming?”...But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

25. Judgment For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil. 2:9-10

26. 1 Pet. 4:17; 2 Cor. 5:10; Acts 17:30-31; Rev. 20:12-15 • For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if itbegins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? • For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. • Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." • And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

27. Jesus will be our judge

28. Jn. 5:22, 27; Acts 10:42; Rom. 2:16 • "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son…..and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.” • “And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.” • “….God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.”

29. What will be the standard of our judgment?

30. Jn. 12:48 – words of Jesus 2 Cor. 5:10 – according to our deeds Matt. 12:36 – every careless word 2 Thess. 2:10-12 – those who did not love truth, took pleasure in unrighteousness 1 Tim. 5:24 – sins evident now and sins that are secret Rev. 21:27- names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life "He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.” “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.” “…and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.” “The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after.” “…and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.” • and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

31. Some general observations • Col. 3:4 – true followers of Christ will be revealed • Matt. 7:21-23 – claims will be of no effect • 2 Cor. 5:10 – there will no escaping judgment “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?‘ And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me you who practice lawlessness.' “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ…”

32. 1 Cor. 15:24-28 The Kingdom will be delivered to the Father

33. Eph. 5:27 “…that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.” “…then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, ‘All things are put in subjection,’ it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.”

34. Matt. 13:43 & Col. 3:4 “Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father.” When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

35. Lessons Learned • 2 Peter 3:11, 14 be diligent in holy conduct so as to be found blameless • Matt. 6:19-21 – lay up treasures in heaven and not those of this earth that will perish • Matt. 25:31-46 – those treasures are laid up by service to Christ as we serve others “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness…..Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless…” "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The King will answer and say to them, `Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'