Nuggets
- Jesus is going to give a cry of command.
- The archangel will take up the cry.
- The blast of the trumpet is significant.
We’ve been looking at Gritton’s sermon Christ’s Coming. The last verses we looked at were I Thessalonians 4: 14-15.
I want to step out of Gritton’s sermon and look at the rest of the verses in I Thessalonians 4.
First Thessalonians 4: 16-17 tell us that there is going to be a lot of noise associated with Jesus’ Second Coming.
Let's Put It into Context
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Devotions in the The Second Coming of Christ series
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Phil Weber
Cry of Command
“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (I Thess. 4: 16 ESV)
Jesus is going to give a cry of command.
It isn’t going to take much to call the church home to Heaven. All Jesus will have to do is shout.
It is assumed that Jesus will appear at the Second Coming exactly as He disappeared at the ascension. “And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven’” (Ac. 1: 9-11 ESV).
I don’t know. John seemed to have a different take. “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” (I Jn. 3: 2 ESV emphasis added).
If Jesus was like us before, but we are going to be changed to be like Him, then that means He is no longer like us.
There are many reasons that Jesus may choose to give a cry of command to begin His return. He may just be yelling, “Go!”
In the last devotion, we talked about the dead coming back with Him. We are going to get into all who will be accompanying Him.
Let’s see what Jude had to say. “It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him’” (Jude 1: 14-15 ESV).
That means Jesus will be leading the return with a huge army at his back. He has to say when to cross the start line.
Hutchison thought the shout would be more specific. He wrote, “The shout will possibly be, ‘Behold the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him.’”
Resource
The last thing Jesus did on the cross was utter a great cry. “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit” (Mt 27: 50 ESV). The first thing He will do on return is give a triumphant cry.
Barlow gives the reason for the cry. He wrote, “It will break the silence of the ages, startle the universe into attention, raise the dead, and summon all people to the presence of the victorious Messiah.”
Resource
Jesus Himself said that the dead would rise. “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment” (Jn. 5: 28-29 ESV).
The only thing here is that it sounds more like the Day of the Lord instead of The Second Coming. Does that mean the Church won’t be raptured first?
Voice of an Archangel
“… with the voice of an archangel …” (I Thess. 4: 16 ESV)
The archangel will take up the cry.
Archangel means chief or first angel. They handle interactions between God and mankind.
While the name of the archangel isn’t identified here, Michael and Gabriel are archangels listed in God’s Word. The Apocrypha added Raphael and Uriel.
Hutchison said that the archangels had a more important mission when Jesus was here the first time. He wrote, “They served Him when on earth; they ascend and descend upon Him in the advancement of His cause; they will be His ministers of judgment hereafter.”
Resource
The archangel could be relaying Jesus’ command to the holy ones with Him. Then again, he could be acting as a herald to announce His arrival to the earth.
The Sound of the Trump
“… with the sound of the trumpet of God …” (I Thess. 4: 16 ESV)
The blast of the trumpet is significant.
The trumpet was used to inform the group of Israelites what was happening. They were assembled by its blast, especially for readings of the law. It could mean the start of a journey to direct their march. It could also call them to a feast. Also, it sounded over burnt offerings.
I’d say it will be calling us to all of these at the Second Coming. It can possibly be connected to Revelation 11: 15. “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever’” (Rev. 11: 15 ESV).
Its role in the Second Coming was referenced a couple of times.
- “And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Mt. 24: 31 ESV).
- “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall 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 shall be changed” (I Cor. 15: 51-52 ESV).
- “And in that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain at Jerusalem” (Isa. 27: 13 ESV).
As a Thief in the Night
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (II Pet 3: 10 ESV)
God’s Word also says that Jesus will come as a thief in the night.
Peter said that Jesus would come as a thief in the night. Yet, Paul said that it would with a command, a voice, and a trumpet.
Which is right?
Here are some other verses that talks about thief in the night.
- “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Mt. 24: 42-44 ESV).
- “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (I Thess. 5: 2 ESV).
- “(‘Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!’)” (Rev. 16: 15 ESV).
If the Second Coming starts with a shout, it is a shout of joy. That would be because Jesus is coming for God’s children.
It seems like the thief in the night is on the Day of the Lord. That means non-believers won’t get a warning.
Making the Connections
This is going to be a sudden occurrence. “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Mt. 24: 38-39 ESV).
Temple said that this was going to be a universal call. He wrote,
“It shall re-echo in heaven, reach every corner of earth, and penetrate the dark abyss of hell. Every soul shall hear it that ever lived in the world from the days of Adam to the period when the last infant shall be born, the king and the peasant, the righteous and wicked, etc. You who dislike the sound of the gospel; you who neglect the great salvation; you, formal professor, and self-righteous pharisee; you, hypocrite with the mask of religion — all must hear it.”
Resource
This signals the end of time. Jesus won’t come hidden in a manger. He is going to be throughout the eastern sky.
How Do We Apply This?
- Be prepared for the Second Coming of the Lord.
Father God. One day, we will be called to Heaven with a great shout. We can’t wait for that day. Amen.
What do you think?
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