ARGUMENT 3
THE RAPTURE
Paul gave us the largest paragraph in the first epistle on the rapture of the saints. Here we have it again in glowing colors, describing the unearthly
splendors of that glorious revelation of the triumphant God-man in scenes of grandeur, sublimity, and glory, beggaring all description.
6. An awful retribution awaits the persecutors of God’s saints.
7. “ To you who are troubled rest with us. ” How glorious to have rest with apostles and saints in that awful day! Shall we have it? It is the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ from heaven, with the angels of his power.
8. “ In fire of flame. ” Fire throughout the Bible means destruction. It is the regular symbol of sanctification, because sin is destroyed in that work. Here, as in Daniel 7, it symbolizes the destruction of the wicked when our Lord comes in his glory to execute retribution on the incorrigible, to gather his saints, take up his Bride, and receive his crown at the hands of the Father, King of kings and Lord of lords. The finally incorrigible are to be destroyed, as symbolized by the fire here, and Daniel 7, Acts 3:23, Revelation 11:18.
9. “ Eternal destruction. ” Aionion is the strong word in the Greek language for endless punishment. It is used by the Holy Ghost to reveal the eternity of the heavenly life (Matthew 24:46), human redemption (Hebrews 9:12), and God (5:14).
10. “ When he comes to be glorified among his saints, and to be wondered at in that day among all the believers, because our testimony was believed by you. ” O what a time of wonder and admiration! Immortal tongue fails to describe the ineffable glories of our King, who will be the center of adoring wonder by all his saints. Meanwhile we will be lost in utter bewilderment in contemplating God’s mercy to us, and how it happened, in the wonderful providence of God, that we ever believed his Word and got saved. Shall you and I participate in the enraptured wonders and glories of God’s saints in that day?
11. Well do we join Paul in his prayers in your behalf, that God may count us worthy of our high calling in Christ.
1. “ We pray you, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering unto him. ” When our Lord comes, all the members of his Bridehood will be gathered to him, and taken up to the marriage supper in heaven.

ARGUMENT 4
THE FALSE REPORT
2. “ That you be not shaken from your mind, nor jostled, neither by a spirit nor by word nor by letter as by us, as that the day of the Lord has come. ” Paul’s first letter had wonderfully stirred on sanctification and the coming of the Lord. Their enemies had availed themselves of the opportunity to circulate the report that the Lord had already come and taken up his Bride, and they, of course, in that case had been left. This report filled them with grief and mortification, as in that case they had been left, thus forfeiting their place in the Bridehood. Their enemies had even confirmed this false report, by circulating a counterfeit letter with Paul’s signature, certifying that “ the day of the Lord has come. ” E.V. has the present tense here; i. e., “ the day of the Lord is at hand. ” You know Paul frequently states “ the hour is nigh. ” The uniform testimony of the inspired writers is that the “ day of the Lord is at hand. ” But the Greek here is in the past tense. E.V. has it wrong. R.V. corrects it in a measure. Paul assures them of their happy mistake, as the Lord has not yet come, and your chances are all right. Now he proceeds in the light of prophecy to specify certain events, which will precede the advent.

15. “ Then, therefore, brethren, stand and hold the commandments which you have been taught, whether by our word or epistle. ” “Traditions,” in E.V., is by no means a good translation, as that word in modern use conveys the idea. of something vague and shadowy transmitted to us. There is no such an idea in the original. He simply exhorts them to be steadfast, and hold pertinaciously all of his teaching, whether oral, in their presence, or epistolary in their absence.

17. “ Comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good work and word. ” This is Paul’s fervent prayer to the Father and the Son in behalf of the Thessalonians. The Holy Ghost is the Comforter, and the only One in the universe. Human comfort being a mere sham, not only do we need the indwelling Holy Spirit as a Comforter, but his establishing grace is our only fortification against backsliding out of the sanctified experience. John Wesley said, the people in his day generally had to get sanctified two or three times before they became established in it, so as to abide. John Fletcher received the experience five times, before he became so established as to retain it in triumph to the end of his life. This establishing grace is much neglected, and consequently great and distressing defection in many localities. There is no reason why any one should ever lose the experience of holiness, as you have nothing to do but be true to God, obedient to his will, and feed on his Word, to “ grow up like calves of the stall, ” making great and rapid proficiency in all the beautiful and amiable graces of spiritual establishment.
2. “ That we may be delivered from ungodly and wicked men. ” The Greek, which I translate “ungodly,” is atopon, from alpha, not, and topos, place. Hence, it literally means out of place. But man’s place is with God. He is out of place and ruined when he is away from God. How pertinent Paul’s solicitation for prayer that the Word may run and be glorified!