THE HOPE OF ACTS

THE HOPE OF PAUL'S ACTS EPISTLES

Part 1

When writing about the resurrection found in 1 Thessalonians 4 Paul said in verse 15 " This we say unto you, BY THE WORD OF THE LORD .... Paul was quoting and using the word of the Lord to show them their hope. The hope found in 1 Thess. 4 with it's trumpet, angels, shout and voices was written down in the. Word of the Lord .

Also, in 1 Corinthians 15 when writing about the same hope of resurrection ( which some call the "rapture" ) he says in verse 54-55 " So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, THEN SHALL BE BROUGHT TO PASS THE SAYING THAT IS WRITTEN, DEATH IS SWALLOWED IN VICT0RY . O' DEATH WHERE IS THY STING ? O' GRAVE, WHERE IS THY VICTORY ?" If Paul means what he says, and says what he means, the hope of 1 Corinthians 15 was prophesied in the word of the Lord.

Paul is quoting from two different books in the word of the Lord , Hosea 13:14 , Isa.25:8 to show the Corinthians their hope.

This agrees with what Paul said in Acts 26:22 where summing up his Acts ministry said " Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should came". Paul's Acts ministry and what he wrote in his Acts epistles can be found in the old testament scriptures and that includes the hope he wrote about in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 .

In this article we will show you that the hope that Paul wrote about in 1Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 is not only found in the old testament scriptures but was taught by Jesus Christ in His earthly ministry in Matthew 24 and other places.

That this runs contrary to what is taught in most Bible Churches today is certain, but there are as many "doctrines and traditions of men " in Bible churches , as there are in denominational churches in this country.

For years it has been the "party line " in most Bible Churches that 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 is the hope of the church today, and that no one knew or wrote about this hope prior to Paul. This doctrine has been preached for so long and so loud that Christendom accepts this with no questions asked .

But yet, we just read that what Paul said to the Thessalonians about their hope, he said to them BY THE WORD OF THE LORD . And we read in 1 Corinthians 15 that when that resurrection takes place old testament scriptures would be brought to pass.

The question that Bible Believers need to answer these days is, who are we going to believe ? Are we going to believe what the preachers say because they have been saying it for so long and loud, or are we going to believe what the bible says, where it says it, as it says it??

We should always endeavor to study to show ourselves approved before God, and let the traditions of men fall where the may, no matter what the cost.

Let it be said at the offset of this article that we do not believe that the hope of the church today is found in I Corinthians 15 or 1 Thessalonians 4 . We believe that God revealed a new and better hope to Paul after the Acts period and that it is found in his prison epistles. Please refer to the articles titles, THE MYSTERY or THE THREE SPHERES OF BLESSING which describe that hope in greater detail.

If you are serious about your bible study, and you want to get to the bottom of this issue and find out for yourself if what we are saying is true, we recommend you get 3 Bibles and lay them out before you . Open one to Matthew 24, another to 1 Corinthians 15, and the other to 1 Thessalonians 4 .

The subject is the same in all 3 books, and it is resurrection . We are going to compare what Jesus says about the resurrection in Matthew 24, which He taught during His earthly ministry, with the resurrection Paul wrote about in 1 Cor. 15 and .1 Thess.4. If Jesus and Paul say the same thing, then they must be talking about the same resurrection . On the other hand, if they say contradictory things about the resurrection; then they are not speaking of the same resurrection .

In Matthew 24 Jesus taught the 12 apostles about a resurrection and He said in verses 29-31...

" Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken : And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn , and they shall see the Son of man coning in the clouds of heaven with power aril great glory. And He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."( Mk.13:27 "from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven ")

Lets compare what Jesus says here with what Paul says.

(1.) THE HOPE OF MATT. 24 IS THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

Verse 30 ,

"they shall see the Son of man COMING "

verse 29,

"For as the lightening cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the COMING of the Son of man be "

THE HOPE OF I COR.. 15 AND I THESS. 4 IS THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

In I Cor. 15:22-23 Paul wrote,

"For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits ; afterward they that are Christ's AT HIS COMING ".

In I Cor. 1:7 he wrote,

" So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST " .

In I Thess. 4:15 he wrote

"For this we say unto you by the word of the lord, that we which are alive and remain unto THE COMING OF THE LORD shall not prevent them which are asleep "

The hope of the Acts Believers was the coming of the Lord. Paul mentions it 10 times in his Acts epistles . Check them out and see for yourself , I Cor. 1:7 , 4:5, 11:26 , 15:23, I Thess.2:19, 3:13, 4:15, 5:23, 11 Thess.1:10, 2:1 .

Now, if the Lord has already come once to die for sinners, then the coming we have been reading about must be his second coming, right ?? Why is it so hard for Bible Believers to admit that ? A Bible believer once told me that his hope was not the second coming of Christ, but it was the "rapture" and he quoted I Thess. 4:15 to me !!! If my eyes are not deceiving me, doesn't Paul say they would be caught up at the COMING of the Lord ?? And doesn't he mention his coming 10 times in his Acts epistles ?? And if Christ has already come one time, wouldn't this be his second coming ??

(2.) IN MATT. 24 WHEN JESUS COMES , HE COMES IN THE CLOUDS

Verse 30 says,

" They shall see the Son of man coming in the CLOUDS OF HEAVEN "

IN 1 THESS. AND I COR. 15 WHEN JESUS COMES HE COMES IN CLOUDS.

Verse 17 says,

"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them IN THE CLOUDS , to meet the Lord in the air".

If you want to know were the clouds are, look up into the air, and you will see them . It's the clouds in the lower atmosphere .

(3.) IN MATT. 24 WHEN JESUS CONIES IN THE CLOUDS HE WILL. COME WITH ANGELS

Verse 31,

"And He shall send forth his ANGELS "

IN 1 THESS. 4 AND 1 COR. 15 WHEN JESUS COMES IN THE CLOUDS HE WILL COME WITH ANGELS

In 1 Thess. 4:16 it says,

" HE will descend from heaven with... the voice of the ARCHANGEL.

Michael is the archangel and the prince of Israel (DAN 12:1-2) and were Michael goes so does HIS ANGELS , read Rev. 12:7.

(4.) IN MATT. 24 WHEN JESUS COMES IN THE CLOUDS WITH ANGELS A TRUMPET IS BLOWN.

Verse 31,

"And he shall send his angels with a great SOUND OF A TRUMPET "

IN 1 THESS. 4 AND I COR. 15 WHEN JESUS COMES IN THE CLOUDS WITH ANGELS A TRUMPET IS BLOWN .

I Cor. 15:52 says,

"FOR THE TRUMPET SHALL SOUND and the dead shall be raised " I Thess.4:16 says " The Lord himself shall descend from heaven ...WITH THE TRUMP OF GOD".

(5.) THE TRUMPET THAT IS BLOWN IN MATT.24 IS THE LAST TRUMPET FOR IT IS BLOWN AFTER THE GREAT TRIBULATION

Verse 29 says

" Immediately after the tribulation of those days ... vs. 31 "he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet".

THE TRUMPET IN 1 THESS. 4 AND I COR.15 IS SPECIFICALLY CALLS THE LAST TRUMPET

In I Cor. 15:52 Paul wrote,

"In a moment , in the twinkling of an eye, AT THE LAST TRUMP: for the Trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised ".

If Paul said they would be raised at the last trumpet that means there are other trumpets blown before it . There is no denying the fact that before the second coming of Christ trumpets are going to be blown . In Rev.8-9-10-11 there will be at least 7 trumpets blown before Jesus comes . In I Cor. 15 Paul said the dead would be raised at the LAST TRUMPET . If there are 7 Trumpets blown before He comes which Trumpet is Paul referring to ? That's easy, it's number 7 in Rev.11:15 , and it so happens that when the seventh trumpet is blown in Rev. 11 a resurrection of the Saints takes place, they are judged and rewards are given out to them, read Rev.11:15-18. Also read 2 Cor. 5:8-11.

Every trumpet that is going to be blown before Jesus comes is found in the book of Revelation, so don't waste your time running all over the Bible, trying to find another trumpet to get around the last trumpet in I Corinthians 15. If a trumpet is going to be blown , if a seal is going to be opened , if a vial is going to be poured out in the tribulation, YOU WILL FIND IT IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION OR DANIEL. If it's not in those books don't waste your time running through the Bible to come up with another trumpet, vial, or, seal . ( It's amazing what people and preachers will do, to get around that last trumpet !! Just believe the book and relax; for if you are saved you won't be here when the last trumpet blows anyway, for I Cor.15 and I Thess.4 is not your hope. God gave us a new and better hope and it's found in the Prison Epistles of Paul and IT TAKES PLACE BEFORE THE FIRST TRUMPET EVEN BLOWS. We will lay out the details of this hope later, but in the Acts period, a pre-tribulation hope was unheard of.

WHEN THE RESURRECTION OF MATT. 24 TAKES PLACE, NOT ONLY WILL THE LORD DESCEND FROM HEAVEN IN THE CLOUDS WITH ANGELS AND A TRUMPET, BUT A VOICE WILL BE HEARD ALSO.

The voice is not mentioned in Matt. 24 but it is in JOHN 5:25, 28. It says

" The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live"

IN 1 THESS. 4 AND I COR.. 15 WHEN THE LORD DESCENDS FROM HEAVEN INTO THE CLOUDS WITH ANGELS AND THE SOUND OF A TRUMPET, A VOICE WILL BE HEARD

Ire I Thess.4:16 Paul said " the Lord shall descend fray heaven WITH A SHOUT.

The shout is for the dead ; the trumpet for those alive.

(7.) IN MAT.24 WHEN JESUS COMES WITH HIS ANGELS, AND A SHOUT AND A
THE SOUND OF A TRUMPET, HIS ELECT WILL BE GATHERED TOGETHER

Verse 31 says " They shall GATHER TOGETHER HIS ELECT from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other ( Also read Mk.13:27)

IN I COR.. 15 AND 1 THESS. 4 WHEN JESUS COMES WITH A SOUND OF, A TRUMPET, AND ANGELS, HIS ELECT WILL BE GATHERED TOGETHER

In II Thess. 2:1 Paul wrote "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by OUR GATHERING TOGETHER UNTO HIM..

And those that he gathers together here , are his elect also according to I Thess.l:4, and II Thess.2:13.

(8.) IN MATT. 24 WHEN JESUS COMES IN THE CLOUDS , IT WILL BE SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED

In verse 42 Jesus said " Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this , that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh ."

In these verses Jesus compares his coming .with a thief breaking into a house . A thief comes suddenly and unexpected . He comes in and then gets out as fast as he can WITH THE VALUABLES AND JEWELS HE CAME AFTER .

In these verses , Jesus Christ is as a thief breaking into a house . The house is this world that the devil is the god of (Matt.12:29). As a thief breaks into a house , to take something of value out; His coming is to take his elect out of this world , so that he can destroy it along with the devil (II Pet.3:10).

THE RESURRECTION IN I THESS. 4 AND I COR. 15 WILL BE SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED ALSO.

In ICor. 15:52 Paul said: "IN A MOMENT , IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE, at the last trump: For the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised..."

When Paul says: "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," he is showing you HOW FAST that resurrection will take place. But when he says "AT the last trump", he is showing you WHEN it will take place. It will be sudden and unexpected, just like the hope of Matt. 24.

(9.) WHEN THE RESURRECTION OF MATT. 24 TAKES PLACE, BELIEVERS WHO ARE ALIVE WILL BE CAUGHT UP WITHOUT DYING.

This fact is brought out by the Lord in John. 11. In John 11, Lazarus who was Martha's brother died and she wants Christ to raise him from the dead. And Jesus said unto her in vs. 23 "Thy brother shall rise again". Martha saith .unto him, "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said unto her: "I am the resurrection; and the life: he that believeth in me; though he were dead, yet shall he live. AND WHOSOEVER LIVETH AND Believeth IN ME SHALL NEVER DIE.. BELIEVEST THOU THIS?"

When Jesus said, he that believeth in me though he were dead, yet shall he live" He is referring to those who are dead when the resurrection of the last day takes place. And when He said "whosoever liveth and believeth in me" He is referring to those who are alive when the resurrection of the last day takes place and he says: "THEY SHALL NEVER DIE". When the resurrection of Matt. 24 takes place, those believers who are dead will be raised and those believers who are alive, will be gathered together without dying.

WHEN THE RESURRECTION OF 1 THESS. 4 AND I COR. 15 TAKES PLACE BELIEVERS WHO ARE ALIVE WILL BE CAUGHT UP WITHOUT DYING.

In I Cor. 15:51 Paul said: "I shew you a Mystery; WE SHALL NOT ALL SLEEP, but we shall be changed _"

The Mystery of I Cor. 15:51 is not the resurrection, but it's the fact that there will be some caught up without dying. But this is a mystery hidden in the Scriptures, for in vs.55 Paul quotes Isa. 25:8 which says "O Death where is thy sting?" In other words, in the Old Testament Scriptures, it was written down that somebody was going to get out of this life without experiencing the sting of death.

This is what Jesus is referring to in John 11 when he said "He that liveth and believeth in me shall never die." That was the only time that Christ mentioned that fact to anyone, and prior to Paul it was the general consensus that by the time that resurrection took place all believers would be dead . But God opened up the scriptures to Paul and he was the first man to fully understand that fact and write about it. But, nevertheless, it was in the Old Testament Scriptures, even though concealed.

(Isn't it wonderful how the Bible opens up when you just believe what the words say and ignore what the preachers say?)

(10.) THE RESURRECTION AND HOPE IN MATT. 24 , WAS OF COURSE PROPHESIED BY THE PROPHETS.

It was prophesied as far back as Genesis chap. 5 for Jude said in vs. 14-15 that "Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints..."

THE HOPE OF I COR. 15:54 AND I THESS. 4 WERE OF COURSE IMPLIED.

In I Cor. 15:54 Paul said when it takes place "THEN SHALL BE BROUGHT TO PASS THE SAYING THAT IS WRITTEN, Death is swallowed up in victory, O Death where is thy sting?" O Grave where is thy victory?"

When the resurrection of I Cor. 15 takes place, Old Testament I

prophecies concerning resurrection will be brought to pass, namely Hosea 13:14 and Isa. 25:8.

(11.) THE HOPE OF MATT. 24 WAS ISRAEL'S HOPE.

The resurrection Jesus describes in Matt.24 is the hope of the New Covenant that God made with Israel.

PART 2