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|   \\ Disclaimer \\ *No claims of absolute originality are made for this material.

As one man said, "I milk a lot of cows, but I churn my own butter."

Please use these sermons as the Lord leads, but nothing on this site may be used for profit without my expressed, written permission!*   |  *A Biblical View Of The End Times**Sermon #1**1 Cor.

15:51-57; 1 Thes.

4:13-17**WHEN TRUMPETS FADE**Intro*: These verses that we have read this morning give us a little insight into a future event known as *"The Rapture"*.

While this word itself does not appear in the Bible, the event is real nonetheless.

We get the word "*Rapture*" from the Latin translation of the Greek word arpazw (harpazo).

It means just what the King James Bible says it does, "*caught up*".

The Rapture is that future event when the Lord Jesus Himself will return in the clouds above this earth and will catch away all the saved people of the world.

It is a time that is known in the Bible as "*The Blessed Hope Of The Believer*", *Titus 2:13.*

This future event will be the focus of our preaching this morning.While the return of our Lord is spoken of many times in the New Testament, there are only three passages which deal with the Rapture in any detail.

I have read two of them this morning.

The other is found in *Revelation 4:1-2a, "After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

And immediately I was in the spirit:**..."* I want to draw your attention to one common theme that punctuates each of these references.

That common theme is the mention of the "trumpet".

We are told in clear language that the Rapture will be a time that will be heralded with the sound of trumpets.When the writers of the New Testament used the imagery of trumpets, the people to whom they were writing were well acquainted with what they were saying.

However, we modern readers need to be educated about the significance of the trumpet.In the Bible, trumpets were used for four specific purposes.1.

*To Proclaim Victory*2.

*To Call An Assembly*3.

*To Announce A Warning*4.

*To Call The Troops To Battle*It is clear to see how the trumpets fit with the idea of the Rapture.

All four of these events will take place when the Rapture comes about.

1. *Victory over the world will be announced by the church*.2.

*The saints will be called to assemble themselves in the presence of the Lord*.3.

*The trumpets will announce a warning of judgment to the world*.4.

*The angelic troops will be summoned to battle*.Also, in the society of that day, trumpets were heard on a daily basis.

The Roman army, which occupied most of the civilized world at that time used trumpets to carry out the movement of their troops.

Typically, when a Roman legion moved, there would be three blasts from the trumpets.

The first would tell the troop to strike their tents and to prepare to move.

The second would alert them to fall in and line up.

The last trumpet would be the signal to move out.

Notice what Paul says in 1 Cor.

15:52.

He tells us that we are leaving at the "last trump".

When the trumpet sounds, it will be the signal to move up to glory!Folks, when the trumpet sounds, all those who are saved by grace will be leaving this world.

It is that event that I want to preach about today.

I want you to know that before the sound of that trumpet blast fades from our ears, several great and precious events will take place.

Allow me to share them with you this morning as we think on the thought, "*When Trumpets Fade*."

\\ I. *OUR LORD WILL HAVE RETURNED* 1 Thes.

4:17 {{{"

A. *In Fulfillment Of His Promise* - Before the Lord Jesus went to the cross, He promised His disciples that He would return for them one day, *John 14:1-3*.

He later reaffirmed this promise to the Apostle John, *Rev.

22:20*.

Just as sure as there is a blue sky above us He will return as He promised He would!

Even as He was ascending back into Heaven, angelic messengers were dispatched to tell the Apostles of the Lord's impending return, *Acts 1:9-11*, "*And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?

this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.*"B.

*In Fulfillment Of His Purpose* - While the Lord was making His promise to return some day, He also stated His purpose, *John 14:3.*

The Lord desires to receive His bride unto Himself, *Eph.

5:25-27*.

After all, He paid the ultimate price to redeem her from her sins and to cleanse her from her filthiness!

He died on the cross to purchase His Bride and He wants her to be with Him in His heavenly home.}}}

II.

*ALL DEPARTED SAINTS WILL HAVE* *BEEN RESURRECTED* 1 Thes.

4:13-16; 1 Cor.

15:52b{{{"

A. *Their Present Condition* - 1 Thes, 4:13 tells us that those saints who have departed are "*asleep*".

This does not refer to "*soul sleep*".

It refers to the fact that their bodies are asleep.

When a saint of God leaves this world, they are immediately ushered into the presence of the Lord.

This was the conviction Paul Held, *2 Cor.

5:8*, "*We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.*";

*Phil.

1:23*, "*For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:*" Presently, all those who left this world in a saved condition are in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.(Ill.

The question may arise as to what manner of body they possess.

Certainly they do not have their glorified bodies yet.

However, it would seem that they possess some sort of a spiritual body.

When Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration, they possessed bodies that could be seen and recognized, *Matt.

17:3*.

Whatever form they are in this morning, they are certainly in a place free from the cares, pains and burdens of this world.

The Bible is clear when it teaches us that "*nothing that defileth shall enter*" Heaven, *Rev.

21:27*.)B.

*Their Promised Completion* - *1 Cor.

15:52b* tells us that the departed saints will be raised "*incorruptible*".

That is, they will be changed!

When they left their body, it was destined for the ground from which it came.

However, when the Lord Jesus returns, He will bring their spirits back with Him, He will raise their bodies and glorify them.

He will then place the spirits back into those newly glorified bodies!(Ill.

There will be more said about that future body in just a moment!)(Ill.

How will all this happen?

Certainly, to our mortal minds it is a great mystery.

However, if you take the time to look back at the times our Lord shouted while He was on this earth, you will discover that each time He did so, dead folks got out of their graves.1.

*He shouted in Bethany and Lazarus lived!* - John 11:43-442.

*He shouted at Calvary and some lived!* - Matt.

27:50-523.

*He will shout from the clouds and all the departed saints will live* - 1 Thes.

4:16.There is power is the Word of our Lord!)}}}

III.

*ALL LIVING SAINTS WILL HAVE BEEN RAPTURED* - 1 Thes.

4:17; 1 Cor.

15:51-52a{{{"

A. *The Church Will Leave Instantaneously* - Notice the use of words that imply speed and swiftness, *1 Cor.

15:52*, "*moment*" - This word speaks of an "*indivisible point in time.

A span of time so short that there is none shorter.*";

"*twinkling of an eye*" - Scientists have determined that the blink of an eye is 1~/30th of a second in duration.

That is fast!

However, a twinkling is event faster than that, somewhere in the neighborhood of 1000th of a second!

Then in *1 Thes.

4:17*, Paul uses the term "*caught up*".

This phrase means "*to snatch away, to seize with force, to claim for oneself.*"

It refers to a sudden event when the saints of God will be "*snatched from this world with force and claimed for the glory of God.*")(Ill.

The whole idea here is one of speed!

There will be no forewarning.

There will be no announcements on TV, on radio, or in the papers.

There will be no announcements from the pulpits.