I. If Paul is not writing about the rapture of the saints, what is he writing about?

A. Go through the book, explaining the subject, pointing out especially 1:10 – the church was waiting for the Son, not the tribulation, as they have been delivered from the wrath to come. There is no "spiritualizing" the passage, as amillennialism does.

B. The book of II Thessalonians does not refute the book of I Thessalonians. Compare II Thessalonians 2:2, …by letter as from us… with II Thessalonians 3:17 – Paul did not write the letter that caused confusion.

II. Rapture: I start with the basic fact that both Lot and Noah were delivered from the calamities in their day. Both of these men are given to us as examples: to watch, pray and be ready.

A. Matthew 24:36-42 – Noah was delivered, so we should watch and be delivered. Genesis 6:8 states that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

B. Luke 17:28-37 reveal that reluctant Lot was delivered, but we are admonished to remember Lot’s wife, who was delivered from the destruction of the cities of the plain, but was turned into a pillar of salt because she looked back, or yearned for the old life of sin and rebellion. II Peter 2:7,8 reveals that Lot was saved, a righteous man. If it were not for this passage, I would believe that Lot was a superficial Christian, a lost man. We are warned to watch continually, for we know not when the Lord will come. If we do not watch, we will be saved, yet so as by fire, as I Corinthians 3:15 states, "If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

C. I believe all the saved will be raptured (caught out) at almost the same time as declared in our text (I Thessalonians 4:13-18)

III. Great tribulation and the time of Jacob’s trouble.

A. The term "great tribulation" appears only three times in the entire Bible.

1. Matthew 24:21 states, "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." There is little doubt this passage is talking about the seven-year tribulation.

2. Revelation 2:22 states, "Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds." The scripture before us.

3. Revelation 7:14 states, "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." It is fairly apparent these saints are those Gentiles that are killed during the tribulation period. So once again, the term "great tribulation" refers to the seven-year tribulation period of Revelation.

4. Comparing these three scriptures, I conclude the term "great tribulation" refers to the tribulation period in the book of Revelation.

B. The term "Jacob’s trouble" really appears only one time in the Bible.

1. Jeremiah 30:7 states, Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob‘s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

2. There were false prophets in that day, as there were false prophets in the days of Paul, as there will be false prophets in our day.

3. Jeremiah 30:1-

4. Isaiah 41:10-17