CHRIST AND PAUL AND THE SECOND COMING By Pastor Art Watkins of Coden Bible Church (Coden, Alabama) September 10, 2010 Comparing 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 with John 14:1-3 / By Arthur W. Pink The one Scripture which sets forth more fully than any other the order of events which shall occur at the return of Christ for His saints, is found in 1 Thessalonians 4. “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord!” ( 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17). In this passage three things claim special notice: first, the descent of the Lord Himself; second, the resurrection of the sleeping saints; third, the translation to heaven of those believers which shall be alive on the earth at that time. We would call attention to the close relation the above passage bears to our Lord’s words as recorded in the opening verses of John 14 — “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you. I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also”’ ( John 14:1-3). There is a four-fold correspondence between these two passages: The Savior said, “I will come again;” Paul wrote, “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven.” The Savior promised, “I will receive you unto Myself;” Paul declared that the saints shall be “caught up together to meet the Lord in the air.” The Savior promised, “Where I am, there ye may be also;” Paul assures us, “So shall we ever be with the Lord.” The Savior prefaced His gracious promises by saying, “Let not your heart be troubled;” Paul the apostle concludes by saying “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” There can surely be no questions that these passages, running so closely parallel relate to the same event. How wonderful is the verbal agreement of Holy Writ! How the comparison of one passage with another, brings out the unmistakable unity of the Scriptures. (They also show beyond a doubt that Christ and Paul preached the same coming and resurrection of saints. Art Watkins)