Paul had to correct this false teaching by his epistles. Paul reminded the Thessalonians (2Thes. 2:5) of specific events to be expected, so they could recognize that those events had not yet occurred, evidencing that they had not missed the resurrection (Rapture) of the church to glory. Two false doctrines were taught by Sadducee Jews in the 1^st century, and were common troubles of the early churches. 1) 1Cor. 15 is Paul’s defense of the resurrection; and 2) 1Thes. 4:13-18 is Paul’s defense of the Rapture of “the body of Christ” gathering unto Him to dwell and “reign with Him” in heaven… “forever” (2Tim. 2:12, 2Cor 5:1b), before His 2^nd coming.

Yet, there are those today falsely teaching we’re living in the kingdom NOW, or that we will go through all or part of the prophesied Tribulation. They deny the pre-tribulation resurrection of “His body” to “meet the Lord in the air” in the Rapture. They don’t see the timeline of right division between Israel’s coming “day of the LORD” and “the day of Christ,” Rapturing “the body of Christ” to heaven.

This is why the Thessalonians were troubled, ‘shaken in mind.’ If today’s present distress was all there was to expect, and the time of rewards and blessing had already come, then, as Paul wrote, why wouldn’t they just stop serving the Lord and start eating, drinking, and being merry? “… what advantageth it me, if the dead RISE not? let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die.” (1 Cor 15:32)

The “dispensation of grace” leads us to “the Day of Christ” and the time of ‘reigning with Him’ in Heaven, but the Thessalonians were being persecuted not ‘reigning’ only because the “day of Christ” had not yet come. Paul say be faithful in your human suffering today, for God will deal with the liars who troubled the Thessalonians with lies (v 6 below).

“So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: ⁵ Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, (so) that ye may be ‘counted worthy’ of (trained up for) the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: ⁶ Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;” (2 Thessalonians 1:4-6)

So, Paul comforts the Thessalonians with the truth, saying the persecution they were facing was NOT descriptive of the kingdom on earth, nor was it “the Day of Christ” when they will co-reign with Christ in resurrected glory “in the heavenly places.” After the Rapture there will come a time that is worse than it then was in Thessalonica… followed by the Antichrist, wars, and the return of the Lord in “vengeance.”

Paul encourages them reminding them of the future events that he had already spoken of.

1. The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in judgment against their persecutors (2 Thes. 1:7-9; 2:1).
2. But first, he will gather together “the church, the body of Christ” in the Rapture resurrection.

“And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thes’ 1:10)

“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,” (2 Thes. 2:1)
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. ¹⁵… we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep. ¹⁶For 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: ¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be ‘caught up’ (Latin, rapturo) together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. ¹⁸Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1Thes. 4:13-18)

So, what the Thessalonians were experiencing was not the fullness of times, or reign of Christ, nor the kingdom come. They were experiencing “the mystery of iniquity” which was at work. “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he (The Holy Spirit) who now letteth will let, until ‘he’ be taken out of the way.” (2 Thes. 2:7)

As us, the Thessalonians were living in “this present evil world,” and they needed to be able to count on the coming the greater glory that shall be revealed “in us” in the resurrection.

“For I reckon (count) that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Rom. 8:18)

In every chapter of this Thessalonian epistle, Paul mentions the ‘resurrection’ so that they would not be troubled about their present distress and think their life of trouble was the only thing they would ever have.

Today, judgment is delayed; this present time isn’t “the kingdom,” nor is it the prophesied “wrath of God.” And, our coming “Day of Christ” is not the “Day of the Lord’s wrath.” Our Rapture has not past, it’s just delayed for an unspecified time… until “the body of Christ” is filled up with saved souls (Rom. 11:25)!

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. (Romans 11:25)