For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.
And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Therefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
"Paul is discussing two groups: (1) “those which are asleep” in Jesus, i.e. those righteous ones who have died, and (2) "we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord." i.e., we who are still living at the Second Coming of our Lord. In his discussion of these two groups, Paul is trying to accomplish five things:
1. Assure the believers in Thessalonika that they need not sorrow at the death of other believers, as do the pagans who have no hope of a resurrection. (Verse 15)
2. Inform the believers that the living saints would not be taken up to glory without those who had already fallen asleep in Jesus; in other words, those who had already fallen asleep in Jesus will not be left behind. Verse 15.
3. Inform the believers how “they which are asleep” will be awakened; namely, “the trump of God” shall cause them to "rise." The dead in Christ are going to be awakened by a trumpet blast. Verse 16. “For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible,” as Paul says in 1 Cor. 15:52.
4. Inform the brethren what happens immediately following the resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Jesus: The still-living saints are “caught up together with them [the resurrected saints] in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.” Verse 17.
5. Inform the brethren as to what the living and resurrected saints will do after meeting their Lord in the air: “And so shall we ever be with the Lord.” We are all going to be with the Lord forever in heaven, but we will go to be with Him after the resurrection of the dead, not before. Verse 17.
Q: If the righteous dead are to be blasted awake by celestial trumpets and "rise," and then, together with the living saints, ascend to the clouds to dwell forever with the Lord, how can Paul possibly mean, in verse 14, that the righteous dead come down from heaven on the resurrection day?
"Paul is discussing two groups: (1) “those which are asleep” in Jesus, i.e. those righteous ones who have died, and (2) "we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord." i.e., we who are still living at the Second Coming of our Lord. In his discussion of these two groups, Paul is trying to accomplish five things:
1. Assure the believers in Thessalonika that they need not sorrow at the death of other believers, as do the pagans who have no hope of a resurrection. (Verse 15)
2. Inform the believers that the living saints would not be taken up to glory without those who had already fallen asleep in Jesus; in other words, those who had already fallen asleep in Jesus will not be left behind. Verse 15.
3. Inform the believers how “they which are asleep” will be awakened; namely, “the trump of God” shall cause them to "rise." The dead in Christ are going to be awakened by a trumpet blast. Verse 16. “For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible,” as Paul says in 1 Cor. 15:52.
4. Inform the brethren what happens immediately following the resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Jesus: The still-living saints are “caught up together with them [the resurrected saints] in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.” Verse 17.
5. Inform the brethren as to what the living and resurrected saints will do after meeting their Lord in the air: “And so shall we ever be with the Lord.” We are all going to be with the Lord forever in heaven, but we will go to be with Him after the resurrection of the dead, not before. Verse 17.
Q: If the righteous dead are to be blasted awake by celestial trumpets and "rise," and then, together with the living saints, ascend to the clouds to dwell forever with the Lord, how can Paul possibly mean, in verse 14, that the righteous dead come down from heaven on the resurrection day?
Q: And in what condition are these righteous dead that God “brings [them] with him” in verse 14?
They are asleep: “those who sleep in Jesus.”
Q: Why would God be bringing sleeping saints from heaven back to earth to be awakened?
If they are sleeping, they are in the grave, not in heaven.
**The obvious meaning of “God will bring with Jesus” those who sleep in Jesus is that God will wake up the righteous dead with a trumpet blast, resurrect them in glorified bodies, and “bring them” back to heaven (along with “we who are alive and remain” at the Second Coming). "
**The obvious meaning of “God will bring with Jesus” those who sleep in Jesus is that God will wake up the righteous dead with a trumpet blast, resurrect them in glorified bodies, and “bring them” back to heaven (along with “we who are alive and remain” at the Second Coming). "
F.D. Nichol
