1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
The Comfort of Christ's Coming
Back (The Rapture)
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 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 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.
NKJV
One of the areas of life where the Thessalonians Christians either had a lack of faith or just needed reassurance about was the issue of life after death. They kept seriously pondering the question when Jesus came back for the church, would they reunite with loved one who had professed their salvation in Jesus Christ and had since fallen asleep (died). Paul had taught throughout the Church age to prepare for the imminent return of Jesus Christ at any moment. In Thessalonica, the members of that growing, persecuted church began to become overly concerned about the future of their deceased loved one. They eagerly awaited for Jesus to come, especially in the midst of the fierce persecution they were under by the many enemies of the Christian faith, to the extent that the apostle had heard that the Thessalonians continued to mourn over their dead like the pagans did in general over their dead relatives but , like the pagans having no hope of the resurrection of the body. The church members had been puzzled concerning the doctrine of the resurrection and were having a hard time grasping its meaning. To set them straight and ease their concerns on this important subject, The Apostle Paul wrote to this church and addressed the issues concerning the resurrection of the body from the grave. He delivers three important truths in his letter:
1. He emphasizes, as he had done many times before, that they who died in the Lord should have, by the virtue of Christ's resurrection, a resurrection unto eternal life and blessedness. That is, as Jesus said in John 14, He would one day return to retrieve those of the church who were truly HIS that believed the gospel message. and exemplified that in the way they lived while waiting for His return.
2. He shares with them a "secret", a new discovery, that the believers who live in the last days (the time of Jesus' return) will not die at all, but be in a moment changed from being mortals (humans) to immortals. Paul shared with them the same message he shared with the Corinthian church:
"Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord". (1 Corinthians 15:51-58)
NKJV
3. He then adds another mystery that, those who be living at the time of the Jesus' return will not not die, but will be instantly transformed, with those who were deceased first being raised from their graves, and together meeting the Lord in the air now made glorious and immortal.
Their blessed hope concerning their saved loved one was they shall meet them in the air with the Lord and they shall go home to glory together!
The Comfort of Christ's Coming
Back (The Rapture)
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 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 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.
NKJV
One of the areas of life where the Thessalonians Christians either had a lack of faith or just needed reassurance about was the issue of life after death. They kept seriously pondering the question when Jesus came back for the church, would they reunite with loved one who had professed their salvation in Jesus Christ and had since fallen asleep (died). Paul had taught throughout the Church age to prepare for the imminent return of Jesus Christ at any moment. In Thessalonica, the members of that growing, persecuted church began to become overly concerned about the future of their deceased loved one. They eagerly awaited for Jesus to come, especially in the midst of the fierce persecution they were under by the many enemies of the Christian faith, to the extent that the apostle had heard that the Thessalonians continued to mourn over their dead like the pagans did in general over their dead relatives but , like the pagans having no hope of the resurrection of the body. The church members had been puzzled concerning the doctrine of the resurrection and were having a hard time grasping its meaning. To set them straight and ease their concerns on this important subject, The Apostle Paul wrote to this church and addressed the issues concerning the resurrection of the body from the grave. He delivers three important truths in his letter:
1. He emphasizes, as he had done many times before, that they who died in the Lord should have, by the virtue of Christ's resurrection, a resurrection unto eternal life and blessedness. That is, as Jesus said in John 14, He would one day return to retrieve those of the church who were truly HIS that believed the gospel message. and exemplified that in the way they lived while waiting for His return.
2. He shares with them a "secret", a new discovery, that the believers who live in the last days (the time of Jesus' return) will not die at all, but be in a moment changed from being mortals (humans) to immortals. Paul shared with them the same message he shared with the Corinthian church:
"Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord". (1 Corinthians 15:51-58)
NKJV
3. He then adds another mystery that, those who be living at the time of the Jesus' return will not not die, but will be instantly transformed, with those who were deceased first being raised from their graves, and together meeting the Lord in the air now made glorious and immortal.
Their blessed hope concerning their saved loved one was they shall meet them in the air with the Lord and they shall go home to glory together!