FIRST THESSALONIANS 4:13

The Bible says in First Thessalonians 4:13, “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.” Back in First Thessalonians 3:13 the Apostle Paul had already mentioned the return of Christ. And then in the first twelve verses of chapter four, the Holy Spirit gave Paul words concerning how Christians should live on this earth. Of course, we do not live on this earth forever. We are always one day closer to the great final event: leaving the earth. There are two possible ways for a Christian to leave the earth: to be present when Christ returns and then to be with Him forever or to go through the gates of death and then to be with Him forever.

Since the time of Christ all Christians who have left this earth have done so by death. Notice that First Thessalonians 4:13 calls death “sleep.” The New Testament often refers to death as “sleep.” Perhaps because “sleep” is a more gentle term than “death,” and Christ has taken away the hard part of death for His believers. When we die we will simply be following Him to where He is. Jesus said in John 14:1-4, “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.”

“Death” is probably also called “sleep” because sleep refers to rest and peace. In this life we work by the sweat of our brow. It has been that way since Adam left the Garden of Eden. Also, following Christ is a great challenge. There are difficulties, sorrows, and afflictions. There is a spiritual warfare that we are involved in on a daily basis. There are fightings without and fears within. But the time of peace and rest is coming. If the Lord does not return beforehand, death will be when we rest from our labors and enjoy the peace of Christ forever.

First Thessalonians 4:13 does not mean that a Christian would have no sorrow at all, but that we should not have sorrow to the same extreme as those who have “no hope.” The death of a friend or loved-one must truly be awful for unbelievers who have no hope beyond the grave. To them death is a cruel end of life and a final separation. Death is the last and the worse enemy of mankind, unless you have Jesus as your Savior. Jesus said in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” The Bible says in First Corinthians 15:55-57, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The believers who die go to be with the Lord. When will we see them again? The next verse answers that question. It says in First Thessalonians 4:14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” The reason that the death and resurrection of Christ are mentioned in this verse is to remind us who believe in Him that the same thing that happened to Jesus will happen to us. Death did not hold Him, and it will not hold us either. Of course, there is one condition. We must be “in Jesus.” We are “in Jesus” once we believe in Him and have been given life “through” Him. This happens because of His death and resurrection.

The last phrase of First Thessalonians 4:14 says that those believers who have already died, will come back to the earth at the same time that Christ returns to the earth. First Thessalonians 4:15 says, “For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.” Some believers will die and go to be with the Lord. Other believers, perhaps you and I, will “remain unto the coming of the Lord.” The phrase “shall not prevent them which are asleep” means “shall not precede them which are asleep.”

There is a specific order to the events that are described here when the Lord returns to fulfill the prophecy that is spoken about in this passage. Here are the events and the order in which they will take place: 1. The Lord shall return with all the believers who have died. 2. All the believers who have died will rise from the dead. 3. All the believers who are on the earth and who have not died will be taken up into the air and will meet the Lord in the air. This passage of scripture makes it very clear that these three events will take place at this time. When we finish this passage, we will show how these three events fit in with other prophecies concerning the return of Christ.

It says in First Thessalonians 4:16, “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.” This is the opposite of what happened in Acts chapter one when Jesus ascended to heaven. The apostles looked up into heaven and saw Jesus in the clouds ascending into heaven. An angel immediately said that the same scene would be observed at some future date when Christ would return. The angel said in Acts 1:11, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Evidently only the believers saw Jesus ascend into heaven, and the event described in this part of First Thessalonians will only be seen by believers.

Of course, something other than seeing Jesus will happen. We will see Him, and then we will join Him. It says in First Thessalonians 4:17, “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.” This is the rapture. The word “rapture” is used because it means “to be caught up.” The word that is translated “caught up” is a very strong word that refers to seizing or taking up with force. Of course, the power of God will be involved when gravity is defied and all living believers are lifted off the earth to meet Jesus in the sky.

Jesus Christ will return. He will return to deliver His believers from the earth. The sorrows of life will one day be over. Death will die and be no more. The Savior is coming. The One who promised will keep His promise. The victory is already won. The King is coming. He is Lord of lords and King of kings and He is coming to deliver the children of God from all their labors and all their tears. In that day there will be no death, no disease, no crying, no sin, and no old age. What a wonderful day it will be, when our Jesus we shall see. No wonder that First Thessalonians 4:18 says, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” This is one of the main reasons that God has revealed to us some of the prophetic events about the return of Christ: so that we would be comforted. No matter what happens, we know how things are going to turn out. Our Savior cares about us. He is going to rescue us. He will deliver us from all evil, and eventually He will come to us with the ultimate deliverance from the world: the snatching away.

Another important fact about the return of Christ is given in First Thessalonians 5:1-2. It says “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” The phrase “as a thief in the night” refers to the fact that when the Lord returns, it will be totally unexpected unless someone is actively looking for His return. Those who are asleep are surprised by a thief in the night, but those who are awake and who are on guard are not surprised. They are ready.

Another thing to notice in verse one is the phrase “the times and the seasons.” It is almost the exact phrase that Jesus Himself used in Acts 1:7 when Jesus answered a question relating to when He would establish the Kingdom of God on earth. Jesus said, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power.” We do not know when Jesus will come back, but we do know that His return is the next great event on the prophetic calendar. There are no intervening events that need to take place before Jesus appears in the sky and snatches away His children to be with Him forever. Until that day happens, the first part of this chapter tells us how we should be living on this earth.

Concerning those who are not believing in Jesus, who are not living according to His way, and who are not looking forward to His return, the Bible says in First Thessalonians 5:3, “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” The first thing that we notice about this verse is that the people of the world who do not believe are saying “Peace and safety.” For some reason “peace and safety” becomes a great theme and a great hope by humanity. There will be threats and uncertainties and dangers, and people will want peace and safety from them. The problem is that they will look for peace and safety in the wrong places. Instead of repenting of their sins and turning to God, they will look for a human solution. Instead of God, they will choose man. They will eventually choose the man of sin: the antichrist.

God is very merciful to give us the opportunity to repent. But God is also a righteous and just Judge who must punish the unrepentant sinner. Unless you repent of your sins and choose Christ, you will bear the consequences of your sinful choices. The consequences for those who have rejected Jesus will be terrible at His coming: “sudden destruction cometh upon them.” The Second Coming of Christ will be a day of deliverance and joy for the believers, but it will be a day of sorrow and judgment and destruction for the unbelievers. Concerning this judgment that Christ will bring against the world at His Second Coming, the Bible says in Revelation 19:11-16, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

The Bible says in First Thessalonians 5:4-5, “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night nor of darkness.” This verse makes it clear that every believer will be taken up at the rapture. It says, “Ye are all the children of light.” This phrase is a description of whom will be taken up at the rapture. “All” who are “children of light” will be taken up at the rapture. When Jesus performs the rapture event, He will be performing it as the Savior. To be saved from the guilt of sin is by grace. It is therefore no wonder that all those who are saved by grace will be also raptured and delivered from the earth by grace.

Salvation is by grace and the rapture will be by grace. But there will be a reward given to those who are actually vigilant and who are looking for the return of Christ when He comes. Paul said as much by the Holy Spirit in Second Timothy 4:8. He wrote, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

If you are not saved, turn to Christ and welcome Him as your Savior. If you know Jesus as Savior, make sure that you are looking for His Coming.

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