1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
13: But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
14: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
15: 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 not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16: For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17: Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
18: Therefore comfort one another with these words.
There was some error in the Thessalonian’s thinking regarding those who were "asleep,” meaning those believers who had died. There was no need to grieve over them as if they had no hope. It was not wrong to grieve over deceased loved ones, but Paul wanted them to know that there was “hope” or resurrection for them. He said not to grieve over them as if there was no hope of their future resurrection because there is.
Since we believe Jesus died and rose from the dead, it’s also true that God will bring with Him the deceased believers when He returns. Paul assures them by the Word of the Lord that those who are alive at the Lord’s coming will not have an advantage over those who have died. When He descends from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God—a loud, attention getting event—the bodies of the deceased believers will resurrect. Note that He is bringing the deceased believers with Him, yet their bodies are resurrected. We can assume that the glorified/resurrected physical body will meet with the spiritual in the air with the Lord at that time.
First the return/resurrection of the deceased then those who are alive will be caught up, bodies being changed in a moment (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). This resurrection is of the believer's physical bodies. Paul’s assurance here is in regard to that. The believer's physical body will not be discarded, but changed into a glorious, resurrected body which houses the spirit and soul. The wisdom we gain on earth in the flesh will remain with us. We will keep our identity and will recognize each other in our new state.
Our perishable body will put on imperishable. Mortal puts on immortality (not immorality!) No longer will sin and death have the sting over us. God has given us the victory over both through our Lord Jesus Christ, having abolished that which kept us separated from God—the Law (1 Corinthians 15:53-57).
Jesus will return the same way He left—which was into the sky in a cloud (Acts 1:11). Each generation is to expect Him to come at any time. What a great hope we have that our body, which is prone to sin, will be resurrected/changed into a new one where the manifestation of Jesus’ victory over sin for us will be evident!
14: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
15: 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 not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16: For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17: Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
18: Therefore comfort one another with these words.
***
There was some error in the Thessalonian’s thinking regarding those who were "asleep,” meaning those believers who had died. There was no need to grieve over them as if they had no hope. It was not wrong to grieve over deceased loved ones, but Paul wanted them to know that there was “hope” or resurrection for them. He said not to grieve over them as if there was no hope of their future resurrection because there is.
Since we believe Jesus died and rose from the dead, it’s also true that God will bring with Him the deceased believers when He returns. Paul assures them by the Word of the Lord that those who are alive at the Lord’s coming will not have an advantage over those who have died. When He descends from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God—a loud, attention getting event—the bodies of the deceased believers will resurrect. Note that He is bringing the deceased believers with Him, yet their bodies are resurrected. We can assume that the glorified/resurrected physical body will meet with the spiritual in the air with the Lord at that time.
First the return/resurrection of the deceased then those who are alive will be caught up, bodies being changed in a moment (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). This resurrection is of the believer's physical bodies. Paul’s assurance here is in regard to that. The believer's physical body will not be discarded, but changed into a glorious, resurrected body which houses the spirit and soul. The wisdom we gain on earth in the flesh will remain with us. We will keep our identity and will recognize each other in our new state.
Our perishable body will put on imperishable. Mortal puts on immortality (not immorality!) No longer will sin and death have the sting over us. God has given us the victory over both through our Lord Jesus Christ, having abolished that which kept us separated from God—the Law (1 Corinthians 15:53-57).
Jesus will return the same way He left—which was into the sky in a cloud (Acts 1:11). Each generation is to expect Him to come at any time. What a great hope we have that our body, which is prone to sin, will be resurrected/changed into a new one where the manifestation of Jesus’ victory over sin for us will be evident!
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