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1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Those Who Died in Christ

[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.

Notes:

Subject: This is the most comprehensive passage in the Bible about the Rapture or Snatching of the Church and the sequence of the events that will happen.

Survey: The term Second Coming refer to two things.

First, it is used in Scripture to designate the entire chain of events.

Second, it refers specifically to the actual and physical return of Christ to earth. The word rapture, though not found in the New Testament, is the actual catching or snatching away of all believers prior to the Tribulation. This passage is to encourage the church to look forward to His coming with excitement and anticipation.

1. The False Impression Addressed: v. 13

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.”

“Sleep” is a euphemism for those that had died. It did not mean that death is “soul sleep”, but rather a description of how the body appears when it is dead.

2. The Foundation For His Return: v.14-15a

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say by the Word of the Lord….”

The death of Christ was the vicarious payment for the sins of the world. Only those who have had a personal conversion to Christ will be in the Rapture.

3. The Followers of Christ: 15b

“That we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep.”

4. The Flow of Events As They Will Happen: 16-17

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the arch-angel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 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.”

A.    The Lord descends from Heaven.

B.    The shout.

C.   The voice of the archangel.

D.    The trumpet will sound.

E.    The dead will rise from the grave first.

F. The catching or snatching away of all living believers.

5. Final Thoughts:

1. The preparation that believers made was their coming to faith in Christ.

2.  Heaven will be more than we can imagine. Our comfort comes from the reality of knowing every believer will be with the Lord in Heaven forever.

3. Let’s live our lives with confidence and expectation of what God is doing in our lives.

4. Let’s “keep seeking those things which are above where Christ sits as the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1).     

Revelation 21:1-2 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away.