THE BOOK OF FIRST THESSALONIANS
(“Asleep In Jesus”)
I Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NASU)
THE PRIMARY POINT OF THE PASSAGE
(1) Whenever we study a particular passage of Scripture, it’s always important to identify the main lesson or point first, before trying to draw out any secondary lessons or truths that may be there. With that in mind, the primary issue Paul is addressing in this morning’s Scripture lesson (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:13-18) is, what happens to believers who die before Jesus comes again?1
The people originally asking this question had only been Christians a short while. What’s more, Paul had been forced to leave their city (c.f. I Thessalonians 2:17; Acts 17:1-10) before he had time to teach them everything they needed to know about Christ’s Second Coming. Hence, according to verse thirteen, they were (as of yet) “uniformed … about those who (had fallen) asleep” (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:13).
Since they were expecting Jesus to return immediately (in their own lifetime), when some of their number died they began to wonder how their deaths might effect their participation in His return. Would they be included? Would they be left out? Apparently some of them had come to the conclusion that it was a great disadvantage (perhaps even a calamity) to die before Jesus came again – which, in turn, lead them (according to verse thirteen) to “grieve (as if there were) no hope” for their dead brothers and sisters in Christ (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:13).
(2) Paul answers their question in verse fourteen, saying: “… if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so GOD WILL BRING WITH HIM THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP IN JESUS” (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:14). In other words (as we saw in a previous message),2 when Jesus comes again, those who died trusting in Him as their Savior will be coming with Him. Rather than being left out, they will be uniquely, and wonderfully, and directly involved in Christ’s return! In fact, Paul goes on to explain (in verses sixteen and seventeen) that they will have the privilege of receiving their new resurrection bodies “first” – after which, those Christians who are still alive on the earth when Jesus comes again will “then” receive theirs (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:16-17; I Corinthians 15:51-52). Once all this takes place, (according to verse seventeen) these two groups – now united as one – will “together … meet the Lord in the air”, and “always be with the Lord” for the rest of eternity (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:17).
Hence, there’s no reason to worry about those “who have fallen asleep in Jesus” (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:14). For no matter how they died, or when – no matter whether their bodies were buried intact, or cremated, or lost at sea, or destroyed in an explosion, or whatever – they are NOT going to miss out on a thing! Their souls are presently “at home with the Lord” (c.f. II Corinthians 5:8), where they are in conscious communion with their Savior – waiting for that appointed day when He will (according to verse sixteen) “descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God …” (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:16) – which will also be the same “day” they are “clothed” with their new, eternal resurrection bodies (c.f. II Corinthians 5:2-4)! Hence, Paul concludes this passage by saying (in verse eighteen): “Therefore comfort one another (i.e. about those who have died prior to Jesus’ Return) (comfort one another) with these words” (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:18).
(3) THAT’S the primary issue Paul addresses in this morning’s Scripture lesson (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:13-18). THAT’S the major point – the main lesson – the first and foremost truth being taught. However, it’s not the only truth being taught in this passage. For in the process of answering the question, about what happens to believers who die before Jesus comes again, Paul also addresses some secondary matters – one of which is the Rapture of the saints.
(B) ONE IMPORTANT, BUT SECONDARY LESSON
(1) The word “Rapture” (as used in connection with Christ’s Second Coming) means to be “snatched away” or “caught up”3 – and refers to the idea that there is going to be a moment in the future when Christ’s redeemed people, who are still alive and living on the earth, are going to suddenly be “snatched away” or “caught up” to meet the Lord in the air – in keeping with what we’re told in verse seventeen of this morning’s Scripture lesson, that “we who are alive and remain (i.e. until the coming of the Lord) will be CAUGHT UP (or, “raptured”) … in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air …” (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:17).
(2) Most Christians agree that there IS going to be a Rapture. However, there is far less agreement as to when or how it will take place.
This morning’s Scripture lesson is THE definitive biblical passage regarding the Rapture – and as such, verses sixteen and seventeen give us the distinct impression that, first, the Rapture is going to happen at virtually the same moment as the Second Coming of Christ – second, it is going to happen openly, rather than secretly (v. 16) – third, as it’s happening, Jesus will be descending all the way to the earth, rather than making a kind of U-turn (as it were) and going back up to heaven – and fourth, as He is descending, the saints are going to be “caught up” to meet Him in the air, after which we will accompany Him back to earth (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:16-17).4
This is, however, a different scenario from what many other Christians think.5
(3) I said last time4 that the picture we are given is similar to a custom that would have been very familiar to Paul’s original audience – namely, that of the citizens of a city going out to meet their king as he approached their metropolis, and then accompanying him into their city6 – JUST EXACTLY LIKE what happened to Jesus on the day we call Palm Sunday (c.f. John 12:12-13).
Since then, I have been reminded of another biblical image of Christ’s Second Coming, that paints a similar picture for us – namely, the parable of the Ten Virgins found in Matthew chapter twenty-five. In that parable, ten virgins are waiting for the bridegroom to come get his bride – when suddenly, around midnight, they hear someone shout: “Behold the bridegroom is coming; GO OUT TO MEET HIM!” (c.f. Matthew 25:6, NKJV) – whereupon, according to the custom of that day, they would have gone to meet the bridegroom (who represents Jesus), and accompany Him to the wedding feast.
Hence, the third stanza of one of the hymns we sang last Sunday morning (based on this passage out of the Gospel of Matthew) says:
“See that your lamps are burning;
replenish them with oil;
and wait for your salvation,
the end of earthly toil.
The watchers on the mountain
proclaim the Bridegroom near;
GO MEET HIM AS HE COMETH,
with alleluias clear.”7
(4) The purpose of the Rapture, then, is NOT to whisk Christians immediately off to heaven, to wait out something called the Great Tribulation, after which there will be a kind of “second” Second Coming of Christ – but rather, to give us the wonderful privilege of going out to meet our Savior as He returns in “power and great glory” (c.f. Matthew 24:30), and to then be included in His entourage of the redeemed as He triumphantly descends from heaven to earth.8
What a day that will be! What a great, and awesome, and “glorious day” that will be (c.f. Acts 2:20)!
(C) OTHER SECONDARY LESSONS
(1) So, having seen what the primary purpose of this morning’s Scripture lesson is (namely, to answer the question: “what happens to believers who die before Jesus comes again?”) – and then, having also looked at an important, but secondary matter Paul addresses (namely, the Rapture of the saints) – we are now ready to look at a couple of other secondary lessons that can be drawn from these verses – beginning with the fact that this passage ONLY addresses the death of Christians as it relates to Christ’s Second Coming. And says nothing at all about what happens to non-believers when they die – or what happens to them when Christ Returns (both of which are dealt with elsewhere in Scripture)
In verse thirteen Paul says: “we do not want you to be uniformed, BRETHREN, about those who are asleep …” – with the use of the word “brethren” indicating that he’s talking TO Christians about a matter that’s has to do with them. But then, in verse fourteen, he also clarifies WHO he’s talking about when he refers to “those who are asleep” – namely, “those who have fallen asleep IN JESUS” (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:13-14) – i.e. those who died trusting in Christ as their Savior – those who died having repented of their sins, and having professed faith in Christ alone to forgive their sins and save them from “the wrath to come” (which he referred to back in chapter one) (c.f. I Thessalonians 1:10).
(a) So, if you have never repented of your sins, and placed your faith in Christ alone to save you, then the “hope” and “comfort” that brackets this passage is not yours (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:13, 18). It could be, to be sure – but right at this moment it’s not! Which means, if you die before Christ comes again, you will NOT be coming “with Him” when He returns (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:14). It also means that if you are still alive when Jesus comes again, you will NOT be among those who are “caught up” to meet Him in the air (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:17).
Indeed, the “shout” you hear when Jesus comes again will be the shout of your eternal doom – the “trumpet” you hear announcing Jesus’ Return will also be announcing your eternal punishment. You will NOT be among those who go out to meet Christ with shouts of joy – on the contrary, you will be among those who try to hide from Him because of the depth of fear that has gripped your soul. For in that day, you will instinctively know that Jesus is NOT coming as your Savior, but as your Judge. Indeed, you will be among those whom the Book of Luke and the Book of Revelation say will cry to the mountains and hills and rocks to fall on you and hide you. But even if they do, you will NOT be able to escape “the wrath of the Lamb” that is coming on account of your persistent and unrepented of sins (c.f. Luke 23:30; Revelation 6:16).
(b) My point is simply this – if you are not a Christian, then nothing in this morning’s Scripture lesson pertains to you. Indeed, you are the outside looking in (as it were). BUT, that could all change IF you would confess your sins to Christ and repent, and then profess faith in Him as your Savior and the only provision God the Father has made for sinful people like yourself. That’s how I was saved – that’s how every Christian in this room was saved – that’s how every one of God’s covenant people in every age has been saved – and, that’s the only way you will ever be saved. Only then, will the things spoken of in this passage from First Thessalonians chapter four apply to you – only then will you be able to find real “hope” and genuine “comfort” in these words we’ve been studying the last several weeks (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:13-18).
(2) A second matter (or question) this passage raises has to do with what is sometimes called the Intermediate State – i.e. what happens to Christians during that period between the moment of our death, and the moment our bodies are resurrected from the grave? We touched on this briefly in an earlier message,2 but it’s worth coming back to for a moment.
(a) The reason this question gets raised here is because of Paul’s three-fold use of the word “sleep” to describe the death of believers – as in verse thirteen, “we do not want you to be uniformed, brethren, about those are ASLEEP” – and verse fourteen: when Jesus comes again, “God will bring with Him those how have fallen ASLEEP in Jesus” – and verse fifteen: “we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen ASLEEP” (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:13-15).
Nor is this the only place in the New Testament where the death of believers is compared to sleep.9 For example, in the Gospel of Matthew we’re told that the moment Jesus died on the cross certain things happened: 51“… behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen ASLEEP were raised; 53and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many” (c.f. Matthew 27:51-53). Likewise, when Lazarus died, Jesus said: “Our friend Lazarus has fallen ASLEEP” (c.f. John 11:11) – and when Stephen was stoned to death, the Book of Acts says, “he fell ASLEEP” (c.f. Acts 7:60).
It all seems so simple – Scripture often uses the word “sleep” as a metaphor to describe death. And it’s a good metaphor, because “sleep” suggests “rest from one’s labor” (c.f. Revelation 14:13) – and because “sleep” also implies that there will be an “awakening”.9
(b) However, some have decided it means something more – that it means the soul goes to sleep upon death – that the soul goes into a kind of suspended animation (if you will) until the time of the resurrection – that the soul is unconscious from the moment of death until it is awakened to be reunited with the body hundreds or thousands of years later. Hence, some people talk about “soul sleep”10 – even though at least one commentator says that (aside from its normal use) the New Testament only uses the word “sleep” in reference to the death of the body, and never to some sort of “hibernation” of the soul!11
(c) Every indication we are given in Scripture is that the soul remains conscious at the moment of death, and goes immediately into the presence of the Lord – while the body goes to the grave to await the resurrection. Moreover, the soul remains conscious – enjoying fellowship with Christ in heaven – until the day Jesus Returns, at which time (as we’ve seen in two previous messages)12 our souls will be united with our new resurrection bodies (c.f. I Corinthians 15:51-52; I Thessalonians 4:16).
Consider the following passages. Revelation 6:9-11 – 9“… I saw underneath the altar the SOULS of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; 10and they CRIED OUT with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ 11And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and … brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed …” No “soul sleep” here – these souls are clearly conscious, aware of their surroundings, and interacting with the Lord!
Then there’s the often-quoted passage where Paul says: “to be absent from the body (is) to be at home with the Lord” (c.f. II Corinthians 5:8) – and again, in another place, that, “to depart and be with Christ … is very much better” than remaining on in the flesh (c.f. Philippians 1:23). One wonders how death could possibly be “better” if one is unconscious for hundreds and hundreds of years? Indeed, the only thing that would make it “better” is if we are in conscious fellowship with Christ at a higher level than we are presently!
The point is, that as far as Scripture is concerned, there is no such thing as “soul sleep” – nor is that what Paul was teaching or referring to here in First Thessalonians chapter four (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:13-15). On the contrary, upon death the souls of Christians go immediately to be with their Savior, to enjoy a continuous, conscious, personal existence in His presence, while waiting for the final resurrection of the body.10 “Therefore, comfort one another with THESE WORDS” (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:18) – rather than the empty words of those who would rob us of our hope, and our comfort, and our joyful anticipation of going immediately to be with the Lord when we die!
(3) Finally, there’s the matter of grieving over the deaths of our brothers and sisters in Christ. As we’ve already seen, the primary reason Paul wrote the passage in this morning’s Scripture lesson is so that (verse thirteen) Christians would “not grieve (like those) who have no hope” (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:13).
(a) Sometimes certain verses in the Bible get all turned around. For example, some people think Scripture says that “money is to root of all evil” – but what it actually says is that, “the LOVE of money is a root of all SORTS of evil” (c.f. I Timothy 6:10). Likewise (and my son corrected me on this one a while back), people sometimes think the Bible talks about “the foolishness of preaching” – when what Scripture actually talks about is, “the foolishness of the MESSAGE preached” (c.f. I Corinthians 1:21) (which is a reference to the message of the Gospel).
In a similar fashion, some people misquote verse thirteen of this morning’s Scripture lesson, as though it says Christians should “not grieve” when one of their number dies. But what the verse actually says (as you can see for yourself), is that we should “not grieve AS DO THE REST WHO HAVE NO HOPE” (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:13). Hence, there’s no prohibition here against grief per se – but only against grieving with the kind of excessive and uncontrollable grief that often characterizes unbelievers, who either have no hope of life after death, or whose hope is based on something other than the resurrection of Christ (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:14) (which is essentially the same as having no hope).
(b) Grief in and of itself is NOT sinful.13 Indeed, there is a natural grief that wells up within us whenever someone we love dies14 – a grief we should not try and suppress, even though it should be tempered by the hope we have in Jesus Christ. When our children grow up and move away, we parents often go through a period of sorrow over the change – even though we knew the change was coming, and that it’s best for them. In a similar fashion, when a brother or sister in Christ dies, we who are left behind are grieved by the change (i.e. by the break in our relationship with them) – even though we know they are “with Christ”, which is “far better” for them (c.f. Philippians 1:23, NKJV).
(c) Hence, John Calvin talked about “mourning in moderation”15 – by neither giving in to the utter finality and hopelessness many non-believers feel when someone they love dies14 – nor clinging to some stoical hope that has no basis in Scripture, and therefore no affirmation from God.14
(d) After all, (according to verse fourteen) since we believe “Jesus died and rose again”, we should also believe that those who have “fallen asleep in Jesus” will rise again as well (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:14)! What was it our Savior said? – “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies” (c.f. John 11:25) – and again: “because I live, you will live also” (c.f. John 14:19) – and once more: “… this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day” (c.f. John 6:40).
(e) And, don’t overlook that phrase (in verse fourteen) about “fall(ing) asleep IN JESUS” (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:14) – because that little phrase (“IN Jesus”) refers to our relationship with Christ16 – a relationship that only comes about when we repent of our sins and profess faith in Him to save us. This intimate and secure relationship is spoken of in places like Romans 8:1, which says, “there is … no condemnation for those who are IN CHRIST JESUS” – and also in Ephesians 1:4, where we’re told that we were chosen “IN HIM” (i.e. in Christ) for salvation long “before the foundation(s) of the world” had even been laid.
(f) So, every time we encounter the phrase “in Christ”, or “in Jesus”, or “in Him”, we need to look to see what that passage is telling us about our relationship with our Savior. Here in verse fourteen of this morning’s text, we’re being told that that relationship extends beyond the grave – that death does not severe our relationship with Christ – that we are just as much “IN Him” in death as we are in life (c.f. Romans 8:35-39)!
William Barclay put it like this (in a quote, or one that was similar, that was in last week’s bulletin): “If a man has lived IN Christ and died IN Christ, (then) even (though he is dead) he is still IN Christ and will (therefore) rise IN Christ … (for) there is a relationship between Christ and (His redeemed, covenant people) that nothing can break … a relationship (that is) independent of time (and extends beyond) death.”17
(g) The point is, there is no reason for us Christians to grieve hopelessly over those who have died “IN CHRIST” (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:14). After all, the fact they are “IN Christ” means they are with Christ this very moment (c.f. II Corinthians 5:8), basking in His glory and enjoying His fellowship – and, when Jesus comes again, they will be coming “with Him” (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:14) (because they are still “IN Him”).
(h) “Therefore”, Paul says in verse eighteen, “comfort one another with THESE words” (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:18) – not the words of people who have supposedly had a near-death experience, or so-called physic research, or metaphors taken from the world of plants and insects. “Comfort one another with THESE WORDS” – words of truth, based on the resurrection of our Savior (c.f. I Thessalonians 4:14) – words of hope and comfort, based on His promised coming again “with all His saints” (c.f. I Thessalonians 3:13; 4:15-17)!
1Hendricksen: Remaining Faithful (The Bible vs. End-
Time Fiction); p. 214.
2http://www.wpcpca.org/Archive/06-06-10-am.html
3http://www.biblestudy.org/beginner/definition-of-christian-
terms/rapture.html
4http://www.wpcpca.org/Archive/06-13-10-am.html
5MacArthur: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary;
1 & 2 Thessalonians; pgs. 133-138.
6The English Standard Version Study Bible: Footnotes on
I Thessalonians 4:16-17; p. 2310.
7The Trinity Hymnal: Rejoice, All Ye Believers; #320.
8Sproul: Essential Truths of the Christian Faith; p. 275.
9Hendricksen: New Testament Commentary; I and II
Thessalonians; p. 109.
10Sproul: Ibid; p. 205.
11MacArthur: Ibid; p. 125.
12http://www.wpcpca.org/Archive/06-06-10-am.html
http://www.wpcpca.org/Archive/06-13-10-am.html
13The English Standard Version Study Bible: Footnotes on
I Thessalonians 4:13; p. 2309.
14MacArthur: Ibid; p. 126.
15Calvin’s Commentaries; Vol. XXI; Commentary on the
First Epistle to the Thessalonians; p. 279.
16MacArthur: Ibid; p. 130.
17Barclay: The Letters to the Thessalonians; p. 236.