1 Thessalonians 4:13

But I would not have you be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus God will bring with him... For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, and with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, and 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. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words.

When a believer dies, we grieve—but not as those who have no hope, for the One who rose will surely bring them with Him.

"Do Not Be Ignorant"

In Romans 11, Paul tells the church not to be ignorant concerning the role of Israel. In 1 Corinthians 12, he exhorts them not to be ignorant concerning spiritual gifts. In 2 Corinthians 1, he teaches that we not be ignorant concerning trials and suffering. And here in 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul says, "I don't want you to be ignorant concerning the coming of the Lord."

It is interesting that these very things Paul did not want us ignorant about are often the areas of greatest confusion in the church. What is God's plan for Israel? Why do we suffer? What are spiritual gifts? When is the Lord coming? These remain areas of confusion within the body of Christ.

Already in this letter, Paul has spoken much about the Lord's return. Each chapter ends with it: in 1:10, "to wait for the Son from heaven"; in 2:19, "are not even you in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?"; in 3:13, "at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." Though Paul spent only a short time in Thessalonica, he had already taught them about the return of the Lord.

The Grief of the Thessalonians

But after Paul left, certain events caused confusion. It appears that some believers in the fellowship had died. They had "fallen asleep"—a common ancient expression for death. Paul had taught that Jesus could return at any moment, and he himself expected the Lord's return in his lifetime. So when friends and family members died, the church wondered: have they now missed the coming of the Lord? They were sorrowing in a way that went beyond the typical grief at a death.

We do grieve when we lose a loved one. But Paul says we do not sorrow as those who have no hope. Over many years of comforting those who mourn, I can tell you from experience that there is a marked difference between the death of an unbeliever and the death of a believer. The church at Thessalonica had an overwhelming sorrow, not merely because their loved ones had died, but because they feared those loved ones had missed the Lord's return.

Not Soul Sleep

When Paul speaks of believers "sleeping," he is not teaching what some call soul sleep—the idea that the dead enter a suspended state until the resurrection. He teaches no such thing anywhere in Scripture. In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul says we have this confidence: to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

He had the same expectation in Philippians 1:23, where he was torn between two things, "having the desire to depart, to go and be with Christ, which is far better." Jesus likewise taught in John 14, "If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also." This is the confidence we have. When a brother or sister dies, we sorrow that we will not see them here again, but we have the same hope Paul expressed in 2:19—we know we will see them when we see the Lord.

This is not the world's kind of hope, the "I hope I win the lottery" kind. The word translated hope in Scripture means an absolute expectation of coming good. We absolutely know, based on the promise and resurrection of Jesus, that we will be with Him. It is not based on our works—as Nick shared during communion this morning—but on the work Jesus did on our behalf.

Our Hope Is Rooted in the Resurrection

Where does that hope come from? Verse 14: "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which are asleep in Jesus God will bring with him."

Our hope is rooted in the reality of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because He is raised to new life, He has given us also the power of the resurrection (Philippians 3). We have been given new life in Christ here on earth, and we know that life extends into eternity with Him. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul says the resurrection is the cornerstone of our faith. If Christ be not raised, we are miserable, dead in our sins. But Jesus is raised, seen by over 500 witnesses—and because He lives, we shall live also.

It is interesting that Paul speaks of the believer's death as sleep, yet clearly declares that Jesus died and rose. Why? At least two reasons. First, Jesus tasted death for you and me—Hebrews 2:9 says He tasted death for all men—and He took the sting of death so that we can boldly declare, "O death, where is thy sting?" In Christ we are more than conquerors, even over death. Second, Jesus endured the worst death anyone could endure, tasting it fully so that when we die it is more like changing location. When you take your last breath here, you'll take your first breath in eternity.

A Word from the Lord

Continuing in verse 15, Paul says, "we say this unto you by the word of the Lord." When Paul wrote these letters, he did not yet recognize that everything he wrote was divinely inspired—though we today rightly study the epistles as the inspired Word of God. But there were certain things Paul knew came directly from the Lord. He says, in effect, "This teaching about the resurrection and the coming of the Lord is not my opinion. I didn't receive it from the church at Jerusalem or from the apostles. It came by the word of the Lord."

Paul may have been referring to John 14, or to teachings of Jesus not recorded in the Gospels—remember, the Gospels were not yet written. It may well be that Paul received this understanding by direct revelation, as he received the gospel itself (Galatians 1:12). The clear teaching of the early church was that Jesus would one day return while Christians still remained on the earth. Paul expected this could happen at any moment—"we which are alive and remain." His point was that those living when the Lord returns will not precede those who have died. Those who die will instantly be with the Lord and will return with Him when He comes for His church.

The Rapture

This brings us to the doctrine of the rapture, built primarily on verses 16 and 17. The word rapture appears nowhere in Scripture, but in verse 17 we read that we shall be "caught up." The Greek word is harpazo, meaning to be snatched away with violent force. In the Latin Vulgate, harpazo is translated raptus, from which we get our English word rapture. The idea of the church being violently snatched out of this world when the Lord calls comes directly from this passage.

For many, that reception comes individually when we breathe our last. But for some, a day is coming when the Lord will wrap things up, coming to take the church still on the earth and tear us out of here. So we say, "Come, Lord Jesus, come." When Jesus ascended in Acts 1, two angels told the disciples, "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go."

The Shout, the Voice, and the Trumpet

He shall descend from heaven—which reveals where Jesus is now. He will return with a shout, the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet. There is much discussion whether these are three different things or descriptions of the same noise. It is plausible they describe the same event. Interestingly, in Acts 9, when the Lord met Saul on the road to Damascus, Saul heard the voice clearly, but those with him heard only a sound they couldn't distinguish.

The voice of the archangel does not mean Jesus sends an archangel, but that He is accompanied by angels when He returns for His church. Scripture mentions only one archangel by name—Michael, in Jude 9—and from what we can tell, he is a leading angel among the armies of God, strong and something of a warrior.

As for the trumpet, 1 Corinthians 15:51 says, "Behold, I show 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 shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." We will receive a resurrection body like the one Jesus had when He rose—different enough that the disciples on the road to Emmaus didn't recognize Him, yet similar enough that He could say to Thomas, "Behold my hands and my feet." His new body could appear in a locked room, yet looked like His former appearance.

A similar trumpet appears in Matthew 24:31: "And he shall send his angels with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect." And in Revelation 11, at the seventh and last trumpet, a great voice declares, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ." Some believe this is the same trumpet as in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15. Is it the same? I don't know. We're going to find out.

The Four Views of the Rapture

Some wonder what kind of bodies the dead in Christ have now. Some say they are disembodied spirits; others, that God has given them temporary bodies until the resurrection; others, that they immediately received resurrection bodies. What's the answer? I don't know. We'll find out.

In eschatology—the study of end-time events—there are four commonly held views about the timing of the rapture. First, the pre-tribulation view, most commonly held by Calvary Chapel, holds that believers are caught up before the seven-year tribulation. Second, the mid-tribulation view holds that at the middle of the tribulation, the Antichrist is revealed by the abomination of desolation, the church is snatched away, and then wrath is poured out. Third, the pre-wrath view (drawing on 1 Thessalonians 5:9, "God hath not appointed us to wrath") holds that at some point, most likely in the last three and a half years, God takes His church out just before pouring out wrath. Fourth, the post-tribulation view holds that as Jesus returns at the end of the tribulation, just before His feet touch the Mount of Olives, He catches His church away.

Which one is it? I'm not going to tell you what I think—we're going to find out. But note two things all four views share. First, every view believes there is a rapture; on that point there is no contention. Second, all agree the rapture happens before God pours out His wrath. The only disagreement is about when wrath is poured out. So I tell people I hold the pan-tribulational view—it's all going to pan out.

Why I Don't Push One View

Calvary Chapel traditionally holds the pre-tribulation view, but I don't normally tell people which view I hold, for several reasons. I have studied every view in depth, and each is well supported by biblical texts, held by intelligent people with good reasons. The doctrine of the rapture is not essential for salvation, and therefore not a doctrine over which a church should divide or disfellowship people. Sadly, we get so passionate that when someone disagrees we say, "I can't be your friend." That is foolishness. God desires that we remain watchful workers, waiting expectantly. In the scheme of eternity, seven years is a very small period of time.

I'll add two personal concerns about the pre-tribulation view. First, it sometimes breeds apathy. We'll see in 2 Thessalonians that some in Thessalonica checked out and stopped working, and Paul had to rebuke them. In the 1970s and 80s, when the pre-trib teaching came to the forefront through Hal Lindsey and Tim LaHaye, some sold everything, dropped out of college, quit their jobs, and went up on a hill to wait—because there were "88 reasons why Jesus is coming in 1988." That book is cheap on eBay now.

Second, if there is not a pre-tribulation rapture, there will be those who fall away. The Bible clearly speaks of a great apostasy just before the Lord's return (2 Thessalonians 2; Matthew 24). The fact is, Jesus will return at an appointed time the Father has set, and when He returns we will not be bummed that He didn't come on our date. My favorite statement: pray for pre, prepare for post.

Tribulation Is Not Wrath

The problem is that people often associate tribulation with wrath. They are not the same. Paul said we are not appointed to wrath. Jesus said, "In the world you have much tribulation." When we enter difficult times, we must recognize that Jesus is not coming merely to spare us difficulty—He is coming to receive us to Himself.

And when He does, we will meet the Lord in the air. I love that it doesn't say He sends an angel or a favorite saint to fetch us, as if from heaven He says, "Can you go pick up the kids?" Jesus will come personally for you and me. That tells us He is as excited about that day as we are. And when He receives us, we shall ever be with the Lord—nothing will separate us from Him. "Wherefore," Paul says, "comfort one another with these words."

The Thessalonians were sorrowful, fearing their loved ones had missed the Lord's coming. Paul says that is not the case—comfort one another with the fact that they are already with the Lord and you will see them again. This is also comfort in knowing that the sufferings of this present world are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. As we look at the sickness and wickedness of this world—as San Diego County was confronted with this week—we boldly say, "Maranatha, Lord Jesus, come quickly."

Why the Return of the Lord Makes Some Uncomfortable

For some reason, the return of the Lord causes more angst than comfort in many Christians. As we wrap up, consider three reasons.

First, ignorance. Paul said, "I don't want you to be ignorant." Many simply don't understand the things concerning the day of the Lord. The Bible has much to say about it—in fact, more is said about His second coming than His first. We have much before us to study.

Second, unbelieving family and friends. Many fear the Lord will come before their loved ones come to the truth. To that I say: share the gospel. Get to work. Do the work of an evangelist.

Third, and worst, sin. Their own sin makes the idea that Jesus could come this afternoon, this evening, at the sound of the trumpet, deeply uncomfortable. To that I have one word: repent. Remember 1 Thessalonians 3:13, "to the end that God may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God." Don't you want to stand before Him without spot or blemish on that day? He could come at any moment. Repent.

Be Ready

I believe God has given us this information about the rapture and His return in an ambiguous manner on purpose. There are sincere, intelligent believers on every side. God left some ambiguity because He wants us waiting, watchful, and working—on our toes, ready, praying that He'd come quickly. The Bible ends, "The Spirit and the Bride say, Come; even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly."

Until He does, we must get to work. Next week, in 1 Thessalonians 5, we'll see that the Lord may come as a thief in the night—and I have a different view of that chapter than you may have heard. But here is the fact: if you are taken by the Lord as a thief in the night, it is because you were not watching, not ready. Jesus told many parables of those not ready—the ten virgins, the unwise servant—where the master came at an hour the servant did not think. May we be ready. Everything in the world over the last twenty years cries for the return of the Lord. The chessboard is set. Checkmate is coming. Be ready.

Closing Prayer

Father, I thank You for the truth of Your word. Lord, as Amos said, surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. You have revealed to us what You are going to do before You do it. Even though there may be some ambiguity, even though it's not always perfectly clear, we know that You are on the move and You will come. Lord, would You help us to be ready? Equip us that we would be waiting, watching, and working. We are looking forward to the day when You will say, "Come home." Maranatha, Lord Jesus. It's in Jesus' name that we all pray. Amen.