[What follows is the second and final installment of a two-part series on the subject of the Rapture.]

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

What exactly will happen when Christ returns at the end of the age? For that, we turn to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left 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 cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

The first thing you should notice about this paragraph is that the apostle Paul is not in the least concerned with the time of the rapture. He says absolutely nothing about it. It is rather the simple fact of the rapture and the comfort and encouragement it provides for those whose friends and loved ones have died that concerns Paul.

We see this immediately in v. 13 where Paul speaks of “those who are asleep.” Evidently, several believers in Thessalonica had recently died. Their friends and family members are fearful that since they died, they will miss out on the blessings associated with the return of Jesus Christ. Perhaps they will even miss out on the resurrection of the body. No, says Paul. The apostle doesn’t want them to remain “uninformed” or ignorant of what has happened to their deceased loved ones and what will happen to them.

There are certainly many people who “grieve” because they “have no hope” (v. 13b). They are without hope because being without Christ, their deaths can mean only one thing: eternal damnation in hell. But such is not the case for those who died in Christ, having put their faith in him for the forgiveness of sins. So, it is perfectly normal and admissible for you and me to “grieve” when our family and friends died physically. But our grief is not a hopeless grief, but one that anticipates a glorious future.

Let’s notice several things here.

First, Paul refers to those “who are asleep” (v. 13). This does not mean that when you die you enter into a state of perpetual unconsciousness or suspended animation. Sleep was a well-known euphemism among Christians to describe physical death. The point of describing the Christian’s death as “sleep” is to emphasize that Christ has robbed death of its sting. Death is no more offensive or frightening to the believer than is dozing off for a nap! The body appears to be asleep, but the immaterial dimension, be that soul, spirit, or mind, is very much alive and conscious and with Christ (see Luke 23:42-43; 2 Cor. 5:8-10; Phil. 1:21-24; 1 Thess. 4:14; Heb. 12:23; Rev. 6:9-11).

The second thing Paul mentions is that our hope of being raised and glorified is grounded or rooted in the fact that Jesus himself also died and was raised and glorified. It is the death and resurrection of Jesus that guarantees the glorious future of all who have died in Christ. If Christ had not died and been raised, physical death would be the end of everything: no conscious after-life, no heaven, no hope of being reunited with our friends and family who have died, no hope of ever seeing Jesus himself. Only nothing.

Third, it is because we believe and know to be true that Jesus died and rose again that we can have absolute and unchanging assurance that when Christ returns, he will bring “with him” our friends and family members who have died. This phrase, “with him,” suggests that far from lying unconscious in the grave, Christians who have died physically are even now “with” Christ Jesus in heaven.

Fourth, Paul’s authority for making this statement comes from the Lord himself. Paul didn’t make up this notion of the rapture. Nor did he hear it from some other apostle. He received “a word from the Lord,” most likely referring to a direct revelation from the risen Christ.

Fifth, the “word” that Paul received from the Lord is that the living will not have any advantage over those who have died when Christ returns. Paul lived in hope that he would remain alive on earth when the second coming of Jesus occurred. He includes himself among those “who are alive” (v. 15), who are “left” on earth “until the coming of the Lord.” And his point is that those who are physically living when Christ returns will not be resurrected and glorified before those who have already died. It was the fear that those who had died would miss out on the resurrection that caused some in Thessalonica to live in fear and grief. Paul’s clear declaration from the Lord is that in point of fact those who have already died will be raised before those who are still living.

Sixth, Paul says several things about the nature of Christ’s second coming.

(1) “The Lord himself will descend from heaven.” He won’t send an emissary or representative to accomplish this task. It isn’t an angel who returns. It is Jesus himself!

(2) He will come with a “cry of command,” similar to what he declared at the tomb of Lazarus. He told Lazarus to rise and come forth. He will likewise tell us to come up!

(3) His return will be accompanied by “the voice of an archangel,” most likely that of Michael.

(4) He will come “with the sound of the trumpet of God.” This is undoubtedly the same trumpet we read about in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 – “Behold! I tell 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 will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall all be changed.” In the OT, when God would “come down” to meet with his people, it was announced by a trumpet blast (Exod. 19:16-19). The “trumpet” was also a signal of God’s coming to rescue his people from hostile oppression (Zeph. 1:16; Zech. 9:14).

Perhaps you have heard some argue that the rapture will be a silent event. Not so! It will be quite loud!

(5) In consequence of Christ’s return, “the dead in Christ will rise first” (v. 16b). Not only do those who have died not suffer from any disadvantage, they will be the first to be changed and receive their resurrected and glorified bodies.

(6) Following this, “we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds.” The verb translated as “caught up” means to suddenly snatch away. The Latin word is rapio, rapere, from which we get our English word, “rapture.” See Acts 8:39; 2 Cor. 12:2-3.

(7) We should also note that this reference to the “clouds” is not primarily about what is in the sky above. All through the OT “clouds” were a regular feature of divine theophanies, that is to say, when God would appear to his people. His divine glory is veiled in the clouds and shines forth from them.

When God came down to deliver the Law to his people, we read in Exodus 19:16 that “there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled.” When Moses ascended the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments, we are told that “the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days” (Exod. 24:15-16).

Again, we read in Exodus 40:34-36 that “the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out.”

Once more, listen to what happened to the priests of Israel: “And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord” (1 Kings 8:10-11).

And we should never forget that at the ascension of Jesus, following his resurrection, “he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.” Then the angels said to the discipled, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way (that is, in the clouds) as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:9-11).

(8) We will then “meet the Lord in the air” (v. 17). But we won’t stay there! The purpose of this meeting is to accompany Jesus as he continues his descent to destroy all his enemies and inaugurate the final judgment and the creation of the new heavens and new earth. This word translated “meet” (see Acts 28:15; Matt. 28:6) is used to describe how a delegation of citizens is assigned the honor of going to the outskirts of a city to meet and welcome the visiting dignitary, then to escort him into the city. The point is that neither those who will have died before Christ returns nor those who are alive when he returns will spend the rest of eternity in heaven. They will all join Jesus on the new earth that John describes in Revelation 21.

(9) The final and most glorious consequence of Christ’s return is that from that point on “we will always be with the Lord” (v. 17b). This is why the rapture is such a glorious truth: it leads us into the eternal presence of Jesus! Christ’s return in the clouds with the sound of a trumpet and the voice of the archangel is truly glorious. Knowing that all who have died in Christ in faith will receive their resurrected and glorified bodies first is wonderful. Knowing that we too will be changed in an instant and forever set free from the pain and limitations and sinful impulses of this earthly body is beyond wonderful.

But more than any of these things, that which stands above them all, the experience that makes all of life’s troubles and disappointments and struggles fade as a distant memory, is that we will be with Christ forever! If we could have all these experiences and enjoy a glorified body and be reunited with loved ones and friends, but not have Christ, it would be a horrible thing indeed. The rapture is precious and beautiful and powerful ultimately for one reason: it brings Christ Jesus to us and us to him, forever!

Why should we encourage one another with these truths (v. 18)? We are encouraged because it is a reminder that our loved ones who have died are at no disadvantage to us. They are with Jesus. We are also encouraged because when Jesus returns, we will once again be with them. And we are encouraged because Paul has told us here that we need never fear dying. It is as peaceful and restful as simply falling asleep. And the most encouraging thing of all is that it is followed by living forever in the presence of Jesus!

Conclusion

We see from all of this that the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is a singular event that involves three dynamic realities. The first is that when Christ descends, he will resurrect and glorify all those who have died in faith. Second, immediately thereafter we who are alive when Christ returns will also be resurrected and receive our glorified bodies. This will happen as the Lord raptures us or catches us up or translates us into his presence in the sky. But third, please note that Jesus does not then ascend back into heaven but continues his descent to the earth with us, his faithful attendants, providing his royal retinue or entourage. It is then that the final judgment will occur and God will inaugurate the New Heavens and New Earth where we will live for all eternity with our great Triune God.