Now whilst they were thus simply awaiting their Lord’s return, but without intelligence as yet to how He would come (for although they had been taught to wait for Him, they had not yet been instructed as to the manner of His coming), to their surprise some of their company fell asleep. The apostle writes them, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye 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 (through) Jesus will God bring with Him” (1 Thess. 4:13-14).
Having been taught to wait for God’s Son from heaven, they were sorrowing for those who had fallen asleep, as though they had lost their hope. Paul encourages them by saying that if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, God would surely bring with Him those who had fallen asleep. If Jesus had risen, He was the first-fruits of them that slept (1 Cor. 15:20), and God would surely raise them also, and bring them with His Son when He should come forth to reign at His glorious appearing, which we have already remarked upon as an important part of the Christian hope.
Hitherto the Thessalonians were ignorant of this; he would have them so no longer. But mark, dear Christian reader (for this is a most important point to apprehend in order to get a clear understanding with regard to the Lord’s coming), up to this point the Thessalonians were still in darkness as to how they would arrive in the glory. They waited for Christ; but how He would come as yet they knew not. The next verses, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18, give us light upon the subject. Other Scriptures speak of the saints being changed (1 Cor. 15:51), mortality swallowed up of life (2 Cor. 5:4); but this alone gives us the details of what will transpire when the Lord comes for His people. Without it we should still have been in the dark on this point, and hence the importance of giving special heed to this remarkable communication. It comes in parenthetically, and is a direct revelation as to what will transpire at that wondrous moment – a perfectly distinct thing from, though doubtless preliminary to, the glorious appearing or manifestation of the Lord Jesus with all His saints.
“For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord.” Mark, it is not a communication through a prophet of the Old Testament, but a revelation through Paul of the secret translation of the saints to meet the Lord. “We which are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; 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” (1 Thess. 4:15-18).
Blessed, comforting hope! The coming of the Lord Himself, who has all power in heaven and in earth. The rejected Jesus, who was crucified through weakness (2 Cor. 13:4), but conquered every foe, spoiled the grave, and sat down as Lord and Christ at the right hand of God, is soon coming to claim the trophies of His victory on Calvary, by taking His redeemed ones home to Himself in glory. See how this glorious event will come to pass. “We which are alive and remain,” says the apostle, including himself, thus showing that it was his hope, as that of all Christians, “shall not prevent (or go before) them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself” (not simply the Lord, but the word “Himself” is added, as though to enforce the identity and personality of Him who comes, and to guard against its being spiritualized away); “this same Jesus” – “shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God.” The shout is an assembling shout, a shout which is also an authoritative command. Every saint will hear it, alive or asleep. The dead in Christ will rise first. All who have fallen asleep in Him shall hear His voice, and come forth. The graveyard shall yield up of its dead! the mighty ocean also. The Lord knows where the dust of all His loved ones lies.
The fool says, “How are the dead raised up?” (1 Cor. 15:35, 36). The Christian replies, “with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26). Not one shall be left behind: no, not a sheep nor a lamb of the flock of God. Not one of the vast host redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, but shall hear the well-known voice of the Lord at that wondrous moment. “The dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” Again the apostle repeats the words “We which are alive and remain,” including himself. Each moment brings us nearer to this glorious consummation. If Paul, when he wrote this, had not been waiting for the Lord, thinking that at any moment he might be caught up to meet him, would he have used such language? Might he not have said, “We the dead, and they which are alive and remain,” if he had not expected his Master’s return at any moment. But this he did not say. And so throughout this wondrous hour of the administration of the grace of God, every Christian ought to have been waiting (Rom. 8:23), and ought now still be, for the coming of the Lord Himself, as well as for His glorious appearing.
(To be continued.)