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. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 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.  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.   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.  Therefore encourage one another with these words.

The sequence of events are as follows:                                                                      (1) The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout                              (2) The voice of  the archangel will be heard                                                            (3) The trump of God will blow                                                                                    (4) The dead in Christ will rise first                                                                            (5) Those who are alive, who are left will join them to meet them in the air    (6) So, we will ever be with the Lord

“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.”

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely;  and may your
spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

The passage has been explained that the brethren in Thessalonica were concerned about their dead loved ones missing out in the resurrection. J.P Miller explains in his workbook on 1 Thessalonians, “…the church was afraid they were going to miss their part in the resurrection…. miss the joy o the second return of Christ.” It seems the greater concern was about those who had died when the Lord returns. Jesus explains that there will be a resurrection and those in the graves will be the first to meet him in the air.

Friends, whatever your understanding of this text, I want someone to explain how Paul could expect the saints in Thessalonica to be preserved spirit, soul, and body without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The same text explains that when he comes, there will be those “that are alive and remain.” Who were these saints that were “alive and remain”? The “we” that alive and remain include the very ones he’s addressing. Their body is preserved complete at the coming of Jesus because they are the ones who are alive and remain “until the coming of the Lord.”

About

I have been a fervent student of the Bible all of my life
Experience: Preacher for 30 years and father of three sons
Education: Florida College and Missouri State University

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