But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. (15) 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 by no means precede those who are asleep. (16) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. (17) Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (18) Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The first letter to the Thessalonians was written by the apostle Paul to the faithful in that city, (and to us). Paul taught them the Lord Jesus was going to come again and take them to be with Him. Some of the new believers died before this Second Coming and in our verses Paul is writing to correct any misunderstandings about this. Whether we are awake (alive) or asleep believers will live together with Him. Death is only temporary for our bodies but our souls go to be with the Lord the instant we die. The departed faithful souls are with the Lord now and He will bring them with Him when He returns. Paul is assuring the living faithful that their deceased loved ones would be resurrected before those believers still living – the second coming of Christ gives us real hope and comfort in the midst of life’s trials and losses. This is the day when the grace of God is being proclaimed.

At death the Spirit goes to the Lord and the body is left. The bodies fall asleep, not the souls. The spirit is alive in the truest sense for it is in the presence of the Lord. The Bible does not teach soul sleep but body sleep and sleep suggests awakening of the body which is the resurrection of the body. Paul tells them when the Lord comes for His own, He will raise the dead and change the living and they will be caught up together….to meet the Lord in the air and that those alive will not precede the faithful dead.

Unbelievers have no hope and face final destruction but believers know that with death they may at last be gathered into the kingdom of God. The order of resurrection at the second coming will begin with those faithful who have previously died – the believers who are alive and remain shall be caught up with them and the dead are not going to lose out in any way. The promise of the Second Coming brings certain hope and sure comfort. Whether we are awake or asleep the faithful will live together with Him. We do not know the day or the time – this is the age of gathering together and election; when God does speak again according to Scripture He will be speaking in judgment.