Meeting Jesus
Paul responded to concerns about the dead in Christ by pointing to the resurrection that will occur when Jesus arrives from Heaven. In his first Letter to the Thessalonians, Paul reassured the congregation concerning the participation of saints who die before the ‘Parousia’ in the glories of that day. According to him, BOTH dead and living saints will assemble and “meet” the Lord as he descends from Heaven. Thereafter, they will be with Jesus “forevermore.” He wrote these words in response to believers who were sorrowing over the deaths of fellow saints.
On the day when Jesus “arrives,” dead
believers will be resurrected, and together with those who remain alive, they all
will “meet” the Lord “in the air.” Paul’s response to the
concerns of the Thessalonians begins with the bodily resurrection of dead
believers.
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| [Photo by Jason Blackeye on Unsplash] |
In making his case, the Apostle provides one of his most detailed descriptions of the “arrival” or ‘Parousia’ of Jesus. In it, his focus is on how it will affect believers:
- (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) - “But we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are falling asleep lest you sorrow even as the rest also, who are without hope; for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also will God bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. For this, we say to you by a word of the Lord, that we the living who are left unto the arrival of the Lord will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep, because the Lord himself, with a word of command, with an archangel’s voice, and with a trumpet of God, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first, after that we, the living who are left, together with them will be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and in this manner, we will evermore be with the Lord. So then be consoling one another with these words.”
In the first half of the fourth
chapter, Paul exhorts believers to walk in holiness, abstain from sexual
immorality, refrain from transgressing against fellow believers, continue in
love, and attend to their own business. In such ways, they will become proper
witnesses of the Gospel to the surrounding community.
In the second half, he reassures
the Assembly about the full participation of dead saints in the ‘Parousia’
of Jesus. Whether dead or alive, no believer will be shortchanged on that day. After
(newly resurrected) dead and living Christians are reunited, they will meet Jesus
as he arrives “from Heaven.” The entire Assembly will thus be “together
with the Lord forevermore.” Paul’s words are meant to comfort the congregation.
Threaded through Chapter 4 is
the theme of attaining holiness, especially in consideration of the coming
return of Jesus. Believers achieve holiness by proper conduct, exercising
love, and remaining faithful through tribulations.
The description of these final
events begins with the clause, “now…concerning” (de…peri),
a phrase Paul uses often in his letters when he is introducing a new topic. The
Thessalonians were not ignorant of the “arrival” of Jesus, but they were
unsure about the relationship of dead believers to that event. This is
made clear by his statement, “We would not have you
ignorant… concerning those who are falling asleep.”
FATE OF THE DEAD
Paul addressed a real concern
that could impact an entire congregation. An incorrect understanding might easily
turn grief into hopelessness (“that you may not grieve even as the rest who
have no hope”). Again, his purpose was to reassure and comfort grieving
saints. He did not criticize the Thessalonians for their grief. Christians
experience grief when loved ones die, but they are not without hope.
Paul does not want the
Thessalonians to grieve in the same way as unbelievers do since the latter are
without hope because they do not possess the knowledge that God will resurrect
the dead. Just as He raised Jesus from the dead, “so also He will bring with
him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.” Paul anchors the
resurrection hope of the Assembly in the past death and resurrection of Jesus.
As described elsewhere, the bodily resurrection of Jesus is the “guarantee” and “first fruits” of the future resurrection of believers - (John 14:19, Acts 26:23, Romans 8:11, 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, Colossians 1:18, Revelation 1:5).
Participation on that day is
not based on whether one is dead or alive, but instead, on faith in what God
has accomplished in Jesus (“for if we believe that Jesus has died and
rose again…”).
ON THAT DAY
What counts is faith, either at
the time of a man’s death or the moment of Christ’s return. This is made
clear by the phrase - “God will bring with him those who have fallen
asleep through Jesus.” In turn, this indicates that the believer in a
right relationship with Jesus when he dies will be resurrected (e.g., “Those
who have fallen asleep IN CHRIST.” Also, 1 Corinthians 15:18).
Paul’s description draws on
sayings of Jesus from his ‘Olivet Discourse.’ On the last day, the Son
of Man will “descend from heaven” accompanied by an “archangel.”
The trumpet will sound, and believers will be gathered to him as he arrives “on
clouds” - (Matthew 24:30-31).
There is also a verbal parallel
with his Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids. The bridesmaids fell
asleep while waiting for the bridegroom. They were awakened by “a shout”
and the command to go out “to meet” the bridegroom as he arrived.
They “rose” and “went with him” to the wedding feast. Likewise
in 1 Thessalonians, the issue was the state and participation of
believers who had “fallen asleep” prior to the Last Day - (Matthew
25:1-13).
DEAD RISE FIRST
So, also, when Jesus arrives, he
will be accompanied by “a shout” and the voice of the “archangel.”
Those who have fallen asleep will “rise” FIRST, and together
with saints who are still alive at the time, they will all be caught up together
“to meet the Lord and be with him forevermore.”
The Greek noun rendered “meet”
or apantêsis is the same term used in Matthew for the “bridesmaids”
who went out to “meet” the bridegroom. The bridesmaids did not die but “fell
asleep.” But that occurred over time as the bridegroom “tarried.” Likewise,
in Thessalonica, some disciples were “falling asleep” while they waited for
Jesus to return.
The term “fell asleep” is
metaphorical for death, and this becomes clear when Paul labels the group the “dead
in Christ.” He uses the Greek adjective nekroi which refers
to dead persons rather than the abstract state of death.
“We, the living, who
remain to the coming of the Lord.” This clause demonstrates Paul’s
belief that Christians will still be alive on the Earth at the time of
the ‘Parousia’ - (1 Corinthians 15:51-52 - “We will not all
sleep: but we will all be changed: and the dead will be raised imperishable,
and we will be changed”).
The Greek noun often rendered “coming”
is ‘Parousia,’ which means “arrival, coming, presence.” In his
letters to the Thessalonians, Paul applies it in all but one
instance to the future “arrival” of Jesus. Once refers to the “arrival”
of the “Man of Lawlessness” though in imitation of the “arrival”
of Jesus - (1 Thessalonians 2:19: 3:13: 4:15: 5:23: 2 Thessalonians 2:1:
2:8, 2 Thessalonians 2:9).
“The dead in Christ will rise FIRST.” This is the “new” information introduced by Paul in this letter. Dead believers will rise EVEN BEFORE those saints who remain alive are transformed. This knowledge is provided to comfort the Thessalonians concerning their dead brothers and sisters.
Paul describes three audible
features that will occur on that day: the “shout,” the voice of an “archangel,”
and the “trumpet of God.” He does not state to whom the “shout”
is directed. One possibility is that it refers to Jesus summoning the dead to
rise from their graves – (John 5:25 - “An hour is coming and now
is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God: and those who
hear will live”).
“Archangel” does not
have a definite article or “the.” Paul does not identify a specific angel
or archangel. His emphasis is on its “voice.” The reference to the
“trumpet of God” parallels other scriptures that associate trumpet
blasts with the “Day of the Lord” - (Isaiah 27:13, Joel 2:11, Zechariah
9:14, 1 Corinthians 15:52).
GRAPHIC PICTURE
In Greek-speaking communities, the
term ‘Parousia’ was often used for the “arrival” of royal
dignitaries to a city. When that person drew near, the city’s leading citizens
went out to “meet” him with pomp and ceremony, and then they escorted him
into the city. For such “meetings,” the Greek term apantêsis was
used, the same word applied to believers when they “MEET the Lord in the air.”
In this Greek society, it was illegal
to bury the dead within the city’s walls. Commonly, approach roads outside
the city’s walls were lined with graves. If Paul is using apantêsis and parousia with
this background in mind, the picture becomes clear.
The righteous dead are raised
first. Then, together with those remaining alive, they “meet” Jesus as
he approaches from Heaven. After that, they will accompany him as he continues his
descent to the Earth.
Those “caught up” to the
clouds. This rendering can be misleading. The Greek verb harpazō means
“to snatch, seize.” By itself, it includes no information regarding direction -
there is no notion of upward movement in the word itself - (Matthew 11:12,
12:29, 13:19, John 6:15, 10:12, 10:28-29, Acts 8:39, 23:10, 2 Corinthians 12:2,
12:4, Jude 1:23, Revelation 12:5).
Elsewhere, “clouds” are
associated with the return of the “Son of Man in glory” at the end of
the age - (Matthew 26:64, Mark 14:62, Acts 1:9-11, Revelation 1:7).
After meeting the Lord, believers
will remain with him “forevermore.” Precisely where this occurs is not stated,
whether Jesus returns with his saints to Heaven, they accompany him as he continues
his descent to the Earth, or the entire company remains suspended in midair for
eternity. Paul simply does not address the question.
Thus, Paul reassured the
Thessalonians regarding the participation of dead saints in the events of that
final day. The dead will be resurrected first and reunited with the living.
Then the entire company will meet Jesus as he descends from heaven. No true
believer will be shortchanged that day. In this way, all believers will be
gathered to the Lord and remain forevermore in his presence.
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