"Will God Bring with Him."
By E. R. Jones
Not a few have been confirmed in their faith that the righteous dead go to Heaven when they die, by this expression. They point to 1 Thess. 4:14, and say, That proves it. The text reads: "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." The subject in this and the following verses is the coming of the Lord and the resurrection of the dead. Overlooking the last part of the subject, and seeing only the coming of Christ, it is said, How can the saints come with him when he comes, unless they are now in Heaven? This inquiry arises from a misapprehension of the meaning of the word with in the text. That it does not mean in company, will appear from another text. "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him." Col. 2:12. Here the word with occurs twice, and it clearly appears that it cannot mean in connection, but simply in like manner or resemblance. Even so it is in the text first quoted. There the death and resurrection of Christ are plainly mentioned; and if we but give the word with the same meaning, the true sense of the text will be clearly seen. Christ died; his saints have died; for that is the meaning of the word sleep, here used. God raised Christ from the dead, and when he (Christ) comes again, God will raise his people from the dead in like manner as Christ was raised. E. R. Jones.