1 Thessalonians 4:16, commentary and pictures

The Lord himself comes down from heaven in person, visibly and audibly in the clouds with power and great glory and all the holy angels, to take those who waited for him. His coming is announced with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God, loud and public and unmistakable, awakening the world. The dead in Christ are asleep in the grave in unconscious rest, knowing nothing until then, and at that trumpet call they rise first to glorious immortality before the living are changed. Those who are alive and remain are in the same moment changed from mortal to immortal and caught up together with them in clouds to meet the Lord in the air, to be forever with him in the city of God. This is the first resurrection to life, pledged by Christ's own resurrection as the pattern and power by which every believing saint comes forth in triumph. It is given as comfort to grieving believers with the promise of reunion never to part again, and it calls for readiness now through holiness of character, since none are changed in character by his coming.

Manner of Christ's Descent

The Lord himself comes down personally from heaven, literally and visibly and audibly and publicly in the clouds with power and great glory, with all the holy angels until heaven is emptied and every eye sees him. He descends after his work in the Most Holy Place, in kingly power to take those who waited for him, setting his seal of final triumph upon them. His voice calls the sleeping saints to rise to meet him in the air, not in Jerusalem, and this is distinct from the voice from God's throne that shakes heaven and earth, for that shaking comes before he descends. At that coming the righteous dead are raised first, then the righteous living are changed, and together they meet the Lord in the air to inherit his kingdom, which they cannot enter in present mortal corruptible state. It fulfills his promise to come again and receive his followers to himself, and its nearness should be talked of often and kept uppermost in thought.

The descent is announced by a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God, the last trumpet, described as a silver trumpet with music. It is loud and public and glorious and unmistakable, with songs of triumph and victory, awakening the world and the dead who belong to him, heard above the world's noise and confusion, and announced by angels as clouds filled with angels. Their graves open and they rise immortal, and this resurrection does not happen weeks or months or years before the living are gathered, but at that same time the living saints are changed in a moment and caught up with them to meet the Lord in the air.

He comes not as a babe in Bethlehem at his first advent nor as he rode into Jerusalem amid loud praise from the disciples, nor in humiliation with thorn crown and mock purple robe and cries of crucifixion, but as King and Deliverer and divine Conqueror in his Father's glory. He is escorted on his way to earth by all the retinue of holy angels and heralded by God's trumpets, wearing a crown of glory and a robe whiter than white, with hands shining like gold and eyes like flame of fire to search creation. His descent is met with a shout from the angelic host and from those waiting to receive him, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, while the waiting saints who fully followed the meek Pattern exclaim with rapturous joy, Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us. His humble entry into Jerusalem only faintly prefigured that public heavenly triumph with its joy and royal honor, for though he might then have appeared with angelic escort and trumpet heralding, he remained true to the humiliation he had accepted until his life was given for the life of the world. Those who waited for him and loved him are then crowned with glory and honor, immortality and eternal life, hearing his voice sweeter than music declaring their warfare accomplished and bidding the blessed of the Father enter the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the earth.

At that advent he comes in the clouds of heaven in the glory of his Father with the holy angels, with the trump of the archangel, as king and deliverer, and stands upon the Mount of Olives to be king over all the earth with the dominion once given to Adam restored to him. Then the dead believers rise first, which is the first resurrection, the changed saints are caught up together with the risen to meet the Lord in the air never more to be separated from the object of their love, clothed with glorious immortality and shouting Victory, Victory over death and the grave. At that time the groaning of creation ceases, the animal kingdom changes its nature and is subdued unto Jesus, universal peace prevails with songs of praise, and the earth is again very good.

Order of Rising and Translation

The dead who belong to Christ rise first when the Lord himself descends from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God. Their resurrection precedes the living believers receiving immortality and being caught up to meet the Lord, so the living do not go ahead of those who have died. They are awakened by God's trumpet and the voice of Jesus reaching into graves, tombs, rocky caverns, dungeons, caves and clefts to call them to immortal life. This takes place not weeks, months or years before nor in a separate event before He appears, but together at His appearing. Belief that Jesus died and rose again secures that those who sleep in Jesus God will bring with Him from the dead, and these words are given for comfort to Christians grieving believers who have died and burying loved ones in grief.

Those alive and remaining are then, at the same moment in the twinkling of an eye, changed from mortal to immortal and caught up together with the risen dead in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, to ever be with the Lord and enter the city. At that coming the righteous dead are raised first with the fetters of the tomb broken to eternal life, and the righteous living are then changed, which prepares Christ's people to inherit His kingdom which they cannot enter in present mortal, corruptible state. Some will die before He returns while others will be alive and translated without seeing death, for this event did not occur in Paul's lifetime when Paul and the Thessalonian Christians died rather than being translated without death. The meeting with Christ happens at His future coming and second coming, not at death, and comfort for the bereaved is not that the dead go to Christ at death but that Christ will come again for them.

The risen with the changed living are carried by angels upward in a cloud to the holy city to live forever in God's kingdom. That cloud is described as a glorious cloudy chariot, glorious as it rolls upward, with wings on either side and wheels beneath, while the wheels cry Holy and the wings cry Holy and the retinue of holy angels around the cloud cry Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, and the saints in the cloud cry Glory, Alleluia. The chariot rolls upward to the Holy City, where Jesus throws open the gates of the golden city and leads them in, and they are made welcome because they kept the commandments of God and have a right to the tree of life. When Christ appears in glory He calls the righteous dead from their graves to clothe them with glorious immortality, the living saints are changed in a moment, and together they ascend to God's city to see the King in His beauty.

Sleep Until the Trumpet

The resurrection promised here belongs to the future return of Christ, not to the moment of death. The dead in Christ sleep calmly and insensibly in the grave in an unconscious state, knowing nothing. Their thoughts and awareness have ceased, they are free from earthly cares, and the whole person rests with time to them as but a moment, with no immediate reward at death. Mary has not been raised, the saints in heaven do not hear prayers, and even a child laid in the cemetery waits there. The call that Job said God would give is made with the archangel's voice and God's trumpet because God desires the work of His hands.

At that coming the Lord himself personally descends from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God, and the dead who belong to Christ rise first. Their resurrection precedes the living believers receiving immortality and being caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and ever be with Him, so the living do not go ahead of those who have died. Then the fetters and hold of the tomb are broken and they are raised to eternal life. These words were given for comfort to the bereaved who bury loved ones and need not sorrow without hope, because belief that Jesus died and rose again secures that those who sleep in Jesus God will bring with Him from the dead.

The grave is a place of unconsciousness but not the final abode of the saints, who will be redeemed from it with a great and glorious redemption. It holds them only for a little while as a temporary rest with no more trouble to come, and even if death comes they receive life again in a little while. The righteous dead sleep there only for a little while, death cannot hold them, and their deliverance is near when God's trumpet sounds. His coming will put an end to confusion, noise, weariness and misery, announced by the sounding of the trumpet when the dead come forth from their graves to a coming rest and retirement from earthly turmoil to long for. Then mourners may hope to meet their loved ones again at Jesus' appearing and be reunited with those who share in it.

Nothing but the Lord's descent with the archangel's voice and God's trumpet can bring the dead up. No earthly power and no satanic power can raise them. Christians who have died rest until the last trumpet and are not raised before the Lord comes, and the dead who died in faith rest until that morning of the resurrection. A supposed resurrection before Christ's return in the clouds with the trumpet of God and the voice of Jesus calling the dead to immortal life amid earthquake and glory visible throughout the earth is a delusion. The form that appeared as Samuel at Endor was Satan personating Samuel to work a marvel for a guilty rejecter of truth, which proves Samuel did not come from the dead.

Replacing this hope with blessed immortality and judgment at death obscures the verse, for the dead do not pass into glory at death but wait for the trump for their judgment and blessedness. The resurrection is central to Christian hope, and believers wait for the Lord's coming rather than treating death as His coming to each person. Teaching that death is His coming to each individual diverts minds from the true personal coming in the clouds, repeats the claim that He is in the secret chambers, and causes many souls to be lost. The dead who finished their work rest in restful sleep until the morning and are not to be prayed back to life, for that would call them from rest back to a life of toil and pain and suffering to be borne over again. Believers who die, including those lost in the sea, remain asleep until Christ gives them life, which does not mean God abandoned them.

Glorified Life and Gathering

The risen come forth clothed with glorious immortality in healthy, glorified, incorruptible bodies like Christ's glorious body, and he is admired in all who believe. Individual identity is perfectly preserved so they are recognizable to loved ones as the disciples recognized the risen Jesus, for Jesus' resurrection is the pattern and sample of theirs. Even those deformed, diseased or disfigured in mortal life rise with radiant faces shining with Christ's light like Moses at Sinai, and Christlikeness does not destroy the image so that family members recognize one another.

The resurrection reunites friends and loved ones separated by death, never to part again, the sleeping saints raised and caught up together with the changed living to meet the Lord in the air. Christ will restore to His faithful servants the children taken from them by death, gathering children, youth, adults and the aged with joy and no more parting. In heaven they do not grow older, singing heavenly songs in the royal family of God where sickness and death will be no more.

The deliverance sequence is distinct: the voice from God's throne that shakes heaven and earth comes before Jesus descends, and then Jesus leaves heaven with His angels to call the sleeping saints to meet Him in the air, not in Jerusalem. After the voice of God shakes the heavens and the earth and a glorious light rests on the saints, the living faithful are changed in a moment from glory to glory with all weariness and care gone in health and beauty, the graves are opened and the holy dead come forth clothed with immortality crying victory over death and the grave. The risen saints together with the living saints are then caught up to meet the Lord in the air with loud musical shouts of glory and victory from every immortal tongue, heard even in the earth's deepest recesses, while their wicked enemies fall like dead men unable to endure the light shining on the delivered holy ones.

God's voice penetrates the graves and unbars the tombs, a mighty earthquake makes the world reel to and fro, then Christ the King of Glory appears attended by all the heavenly angels, the trumpet sounds, and the Life-giver calls the righteous dead to immortal life. That coming takes place after a time of trouble, darkness, and the rolling back of the clouds like a scroll revealing the bright, clear sign of the Son of man visible throughout the earth, with music and with thousands of thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand angels encircling Him in glory. At that same time those who acted the most prominent part in His rejection and crucifixion are also raised to see Him as He is and to see the saints glorified, and bewail, and the dead are not raised in a separate event before Christ appears.

At His coming He calls the just from their graves from every nation, from all parts of the earth with not one overlooked, and the captives Christ rescued from death at His own resurrection are representatives and examples of them. This coming means that two children with profound disabilities will be restored and inherit immortal life. The coming brings the great gathering in heaven to see Christ, rising with songs of triumph to enter the city of God, translated without seeing death for those alive. They are clothed with the garments of salvation and welcomed into the city with joy to share their Lord's joy, marking the end of earthly conflicts and the homeward arrival of those who served God and kept His commandments, when sickness and death will no longer have power over the saints.

Christ's Victory as Pledge

Jesus' own resurrection is the sample, pattern and pledge of the resurrection of those who sleep in him, and the glory of the resurrection morning is that Christ himself descends with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ rise first. Because he passed through death himself, felt its pangs, met Satan on his own territory and conquered the power of death, rose with all power, holds the keys of death and the grave, robbed death of its terror, brightened the tomb and broke its fetters, every believing saint who falls asleep in Jesus comes forth from the prison house in triumph as the Conqueror did. All who shared his humiliation and sufferings share his glory, and by the same power that raised and glorified him his church will be raised and glorified, as firstfruits assuring that all the righteous from Abel to the last saint will awake from the land of the enemy to the land of the living. As his cry, It is finished, pierced the sepulchers and summoned sleepers to arise, so God's voice will shake heaven and earth, penetrate graves and unbar tombs amid a mighty earthquake making the world reel to and fro, then Christ the King of Glory will appear attended by all the heavenly angels, the trumpet will sound, and the Lifegiver will call the righteous dead to immortal life. The risen will retain individual identity and be recognizable to loved ones as the disciples recognized the risen Jesus, with appearance, manner and voice familiar and perfectly preserved, and even those deformed, diseased or disfigured in mortal life will rise in glorified bodies with radiant faces shining with light from the face of Jesus.

The raising of Lazarus was a pledge of that resurrection, and the company of sleeping saints brought up at his resurrection was a sample and trophy of victory over death and the grave. His ascension in leading captivity captive and giving gifts to men made manifest what he will do in breaking the fetters of the tomb and bringing forth his people from the land of captivity. The raising of the dead is named among the works testifying to Jesus as the Messiah. Moses was shown the resurrection of the just at Christ's second coming, and he was himself raised from the dead by the Son of God and taken to heaven. Lazarus represents suffering poor people who believe in Christ, whose faith was real and not merely theory, and whose patient endurance witnessed for him.

Christ himself as Lifegiver will wake his dead with his voice in a glad resurrection to see him as he is. This promise sustains those in union with God through yielding to his Spirit, giving steadfast hope and unshaken confidence in life, in changing circumstances, in the valley of the shadow of death and in the hour of death, upheld by their love for Christ and his love for them, so that the soul holding this assurance strong is happy because Christ is hope for this life and blessed reality in the life to come. He knows where to find his people, even those who leave home to work in neglected cities and never return, and brings them with joy to meet him, raising at the last day to immortality those who died in Christ in obedience to his commandments and in a way honoring the Creator. Jesus is not in Joseph's new tomb but is risen and ascended on high, able to save to the uttermost those who come to God by him, so believers should not mourn as if the gate of heaven were shut but look with cheer to the open doors of the heavenly sanctuary where the light of the glory of God shines in the face of Jesus Christ.

Timing and Last Events

Paul gave this word to Thessalonian believers who were burying their loved ones in grief, for those who had died had hoped to live to see the Lord come, and he comforted the mourners with the assurance that Christ himself will come again to raise the dead and receive his followers to himself. It was part of his consistent teaching on the second coming, which some misunderstood as if he himself expected to live until Christ should return. In all ages this appearing of Christ in glory and splendor to raise the dead has been the hope of his true followers.

That coming did not take place in Paul's lifetime, for Paul and the Thessalonian Christians died rather than being translated without death, and the promise belongs to Christ's future coming. Its fulfillment is still future, for the trumpet of God calling the dead from their graves at the end of time has not yet sounded and the righteous dead have not yet risen. The resurrection, the second coming, the judgment, and the establishment of the saints on the new earth have not yet taken place.

The coming and resurrection are near and momentous and urgent to readiness, to be talked of often and kept uppermost in thought, shown by unmistakable signs. It is truth belonging especially to the last days, held in prospect by good and enlightened people in every past age, and those who expected this deliverance to receive the kingdom forever felt deep disappointment when Jesus did not come at the expected time. It is placed at the time of trouble after the signs are repeated, with Christ appearing in the east on a white cloud, and the Lord is soon to come, calling for patient, meek waiting joined with working, praying and watching. Believers must heed the signs, prepare the way by urgent warning and carrying the message to unreached cities, receive grace daily with watchfulness and prayer for the Spirit's blessing, and let God's Word visibly take hold of life rather than treating it as idle fancy.

The resurrection and translation of the living righteous occur before the earth's destruction by fire, following the pattern of Enoch's translation to heaven just before the destruction of the world by the flood. That descent closes a time in which his commandment-keeping people labor as the Spirit directs and grow in assurance and power while his work through them grows stronger. It promises glorious deliverance and translation that mockers will witness, with God protecting the faithful who warned the world, waited for Christ, and refused the beast's decree and mark in the final struggle and time of Jacob's trouble, unharmed by the fire, upheaval and shaking of earth and heaven that cleanse the atmosphere and shielded so the wicked cannot destroy them.

The rising is the first resurrection to life, raising those who did good and walked in the light given them to eternal, incorruptible life, when the tomb's hold is broken not at death but at the Lord's future return. Over it the second death has no power, with triumph and victory over death and the grave, and the living are changed to confer immortality without which corruptible flesh and blood cannot inherit the incorruptible kingdom. Until he comes his people are only heirs, at his coming they inherit the kingdom, death the last enemy is destroyed and redemption completed with harps, crowns and eternal life in the city. This is followed by sitting with Jesus in judgment during the thousand years comparing records with the Bible before the city descends, and those who did evil rise at the end of a thousand years to damnation, banished and destroyed by fire with no more death, sin or sorrow for the just. Both raised and living will stand before Christ's judgment seat where every secret deed is made known, going where probation's choices prepared them to go.

Those who acted the most prominent part in rejecting and crucifying Christ, who put on the purple robe and crown of thorns and drove the nails, who pierced and scourged him, are also raised at that time to see him coming in the clouds with the heavenly host in glory as Judge and see the saints glorified, and bewail. Particular dead included in this resurrection are those who died in faith under the third angel's message keeping the Sabbath, rising glorified amid signs and wonders and the voice of God to hear God's covenant of peace before the final blessing and shout of victory. Martyrs who perished in exile, in Waldensian valleys, caves, dungeons, dens, hidden pits, mountains, precipices and deep wells, valuing integrity above ease, property and life, come forth in white with the hills presenting the scene. William Miller, hidden in the grave with angels watching his dust, rises at the last trumpet, and Clara and a dead child rest until the Life-giver breaks the grave's hold.

Moses on the mount of transfiguration represented those raised at the second coming, present with Christ clothed in heavenly glory and proclaimed Son of God by the Father's voice as a miniature fulfillment of the kingdom come with power, and Elijah represented those living and changed without dying. God's commandment-keeping people alive then will be glorified and taken without death as Enoch and Elijah were, for as Enoch was translated without seeing death so some wholly on the Lord's side will be translated at his coming. The Lord's descent marks the point until which the great apostasy continues to develop and grow stronger.

The verse describes the translation of the redeemed, soon to take place when the great work for the last days is finished. Until then the greatness of God's gift will not be fully understood, but at translation will be understood the mysterious blending of human and divine natures in the Man Christ Jesus, the death of his human nature on the cross while Deity did not die, and the purchase of the fallen race with his blood to save every son and daughter of Adam who accepts salvation.

Exposure of Counterfeit Coming

The true coming is open and universal, witnessed by the whole world, with no possibility of counterfeiting, for Satan is not permitted to counterfeit this manner of advent. The Lord himself descends from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God, so His coming is loud and public and glorious, not secret or local, and the dead in Christ rise at that coming. By this testimony those who have received the love of the truth detect Satan when he appears on earth as a majestic, healing, blessing being claiming to be Christ, and they are shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. Though he will appear in different parts of the earth as a majestic being of dazzling brightness pronouncing blessing and healing, God's people have the Bible testimony by which they detect the deceiver in his disguise, reject claims that Christ is in the desert or in secret chambers, and cling to the Bible and the Bible only through diligent study and love of the truth.

The trumpet, shouts of triumph, and sudden disappearance of the happy saints mark the joyful event for which pardoned believers wait. At that event the happy saints disappear from the scene, while those left behind face darkness and loss. Christ comes to take His faithful followers to be with Him forever and to bring them into His kingdom, to gather His children home. Those who put self first and rely on outward appearance rather than Christ's righteousness are not ready to meet Him and will be left when He comes to take the faithful to be with Him forever. Those who waste the life God has given them will have no place in the mansions He prepares for those who love Him.

Readiness Through Holiness

Christ's coming does not purify character, refine it, or correct defects; that fitting must be finished during probation before he comes. As stones for Solomon's temple were fitted before being set in place and came together without further cutting or shaping, so saints must be fitted in character before the final change when bodies are made like his glorious body. Readiness is not making special clothes for the event but purity of soul and character cleansed from sin by the Saviour's atoning blood. Those who are holy at his coming remain holy forever, while the unjust and unsanctified remain so forever, for character formed in life remains unchanged with no conversion then. The graves open at the last trumpet and the dead are called from their prison house to be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye, with crowns of immortal glory placed on overcomers and pearly gates swung back for nations that kept the truth. Those raised are those now fitted for angels' society by unfailing religion, repressing evil, controlling self, receiving grace and strength and power uniting with human effort, building a character God approves for everlasting life, gathering rays of glory to scatter on others, ministered to by angels, made heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. The mind is to be girded and guarded with special care over thoughts, not diverted by unimportant things but filled with this one great event of the Lord's coming when graves open and dead rise and living are changed, crowding out all else and making the most of every privilege and opportunity to prepare.

Sharing in the first resurrection requires heeding the True Witness, overcoming every test, surrendering cherished idols, and being fitted by the latter rain for translation. There will be a people found at last prepared for translation when the Lord comes, and in them a greatly needed reform in manners of life will surely be accomplished. Those who cherish sin and iniquity will fail, for conquerors are not those who cling to sin; God offers pardon and calls for submission to his refining work to be prepared. Meeting Jesus at his coming calls for cleansed body and soul, clean in body and clothing and pure in mind, thoughts and words. Those with lips and beard stained with tobacco and system and soul tainted by it are unfit to meet him with a smile and must cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit.

Like Enoch, God's loyal people in the last days will be separate from the world as he was, separate from unrighteous practices amid prevailing dreadful unrighteousness, rebellion against heaven, corrupt imaginations and deceptive philosophy. They will seek purity of thought and holy conformity to God's will until his divine image is reflected in them, making them fitting for translation to heaven before the earth's destruction by fire, as Enoch's translation foreshadowed the translation of all living righteous before destruction by flood. Those alive and taken at that coming must be what Enoch was, holy because walking with God in God's way, living obedience with pure holy character in an age as corrupt as Noah's day and the present, blending personal piety with earnest energetic warnings and appeals, pointing from what is now to what soon follows, waiting vigilantly and working fervently to prepare themselves and others. Enoch, taken from this sinful world because he walked with God and kept mind stayed upon God in a crooked perverse generation, represents the translated company who will be translated without dying. To be among them requires turning away from worldly pleasures, constantly seeking God for strength against the enemy's wiles, and having washed robes and made them clean in the blood of the Lamb in readiness for Christ's appearing. His life of holiness and obedience spent walking with God is the example of the people who when Christ comes will be caught up in clouds to meet him in the air. While endeavoring to instruct and warn the world they will not conform to the spirit and customs of unbelievers but will condemn them by holy conversation and godly example, and will be glorified in the presence of those who hated them for loyal obedience to God's righteous commandments.

The time of this resurrection when the Lord descends with the archangel's voice and God's trumpet to awaken those sleeping in Jesus to endless joy is near. The nearness of that expected coming called for earnest preparation now, since death may come suddenly through accident or calamity, and those who have part in the first resurrection to life when graves open at Christ's coming in clouds with power and great glory are prepared to meet the Lord. One who goes down to the grave trusting in and loving Jesus is fitting up for that glorious immortality and future life when the Lifegiver calls the dead from prison houses, and can die and fall asleep with hope. Jesus himself as Lifegiver soon comes to break the tomb's fetters and bring forth captives, those who died with hope rising first as a risen host waking to find death's pangs gone, proclaiming victory, receiving the finishing touch of immortality, going up to meet the Lord in the air and entering the opened gates of the city amid columns of angels to receive Christ's welcome into his joy. The verse calls for getting ready now and laboring for others' salvation. Wise patient care helping children grow noble prepares them to end life with assurance of sharing that rising to newness of life when death as rest until morning ends. Preparation requires treating God's hours as solemn and precious rather than seeking diversion, making peace with God, working with him, helping those ready to die, and living so words, example, testimony and prayers influence others toward salvation.

Those connected with his work must, because the Lord himself is coming and his coming is near, be converted, humble themselves before God, and place themselves where he can teach them in simple ways. They must be careful about holding personal ideas when those ideas cross fellow workers' track, walk as in full view of Calvary's cross where Christ suffered and died to give eternal life, make the most of opportunities, take hold understandingly, uplift and not cast down, learn of him, and do their best in faithful service. Looking for his appearing in the clouds as a near-future duty and privilege brings joy and prompts preparation to meet him and to be with him in heaven at the gathering of the faithful with the last trumpet. Readiness requires purity of heart, and this hope bears good fruit in greater dependence on God for strength and grace and increased love for Jesus and Christians. Believers longed for the Saviour's coming as the time to meet him, and that hope brought calmness, solemn joy, communion with God, and an earnest of awaiting peace. The expected nearness of the personal soon return gave urgency to leading people to salvation and sharing warning. Believers look for the near return in the clouds of heaven. Christ will come for his people, raise the dead, and take the redeemed with him in the final gathering of those who served God and kept his commandments into the holy city.

The shout from heaven belongs to the future descent of the Lord himself, still reserved for that day. Great expression of joy and shouting is suppressed now while God's people prepare to meet the Lord, and reserved for when heaven and earth rejoice together with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Singers are silent now, waiting to join the angelic hosts, the choir from heaven, when earthly singers join them. The believers' joy and shouting were restrained while they waited, the shout reserved for the time of joining the angelic choir.

The hope of being translated to heaven and joining pure holy angels is sought through obedience to the Word. The Saviour's coming in the clouds is the time he gathers his people to himself, and the faithful are to be ready to belong to that company. This resurrection to meet him is part of hope of a place in the redeemed family, offered on the same terms to black and white people, with sinners who believe forgiven and received as God's sons and daughters. Faithful workers who wear out their lives remain sleeping and waiting until Christ returns on resurrection morning to raise them, and this gives living believers hope in Christ and the gospel. Those true to Christ look toward the trumpet sounding and the dead coming forth to immortality and ask whether they will be among the risen to receive the crown of victory, with this hope rather than property as chief concern at death.

The living must sanctify the Lord God in their hearts and be sanctified by virtue of Christ's blood in order to share by virtue of his resurrection in meeting the dead in Christ again. Believers await the Lord's return in the clouds when they will see him as he is and be made like him, a hope calling them to rejoice and live in readiness for his soon coming. Christ will return at the last trumpet and raise his saints, clothe them with immortality and give everlasting victory over death and the grave, and the same Christ can keep those committed to his care until that day and deliver them through troubles. This coming with the last trumpet is the hope of translation to the courts above. The loyal holy family of God will rise to enter the city, which requires being prepared by forming a Christlike character through his grace and strength. Those who keep God's commandments will be prepared to meet him at his coming bringing reunion where partings are no more.

Comfort and Hope for Mourners

The verse is comfort for Christians grieving believers who have died, that they sorrow not as those who have no hope. The promised return is a joyful, triumphant, cheering event, and present sorrow tastes bitter like Israel's waters of Marah but Jesus makes the bitter sweet with His love while waiting for the dead to rise. At the Lord's return He Himself descends from heaven with a shout, with the archangel's voice and God's trumpet, and the dead who belong to Christ rise first before the living are gathered, with the fetters of the tomb broken to eternal life. This meeting with Christ happens at His future coming, not at death, because belief that Jesus died and rose again secures that those who sleep in Jesus God will bring with Him, and the grave is unconsciousness but not the final abode, with a great and glorious redemption from it. All who shared His humiliation and sufferings share His glory, for because He triumphed over death every believing saint comes forth in triumph as the Conqueror did.

It gives comfort and hope of reunion ending grief and separation, with mourning restrained, families reunited and the broken chain restored to meet never to part. Those who sleep in Jesus rest until the resurrection morning, and are not forever parted from the living. Death does not end hope because Jesus passed through the tomb and made it hopeful, and the bereaved will meet loved ones again when Jesus honors those who loved Him, kept His commandments and received pardon, meeting where friends never part to see Him as He is and praise Him through eternity. Jesus is the only hope and consolation for the bereaved, who weep with those who weep yet joy at heart, because God will raise those who sleep in Jesus at His coming to be ever with the Lord in holy, happy, immortal life.

Believers in their closing scenes are attended by ministering angels refreshing souls with the water of life. Christ Himself brings those who sleep in Jesus from the grave at the trumpet to die no more, entering eternal morning with no night in the city of God. The dead who made Christ their hope rest until the trumpet in unconscious sleep with thoughts and awareness ceased and work ended, no longer seeing or grieving over wickedness, then hear His voice and rejoice on coming forth with awareness resumed in triumph and eyes opened to behold the King in His beauty as living and risen meet never to part. This hope enabled faithful Christians to face death without fear, to trust and wait in peace for the Saviour soon to come and call them from their prison houses to glorious immortality and reward. Those who believe Christ is their personal Saviour who sacrificed to give everlasting life will rise to glorious immortality with body changed but character unchanged, and will see the Redeemer whether dying before or alive at His coming, and He will raise them even placing crowns of glory on faithful heads.

The resurrection morning when this life closes is when everyone overcoming the world, the flesh and the devil by laying hold on Christ's divine nature by faith through His merits wins immortal life, victory over death is proclaimed, heaven's gates opened, the eternal reward given, and the redeemed dwell in His presence seeing the King in His beauty with immortal praise. The day of exile is nearly ended and the time is at hand when Christ Himself will call those sleeping in their graves. All in graves hear His voice and come forth, some to everlasting life and some to final destruction, while He raises, glorifies and brings all His saints into the city of God with immortal bodies. At the archangel's call the faithful dead rise in the first resurrection, and those losing lives in God's service claim entrance to the city and eat from the tree of life in Paradise, awakening when they hear the Lord's voice, with those dying prepared in Jesus rising from sleep.

The promise is applied individually with joyful reunion: Anna cherished it with glad anticipation of the resurrection morning when the dead in Christ rise to health and immortality. A sealed woman will rest during the time of trouble and at God's voice rise to stand among the 144,000, so her death is not reason to mourn except for separation from her company. Children who love and obey Jesus will meet their dead mother never to be parted, for none is too young to be God's child, and prepared children will meet their believing mother nevermore to part by heeding warning, giving hearts to God and knowing they love Jesus. Paul's hope of meeting the Lifegiver shows his expectation after death in the great awakening at the Lord's return. A good faithful little boy may meet his dead mother, Charles may meet his mother, faithful children will meet their father with the family reunited, mother and children separated by death meet again in the heavenly courts conditioned on faithfulness, and two sons buried in Oak Hill Cemetery wait for the trumpet call.

Faithful standard-bearers who died since the first angel's message began sleep in Jesus until His coming while fresh workers advance the work. Faithful ministers who wore out their lives sleep in the Lord until the morning of the resurrection when they are awakened. Jesus will come bringing promised deliverance encouraging believers to remain united and steadfast until He comes. The faithful can trust God's promise to meet loved ones in the City of God when the Lord descends and the dead in Christ rise after the conflict of life. Believers may rest a little while but will rise to take up work in God's kingdom and advance Christ's glory when the Lord's call comes.

The coming is an event to be longed for as ending suffering and confusion, noise, weariness and misery with a coming rest. Those left should not linger gloomily at the grave or taste only bitterness, because Jesus passed into the prison house of the grave and came forth again, the gate of heaven is ajar, and light shines on the pathway of work for those left to carry it forward. The Lord's return in the clouds is near as the event for which believers wait to be taken to Himself, and this hope should take hold of lives and be visible in how they live rather than remain idle fancy.

Summary of Verse Teaching

The verse teaches that the dead in Christ remain asleep at rest in the tomb until the morning of the resurrection, and are not raised before the Lord comes. When Christ comes in glory with power and great glory, the Lifegiver descends and calls them forth to immortal life at the sounding of the trump of God, the last trumpet. Then the righteous dead who have fallen asleep in Jesus and died in faith rise first from their graves to glorious immortality, clothed with immortal splendor, to meet their Lord in the air.

Those who have died in Christ will not remain in death but will be rescued from the grave and restored to life, and this hope comforts those mourning a loved one. Christ's own resurrection and His raising of righteous people from their tombs are evidence of what He will do for those held in death.