State of the Dead continued

1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 (KJV)- My notes are below. State of the Dead with rapture timing as a side bar.

13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

5 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Verse 13-14- Paul wanted to let the Thessalonians know that they had a hope for their dead brethen in Christ unlike unbelievers that didn't have no hope. What was this hope? Notice that it wasn't that their dead brethren were in Heaven as spirit creatures but that like Jesus their dead brethren would be raised from the dead. God at the last day will raise the dead in Christ first, so we see that this is the hope for the dead in Christ and those that have ever lost a dear brother or sister to death. Paul describes these dead brethen as asleep not as spirit creatures floating around in Heaven. Once we die we return to the dust and know nothing until we are raised up at the last day. Paul never gives the Thessalonians any comfort that their loved ones are in Heaven. If we went to Heaven right when we die, wouldn't it make sense for Paul to offer that as comfort rather than just talking about the last day resurrection?  Floating spirit creatures in Heaven is a Jehovah Witness and Catholic doctrine that many Christians have bought into. It is also a very dangerous teaching that leads to spiritualism and false visions of the afterlife (Hell and Heaven) through near death experiences. Never believe anyone who says they went to Heaven or Hell during a newr death experience.  The Bible contradicts this type of foolishness and spiritualism. 

Verse 15-Paul makes it clear that we who are alive at the second coming of Christ (the true rapture) will not prevent those which are asleep. Again, it is made clear that the dead in Christ from the start of time until the last day are asleep (dead, unconscious) not floating around in Heaven as little Casper's.

Verse 16-17-The description of this event makes it clear that the resurrection of the dead in Christ and the rapture (those who remain alive) is at the last day. The trump of God (7th and last trumpet). Jesus will descend with a shout, with the voice of the archangel. Again reiterated is that the DEAD (not spirits in Heaven) in Christ rise first. We who are alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to be with the Lord forever.

Verse 18- Very important scripture here, Paul tells the Thessalonians to comfort one another with these words. What was the comfort here? That their dead brethren were in Heaven as spirit creatures or disembodied souls? No! not one mention of that! That this event of Christ coming for his Church (the rapture) would be before the great tribulation? Nope, we see that this event is at the last day (verse 16) not seven years before, the comfort here has nothing to do with the  timing of the rapture. The comfort here as noted in verse 13, is that the Thessalonians loved ones, who have died in Christ and are asleep, will at the last day be raised from the dead just as Jesus was. If there loved ones were already in Heaven, Paul would have surely offered that as comfort but he didn't because they go to the grave (sheol, haides which is translated hell in many Bible's) after death and sleep unconscious until the last day when Jehovah will raise them up.

1 Thessalonians 5

Verse 2- This is one of the most misunderstood verse out there. Many Pre trib rapture proponents use this verse to say that the rapture could happen at any time. We will see in verse 4 and 5, the clarification of verse 2.

Verse 4-5- Since we as Christians (obedient Christians) are not in darkness the great and terrible day of the Lord will not overtake us as a thief as we walk in the light not in darkness. The coming of Christ (resurrection and rapture and final bowl judgments) will only come as a thief for unbelievers and apostate christians.

Verse 6- Paul tells the Thessalonians not to sleep (be lukewarm and have your head in the sand) but rather to watch (be a watchman, exposing false doctrine and looking for our redemption which is the day of the Lord). He also tells them to be sober which means don't be drunken with the affairs of this life whether lust (sexual, material, power), love of money,  love of this world, drunkenness,  sorcery (drug use and spiritualism), revelry (going to clubs and bars) and the things in it (sports and entertainment), loving family more than Jehovah. 

Verse 8- We are exhorted by Paul to put on the armor of God (See Ephesians 6). We need it every day and especially in these bery last days.

Verse 9- Another verse that is misunderstood by the Pre Tribulation rapture theorists. They fail to differentiate between the wrath of Jehovah and the tribulation of the antichrist who is inspired by Satan (see Revelation 12:17). We as Christians are not appointed to Jehovah's wrath whether in this life or in the judgment as we are part of the first resurrection. The final wrath of God, the seven bowl judgments, will take place after we are caught up into the clouds with those in Christ who were raised from the dead. We are not appointed to that however we will go through the great tribulation which again is inspired by the Dragon (Satan) and is executed by the antichrist (The papacy).

Verse 10-11- Again, Paul makes reference to those asleep (unconscious dead) in Christ and also makes mention of those who are alive and that either way we will live together with the Lord. There is absolutely no mention of a third class of Saints that are in Heaven as spirit creatures or disembodied souls.  Why is this? Because it doesn't exist. Anyone who has been raised from the dead or raptured into Heaven will have a glorified incorruptible body. Again, Paul mentions the exhortatiom to comfort one another. What is the comfort? It's that whether we are asleep (dead and unconscious) in Christ or we are alive, that we will all live together with Christ forever, either by being raised from the dead by Jehovah (last day resurrection) or being caught up to the clouds (last day rapture after the raising of the dead). Again, no mention of those who die in Christ prior to the last day being in Heaven as spirit creatures or disembodied souls. Why is this?  Because it's not in the Bible!