1 Thessalonians 4, Jesus died and rose again

1 Thessalonians 4

1 Thessalonians 4:1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

Paul wants them to grow in their faith.

2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

You should know how to live right.

5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

Concupiscence in Greek means personal desire.

6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

If you despise the rule of man, you don't despise man.
These are the rules of God that you despise.

9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

10 And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;

Paul was proud of their brotherly love and urged them to let it continue and even grow.

11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

Go quietly about your own business, that of serving the Lord.

12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

Paul suggests here that being Christians, who know the truth and accept it, that we are different than those without the faith.
Thus he has cautioned us to work quietly in our communities, that we may walk honestly and earn their respect.

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.

Don't sorrow over those who have died even as others that love no hope of resurrection.

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

Don't sorrow over those who die in Christ, because God will bring them with Him.
What does this mean?
If He's going to bring them with Him when He comes, then they must already be there.
Note the qualification though the.. the ones who die in Christ.
Those who do not die in Christ, are not doomed, but will still be given the opportunity to believe in Him during the millennium.

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.

This is first hand knowledge "by the word of the Lord" that those living when the Lord returns shall not hinder any who have already died.
Because they are not in the grave, but in fact, are already with Him.

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:

When?
The dead in Christ shall rise first or when Christ comes.
Verse 14, we have said they are already now with Christ, and this says when He comes, they shall rise first. Lest this be confusing?
Revelation 7:14, referring to those already there who washed their roles in the blood of the Lamb.
Consider the difference between the word "rise" and "resurrect".
Revelation 7:14 refers to the first fruits, or the elect, that have passed on and been resurrection.
They are already there.
So naturally they will rise first with Christ.
As Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15, all will be raised but a few will be taken in resurrection.
In Matthew 24, we are told that two will be working in a field, and one will be taken: the other left.
The one has been raised to a higher level of thinking, so to speak, He knows and accepts the truth.
He is Christ's disciple.
He will be resurrection.
The other will be raised to an incorruptible body during the millennium (The Lord's day,1000 years), but will still have a mortal soul, "mortal" means liable to die.
This of course depends on his choice made in the millennium: to worship God to follow Satan.
Paul doesn't want you to be uncomfortable in this.
Those that die in Christ go to Him immediately.
All we bury in the ground is the flesh body, the flood and drink they consumed, the things of the flesh.
The spiritual body.. the soul.. goes back to the Father that gave it.
We are selfish and cry, but nevertheless the death of a loved one that dies in Christ is not an occasion for sorrow, but joy.
Luke 17:31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.
32 Remember Lot's wife.
33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

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.

Air means breath of life meaning your spiritual body
1 Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump (7th trumpet): for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Bible study body and soul, all will be changed into their own spiritual body at the 7th trumpet
Concerning the so called rapture, I'd like to take to Mark 13:27
Mark 13:27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
Some teach, they are already raptured in this time frame. It doesn't say this.
This means the elect that are here on earth at that time and those who have gone on through the years.
Note that the latter are already in heaven and will be gathered from there.
Note also the gathering takes place after the tribulation.
There is no physical escape from our responsibilities, such as taught by the "rapture" but a gathering to Christ, to establish His Kingdom on earth.
Now follow closely and remember God's words to the false prophets in Ezekiel 13:20, "Wherefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against your pillows (pillows which cover My truth) where with ye hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms and will let the souls go (let them hear God's truth without your lies that hide My truth) even the souls that hunt to make them fly.
You see the lie of telling our people they will be raptured or made to fly away before the tribulation of facing the false christ, for he shall come before Christ.
Our people that believe this lie will think the beautiful fallen angel, Satan, is Christ, but praise the Lord, in the millennium he will tear these soul free from Satan.
You, the elect, shall be priests to help The Lord teach them The Lord's word.
Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Christ has bestowed a great responsibility on you; thank Him daily for having chosen you.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Before we leave this chapter, I call your attention to the introductory phrase of verse 16.
The time sequence is extremely important in our age.
Use Revelation 11, as a reference here.
Christ does not return, and the 7th trump does not sound, until the two witnesses have lain in the street of Jerusalem for three and half days.
And know this: Satan will appeared, Before the last trump when Christ comes.
Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Then at this time, the two witnesses that Satan kills will rise and then you will see Christ in the air.
Many people call this the rapture.
This word is not in the Bible: nevertheless, if you must have a rapture this is it.
Matthew 24:30-31 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trump.
Then in verse 17, we are told that at this time those in Christ or the elect, that remain living shall gather together with Christ.

• Exactly 2520 years from the exile of Benjamin, Iceland became an independent nation.

• The first tribe to be conquered by the Assyrians was Manasseh, in 745 B.C. Exactly 2520 years later America became a nation on July 4, 1776.

• Study the book: Abrahamic Covenant, (A study outline of the identity of God's people) By E. Raymond Capt - page 25