Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Thessalonians 4:16

"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;" — 1 Thessalonians 4:16 (ASV)

The authority that validates Paul’s affirmation in v.14 is nothing less than “the Lord’s own word” (cf. 1:8). Various attempts have been made to identify this source more specifically. Some say Jesus spoke the words while on earth, their substance being recorded later in such places as Mt 24:30–31 and Jn 6:39-40; 11:25–26. Similarities between 1 Thessalonians 4:15–17 and the gospel accounts include a trumpet (Matthew 24:31), a resurrection , and a gathering of the elect (Matthew 21:31). Yet dissimilarities between it and the canonical sayings of Christ far outweigh the resemblances. For example, (1) in Matthew the Son of Man is coming on the clouds, in 1 Thessalonians ascending believers are in them; (2) in the former the angels gather, in the latter the Son does so personally; (3) in the former nothing is said about resurrection, while in the latter this is the main theme; (4) the former records nothing about the order of ascent, which is the principal lesson here in 1 Thessalonians. Distinctions between this and the Johannine passages are just as pronounced.

Other suggestions about the source also seem unlikely, such as a saying of Jesus not contained in the canonical gospels (cf. Acts 20:35). Because of its relevance to early Christian circumstances, such a saying of Jesus as important as this one would hardly have been passed over by the gospel writers. Nor is it likely that Paul was claiming this special authority for his own personal utterances.

The best solution is to see “the Lord’s own word” as a direct revelation to the church through one of her prophets—Paul himself or possibly someone else. The NT prophet’s function was to instruct and console believers (cf. v.18 with 1 Corinthians 14:31), utilizing predictions about the future in the process (Acts 11:27–28; Acts 21:11). Since these elements are prominent here and since 1 Corinthians 15:51 classifies this subject as “mystery” revelation, which is a characteristic of prophetic utterances, this explanation of Paul’s external authority is quite satisfactory.

Nowhere in these letters are the addressees reminded of having heard this teaching previously, though they were fully informed about “the day of the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). How they could have been uninformed about this detail of the parousia (v.13) is not disclosed. Conceivably it was a special revelation to Paul as he was answering their question through Timothy. Whenever it came, it was now the privilege of the Thessalonians to know certain details about the role of departed believers in the parousia.

The first part of Paul’s prophetic revelation in vv.15–17 tells what will not happen. Believers who are still alive at the parousia will not go to meet Christ before the dead in Christ do so (v.15). When Paul uses “we,” he apparently places this event within his own lifetime. How then can it be explained that the parousia did not precede Paul’s death? To theorize that Paul was mistaken and to consider biblical inspiration in the light of such errors is to ignore Paul’s avoidance of date setting (5:1–2). In view of Jesus’ own teaching about our not knowing the day or hour of his coming (Matthew 24:36; cf. Acts 1:7), surely Paul would not limit it to his own life span.

There is some plausibility to seeing Paul as establishing two categories— those alive and those asleep. Since he did not fit into the latter, he had to place himself with the former. But this view fails to explain the emphasis in the Greek on the word “we” or tell us why Paul did not speak impersonally in the third person.

The best solution is to see Paul setting an example of expectancy for the church of all ages. Proper Christian anticipation includes the imminent return of Christ. His coming will be sudden and unexpected, an any-moment possibility. No divinely revealed prophecies remain to be fulfilled before that event. Without setting a date, Paul hoped that it would transpire in his own lifetime. While entertaining the possibility of his own death (2 Timothy 4:6–8) and not desiring to contravene Christ’s teaching about delay (Matthew 24:48; Matthew 25:5),

Paul, along with all primitive Christianity, reckoned on the prospect of remaining alive until Christ returned (Romans 13:11; 1 Corinthians 7:26, 29; Romans 10:11; Romans 15:51–52; Romans 16:22) —a personal hope of his (2 Corinthians 5:1–4; 2 Timothy 4:8; Titus 2:11– 13). Had this not been the Thessalonians’ outlook, their question regarding the dead in Christ and possible exclusion from the parousia would have been meaningless. They were thinking in terms of an imminent return, expecting to see it before their death. They were not anticipating an intervening period of messianic woes or birthpangs. Hence, Paul believed and taught his converts that the next event on the prophetic calendar for them was their being gathered to Christ.

This teaching about a future parousia that will be a cosmic and datable event in world history is as valid for the twentieth century as it was for the first. Just as God intervened in history through his Son’s first coming, so he will do at his return.

The principal assertion of v.15, then, concerns those who are alive and anticipating Christ’s momentary return and their relation to “those who have fallen asleep.” The former group “will certainly not precede” the latter. This strong assertion alleviates the Thessalonians’ apprehension about their dead.

The positive chronology of vv.16–17 supports this strong statement (cf. “for” at the beginning of v.16). “The Lord himself will come down from heaven,” where he has been since ascending to the Father’s right hand. In so doing, he will issue “a loud command” in order to awaken “those who have fallen asleep.” Associated with the command will be “the voice of the archangel,” probably Michael (Jude 9), and “the trumpet call” (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:52). Immediately thereafter, “the dead in Christ” will rise. Far from being excluded from the parousia, they will be main participants in the first act of the Lord’s return. This word of comfort must have brought great relief to the Thessalonians, and it has certainly done so for innumerable Christians after them.

Only “after that” (v.17) will living Christians “be caught up” for the meeting with Christ. The interval separating these two groups will be infinitesimally small by human reckoning. Yet the dead in Christ will be the first to share in the glory of his visit. Then the living among whom Paul still hoped to be (cf. “we”) will be suddenly snatched away (“caught up”; GK 773; cf. Acts 8:39; 2 Corinthians 12:2, 4; Revelation 12:5). This term in Latin, raptus, is the source of the popular designation of this event as “the rapture.” So sudden will it be that Paul likens it to a blinking of the eye (1 Corinthians 15:52). In this rapid sequence the living will undergo an immediate change from mortality to immortality (1 Corinthians 15:52–53), after which they will be insusceptible to death. Both resurrected and changed believers will ascend, be enshrouded in the clouds of the sky (cf. Acts 1:9), and “meet” the Lord somewhere in the interspace between earth and heaven (“air”; GK 113).

The nature of this meeting deserves comment. Some feel that the technical force of the word “meet” (GK 561) is relevant here—i.e., a visitor is formally met by a delegation of citizens and ceremonially escorted back into their city (cf. its use in Mt 25:6; Acts 28:15–16). On this basis, they contend that Christians go out to meet the Lord and return with him as he continues his advent to earth. But this is debatable. It should be emphasized that the saints are being snatched away rather than advancing on their own to meet the visitor. A meeting in the air is pointless unless they continue on to heaven with the Lord who has come out to meet them. Tradition stemming from Jesus’ parting instructions fixes the immediate destination following the meeting as the Father’s house, i.e., heaven .

The location is secondary, however, in light of the final outcome. To “be with the Lord forever” represents the fruition of a relationship begun at the new birth and far outweighs any other consideration of time and eternity.