The Coming of the Lord

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, (A)that you may not grieve as others do (B)who have no hope. 14 For (C)since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him (D)those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you (E)by a word from the Lord,[a] that (F)we who are alive, who are left until (G)the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For (H)the Lord himself will descend (I)from heaven (J)with a cry of command, with the voice of (K)an archangel, and (L)with the sound of the trumpet of God. And (M)the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be (N)caught up together with them (O)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so (P)we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Thessalonians 4:15 Or by the word of the Lord

Believers who have died

13 Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about people who have died[a] so that you won’t mourn like others who don’t have any hope. 14 Since we believe that Jesus died and rose, so we also believe that God will bring with him those who have died in Jesus. 15 What we are saying is a message from the Lord: we who are alive and still around at the Lord’s coming definitely won’t go ahead of those who have died. 16 This is because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with the signal of a shout by the head angel and a blast on God’s trumpet. First, those who are dead in Christ will rise. 17 Then, we who are living and still around will be taken up together with them in the clouds to meet with the Lord in the air. That way we will always be with the Lord. 18 So encourage each other with these words.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 Or fallen asleep