Our Future Hope: Be Alert

1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:11 (ESV)

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you.

2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.

5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.

6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night.

8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.

11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Introduction

Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians is thought to be the earliest writing of his contained in the Bible. Acts records Paul’s preaching in Thessalonica, in which he is accused of preaching a king other than Caesar. It was from this point that the early church in Thessalonica began to experience persecution, so this letter is meant to encourage them through the suffering.

This early church appears to have lost some of its members to martyrdom, and concern was rising within the congregation. Some were worried that those that died would not be saved. Others appear to believe they may have missed the second-coming due to the persecution that was taking place. Universally, there is a sense of the immediacy of Christ’s return, so this fueled anxiety within the Thessalonians. They did not fully comprehend this second-coming yet, so Paul writes to them to put their minds at ease for this future hope.

Today, this letter still provides us with encouragement to persevere and exhortations that guide us in preparation for what is to come.

Exposition

1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 (ESV): “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”

You have to understand that the early church did not have all the information that we do today. There was no New Testament yet as it was still being written! Sure, they had what we call the Old Testament, but as far as the information regarding Christ, they were living in an age of great faith for the Scriptures were actively being written.

Charles Spurgeon states, “There may be some few extraordinary cases “where ignorance is bliss,” and where “’tis folly to be wise;” but, for the most part, ignorance is the mother of misery, and if we had more knowledge, we should find it a tower of strength against many fears and alarms which beget sadness and sorrows in dark untutored minds.[1]”

This scripture is not talking about those sleeping, but it is a euphemism for death. It is Paul’s desire to put the Thessalonians at ease by informing them of the things they do not understand yet—what the future Parousia holds for those that are dead and for those that are still alive. Because of their faith, their lives, whether they have died or not, have a hope in which the non-believer does not have.

1 Thessalonians 4:15 (ESV): “For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.”

Where does Paul get his information? It was through Divine revelation by which Paul has had this information revealed to him. It is the very Word of God! While Paul states that the dead will precede the living to eternal life, the Scriptures never state that the dead will only be taken up at once. Revelation 20:4–5 states that saints will be taken up prior to the millennium and another resurrection after the millennium, so it is possible that Paul is stating that the dead in Christ have already been taken up, and then when the time comes, the alive will be taken up as well.

This is comforting to know that our loved ones are already enjoying the Joy with Christ and that one day, we will too, whether we die before the Parousia or we are taken up together in a glorious event!

1 Thessalonians 4:16 (ESV): “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.”

We can only imagine how powerful this event will be. To hear the voice of an archangel, perhaps Michael, announcing the coming of the Lord. A trumpet of God then finalizes the announcement and the dead are taken up! This sound will surely leave all that are alive in Christ shaken at the impending glory of God. For the faithful, joy will arise from what is to come, whilst the unbeliever will surely be shaking in fear of the one that they have scoffed at.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 (ESV): “Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

After the dead have all been taken up, it is then that those who are alive that will be reunited with the dead and Jesus Christ in eternity. It is truly magnicient to think that we will once again see those that have left us already, but even more so to see Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Although I do miss my Grandmother and Mother dearly, they would tell you this as well—nothing is more joyous than to be with the Lord. They would not trade a moment with the Lord to return back to me or anybody else. Those with Christ have a peace that surpasses anything we have here.

1 Thessalonians 4:18 (ESV): “Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

Although it was the one year anniversary of my Mother’s untimely death, I am comforted in knowing this. She’s secured her place in Heaven already, and I am jealous. I do love my life, but I do not love it more than what my eternal life with Jesus Christ holds. I cannot comprehend what is fully to come, but I have faith that what the Scriptures tell me is true, and I look forward to it. Until then, I must persevere in the suffering so that the Lord may be glorified through it.

1 Thessalonians 5:1 (ESV): “Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you.”

This seems very peculiar that Paul would open this section by essentially saying, “You do not need to know further information.” Yet he does provide us some more information to explain why. The most important point that this statement makes is that nobody knows when this will occur. We cannot know and Jesus does not know either. The timing will be perfect and it will be known the moment it is to occur.

1 Thessalonians 5:2 (ESV): “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”

Like a thief, the second-coming will be unexpected. We do not mark our calendars and state, “Okay…April 3rd, the theif will come, so let me make sure I request that day off so I can open the house up for them…” No. It occurs without our planning and likewise, the second-coming will not occur with our work as the enabler. You are welcome to mark April 3rd down; however, for it will be my 31st birthday!

1 Thessalonians 5:3 (ESV): “While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

Paul provides us a juxtaposition of two very different outlooks here. We can envision a time where things are going well—there’s no major issues and life is going well. It is likely that people have put their guards down because there is “peace and safety” and perhaps they have forgotten about the Lord even. In contrast, the Day of the Lord will come during this time, and while we look forward to it for we will be taken up to be with the Lord, that is not the outlook for the unbelieving world.

The unbelieving world will go through judgment unexpectedly. The tides will turn from where they are cheering about how great life is to the destruction of the world as they know it for the Kingdom of God has come to establish itself as the only Kingdom. Although this is the perfect world, the impending judgment on the unbelievers is not the same joyous outlook for them, but justice must take place.

1 Thessalonians 5:4–5 (ESV): “But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.”

Paul uses figurative imagery to contrast the believer—“children of the day”—with the unbeliever—“children of darkness”. This imagery is of the spiritually alive and the spiritually dead. As the thief comes in the night, it is those that are in darkness that will not expect the thief. As we are in the light, with the knowledge and faith in Christ, we will see the thief coming and we will not be shocked. Similarly, we will not experience the destruction the judgment, but instead we will be raised to spend eternity with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:6–7 (ESV): “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night.”

Here, Paul exhorts us to both be persistent in our spiritual life and to live as the Lord has commanded us. He contrasts how differently the believers live versuses the unbeliever. We are no longer in bondage to sin, but we are free in Christ. We will not be lackadaisical when it comes to living for Christ and be caught “sleeping on the job.” Because we are in the light, or the knowledge and faith of Christ, we have no desire to live as the world lives. It is the spiritual dead, those in darkness, that are living as the world and continue in their sin.

1 Thessalonians 5:8 (ESV): “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.”

Paul expands upon his description of the believer without the contrasting imagery in this verse. Here he shows us that we must equip ourselves spiritually that will provide us hope. Through this, we will not live as those in darkness do.

1 Thessalonians 5:9–10 (ESV): “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.”

We are reassured again that both those that are dead in Christ and those that are alive in Christ will be saved. We will be spared from the impending judgment. Instead, we will live with Christ eternally, in a state that the joy surpasses anything that we have ever experienced in this life. So for anyone here that is worried, if you have been drawn to God to develop a faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, so that it is not yourself for who you live for, but him, then you have been spared from wrath.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (ESV): “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

As Paul tells us, I encourage you with these words that you may not fear the future, but have peace for Christ is with you. And when the Day of the Lord comes, you may find peace and joy for both the living and the dead will be with Christ to experience His glory.

Conclusion

No matter what you are going through today, as we discussed last week, you find present peace in Christ. It is through the Spirit that we are empowered to persevere each and every day to live for Christ. It is also through Christ that we have future hope. It is because of his death and resurrection that we have hope that we may defeat death as well, to live eternal lives with the Lord.

[1] C. H. Spurgeon, “Death, a Sleep,” in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, vol. 54 (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1908), 49.