What does it mean that the dead in Christ shall rise first (1 Thessalonians 4:16)?

But mark the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to His young disciples: He assures their hearts, that in the order of events connected with His coming, the first that takes place is the resurrection of those who had fallen asleep in Jesus, and that, in place of losing anything by having departed, they will be the first that are ready to go up and meet the Lord. "The dead in Christ shall rise first." So far from those who have fallen asleep in Jesus missing the joyful hour of His coming, they will be raised before the living are changed. This is grace, the grace of the Lord Jesus at the same time we know that every event connected with His coming shall be accomplished in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, so that the interval cannot be estimated.

But now, my soul, observe in silent wonder the shining forth of this twofold glory of the Lord Jesus; He rises from His throne, He descends from heaven, He gives the word Himself, the voice of the archangel passes it on, and the trumpet gives a well-known sound. The imagery is military. As well-trained troops know the orders of their commander by the sound of the trumpet, so will the army of the Lord answer instantly to His call. All the dead in Christ shall rise, and all the living shall be changed; and they shall all enter into the cloud, and be caught up together, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall they ever be with the Lord. No separation then: therefore the apostle adds, "Comfort one another with these words."

We notice of course that this Scripture does not give us all the details connected with this blessed hope. We might wish to enquire for instance in just what condition the dead in Christ are raised? This we find answered very fully in 1 Corinthians 15. That chapter also informs us of the change that must take place as to the bodies of all saints who are alive when He comes. We must be changed into a spiritual and incorruptible condition ere we are "caught up." That chapter also tells us that all will take place "in a moment in the twinkling of an eye," which assures us that though the dead in Christ shall rise first, the precedence they are granted will be a matter of but just a moment.

When the Lord comes the saints will be divided into two classes — (1) "we which are alive and remain" (2) "them which are asleep." Evidently the Thessalonians to begin with had not contemplated the possibility of there being this second class at all. Even later they probably imagined that the first class would form the majority and the second the minority; and hence there would be the tendency to treat the second class as a negligible factor. Verse 15 corrects this tendency. The fact was, as the Apostle assures them, that the saints in class one would not "prevent" — that is, "go before" or "have precedence over" — those in class two. If there was to be any precedence given at all it would be accorded to class two as verse 16 shows, for there it is stated that "the dead in Christ shall rise first."

But how so, since they sleep in death, and He comes from heaven in power and glory? Hereon follows a most enlightening and fresh communication, "in the word of the Lord," which clears up the difficulty by unfolding the order of events, and thus the way by which the sleeping saints are to come with Jesus. The Thessalonian believers had fancied the departed would miss the blissful reunion, or at least come behind the living that remain. But it is not so. "For this we say to you in [the] word of [the] Lord, that we, the living that remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede those put to sleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout of command, with archangel's voice, and with trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we, the living that remain, shall be caught up together with them in clouds to meet the Lord in [the] air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. So then encourage one another with these words." Such is the wondrous intimation in this striking episode which brings us up parenthetically to the introductory words which assured them that the Lord would come, and the saints, including those that sleep, along with Him. Here we learn how it can be: He first descends for them, and afterwards brings them with Him.

If the premises were true the inference might be a fair one. But the grief of the Thessalonians was not the mere personal grief of separation, and the apostle's comfort for them is not the mere prospect of reunion. It is, that "we which are alive and remain to the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (or precede) them which are asleep; for … the dead in Christ shall rise first." The thought of the Thessalonian saints was this, that if Christ were to come, as they believed He soon might, the dead in Christ would be shut out of the joy of welcoming and being with Him then by the fact of their death. The apostle assures them the living would have no precedence over the dead in this respect: the dead in Christ would be raised even before the change of the living, and together they would be caught up to meet the Lord and be with Him. Thus the intermediate state was not at all in question. How could it be for those ALIVE till the coming of the Lord? How could living people be united with dead ones in an intermediate state?

But the question naturally arises, How can the Lord bring His people with Him? Surely He must in the first place take them to be with Him? That is exactly what the last four verses of chap. 4 explain. The apostle shows that when the Lord Himself comes to claim His loved Bride, He first raises the dead saints, then changes the living, and both together are caught up to meet Him in the air. It is true you have the voice of the archangel, but the Lord Himself descends from heaven with a shout, and it is His shout that the sleeping saints will hear (John 5:28). Would you not like to hear that shout? Would you not like to see your Lord this very night? Could anything gladden your heart like seeing that precious Saviour who has died for you, and fitted you for glory? Besides the shout, and the archangel's voice, there is the trump of God — no doubt a military allusion. The general gives the word of command, the aide-de-camp passes it on, and the trumpeter rings out the order to all the field. So will it be when the Lord comes.

When the shout, and the voice, and the trump are heard, the first movement is among the dead saints. The dead in Christ — not the dead out of Christ — shall rise first. "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" (1 Thess. 4:17). Oh, what a prospect! How sweet! How comforting! I delight to think it may be tonight we shall hear the voice of our blessed Lord Jesus, and shall rise to meet Him, and be with Him for ever. The dead in Christ of every clime and age will rise in the likeness of Christ. The bodies sown in weakness, dishonour, and corruption will be raised in power, glory, and incorruption, after the pattern of Christ's resurrection. "This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection: on such the second death has no power" (Rev. 20:5-6). If the saint is in the grave, when the Lord comes, he will be taken out of that grave, in the very likeness of Christ. The Holy Ghost says, "When he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." And what then? We shall be for ever with Him. What a prospect!

The righteous dead shall rise first; then the living righteous shall be changed, and "shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord." All this is a matter which belongs exclusively to the saints - to those who, sleeping or living, are Christ's, and who will be, from that moment, for ever with the Lord.

A great fact is stated in verse 14. "If we believe that Jesus died and rose again; even so God will, with Him, bring those that fall asleep in Him" (compare 1 Cor. 15). And here faith reposes in God. He raised from the dead Him who gave His life for us; and He will also raise up those who are for ever linked up with Jesus. They shall have bodies of glory like His own (compare Phil. 3). And not only shall the living ones not hinder (prevent) the departed; but as regards the order, "the dead in CHRIST shall rise first." "The LORD HIMSELF shall descend from heaven with a shout," etc. Note here, THAT DEATH IS NOT THE COMING OF THE LORD. When Stephen was dying, he looked up and saw Jesus at the right hand of God in heaven (Acts 7). But for the saints — not for their spirits as at death, but themselves, bodies and spirits united — the LORD HIMSELF is to come from heaven. Since His ascension He has been — as the exalted Man, seated at God's right hand. There He lives to intercede for us, as we pass through this scene of failure. When He rises from the throne, it will be to descend to the air for us. 2. From that halting place will go forth "the shout." This expression — "shout" — is a military one, used for the sound that summonses not a few but ALL the troops. Understood only by the drilled ones, it suggests that none will hear the gathering call but the saints. The world will soon find that we are gone, and, as did the sons of the prophets in the days of Elijah, go searching for us; but alas for them! blessed for us!! 3. Only the "dead in Christ" are to rise when He comes for the saints. We wait not, you see, for "general resurrection;" but saints "in the body" and "out of the body" wait for their LORD; who, having first subdued all things to Himself — His Saints being with Him in the regeneration — then the wicked dead are called forth to be judged at the white throne (Rev. 20).

The apostle here therefore explains how the Lord will act at His coming. So far from unavailing sorrow and unintelligent disappointment, they should rejoice that God will bring with Jesus those put to sleep by Him. This will be for introducing the kingdom: but how? Are not the living to precede those that sleep? Certainly not. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with an assembling shout, with archangel's voice, and with the trump of God; and instead of being anticipated, still less of losing their place in the kingdom, "the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we the living that survive shall be caught up together with them in clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord." He comes for the saints, dead and living, to be thenceforward for ever with Him; so that, when the moment arrives to come in His kingdom and in the execution of the judgment that precedes its establishment in peace, they all follow Him out of heaven, and are manifested with Him in glory. Compare 1 Corinthians 15:23, 51, 52; Colossians 3:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:1; Jude 1:4; Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:14.

How will He come for us? "With a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." That shout will rally all His own. How wonderful will be the immediate effect of His coming! "The dead in Christ shall rise first." His own will hear the voice of the Son of God and will come forth from their burial places. He manifested His glory at the tomb of Lazarus, when "He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth." Someone has said that had He not on that occasion cried, "Lazarus, come forth" all that were in the tombs would have come forth. In John 5:28-29 we read that "all that are in the graves shall hear His voice and shall come forth." Hence He spoke selectively in the day of John 11, and His shout when he comes again will be selective, for only those dead in Christ will recognise and respond to it. All the sleeping saints will be raised, and all the living saints changed, and all caught up to meet their Lord. To be with Him for ever is our prospect.