Who are the dead in Christ in 1 Thessalonians 4:16?

It is impossible to doubt that the Old Testament saints will share in the first resurrection. The statement that "many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven," together with 1 Cor. 15:23, Rev. 4:4, etc., place this beyond question. While, however, insisting upon this, it is still true that Paul is writing only, in the above scripture, concerning Christians. It was in respect of believers in Thessalonica, who had departed to be with Christ, that a misconception had arisen, and the apostle was instructed to remove it by a special word of the Lord; and consequently Old Testament saints are not before his mind. Those which sleep in Jesus ("have fallen asleep through Jesus") in v. 14 are the same class as "the dead in Christ" in v. 16. As they will be awaked, called out of their graves, at the coming of the Lord, they are described as sleeping. He has "abolished" death and has brought life and incorruptibility to light through the gospel (2 Tim. 1), and thus death for the believer is but a transient sleep. Stephen is accordingly described as falling asleep. But as far as this world is concerned, saints, equally with sinners, are dead; but the words appended - "in Christ" - mark them off as the Christian dead. All this class, the apostle teaches, will rise first, when the Lord descends from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and thereupon the living saints will (having been "changed" as said in 1 Cor. 15) 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. What a blessed hope and a joyful prospect!

The expression, "the dead in Christ," can only be applied to Christians. It is abundantly shown in other scriptures that the saints of previous dispensations will participate in the first resurrection (see, for example, 1 Cor. 15:23; Matt. 8:11); but, in writing to the saints at Thessalonica, the apostle has only Christians in view. This will account for the form of the expression, "dead in Christ," a term, we apprehend, impossible to use of any believers who had died, except those who lived after the death and resurrection of Christ. In Hebrews 12:23 departed Old Testament saints are described as "the spirits of just men made perfect." It is important to understand and to insist upon the distinction, connected as it is both with the truth, and with the ways of God in the revelations of His grace. E. D.

The expression, "the dead in Christ," can only be applied to Christians. It is abundantly shown in other scriptures that the saints of previous dispensations will participate in the first resurrection (see, for example, 1 Cor. 15:23; Matt. 8:11); but, in writing to the saints at Thessalonica, the apostle has only Christians in view. This will account for the form of the expression, "dead in Christ," a term, we apprehend, impossible to use of any believers who had died, except those who lived after the death and resurrection of Christ. In Hebrews 12:23 departed Old Testament saints are described as "the spirits of just men made perfect." It is important to understand and to insist upon the distinction, connected as it is both with the truth, and with the ways of God in the revelations of His grace. E. D.

It is impossible for any proof to be more simple, direct, and conclusive than this. The Thessalonian Christians, as we have already remarked, were converted to the hope of the Lord's return. They were taught to look out for it daily. It was as much a part of their Christianity to believe that He would come, as to believe that He had come and gone. Hence it came to pass that when some of their number were called to pass through death, they were taken aback; they had not anticipated this; and they feared lest the departed should miss the joy of that blissful and longed-for moment of the Lord's return. The apostle therefore writes to correct their mistake; and, in so doing, he pours a fresh flood of light upon the whole subject, and assures them that the dead in Christ — which includes all who had or shall have fallen asleep; in short, those of Old Testament times as well as those of the New — should rise first, that is, before the living are changed, and all shall ascend together to meet their descending Lord.

When the Lord Jesus comes for His own every sleeping believer will be raised up in glory. We read, "Christ the firstfruits, afterward they that are Christ's at His coming" (1 Cor. 15:23). At the same moment that the living are changed the sleepers will be raised. They will hear the shout of their Lord and the trumpet call, and will come forth to be re-united with all their brethren in His presence. The bodies of the saints sown in corruption will be raised in incorruption; sown in dishonour, will be raised in glory; sown in weakness, will be raised in power; sown as natural bodies, will be raised as spiritual bodies, conformed to Christ Himself (1 Cor. 15:42-44). No others will be raised at that time. "The Lord knows them that are His." All who have despised Him, what ever their morality and religiousness in life, will be left in their graves for the judgment at the great day.

This mighty act will include all those who have died in faith from the earliest ages. The Old Testament believers, though forming no part of the Church, and therefore not coming into the heavenly Bride, will unquestionably be raised at the same moment as the Church of God. The expressions, "They that are Christ's," in 1 Cor. 15, and "The dead in Christ," in 1 Thess. 4, take them in beyond just controversy. Abel was the first believer to die; all from his day up to the moment of the rapture will be raised simultaneously to go with Christ into the Father's house.

The dead in Christ. — Not some of the dead in Christ; not the dead in Christ who are of the church as distinct from saints, who lived before Christ came; not the dead of outstanding faithfulness, the "Elijahs" of history as distinguished from the "seven thousand" whose faithfulness consisted in the negative virtue of not bowing the knee to Baal.

Note:—At the coming of the Lord not the church only will be caught up, but “all that are Christ's,” and that will surely include all who have died in faith from Abel onward.

A. "They that are Christ's at His coming": not the church only, but the O.T. saints also, being Christ's (1 Corinthians 15:23).

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout. Did you ever learn that this word "shout" only occurs this once in the New Testament? There are words for shouting found elsewhere, but this word is quite peculiar. What is the peculiarity? The word thus employed is the technical word for an admiral's call to his seamen, or a general's to his soldiers. It is, to put it more broadly, any special call of command to those who were in special relationship to him that commanded them. And thus you see the bearing of the word on this great topic. It is not a call to the world — it is not a call to everybody. The gospel is that, and thank God for it; but this shout is only for those who know His voice, who have heard Him already — those who are familiar with His love, those who are His own, those who have learned to obey — those, therefore, that know that it is the great Captain of Salvation who is calling from on high, who is calling His own to be with Him on high. The word "shout" has nothing to do with the question of loudness, any more than it has to do with universality — the very reverse, it rather excludes it. It is exactly what would not be used by even a scholarly man in a vague general way — how much less by an inspired apostle. "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout" — it is a word of command; it is an assembling call — "with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God." All these, you see, are entirely unconnected with the world. They have to do with God's own people, for "the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we who 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."

We "shall not precede them which are asleep." Thus, suppose we are waiting for Christ to come, and that He comes, we shall not be before those saints that have departed previously. How can this be? It is answered in the next verse. "For the Lord himself," says he, "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: 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." Thus it is evident that, if there be a moment of difference, it is in favour of the sleepers, and not of those which remain alive. Those that are asleep are first wakened up. Bear in mind, sleep is for the body; the soul is never said or supposed in scripture to be asleep. But those who are asleep in their graves will be wakened up by the shout (κέλευσμα) of the Lord Jesus; for the word means the call of a commander to his men that follow, or of an admiral to his sailors. It is from one who has a relation to others under his authority; it is not a vague call to those that may not own his command, but to his own people.