1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 ~ rise first

Jesus opens His arms in Victory

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 

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 Thessalonians 4:15
5 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.

Just as the Time Jesus was being raised victoriously into Life.

Matthew 27
51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.

The Great Sleep

Daniel 12:2
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Acts 7:60
"Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not charge them with this sin.' And when he had said this, he fell asleep"

John 11:11
Jesus "said to them, 'Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.'

John 6:40
"For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."

Many times in the Old Testament we read - someone slept with his fathers.

 Even The Book of Revelation deals with sleep as Heaven is discussed for the whole book:

Revelation 6:11
Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer

Acts 17:11
Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.


1 Corinthians 15:50-52
I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 

For many years, we've all heard about marvelous life after death stories.

Jesus was asked about people returning from the dead, when Jesus was asked in:

Luke 16:30
"'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'


One of the most famous recorded returns is Pam Reynolds Lowery (1956 – May 22, 2010) was an American singer-songwriter. In 1991, at age 35, Pam died on the table for many minutes and was clinically recorded as brain dead with no life during a seven hour operation. She was operated on with ear plugs. When she woke up she was able to tell about floating, knowing the operating conversation, the tools used and being in Heaven with her grandmother. 


http://www.today.com/health/i-crossed-over-survivors-near-death-experiences-share-afterlife-stories-t12841


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2032591/Woman-comes-back-to-life-after-being-dead-for-17-hours.html

http://www.storypick.com/death-experience/

http://www.today.com/news/pronounced-dead-man-takes-miraculous-turn-2D80555113

http://www1.cbn.com/content/dr-chauncey-crandall-raising-dead

https://www.amazon.com/Dying-Be-Me-Journey-Healing/dp/1401937535

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/29/us/to-heaven-and-back/


10 Astonishing Near-Death Experiences- Wow - (Link)

Revelation 20:4-6

And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God.They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.

Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.


Now could John have meant only the people who have endured the actual tribulation, end times? The Book of Revelation is not just Scripture explaining the end of all times, The Book of Revelation is about us - meeting Jesus - the end of our lives.

Life is a test and if we do not worship other gods - if we do not worship the traditions of man - which are have variations in generation to generation, if we work to be in the world and not of the world. If we do not bear the mark of overly safe and comfortable - not spreading God's Love - We are called like the Disciple John - who was not actually beheaded - and did overcome the beast of fear during the time of Jesus' death and resurrection.

Revelation 1

12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw -

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore."

What was John doing?

I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet!


Some of John - who called Jesus The God of Love - said this of his experiences with our Hero Jesus, repeating what Peter said about Jesus being Life:


1 John 1
That which was from the beginning,
which we have heard,
which we have seen with our eyes,
which we looked upon and have touched with our hands,

concerning the word of life—
the life was made manifest,
and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life,
which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—

3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete!

Father God, In Jesus we will not let our hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Jesus. In Your Word we learn the truth, and the truth sets us free.

We are to Love one another. As Jesus has loved us, we must love one another.

Father, We ask You and You will give the advocate of Your Holy Spirit to help us and be with us and our loved ones forever. Thank You, Jesus! Amen

 ♔ Lord Jesus Saves †