Doesn’t the apostle Paul teach that the righteous will come down with Christ at the second coming? Part 2

Again, a surface reading of this verse seems to teach that the righteous dead “who sleep in Jesus” will come with Christ when He returns. But the next three verses make it clear that this could not possibly be the case. Why? Because the “dead in Christ” are raised from their graves when “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven” (verse 16). So it would be impossible for them to come with Christ when He comes to resurrect them.

The true meaning of this verse is revealed when we read 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23: “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. … But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming” (my emphasis). Paul stated that Jesus was raised first as a guarantee that the righteous dead would be raised “at His coming.” Jesus said, “Because I live, you will live also” (John 14:19). His resurrection makes it possible for God to raise us as He did Christ.

This is what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:14: “If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep [those who are dead] in Jesus.” The words “with Him” do not mean that the resurrected ones will be brought from heaven with Him at His coming, but that God will “bring” up those who are sleeping in their graves, just as He brought forth Jesus from the grave.

In Hebrews 13:20, we read that “God … brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead.” The text in 1 Thessalonians 4:14 says that God will bring those who “sleep in Jesus”—an obvious reference to the resurrection. Paul is simply stating that because God brought Jesus from the grave, we have a guarantee that He will bring sleeping saints forth in the same way at the time of His coming.

Key Bible Texts

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (1 Thessalonians 4:14 KJV)