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To: Jonty30

So what do you do with 1 Thess 4:13-17?


198 posted on 03/19/2023 3:36:11 PM PDT by MHGinTN (A dispensation perspective is a powerful tool for discernment)
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To: MHGinTN

1 Thess 4:13-17
13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Sleep is an euphemism for death. Christ clarified that when He used it and the disciples took it literally. It’s a temporary state of man when he will be resurrected for eternity or judgement.

John 11:11-14
11These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” 12Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” 13However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. 14Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”

Lazurus wanted to know who woke him up. He did not ask who brought him down from Heaven or up from Hell. From Lazurus’s perspective, it seemed to him that he was sleeping. That’s how it will feel to us when we are resurrected, we will have the perception that we were asleep.

As terrible as the idea of not existing, while in a state of death, can be bothersome it is only temporary. The saved, at the coming of the Christ will be resurrected and they will live forever.

You’ll notice that, when Christ comes with His angels and with the shout of the Archangel, the dead in Christ are resurrected and the living are translated. It does not say that Christ will come with man and angels, just angels.

Yes, we will be resurrected for eternity. That I believe.


200 posted on 03/19/2023 3:50:37 PM PDT by Jonty30 (It is not how many that go into Mexico that counts. It is how many that return from Mexico.)
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