1 Thessalonians 4:13
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.
‘Komaio’, the Greek word used here in asleep, is where the English word cemetery comes from.
1 Thessalonians 4:14
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.
John 11:25-26, John 14:19, 1 Corinthians 15:23, 2 Corinthians 4:14
1 Thessalonians 4:15
According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
Paul talked with the resurrected Christ in Acts 9:1-9 and 1 Corinthians 15:3-7.
1 Thessalonians 4:16
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.
The Greek word here for voice is ‘phone’. This is where the English words phone and phonics come from. The English word archangel comes from two Greek words; ‘arche’, meaning beginning or ruler, and ‘angelos’ meaning messenger.
1 Thessalonians 4:17
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.
The English words caught up in this verse come from the Greek word ‘harpazo’ which means to seize by force. ‘Harpazo’ is where the English word rapture comes from by way of the 4th century Latin Vulgate translation for harpazo which is ‘rapio’.
Other verses that contain ‘harpazo’ are: Matthew 11:12, John 10:12, John 10:28-29, Acts 8:39, 2 Corinthians 12:2,4
1 Thessalonians 4:18
Therefore encourage each other with these words.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.