The subject of end-times – Christ's return, final judgment, and our eternal destiny – fascinates many Christians. We need to recognize that this fascination is not new. Even in the early church, people wanted to know: "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" (Matthew 24:3). Jesus' disciples asked him about "the end" before His crucifixion. His resurrection and return to His Father's side heightened that fascination, and the passage of time has made each generation increasingly interested in the subject.
In 1 Thessalonians 4, the Apostle Paul addressed the concerns of the people in one of the churches he had established. It had been about 20 years since Jesus' resurrection and ascension. The early believers expected Jesus' return to be imminent.
From the time that Jesus had returned to the Father, the words of the two witnesses who appeared to the apostles had no doubt been shared throughout the Church: "This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).
So when would it happen? Of course, Jesus made it clear to His disciples that they shouldn't focus on when it would happen; they simply needed to make sure that they were ready: "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming" (see Matthew 24:36, 42). By Paul's day, people were starting to wonder: what about those who die before Jesus returns? What happens to them?
‘What Happens?’ is Also Not a New Question
In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Paul sets forth important reminders for everyone. First, he calls us to understand: "We do not want you to be uninformed" (verse 13). Too often, people let their minds run wild when they don't understand something.
Fear of the unknown leads us to doubt, and Satan is only too happy to lead us down that path. Instead of thinking about the joy that is to come, we get distracted. "What about…?"
Jesus Promised That He Would Return and Take Us to Be Where He Is
The apostles faced that same temptation on the night that Jesus would be betrayed. Jesus refocused their attention: "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you will also be" (John 14:1-3). Jesus has promised, and not even His crucifixion could stop that promise from being fulfilled.
Think about that: Jesus promised that He would come back before He was crucified! He knew that He was going to die, but also that He would rise again. And as He told Martha at Lazarus' tomb, He is the resurrection and the life; all who live and believe in Him will never die (John 11:25-26). His physical death and resurrection demonstrated His power over death – so why would our physical death keep us from experiencing the joys of His eternal kingdom?
Even though the Gospels had not yet been written when Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians, the truth of Jesus' teaching had been shared throughout the Church. Jesus said that He was preparing a place for us. The One who raised Lazarus from the dead was later raised Himself. Physical death holds no power over Him – not His own physical death, and not ours. So why would our "falling asleep" pose any difficulty for Jesus?
Scripture Says That Those Who Have Died Are ‘Asleep in Christ’
Paul describes those who have died prior to Jesus' return as having "fallen asleep" (1 Thessalonians 4:13). That's the same language that Jesus used in John 11 to describe what had happened to Lazarus (John 11:11). The disciples misunderstood; they thought He was talking about actual "sleep." So Jesus clarified that Lazarus had died (John 11:14-15) – but He still said that He was going to "wake Him up" (John 11:11). In the spiritual context, "falling asleep" refers to physical death – but it also reminds us that physical death is not the end.
So Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:15 that those of us who are still alive "will not precede those who have fallen asleep." He describes what will happen at Christ's return: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, 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" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
What Happens While the Dead in Christ Are ‘Sleeping’?
Well, what happens while the dead are "sleeping"? Scripture does not give us a direct answer to that question – probably because it shouldn't matter to us. Will we "try harder" if our time of "sleeping" sounds good to us? Will we turn our backs on Christ if we don't like the answer? Hopefully, the answer to both questions is a resounding "No!" Our bodies may be "resting," as we wait to receive our resurrection bodies (see 1 Corinthians 15:42-55). Will our spirits be resting? Will we be with Jesus immediately in our spirits while we wait to receive our resurrection bodies? After all, Jesus did tell the thief by His side, "Today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43). What would that mean if that "being with Jesus" did not involve awareness?
Scripture Tells Us to ‘Encourage One Another With These Words’
One other point needs to be addressed. Paul's description in 1 Thessalonians 4 relates to "the coming of the Lord." Christians have many different views about when that will happen, and what will take place before and after it. That leads to different understandings about what "the rapture" actually is, and when it will take place. Those questions are not important to our question: "What happens to Christians who die before the rapture?" Those believers are "asleep in Christ," and at His return, they will "rise first."
No matter how we understand what their "sleep" entails, that's just the prologue. What's important is what happens after – when we go to spend eternity in God's kingdom. And that's why Paul closes his comments in 1 Thessalonians 4 with these words: "Therefore, comfort [or 'encourage'] one another with these words" (4:18)!
Ultimately, Paul's purpose in addressing these questions was not to satisfy curiosity about timelines or mechanics but to steady anxious hearts with hope. The details of what happens between death and resurrection are far less important than the certainty of what comes after: we will be with the Lord forever. Whether living or "asleep in Christ," believers share the same future—resurrection, reunion, and eternal life in God's presence. That is why Paul does not end this passage with debate or diagrams, but with comfort.
The promise of Christ's return transforms grief into hope and uncertainty into confidence. Whatever questions remain unanswered, this truth stands firm: death does not separate us from Jesus, nor does it rob us of the joy that is to come. For that reason, we can—and should—encourage one another with these words.
