“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). 

The apostle affirmed the events of Jesus’s return with clarity and authority. Paul systematically explained what would happen on that great day.

Jesus’s return will be personal (“the Lord Himself will descend”). No representative will stand in His place.

The return of the Lord will be visible. Just as He ascended, so shall He “descend from heaven” (Acts 1:9-11). The rapture theory of an invisible presence of Jesus and the unseen catching away of saints is a false doctrine.

With a shout, He will command the dead to rise (John 5:28-29). The archangel will lead Christ’s angelic attendants in this moment of transcendent power and victory over the grave (2 Thess. 1:7).

The trumpet of God will sound, signaling liberty from death and the gathering of God’s people (1 Cor. 15:52; cf. Lev. 25:9-10; Num. 10:3). With this signal, dead Christians will rise first (before the living Christians are changed, 1 Thess. 4:15; 1 Cor. 15:52).

Paul’s message informs and comforts Christians about fellow Christians who die before Christ returns (1 Thess. 4:13-15). Indeed, every person will be resurrected from the dead when Jesus returns (1 Cor. 15:21-22). But this passage comforts Christians about departed saints, assuring us that death will not deter our hope of eternal glory. Every Christian will share in the Lord’s glory on that great day (Col. 3:4; 2 Thess. 1:10).

Christians do not sorrow without hope when death comes because we anticipate a great day of glory and eternal reward (2 Tim. 4:8).