First, Paul wrote: “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 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. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord,” according to 1-Thessalonians 4:13-17.

In these verses, the apostle addresses the Thessalonians’ lack of understanding regarding the situation of individuals who have died as a result of their faith in Christ. It is important to note that the word Christ used to describe that situation has significant meaning for every believer today. Paul informed them that they had fallen asleep in their seats. He chose the Greek term KOIMAW for the word translated as sleepy because it carries the connotation of “to slumber in death” among other things. This word is used to describe the deaths of Lazarus, Stephen, David, and Jesus Christ, all of whom died on the same day.

Lazarus: “These things He said, and after that He said to them, ‘Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up’” , according to John 11:11. Stephen: �

��Then Stephen knelt down and cried out with a loud voice ‘Lord, do not charge them with this sin.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep” according to Acts 7:60. David: “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption” according to Acts 13:36. Jesus Christ: “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep”, according to 1 Corinthians 15:20.

The reality of death that is underlined in the magnificent phrase that early Christians used to designate the burial sites of their loved ones. In fact, it was the Greek word KOIMETERION, which literally translates as “a resting place for strangers, a sleeping place.” It is from this word that we derive the English word cemetery. In Paul’s day, this word was used to refer to inns, which is similar to what we would call a hotel or motel today. When Christians die, it is as if they are slumbering quietly in a place of rest, waiting to be reawakened when the Lord returns. The words are significant because they express the Christian notion of death, which is not one of tragic finality, but rather one of brief sleep. Following that, we see Paul supporting their optimism that their loved ones will come back to life in the next section of the Thessalonians text. He accomplishes this by linking that hope to the Resurrection and the Rapture: “lest you be sorrowful as those who have no hope,” he writes. In other words, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, God will also bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus, according to 1 Thessalonians 4:13–14. When Paul writes this letter to the Thessalonians, he explains that God’s plan for our future gives us such a new perspective on death. Therefore, when someone we love dies, we are not overcome with sorrow and despair because on the day when those who are alive in Christ will be raptured, those who died in Christ will also be raised to be with Him.