These are without a doubt my favorite passages in all of scripture. What hope, what encouragement, what joy is represented in these verses! The apostle Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote these words to let us, as believers, know that death is not the end; far from it. If we know Jesus as our personal Savior and friend, and He returns at the rapture of the church to collect His own, our loved ones who have died in Christ before us will come out of the grave and ascend just before us to meet Jesus in the air as he descends with a shout and triumphant voice, and then we, too, will rise into the air to always be with Him in heaven. Never again will we be plagued by the sin of earth; never again to be beset by earth’s problems and issues. Do you fear death? You shouldn’t, if you are in Christ. It truly is a joyous time to look forward to—maybe even today!

“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. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”