1 Thessalonians 4

1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk* and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

G4043 περιπατέω peripateo (pe-riy-pa-te’-ō) v. to tread all around, i.e. walk at large (especially as proof of ability). to live, deport oneself, to follow.

2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

• John 7:16 “Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.”
• Proverbs 4:2 “For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.”
• Job 11:4 “For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.”

• Matthew 5:18 “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”
• Matthew 5:17 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”

3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: [false god worship]

4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

G1939 ἐπιθυμία epithumia (e-piy-thï-miy’-a) n. a lust for what is forbidden. The First commandment!

• 1 John 5:2 “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.”

6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

• Leviticus 25:14 “When you sell property to your neighbor or buy any from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another.”
• Romans 12:19 “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

• John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

10 And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;

11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

• 2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
• Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”

12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

• Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep*, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope*.

• G2837 κοιμάω koimao (koi-maō’) v. to decease.
• G1680 ἐλπίς elpis (el-piys’) n. The Expectation of Resurrection through Jesus (Messiah) unto Eternal Life and Glorification alongside Him.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

A little personal disclosure. I have had conversations at length with my mother about this very topic. She cannot fathom the prospect that people prior to the existence of Yeshua in the flesh were or are capable of “accepting Christ”. There is a lot to uncover here and way too much to include in this piece. At this venture please accept the following… John 1:1, 1:14 … humans like Abraham and Noah had direct access to Yeshua. Please seek out the study on the book of Hebrews for a deeper answer to this enigma.

15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

God is telling us clearly that there is no difference between “us” and “them.” This concept of separation is Talmudic Judaism which has been adopted by the church only turned on its ear. Talmudic Judaism say the follower must be subject to the Torah AND the traditions of the Pharisees. These would not allow the mixing of company and certainly didn’t believe the heathen or Gentile could be redeemed. This is dispelled in Acts 10.

• Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
• Acts 10:28 “ And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.”

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

This verse is used in various forms to again separate the masses based on a time frame. God will divide humanity by their faith and dedication to His Word. This is dispensationalism and it is disgusting. God wants our heart not our rote conduct.

“Yom Turah” is a Hebrew phrase that translates to “Day of Blasting” or “Day of Shouting.” It refers to a specific day or event mentioned in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), particularly in the context of the Feast of Trumpets, known in Hebrew as “Yom Teruah” (יוֹם תְּרוּעָה).

Yom Teruah is one of the appointed feasts (or festivals) of the Lord outlined in Leviticus 23:23-25 and Numbers 29:1-6. It occurs on the first day of the seventh month (Tishrei) of the Hebrew calendar, which corresponds roughly to September or October in the Gregorian calendar. This day is marked by the blowing of trumpets (shofars) as a call to assembly and a reminder for the people to prepare spiritually for the upcoming Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot).

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Matthew 1:23 “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

The church proclaims we know nothing of our redemption, which is a lie, and that it will surprise the world when it happens. Conversely, God tell us exactly the conditions needed to identify when it will happen and we should be aware of the signs. Paul states this in the very next chapter!