Bible Strands
1 Thessalonians 4:16
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Paul writes to the Thessalonian church, which is grieving for believers who have died and fears they will miss the parousia. He is fixing the sequence of events so the living do not assume they precede the dead.
The words — κελεύσματι (keleusmati) is a military command-blast, the sharp summons a Roman centurion used to assemble troops; it is not a gentle call but an authoritative order.
The thread — The coming-with-clouds and visible return motif appears in Matthew 24:30 and Revelation 1:7; the "not all will sleep" language in 1 Corinthians 15:51 brackets this verse with the same resurrection priority.
Why it lands — The verse removes a practical anxiety: the dead in Christ are not bypassed but rise first. It asks the reader to hold the order of events as a settled fact rather than a hope to be negotiated.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
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:
Cross-references
- 1 Corinthians 15:51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—
- Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.
- Matthew 24:30 At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
- 1 Corinthians 15:23 But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him.
- Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.
- Matthew 25:31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:7 and to grant relief to you who are oppressed and to us as well. This will take place when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels
- Isaiah 27:13 And in that day a great ram’s horn will sound, and those who were perishing in Assyria will come forth with those who were exiles in Egypt. And they will worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we ask you, brothers,
- Revelation 20:5 The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were complete. This is the first resurrection.