Believers who die before the Rapture are present with the Lord in soul and spirit, and at the last trump they are raised first with new, incorruptible bodies and caught up together with living believers to meet the Lord in the air.
Paul says that for a believer, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, so the soul and spirit of a departed believer are already in Christ's presence in paradise, waiting for the resurrection day. At the Rapture, the Lord descends from heaven and brings those departed souls and spirits with Him, reuniting them with their resurrected bodies in the air. The dead in Christ rise first; living believers are changed and caught up together with them, and so shall they ever be with the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4:14 — Paul promises that God will bring with Jesus those believers who have fallen asleep in Him.
1 Corinthians 15:52 — Paul describes the moment the dead will be raised incorruptible and believers will be changed.
2 Corinthians 5:8 — Paul reveals that for believers, being absent from the body means being present with the Lord.
Scripture refers to believers who have died before the Lord's coming as those who are 'asleep' (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Paul connects the certainty of the believer's future to Christ's own resurrection: 'For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him' (1 Thessalonians 4:14). For the believer, death does not separate the soul from the Lord, for 'to be absent from the body' is 'to be present with the Lord' (2 Corinthians 5:8). At the last trumpet, the Lord Himself descends from heaven with a shout, the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God. The dead in Christ rise first (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Their bodies are raised incorruptible, and living believers are changed, for the corruptible must put on incorruption and the mortal must put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:52-53). Then together, the resurrected and the living are 'caught up' in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall they ever be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Les Feldick teaches that when believers die, their bodies are placed in the grave, but their soul and spirit immediately go to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8, Clip 2). These departed souls and spirits are in Christ's presence in paradise, waiting for the great resurrection day (Clips 3, 5). At the Rapture, when Christ leaves heaven, He brings those departed souls and spirits of believers with Him down to the atmosphere, where they are reunited with their resurrected bodies (Clips 1, 3). The dead in Christ—the church-age believers who are members of the body of Christ—rise first, then living believers are changed and caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air (Clips 1, 4, 6). Les emphasizes that 'dead in Christ' refers to the body of Christ, not Old Testament saints, and he places this resurrection as the largest group in the first resurrection, with Old Testament and tribulation believers resurrected later—about 75 days after Christ returns (Clips 0, 7).
Believers who die before the Rapture leave their bodies in the grave, but their soul and spirit are 'absent from the body and present with the Lord' (2 Corinthians 5:8, Clip 2). Since Christ ascended, these departed souls and spirits have gone to paradise and are in attendance in Christ's presence, waiting for the great resurrection day (Clips 3, 5). They are in a place of bliss and blessing, but without their resurrection bodies (Clip 5).
At the Rapture, the Lord Himself descends from heaven with a shout, the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God (1 Thessalonians 4:16, Clip 6). God brings the souls and spirits of departed believers with Him into the atmosphere, where they are reunited with their resurrected bodies (Clips 1, 3). The dead in Christ rise first, in resurrection power (Clips 1, 6). Then living believers are changed—the corruptible puts on incorruption and the mortal puts on immortality—and, together with the resurrected dead, are caught up to meet the Lord in the air (Clips 4, 6).
No. Paul says that we who are alive and remain will not precede or 'prevent' those who are asleep (1 Thessalonians 4:15). The dead in Christ rise first, and then the living believers are caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air (Clips 1, 6).
Les Feldick teaches that the 'dead in Christ' in Paul's letters refers to those who are part of the body of Christ, the church-age believers—not the Old Testament saints (Clip 0). He places the Rapture as the largest group in the first resurrection, but Scripture also reveals that Old Testament believers and tribulation saints who have lost their lives will be resurrected later, about 75 days after Christ returns (Clip 7).
Scripture says believers should not sorrow over departed loved ones as others who have no hope, because if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14). The Rapture hope is a reunion: believers who died and believers who are alive will be caught up together with the Lord, and so shall they ever be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Dead in Christ Are the Body of Christ
Les identifies the 'dead in Christ' in 1 Corinthians 15 as church-age believers who are part of the body of Christ, and he distinguishes them from Old Testament saints.
Living Believers Do Not Precede the Dead
Les explains the sequence: living believers will not go ahead of the dead; the Lord descends, and the dead in Christ rise first, with God gathering their souls from His presence to be reunited with them.
Absent From the Body, Present With the Lord
Les teaches that although the believer's body is placed in the grave, the soul and spirit go to be present with the Lord, and at the Rapture God brings those departed souls and spirits of believers from heaven down to the atmosphere.
Souls Waiting in Paradise
Les describes departed believers as being in Christ's presence in paradise, waiting for the resurrection day, when Christ brings their souls with Him to meet their resurrected bodies in the air.
Resurrection Bodies and the Change of Living Believers
Les teaches that the dead are raised first with new, incorruptible bodies, and living believers are changed so that the corruptible puts on incorruption and the mortal puts on immortality.
Soul and Spirit Reunited With the New Body
Les explains that the souls of departed believers have been in a place of bliss without a body, and at the resurrection day their descending soul and spirit are reunited with their new body.
Caught Up: The Rapture Word
Les shows that 'caught up' in 1 Thessalonians 4 is the biblical word behind the Rapture: the dead in Christ are drawn up first, and living believers are caught up together with them.
First Resurrection Groups
Les places the resurrection of the body of Christ as the largest group in the first resurrection, and says Old Testament and tribulation believers will be resurrected later, about 75 days after Christ returns.
1 Thessalonians 4:13: 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.
Paul calls believers who have died 'asleep' and says believers should not grieve as those who have no hope.
1 Thessalonians 4:14: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
This verse guarantees that God will bring departed believers with Jesus at the coming of the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4:15: 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.
Paul clarifies that living believers will not go ahead of those believers who have already died.
1 Thessalonians 4:16: 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 gives the order of events: the Lord descends and the dead in Christ are raised first.
1 Thessalonians 4:17: 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.
This verse shows that resurrected and living believers are caught up together to meet the Lord in the air.
1 Corinthians 15:51: Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
Paul introduces the mystery that not all believers will die, but all will be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:52: In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
This verse describes the instantaneous resurrection of the dead and the change of living believers.
1 Corinthians 15:53: For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
This verse explains why believers must receive bodies that can never die.
2 Corinthians 5:8: We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
This verse shows that at death, the believer's soul and spirit go immediately into the Lord's presence.
Their bodies are in the grave and are described as asleep, but their soul and spirit are immediately present with the Lord. Paul says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, and Les Feldick explains that they remain in Christ's presence in paradise until the resurrection day. At the Rapture, God brings their souls and spirits with Him, and they are reunited with their resurrected bodies.
Yes. Scripture and Les both emphasize the order: the Lord descends, the dead in Christ rise first with resurrection bodies, and then living believers are changed in the twinkling of an eye and caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air.
The soul and spirit of a believer are present with the Lord in heaven—a place of bliss and blessing—while the body remains in the grave. They wait there for the great resurrection day, when Christ brings them from His presence to meet their resurrected body in the air.
No. Les Feldick teaches that the 'dead in Christ' refers to church-age believers only, not Old Testament saints. Old Testament believers and tribulation saints are part of the first resurrection, but they are raised later, about 75 days after Christ returns.
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