Believers who die before the Rapture are with the Lord in soul and spirit, and at His coming their dead bodies will be raised and they will be caught up together with living believers.
Scripture describes these believers as 'asleep in Jesus,' but that does not mean they have no hope. Their soul and spirit are already present with Christ, while their bodies remain in the grave awaiting resurrection. When the Lord descends at the Rapture, the dead in Christ will rise first, and then living believers will be changed and caught up together with them.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 — This is the central passage about believers who have died before the Lord's return, describing them as asleep and giving the exact sequence of the resurrection and catching up.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 — This reveals the mystery that living believers will be changed in a moment at the last trump, and the dead will be raised incorruptible.
Paul tells believers not to be ignorant about those who are asleep, that they should not sorrow as others who have no hope. He writes: 'For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.' 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: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.' Scripture also teaches that for a believer, to be 'absent from the body' is to be 'present with the Lord.' At the resurrection, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and living believers will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.
Les Feldick teaches that at the moment of death a believer's soul and spirit take flight to the presence of Christ in heaven. There they wait in paradise for the great resurrection day, when they will be reunited with their resurrected bodies. The physical body, meanwhile, remains in the grave. At the Rapture, the Lord will bring those departed souls and spirits of believers from heaven down to the atmosphere. Their bodies will be brought out of the tombs and reunited with their soul and spirit in the air. Then believers who are alive and remain will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and caught up together with them. Les stresses that the qualification for being in that company is simply believing with all your heart that Jesus died and rose again. He also notes that this resurrection is specifically for church-age saints in the body of Christ, not the Old Testament saints, whom Daniel says must wait.
No. Scripture and Les both distinguish between the believer's soul/spirit and the body. The soul and spirit go immediately to be with the Lord, while the body stays in the grave until the resurrection day. Les says the soul and spirit are waiting in Christ's presence to be reunited with the resurrected body. That reunion has not happened yet.
The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. The dead in Christ will rise first, being raised from their tombs and reunited with their soul and spirit that God brings from heaven. Then believers who are alive and remain will be changed in a moment and caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
Les emphasizes that the qualification is not human effort or religious works—it is believing with all your heart that Jesus died and rose again. He calls this 'the qualifications for the rapture' and says 'this is all you need to be in that great company.' Scripture likewise connects the hope of sleeping believers with faith in Jesus' death and resurrection: 'For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.'
The Living Must Be Changed
Les explains that when the trumpet sounds, the dead in Christ will be suddenly resurrected, and believers who are alive will instantly be changed because this old body cannot enter heaven.
Dead in Christ Rise First
Les walks through 1 Thessalonians 4, showing that the Lord descends with a shout and the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ are brought out of their tombs to be reunited with their soul and spirit in the air.
Soul and Spirit with Christ Awaiting the Body
Les teaches that when a believer dies, his soul and spirit immediately go to the presence of Christ, where they wait for the resurrection day to be reunited with the resurrected body.
The Rapture Qualification Is Simple Faith
Les tells believers not to be ignorant about those who have died and points to belief in Jesus' death and resurrection as the qualification for being part of the Rapture.
Resurrection of Church-Age Saints at the Last Trump
Les clarifies that the dead raised at the last trump are church-age saints in the body of Christ, not Old Testament saints, and that they will be raised incorruptible while living believers are changed.
God Brings Departed Believers from Heaven
Les connects 2 Corinthians 5 with 1 Thessalonians 4: the soul and spirit of believers are present with the Lord, and at the Rapture God brings them down to the atmosphere to meet their resurrected bodies.
The Souls Meet Their Resurrected Bodies in the Air
Les pictures the church age: saints have died and are buried, but at the trumpet Christ brings the souls He has with Him in paradise, and they meet their resurrected bodies in the air.
Comfort for Those Mourning Believers
Les applies 1 Thessalonians 4 to loved ones who have died as believers, telling us not to sorrow as others have no hope, because faith in the resurrection is the qualification to be in that company.
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.
This verse identifies deceased believers as 'asleep' and separates them from the hopeless mourning of unbelievers.
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 connects the hope of dead believers to faith in Jesus' death and resurrection.
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.
This verse assures that living believers will not go ahead of or precede those who have 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 the Lord's descent and the resurrection of the dead in Christ.
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 describes the catching up of living believers together with the resurrected dead.
1 Corinthians 15:51: Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
This verse reveals that not all believers will die, but all will undergo a transformation at the Rapture.
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 the living at the last trump.
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 explains the state of the believer between death and resurrection: present with the Lord.
The term 'asleep' describes the body resting in the grave. The believer's soul and spirit are not asleep; they are present with the Lord. At the Rapture, the body will be raised and reunited with the soul and spirit.
No. Scripture says the dead in Christ will rise first, and then living believers will be caught up together with them. Those who have died will not be left behind or go after the living.
No. Les teaches that the resurrection day is still future. Believers who have died are in Christ's presence in soul and spirit, but their bodies await the resurrection at the Lord's coming.
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