Let’s begin by reading 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, “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. 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 wants us to be aware of what is going on with those believers who “are asleep.”  To be ‘asleep’ is another way of saying someone is dead.  In the case of Lazarus, we read in John 11:11-14, “These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend LAZARUS SLEEPETH; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, LAZARUS IS DEAD.”  It should be pointed out firstly that those who “are asleep” are with the Lord, for we are told that “them also which sleep in Jesus WILL GOD BRING WITH HIM.”  Doesn’t this make it clear that those believers who have passed away (died, are asleep) are with the Lord in glory right now?

Now, let’s consider 2 Corinthians 5:8 which says, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be PRESENT WITH THE LORD.”  This shows us plainly that when believers pass away, we go immediately into the presence of the Lord.  While the body is buried in the ground, the soul and spirit of the believer enter the presence of the Lord in Heaven.  The believer is wide awake and cheerful for we read in Psalm 16:11 that “…in thy presence is fulness of joy.”

When the Rapture occurs, those believers will return with the Lord to get their bodies.  1 Thessalonians 4:16 says, “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 incredible phenomenon occurs “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.” (1 Corinthians 15:52).  The bodies of those believers who had passed away will be “raised incorruptible” and rejoined with the soul and spirit “to meet the Lord in the air.”  At the Rapture, the Lord does not descend to the earth, rather He returns to the clouds to gather all those who are His (dead and living) and then takes us to Heaven to be with Himself there. 

When we consider 2 Corinthians 5:8, we should realize that this is a temporary state for believers.  From the moment we die, our soul and spirit are with the Lord.  At the Rapture, we return with the Lord to collect our bodies.  We read in 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.” 

For those who are still alive at the Rapture, we read in 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.”  Those believers who have died and those who are still alive when the Lord returns will all take part in the Rapture.  We read in 1 Corinthians 15:51, “Behold, I shew you a mystery; WE SHALL NOT ALL SLEEP, BUT WE SHALL ALL BE CHANGED.”  (CC)  (529.6)