J. N. Darby, commenting on 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 said,
It is remarkable that the consolation which he gives to those who surrounded the death-bed of a Christian, is their friend's return with Jesus, and their mutual meeting. It is customary to say, "Be content: he is gone to glory." This was not the way with the apostle. The comfort which he proposes to those who are mourning the death of a believer is, "Be content: God will bring them back." What a change must not the habitual feelings of Christians have undergone, since the consolation given by an apostle is counted in this day as foolishness! The believers in Thessalonica were penetrated to such a degree with the hope of the return of Christ, that they did not think of dying before that event; and when one of them departed, his friends were afflicted with the fear that he would not be present at that happy moment.
"The Second Coming of Christ", Collected Writings, Vol. 2, pp. 290–300
I first read that 20 or 25 years ago, and I was struck by how pointed 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 is. Here's a passage that tells us what point it's trying to make, and then tells us how we are to use it. We are taught the Lord's plan for those who are "asleep through Jesus" so that we won't mourn like the heathen who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13–14); and we are to be comforted by the knowledge that God will bring those departed believers back with the Lord when He comes (1 Thessalonians 4:14).
Odd as it seems, I can't recall ever hearing 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 read at a funeral, or in connection with someone's death. But that's exactly what the passage says we should be doing. It's possible I just haven't been to the "right" funerals – I've often wondered what the reaction would be to someone reading that passage at a funeral.
And I should probably point out that it's not a prohibition on mourning, but a prohibition on mourning like those who have no hope. The Lord Himself mourned for Lazarus, even knowing he'd be raised from the dead within a short time (John 11:33–36). So no, mourning is not wrong.
But in the end, we look forward to the Lord coming for us. As long as we're among "those who remain," then we look for Him to come for us and bring back our loved ones who sleep in Jesus. If we should die first, then we don't lose that hope, but we'll see it from another side. Let's not forget that our hope isn't to be disembodied spirits, but to participate in His resurrection (2 Corinthians 5:1–4).
7 comments:
I read this post yesterday and waited before I responded because I have attended a funeral today and wanted to test your observation. I also want to make a few remarks about funeral services in general.
As you say, the passage was not read or referred to. Instead we heard about the date the brother trusted Christ and how his body is sown in the gave in the hope of resurrection, while he is absent from the body, present with the Lord. Then the word ‘sown’ reminded the preacher of Matthew 13 and the need for every believer to sow the seed followed by ten minutes of how our brother did that in his lifetime.
My overall opinion is that we often move on low ground at these occasions. We have lost the thought of John 11 that this is for the glory of God. Very little is brought to the hearers about Christ - but that would be true of gospel and teaching meetings in general.
In gospel hall land John 3:16 takes precedence over 1 John 3:16, so the challenge to the sinner is deemed more important that comfort to the saint.
Of course, the sad fact is that often the brother or sister who has departed was more spiritual than their family. And if the family therefore arrange the funeral, it is to be expected that they will not want much of the Word brought out.
There is a move away from the thought of death and now many ‘celebrate the life’ of the departed.
There is also a marked trend for sisters to appear without headcoverings on the ground that funerals are not church gatherings, despite the fact that headship is a creatorial truth. If we do not acknowledge the headship of Christ in the day of death, we are in a bad place spiritually.
The most touching thing I heard about a brother as we stood at his grave was, “in the assembly brethren have tried to do what Mary did and bring Christ into the house: our brother did what Simeon did and lifted Christ up before God”. What a eulogy!
Don't want to scare anyone but I have a strong impression that king Charles is the white horseman and that the resurrection of the just will be the resurrection Sunday a month before Charles' coronation.
I confess I don't see a scriptural connection between Charles and the horsemen. It’s possible he’s no worse than the last Charles, who had a reputation for godlessness.
I do hope you’re right and the Lord will come for us before the coronation, and I don’t see a reason to be scared of that. But I have learned to keep a tight rein on speculations about His timing. Our place is to let God be God, and wait for His Son, whether that takes a day or a month or ten thousand years.
Amen Mark! Believers will be raptured before the Antichrist
is revealed.
Maranatha!!!
The little horn will reveal himself as God at mid tribulation a french aristocrat named Thomas Plantard de Saint Clair is the little horn that rises up and subdues three kings King Charles is one of those kings.
https://watch-unto-prayer.org/false-christ.html
https://watch-unto-prayer.org/new-messiah.html#11.C
Rev 6 seal judgments spread across trib
Rev 9 black beast/rider/system rises from the pit midtrib
Rev 12 general picture from Christ upwards thru trib
Rev 13 general timline of beasts
White beast/rider/system rises begtrib from sea
Black(occult) beast/rider/system rises midtrib from earth/pit
King Charles is crowned begtrib
Little horn is not crowned Dan 11.21 and is the eighth king who is one of the seven because of Arcadian bloodline/empire and after he wounds king Charles the first beast/white rider at midtrib. False prophet is the black rider, 2nd beast, idol sheperd, and little horn of Dan 7, 8. He sits as God and places an image to the imperial beast and rules from Israel.
King Charles is Osiris
Little horn is Set/Horus
Dan 7 is the general picture
Dan 8 focuses more on little horn specifically
The beast/white rider is the roman prince Dan 9.27
Abominations are idolatry in general
Satan is cast down beast takes a diabolical (occult) character when it rises from the abyss
Economic collapse happens when first beast head is wounded/subdued and when 2nd beast/black rider/occult religion system rises from earth/pit
First beast/white rider rises out of sea when he gathers nations at begtrib
First beast/white rider still rules from Rome after wounded/subdued
2nd beast/black rider rules over all as God from Israel
Wounding/subduing of the first beast/white rider/system will happen at the same time as wounding/subduing mystery Babylon head/system
2nd beast/black rider does this all when he rises from the earth/pit and declares himself God
First beast/white rider is type
2nd beast/black rider antitype
They're both beasts from the sea because of Arcadian bloodline
Little horn comes out of Greco portion(Hellenistic neo platonism) of roman empire which is fourth beast which rises out of the sea
Antichrist(Antiochus) was Hellenistic
Greco portion(occult) rises from pit
Greco portion(like unto a leopard) is the true occult character of the beast system in its final form
Rev 13.3 switches from 1st beast to second
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