Peace.
Whether we “wake or sleep”, we should live together with Him as He will awaken those who are currently “sleeping” in their envy and strife…being “dead” in trespasses and sins. To be "awake" = to be "alive".
1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 KJV (9) For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, (10) Who
died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together
with him. (11) Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one
another, even as also ye do.
Those who are “alive and remain” are the children of light….the children of the Day….who are already “watching” (awake) and are found “sober” (and not "drunk" on the wine of wrath) towards the revelation of Jesus Christ who comes to open up the Scriptures to our understanding which shall gather us all together. They “remain” as they abide in Him by doing His will:
John 15:4 KJV (4) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye,
except ye abide in me.
They abide….remain…in Him and His words that they will hear also remain in them.
John 15:7 KJV (7) If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
They are found “awake” to His righteousness at the hearing of His voice….and will immediately open up to Him.
Those who are “alive” are found remembering to let brotherly love continue (their lights are already burning as they are found by Him remembering to do His will). They are found prepared and doing His will at the most crucial time: at the hearing of His voice as He opens up the Scriptures to their minds. They do not need to be “awakened” as they are found “alive” by doing His will.
Luke 12:35-40 KJV (35) Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; (36) And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for
their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh
and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
Blessed (happy) are those servants whom the Lord when He comes (to open up the Scriptures to our understanding with His voice) and finds them “watching”….that is, awake already.
These people are “alive and remain”. They open unto Him immediately. He shall make them to sit down to “meat”…the meat of the Word of God…and will come forth and serve them. They will enter in to understand the mysteries of the kingdom as they will understand the true words of God that the Lord serves them.
(37) Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and
make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
Others will not be found in this immediate “awakened” condition as they are found “asleep” (being forgetful) to doing His will and some will vocally respond negatively towards the hearing of His voice. He also comes for people who are found “asleep” as well and not just those who are “awake”.
Some need to be warned 2 or 3 times (2nd or 3rd watch of the night) to “awake to righteousness” and repent of their bad behavior when they hear His voice. If they do, happy are those servants. They awake to righteousness and cast off the works of darkness…the envy, the strife, the contentions, the hatred, etc and listen.
(38) And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. (39) And this
know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief
would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to
be broken through. (40) Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of
man cometh at an hour when ye think not
But those who are “awake to righteousness” already won’t be found unprepared at the hearing of His voice as He opens up the Scriptures to our understanding which gathers us all together in Truth. They will not be found by Him being contentious and behaving in wrath, envy and strife as those who are “asleep” in the darkness.
1 Thessalonians 5:4-7 KJV (4) But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. (5) Ye are all the
children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the
night, nor of darkness.
Those who are “asleep” are not “awake” to His righteousness as they fight and quarrel among each other ….provoking one another…over theological differences or over their respective handwriting of church dogmas (ordinances). There is envy and strife and divisions and hatred of one another. They have fallen asleep.
Yet, Jesus comes to “awake” them from their “sleep” with His voice as He opens up the Scriptures to their hearing ears.
(6) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. (7) For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that
be drunken are drunken in the night.
The “sleeping” are those who are “dead” in trespasses and sins as they fight and war with each other over those things that divide them that are being preached by those who do not have the Spirit. They live according to the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and mind in their fighting with each other.
Ephesians 2:1-6 KJV (1) And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; (2) Wherein in time past ye walked according to
the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the
air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: (3)
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts
of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and
were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (4) But God,
who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
But our God is rich in mercy. He has great love for us. He sends His Son to give us an understanding so that we may know Him who is true. The Lord comes to “awake” those who are “dead in sins and trespasses” and are made alive together with those are already “alive and remain”. Even when we were "DEAD" in sins, He quickens (makes alive) us together with Christ.
(5) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
He raises us up TOGETHER (both those who were “asleep” and those who are “awake” already) and makes us sit together above the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
(6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
He comes to awake the “dead “who are “dead” in sins and the uncircumcision of the flesh. He quickens us together with Him and forgives us of all of our trespasses.
Colossians 2:13 KJV (13) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him,
having forgiven you all trespasses;
He comes to “awake” those who are “sleeping” from their works of darkness (envy and strife and hatred of one another )that were done in ignorance of the Word of Truth.
They are to “arise from the dead” as they were “dead” in trespasses and sins. The Lord descends from Heaven with a command: “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead”. Christ shall give them light if they will “awake”.
Ephesians 5:14-21 KJV (14) Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
(15) See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
(16) Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (17) Wherefore
be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
We are to be filled with what we hear the Spirit saying…..to drink it all in as we hear the living water…and not be found “drunk” on the wine of wrath towards what we hear the Spirit saying.
(18) And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Instead of responding with a multitude of words spoken in wrath, we are to be quick to hear what the Spirit is saying and slow to speak and slow to wrath. We are to speak within our own hearts instead with rejoicing and thanksgiving…making melody in our hearts to the Lord.
(19) Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; (20) Giving
thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ; (21) Submitting yourselves one to another in
the fear of God.
He that hears His word and believes on Him that sent the Son has everlasting life. He has passed from death to life.
John 5:24-30 KJV (24) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting
life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death
unto life.
The “dead” in sins and trespasses shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that truly hear shall live.
(25) Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that
hear shall live. (26) For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath
he given to the Son to have life in himself; (27) And hath given him
authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. (28)
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are
in the graves shall hear his voice,
Some will hear and do good towards what they hear unto the standing up of life and they that will do evil unto the standing up of condemnation
(29) And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the
resurrection of damnation.
As He hears (our responses to the hearing of His voice), He judges.
(30) I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of
the Father which hath sent me.
The Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a “shout”…that is, a command: to “ARISE”. He descends from Heaven with the voice of the “archangel”…the Spirit of Truth…and we are to hear what the Spirit says. The “dead in Christ” are those who will hear His voice and die to sin in response to the hearing of His voice. They will cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 KJV (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. (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:
The Lord awakes those who are “asleep” and they will die to sin. The “dead in Christ” will put away the works of darkness. Those “alive” already and those raised to life from being “dead” in trespasses and sins shall be caught up together in clouds.
It is not in “the” clouds but IN CLOUDS. These clouds are the ”clouds” of people who are focusing on things above. This is not a literal catching up into the literal air but of being gathered together in one mind and one body in Christ and praising God above who will set us high above the nations of this earth.
(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. (18) Wherefore comfort one another with these
words.
Again, He raises us up together (in “clouds”) and makes us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (meeting of the Lord in the “air”) so that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:6-7 KJV (6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (7) That in the ages
to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his
kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
He shall make us to sit high above all of the nations which He has made….
Deuteronomy 26:18-19 KJV (18) And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou
shouldest keep all his commandments; (19) And to make thee high above
all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour;
and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the LORD thy God, as he
hath spoken.
Deuteronomy 28:13 The LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you will only move upward and never downward, if you hear and
carefully follow the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am
giving you today.
Deuteronomy 28:1-2 KJV (1) And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and
to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the
LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: (2)
And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou
shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.