I Go To Hell With Them - 1 Thessalonians 4:13

4:13 - I was pretty confused when I first read verse 13 because Paul talks about "them which are asleep." Initially I thought that it was referring to those who haven't accepted the gospel yet, but all the analysis notes that this is referring to the the Thessalonians saints worry about church members who have died. They are concerned that the dead won't be able to participate in the second coming which indicates that they believed that Jesus would be returning in their lifetime because they did not consider that they themselves would be dead by the time he returned. It's almost too abstract for me to even think about people believing Christ would return in their lifetime almost 2,000 years ago. I think about how much the concept of the second coming has dominated my life because "He's coming back any second now!" And it's baffling to me to consider that this might have been the belief for the last 2,000 years. It's so difficult to comprehend just how long 2,000 years is, and if all Christians have been at the edge of their seat the whole time, what makes me think that my lifetime will be any different? And I know that it's been said a lot that this is actually the time, but I'm just not convinced that it will be in my lifetime. And honestly, there's not a lot I can do about it anyway. I can do my best to be righteous and follow prophetic counsel but other than that I just have to "act as if for years." That was the Lord's counsel to the saints living in Kirtland after they learned that the real Zion was in Jackson County, Missouri. They thought "if the real Zion is elsewhere, why are we working so hard to make this a long term place here?" And the Lord's counsel was for them to act as if they were going to be there for years and that they would be blessed for it. Anyway, that's my Second Coming preparation straegy. It's also interesting to me that Paul said that he didn't want the saints to "sorrow... even as others which have no hope." When I was deciding what I wanted to believe several years ago, I had to ask myself why would a all knowing, all loving God put people here on earth for us to have relationships with and love then when we die, all that goes away. Think about all the times people have mourned because of the death of a loved one. I think that throughout human history, the death of someone important to us is probably the most prominent source of pain. If we really did exist before we were born and if we really do continue to exist after we die, then this earth life is but only a few moments in all of our existence. If the predominant source pain and suffering in this life is the death of someone that we care about and all the subsequent suffering that that loss causes, then it would absolutely necessitate some sort of compensation by the all knowing God. The article on this chapter says, "The problem was the belief that those who were alive when the second coming took place would have an advantate over those who had died previously... It seems that some of the saints had lost loved ones and were fearful that their demise would deprive them from participation in the experience of the second coming, especially if it were imminent. Paul's counsel assures them that the righteous will be resurrected to particiapte in these glorious happenings." This is the only think that would make sense if God really was all knowing and all loving, that all would have an equal chance and that there would be more beyond just this life. I don't remember which Roman emporer it was but when they were almost convinced to become Christian, he asked what would happen to all his loved ones who died before they were able to find out about Jesus. The priest answered "they go to hell," so the emporer said, "then I go to hell with them" and wouldn't be baptized. This is the only response that makes sense if God really is who we believe him to be. I have adopted a perspective concerning those who reject the gospel or leave the church that everyone makes the choice that they believe is best for them at the time. We don't know what's going on with anyone else, we don't know who they really are, but God does. I take solace in the fact that at some point in the future, every single person who's ever lived will have a full understanding of the gospel without the cloud of negativity and abuse that sometimes surrounds organized religion. It is at this point that that everyone will be able to truly know the truth and make their own informed decision. And it is my firm belief that at that point, almost everyone will accept the gospel, because we already have once before at the grand council in heaven when the plan of salvation was first revealed.