1 Thessalonians 4:13

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

Comment:

Your concern is with those “who have no hope,” and it is indeed important to understand what is meant. Paul taught that the Second Coming would be happening within the lifetime of those who became his followers. But it didn’t come as he expected, and as time went on, some followers began to ask what happened to those who died while waiting. These are “those who are asleep.” Those “who have no hope” are those who don’t understand that the dead will nonetheless be a part of the new kingdom of heaven when it occurs. To say they have no hope doesn’t mean that they are somehow outside the infinite Love of the Divine; it simply means they haven’t yet realized how eternally hopeful the teachings of Jesus really are. Today we understand that death is simply a part of the dualistic illusion of this human experience. It has no reality in spiritual truth, so it cannot affect the achievement of our spiritual goals.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed