We often say that our dead loved ones are “with Jesus now.” But Paul seems to say that Christians will meet Jesus at the second coming. Which is it? Recently we’ve received a lot of important questions on 1 Thessalonians 4:16 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; –17, the rapture text. Here’s one from Jonathan, who listens in from New Jersey. “Hello, Pastor John! It’s fairly typical to hear Christians say of someone who has died, ‘They’re with Jesus now.’ But in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 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; –17, it sounds like Paul is saying that Christians who have died will meet Jesus at the second coming. Do Christians go to be with the Lord when we die, or will we meet him when he comes back to earth? I guess what I’m asking is this: When a Christian dies, what comes first: seeing Jesus or being raised from the dead?” Episode 1291: https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/will-we-meet-jesus-as-soon-as-we-die Related Resources: “How Will Christ ‘Reconcile’ Unbelievers to Himself?” https://youtu.be/QA-YUSLp3Xo “Why Will Some of Us Get Fewer Rewards in Heaven?” https://youtu.be/w8kN9p4p6oE “Do Pets Go to Heaven?” https://youtu.be/_XYvut9igdU “How Soon Is Christ’s Return?” https://youtu.be/P0xIewwuJcY Ask Pastor John Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKvMOJ1T8T4&list=PLFF7F6AE365DA3564 Find other recent and popular Ask Pastor John episodes, http://desiringgod.org/ask-pastor-john