16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven,y with a loud command, with the voice of the archangelz and with the trumpet call of God,a and the dead in Christ will rise first.b 17 After that, we who are still alive and are leftc will be caught up together with them in the cloudsd to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lorde forever. 18 Therefore encourage one anotherf with these words.

The Day of the Lord

5 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and datesg we do not need to write to you,h 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lordi will come like a thief in the night.j 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,”k destruction will come on them suddenly,l as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.m

4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darknessn so that this day should surprise you like a thief.o 5 You are all children of the lightp and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep,q but let us be awaker and sober.s 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.t 8 But since we belong to the day,u let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate,v and the hope of salvationw as a helmet.x 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrathy but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.z 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.a 11 Therefore encourage one anotherb and build each other up,c just as in fact you are doing.