16. For the Lord Himself] “In His personal august presence” (Ellicott). Comp.
2 Thessalonians 2:16;
2 Thessalonians 3:16, for this kind of emphasis; also Ch.
1 Thessalonians 3:11,
1 Thessalonians 5:23, “God Himself:” in each case we feel the majesty with which God (or “the Lord”) rises above all human doings and desires.
with a shout] Strictly, word of command, or signal,—the shout with which the general gives the order to his troops, or the captain to his crew. Such “command” might be given either by voice,—his own or another’s; or through a trumpet: both are added here, to complete the Impressive picture,—With the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.
We must not look for literal exactness where things are depicted beyond the reach of sense. These three may form but one idea, that of “the voice of the Son of God,” by which the dead will be called forth (
John 5:28), Christ’s “command” being expressed by an “archangel’s voice,” and that again constituting the “trumpet of God.” Christ predicted His return attended by angels (
Matthew 24:31;
Matthew 25:31; comp.
2 Thessalonians 1:7); and the Divine voice of the Book of Revelation is constantly uttered by an “angel,” or “mighty angel” (
Revelation 5:2;
Revelation 7:2; &c.). In the same Book voice and trumpet are identified, where St John describing the glorified Son of Man says, “I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet talking with me” (
Revelation 1:10;
Revelation 1:12;
Revelation 4:1). This verse, like the above passages of the Apocalypse, echoes the words of Christ in
Matthew 24:31 : “He shall send forth His angels with a trumpet of great voice.” In
1 Corinthians 15:52 the whole is described in one word: “The-trumpet-shall-sound, and the dead shall be raised.”
This is the military trumpet, like “word of command” above, by which the Lord of Hosts musters and marshals His array. Comp. ch.
1 Thessalonians 5:8, with its “breastplate” and “helmet;” see note. “As a Commander rouses his sleeping soldiers, so the Lord calls up His dead, and bids them shake off the fetters of the grave and rise anew to waking life” (Hofmann).
St Paul does not write “the Archangel,” as though pointing to some known Angelic Chief who is to blow this trumpet; his words are, with an archangel’s voice, indicating the majesty and power of the heavenly summons. This is the earliest example of the title archangel. In Judges 9 we read of “Michael the archangel”—an expression probably based on
Daniel 12:1, “Michael the great prince” (LXX: “the great angel;” comp.
Revelation 12:7, where “Michael and his angels” are arrayed against “the Dragon and his angels”). Of equal rank with Michael is Gabriel, the angel of comfort and good tidings in
Daniel 8:16;
Daniel 9:21, and
Luke 1:19;
Luke 1:26. The military style of this passage suits rather the character of Michael. Amongst the seven chief angels recognised at this time in Jewish teaching, Raphael stood nearest to the two that appear in the New Testament (
Tob 12:15). St Paul probably ranged the Archangels amongst the Principalities (Greek Archai) to which he refers in
Romans 8:38 (angels and principalities),
Ephesians 1:21;
Ephesians 3:10,
Colossians 1:6;
Colossians 2:10;
Colossians 2:15. See the Article on Angels in Smith’s Dictionary of Christian Antiquities.
the Lord Himself, &c.… will descend from heaven. See note on ch.
1 Thessalonians 1:10. These words close the sentence, the accompaniments of the descent being first described, and then the descent itself, with solemn brevity and an effect of peculiar grandeur.
and the dead in Christ] This gives us the key to the Apostle’s meaning throughout. Being “in Christ,” having died as they lived in Him, nothing can part them from Him, “neither death nor life” (
Romans 8:38). And when He returns in bodily presence, their bodies must rise to meet Him and do Him homage.
shall rise first] Not before the other dead, as though theirs were a select and separate resurrection (comp.
John 5:28-29); the antithesis is plainly given in the next verse,—“first,” i.e. before the living saints: “we shall not take precedence of them, but rather they of us.”
