1 Thessalonians 4

Which worship songs are based on 1 Thessalonians 4?

On That Day — CityAlight (2022) 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
The treatment of bereavement explicitly distinguishes Christian grief from hopeless grief and grounds that difference in Christ's resurrection and the promised resurrection of believers at his return.
Heaven Changes Everything — Big Daddy Weave (2023) 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
The song frames grief over death through the Christian hope of reunion, Christ’s return, and believers ultimately being with him. This closely follows Paul’s encouragement not to grieve without hope because the dead in Christ will be gathered to him at his coming.
Death is Not the End — Aaron Shust (2019) 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
The song closely restates Paul’s instruction that believers should not mourn the dead as people without hope, grounding that hope in resurrection with Christ.
Comfort — Bethany Barnard (2021) 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18
The chorus and outro closely reproduce Paul's sequence: Jesus' death and resurrection, his return with a commanding cry and trumpet, the dead rising first, living believers being gathered with them, permanent presence with the Lord, and mutual encouragement based on these promises.
Heaven On My Mind — TobyMac, Forrest Frank (2025) 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
The mention of 'trumpet sounds' in the lyrics alludes to the biblical promise of the resurrection and gathering of believers at the second coming of Christ, as described in 1 Thessalonians.
Citizen of Heaven — Tauren Wells (2020) 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
The combined imagery of the Lord appearing through clouds, the believer rising to life, and ascending to meet him strongly evokes Paul’s description of Christ’s return and believers being caught up to meet him.
Christ Our Hope In Life And Death (Live) — Keith & Kristyn Getty & CityAlight & Sing! & Matt Boswell & Matt Papa & Bryan Fowler & Jordan Kauflin (2026) 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
The expectation that believers will rise and meet the returning Lord closely paraphrases Paul's description of the resurrection and gathering of Christ's people at his coming.
Can't Wait — Bizzle & Monster Tarver (2023) 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
The chorus anticipates Christ descending to gather his people, matching Paul’s description of the Lord’s descent and believers being caught up to meet him.
Redemption Draweth Nigh — Greater Vision (2019) 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
The assurance that Christ will personally descend for those who belong to him closely paraphrases Paul’s description of the Lord descending from heaven and gathering believers to himself.
That Temporary Place — Greater Vision (2019) 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
The combination of Christ descending, the sounding trumpet, the dead leaving their graves, and believers rising toward heaven closely follows Paul's description of the Lord's return and the gathering of believers.
My Lord What a Morning — Joan Baez (2019) 1 Thessalonians 4:16
The trumpet that summons those beneath the earth evokes Paul’s depiction of Christ descending at the trumpet of God and the dead rising.
Where Do You Stand — John Pape (2022) 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
The combined imagery of a heavenly arrival, a divine trumpet, clouds, and the faithful rising unmistakably evokes Paul's description of Christ's descent and the resurrection of the dead in Christ.
It Is Well With My Soul — Keith & Kristyn Getty & The Getty Girls (2021) 1 Thessalonians 4:16
The expectation of a sounding trumpet followed by the Lord's descent closely follows Paul's description of Christ's return and the resurrection of the dead.
Christ Our Hope In Life and Death (feat. Sandra McCracken) — Steph Macleod & Sandra McCracken (2021) 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
The bridge closely follows Paul’s description of deceased believers being raised to meet the returning Lord and remaining with him permanently.
Altar — Chaotic Resemblance (2022) 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
The announcement of God's trumpet and the gathering of believers home closely follows Paul's description of Christ's return and the saints being gathered to him.
Let Them Know — Crystal Lewis (2019) 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
The opening dream depicts Christ returning and believers being taken to be with him, closely reflecting Paul's description of the Lord's coming and the gathering of believers.
Gospel Ship — Joan Baez (2019) 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
The anticipated departure from the sinful world through the air toward heaven evokes Paul's portrayal of believers being caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. The ship is a traditional imaginative vehicle rather than an element found in the passage.
Jesus Is Coming Back — Jordan Feliz (2020) 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
The trumpet and opening heavens evoke Paul’s description of the Lord descending from heaven at the trumpet of God and gathering believers to meet him.
IDUMEA — Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter (2023) 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
The conjunction of a divine trumpet, the dead rising from their graves, and their going out to meet the returning Lord unmistakably reflects Paul's description of Christ's return and the resurrection.
Remember Me — Andrew Peterson (2018) 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
The closing vision joins the resurrection of the dead to the promise that Christ’s people will remain with him permanently.
Child of God — Crowder (2018) 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
The expectation that Christ will return and believers will be taken upward closely paraphrases Paul's description of believers being caught up to meet the descending Lord.
I Believe — Gold City (2017) 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
The anticipated trumpet and the gathering of believers at Christ’s return closely paraphrase Paul’s description of the Lord’s descent and believers being caught up to meet him.
My Labors Will be O're — Greater Vision (2018) 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
The sounding of God's trumpet, the Lord's descent from heaven, and the believer rising to be with him closely follow Paul's description of Christ's return and the gathering of the saints.
Christ Our Hope In Life And Death — Keith & Kristyn Getty & Matt Papa & Sing! (2020) 1 Thessalonians 4:17
The final verse envisions believers rising corporately to meet the Lord at his return, echoing Paul's description of the resurrection and gathering to meet Christ in the air.

1 Thessalonians 4 (King James Version)

¹ Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

² For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

³ For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

⁴ That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

⁵ Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

⁶ That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

⁷ For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

⁸ He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

⁹ But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

¹⁰ And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;

¹¹ And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

¹² That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

¹³ But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

¹⁵ For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

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 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

¹⁸ Wherefore comfort one another with these words.