1 Thessalonians 4:13:
"But we do not want you to be without knowledge, brothers, about those who have gone to their rest, so that you may not be sad like others who have no hope."
This passage teaches the importance of knowing the power of imagination. Those who have "gone to their rest" represent unexamined or forgotten assumptions. Sadness comes from forgetting our imaginative, assumptive power. Neville Goddard teaches that hope comes from recognising that imagination shapes reality. "Brothers" refer to the active assumptions within our consciousness, and aligning them brings comfort and control over our outcomes.
1 Thessalonians 4:14:
"For if we have faith that Jesus died and came again, even so those who have gone to their rest through Jesus will God make them come with him."
Jesus’ death and resurrection symbolise releasing limiting beliefs (death) and assuming new, empowered beliefs (resurrection). Faith here means assuming the reality of your desired outcomes. Even what seems "dead", demonstrated through the story of Lazarus, in your life can be revived through your imagination.
1 Thessalonians 4:15:
"For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are living and remain until the coming of the Lord will not go before those who have gone to their rest."
Those who are "living" represent active assumptions. What is dormant or resting in your imagination will manifest in its proper time. Your assumptions guide when and how your desires become reality.
1 Thessalonians 4:16:
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a call, with the voice of the archangel and with the sound of the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ will rise first:"
Angels represent the movements of thought that pass between states of mind, carrying impressions from one part of the self to another. The “Lord coming down” describes imagination identifying with a redeemed state— the moment when “I AM that I AM” occupies a new condition of being. The “archangel” marks the strong inner call that announces this shift, and the “trumpet” signifies the clear recognition that an assumption has taken hold. When “the dead in Christ rise first,” it shows that even forgotten states can be revived and made active again through conscious acceptance of being.
1 Thessalonians 4:17:
"Then we who are living, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so we will be with the Lord for ever."
"Living" are those actively using imagination. "Caught up in the clouds" refers to the imaginal realm where all creation begins. Meeting the "Lord in the air" represents union with creative power. Alignment with imagination ensures manifestation of desires, symbolising rest and completion in God’s creative work.
1 Thessalonians 4:18:
"So then, comfort one another with these words."
Comfort comes from self-reassurance that imagination creates reality. By assuming desired states, you align with your inner creative power, bringing peace and certainty. This mirrors the "rest" God experienced after creation—completion and harmony in consciousness.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, when viewed through the Law of Assumption, emphasises the power of imagination. Aligning assumptions with desired outcomes brings hope, comfort, and manifestation. The passage symbolically demonstrates that the mind’s creative power is always at work, and by consciously assuming our desires, we activate them, just as God rested after completing creation.