1 Thessalonians 4:13
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.

Paul by the Holy Spirit is comforting those who know believers who have died. Note Paul says they have fallen asleep just as Jesus said Lazarus was asleep. He did not say they went home too be with the Lord. If that were true why would they need hope for those who had died, if they are with Jesus already what are you hoping for? Dead believers going to heaven is never implied or stated in this entire passage. The next verse will clear up what the hope is for.

1 Thessalonians 4:14
We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

Paul has declared what we are to hope for. That Jesus will resurrect those who have fallen asleep in Him, when He comes back. God has promised that He will not leave them here when He returns to get us. If they were in heaven with Jesus what would we be hoping for; that Jesus doesn't leave them there??? The hope is that they won't be left here on earth because they died before His return, as we shall see in the remainder of these verses.

1 Thessalonians 4:15
According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.

This verse declares that those who are alive will not be raised into the heavens without those who have fallen asleep, at the Lord's coming. Paul is simply repeating the truth that we are to hope for. With the all important timing of this resurrection of the living and the dead is at the coming of the Lord. Jesus made the timing of His coming all to clear in the gospels that it would not be until after the great tribulation.

1 Thessalonians 4:16
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Jesus is coming down from heaven where He has been for 2000 years preparing a place for us. He comes as He declared in His own words with the holy angels of God to gather His people to Himself. Clearly Paul declares the dead in Christ to be rising from their sleep. Jesus and the angels are coming down and the dead are rising.

1 Thessalonians 4:17
After that, we who are still alive and 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 forever.

This verse declares the all important hope that we have in Jesus. Paul says we the living will be caught up together with them who have been raised from the dead. We the living and the dead, all who have believed in Jesus will MEET Him in the air at His second coming.

From verse 13-17 the only truth we can extract is this.

Whether we are awake or asleep when Jesus comes, at the end of the tribulation, He will resurrect the living and the dead in Christ into heaven where He has been preparing a place for us to dwell with Him in the presence of the Father for 1000 years of rest. This is the sabbath of the ALMIGHTY. There is only one second coming and one resurrection of the just.

John 14:1-6
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.