What Does 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 Mean?

What Does 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17  Mean?

“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: 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.” 
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 

This verse is given as “proof” of a pre-tribulation rapture. Of course it says nothing about a tribulation, but it seems to be the only verse that even vaguely supports the eschatology of those who believe this.

The sensational idea we will be “caught up into the clouds” to be rescued from a great tribulation does not explain why the “dead in Christ” need to be rescued.

So what is this verse talking about? If we are not being snatched away to heaven, what is happening?

Apantesis, the Greek word translated “meet”  in 1 Thessalonians 4, is, according to the Souter Lexicon, “almost technical for the arrival of a newly arrived official.” The idea is to meet to honor and escort.

In ancient times, when a king visited, the people would go out to meet him and escort him back to town. Those welcoming the official would change direction after the meeting and then escort him back to the town from which they had come, not back to his place of origin (see Moulton, Greek Testament Grammar, Vol.1, p.14).

Apantesis is used four times in the Bible. In Matthew 25:1,6, Acts 28:15 and in 1 Thessalonians 4.

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.” Matthew 25:1

 “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.” Matthew 25:6

“And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.” Acts 28:15

Notice in Matthew, it is revealed that the virgins had been waiting for the bridegroom to appear. When He did, they met him and escorted him to the banquet hall.
They did not go back with him to the place from which he came.

“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.” Matthew 25:10

The bridegroom did not change directions, reverse course after the waiting virgins met him. Rather, he kept on coming in the original direction from which he started. The ones who changed direction were the virgins.

In Acts, the brethren came out and escorted Paul back to Rome. After they met him they did not return to Caesarea with Paul (which was his place of beginning for this trip). Paul did not change directions after the waiting brothers met him; rather, he maintained his course to Rome. The ones who changed direction were those who met him.

The Lord’s coming is not our going. It is His coming! We will not be caught up to escape anything,. We will be meeting him in the air to honor him in his coming and escort him back to earth.

No matter one’s eschatology, nothing can be proved from this verse other than that this is the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13

It is the time of His glory and honor. “When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.” 2 Thessalonians 2:10

We are caught up to honor him and escort him to earth.

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When Did The Apostle Paul Expect Christ To Return?

Much of the Christian world believes Christ Jesus is going to return at some point in our future to establish His Kingdom here on planet earth. Some Christian groups believe the return of Christ is imminent and fully expect Jesus to return very soon. 

What is often overlooked is that Christians of every generation since the establishment of Christianity in the first century A.D. have looked for Christ to return in their lifetime. Yet, if we are to believe the Bible, Christ's return must have been in the first century.

Jesus, Himself, plainly taught He would return within the lifetime of some of those hearing Him teach. Jesus made some very straightforward statements during His ministry that speak to His return occurring in the generation in which he lived. His disciples and also the Apostle Paul, repeat what Christ said about his soon return. If the return of Christ didn't occur in the time frame seen by the New Testament writers, it is not a matter of only the disciples of Jesus being wrong, it's a matter of Jesus Himself being wrong.  

The writer of Hebrews exhorted the readers to patience, knowing Christ's return was imminent. 

Hebrews 10:36-37 "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry."

The Greek here is very emphatic. Bullinger, in the Companion Bible, shows the Greek phrase mikron hoson hoson to mean: "in a very, very little while."   This statement was made some 2000 years ago to Jewish Christians who are being told to persevere so they will receive what was promised at a near to occur return of Christ.

The Apostle Paul believed that Christ was returning in his time and shared that thought with the church at Thessalonica to comfort them. Paul said "we which are alive," not "they which are alive." 

1 Thessalonians 3:13 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.

James wrote that the coming of the Lord was nigh, near. The judge was "before the door." Christ's coming and his judgement on wicked Israel was soon approaching.

James 5:7-9 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door."