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.

(PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT, BUT KEEP IT NICE. THANK YOU.)

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What is "the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven?"

Matthew 24:30 "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

What is "the sign?" The sign is the Son of Man in Heaven. Will Christ return for his church? I believe so. And he will return with all glory and dominion which was given him when he sat at the right hand of the Father. But I believe the sign mentioned in this verse is that the "Son of Man" is in Heaven. He has been given the same glory and dominion as the Father.

What is the " Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven?"

Daniel 7:13-14 "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."

Not this.

So many Christians read Matthew 24:30 and immediately the get the idea of Jesus riding a cloud and returning to earth. But when we compare the verse to to the very same phrase in Daniel's prophecy, we see Jesus is not coming down in Matthew 24, but he is going up. Up to the throne of God where ALL dominion and glory was given to him.

Jesus referred to this part of Daniel's prophecy when he addressed Caiaphas, the high priest, at his trial.

Mark 14:60-64 "And the high priest (Caiaphas) stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death."

Jesus claimed to be that very "Son of Man" that would be given ALL DOMINION AND GLORY. Now we know that these things belong only to God, so Jesus was saying that, yes, he was (he is) God.This was the great blasphemy the Jews used to condemn him.

Mark 14:62 "And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”

I welcome comments and corrections. I do not welcome argumentation and contention.

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Where Will You Be When Jesus Shuts The Door?

The Bible is clear, Jesus Christ will return for his church. Yet, there is much confusion about what happens when Jesus returns.
When studying eschatology, the end times, it seems most folks want to go straight to the books of Daniel and Revelation. They go to books filled with prophetic language, and tend to skip over the plain words of Jesus and the apostles.
I am all for studying the whole Bible, but prophetic language is often confusing. To the average reader, it can be difficult to differentiate between literal and symbolic language.
I believe it is better, by far, to read the Gospels and epistles first. Read the plain words and get an understanding of what they say about the end times and use that understanding when we move into the prophetic books.
"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.  And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.  But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.  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. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.  Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." Matthew 25:1-13
You will notice, when the bridegroom came, "they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. " The door was shut.
This reminds me of the account of Noah's ark. "And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the Lord shut him in." Genesis 7:16 As soon as Noah and his family had entered the ark with the animals, God shut the door. That was the end of opportunity for those outside the ark.
Notice in Matthew 25, the bridegroom says,"Verily I say unto you, I know you not."
In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus says, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
Of course, Genesis never says anyone else even had the chance to enter the ark. The world was filled with unrighteousness and they could not enter in. God could say even to them, "Depart from me, I never knew you."
Jesus identifies himeself as the bridegroom. When the Lord comes, those with the oil in the lamp, those who love the Lord and are prepared and anxious for his coming will be with him. Then the door will shut. The scripture is clear, there is no second chance.
When Jesus comes, the door will be closed. This world ends. There remains only eternity. Those who Christ knows, those who are saved will enter into eternity with Christ. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us that when he returns, we will be with him forever.
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:3
Those who are not his, those who have lived their lives in iniquity and rejected the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be shut out for eternity. No second chance. They have no oil in their lamp and will depart into eternal darkness. The Bible is clear.
Some folks have a convolated eschatology that teaches Jesus returns for the church and then those that remain have a period of time where some folk will still have the opportunity to believe and be saved. Then Jesus returns once more. There is no place in scripture that teaches this. There are only two ages, in scripture. The present age and the age to come.
"But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life." Mark 10:30
Jesus makes it clear their are only two ages: this age and the age to come. The KJV uses the word "world." This is translated from the Greek word "aiōni." Aiōni merans age. It's the word we get eon from. The KJV is correct, there are two worlds. This present world and the new heavens and earth.
In Matthew 12:32, Jesus also makes it clear their are only two ages or worlds. "And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come."
This current age is going to end. This tells us the next age is eternity. There is only this world, and the eternal world. When Jesus, the bridegroom comes, this world ends. The door is shut and we all step into eternity. There is no other age, no other space of time between the coming of Jesus and eternity.
Today is the day of salvation.
"Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;" Isaiah 49:8
"For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2
Will you be ready when the bridegroom returns?

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