*Colossians 4:1 / *Col. 4:1 -
(Re: *Slavery)
At the time that the Bible was written, thousands of years ago, slavery was not at all based on race. For back then there were many more white slaves than black. And no doubt some of the white slaves had black masters. The Bible is not racist (Acts 17:26, Revelation 5:9).
Also, the Old Testament forbade the cruel treatment of slaves (Leviticus 25:43, Exodus 21:26-27), of whatever race, and forbade the return of escaped slaves to their masters (Deuteronomy 23:15-16). Similarly, the New Testament commands the right treatment of slaves (Colossians 4:1), and says that slaves should obtain freedom from mortal masters if they are able to (1 Corinthians 7:21). But Christians are to remain the voluntary slaves/servants of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:1, Romans 6:22, Revelation 1:1), who has freed them from slavery to sin (John 8:34-36), and offers them eternal life (Romans 6:22-23).
Also, the world today takes pride in its outlawing of slavery. Yet the world overlooks the billions of "wage slaves" today who are not paid a living wage, while their corporate masters grow rich off of their labor. So slaves today are cared for less by their masters than slaves in Bible times were to be cared for (Colossians 4:1, Exodus 21:5).
(See also Leviticus 25:10, Acts 2:44, and Micah 4:4 above)
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*1 Thessalonians 1:3 / *1 Thes. 1:3 -
This, Galatians 5:6, and Titus 3:8 mean that Christians should be performing works of faith in Jesus Christ and His Gospel. For both faith and continued works of faith (not works of the letter of the Old Covenant Mosaic law) are required for Christians to obtain ultimate salvation from hell (Romans 2:6-8, James 2:24, Matthew 7:21).
(See also Ephesians 2:8 above)
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*1 Thessalonians 1:10 / *1 Thes. 1:10 -
Here, "the wrath to come" refers to the same wrath as 1 Thessalonians 5:9.
(See 1 Thessalonians 5:9 below)
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*1 Thessalonians 2:5 / *1 Thes. 2:5 -
The original Greek words (prophasis: G4392; and pleonexia: G4124) translated as "cloke of covetousness" can mean "pretext for greed".
(See also paragraph 4 of 2 Corinthians 11:8 above)
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*1 Thessalonians 3:13 / *1 Thes. 3:13 -
(Re: Will Jesus first come for His bride, and then later *with His bride?)
No, for Jesus Christ's coming for His bride, and with His bride, will occur at the same Second Coming. For 1 Thessalonians 3:13 and 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 show that at Jesus' Second Coming, the souls of all obedient dead Christians of all times will be brought down from the third heaven with Jesus (1 Thessalonians 4:14-15), and their souls will descend to the earth and their physical bodies will resurrect/rise from their graves (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Then they and all Christians who will survive the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 on the earth, those who will still be "alive and remain", will be raptured up high into the air above the places all around the globe where they will be (1 Thessalonians 4:17a). And then they will be gathered together from the sky (the first heaven) all around the globe (Matthew 24:31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1) to the one place in the sky where the returned Jesus will be (1 Thessalonians 4:17b), which will be in the clouds above Jerusalem, before He descends to set His feet on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:4-5, Acts 1:11-12).
It is because of this Second-Coming rapture into the sky and then the gathering to where in the sky Jesus Christ will be (and then the marriage of the obedient part of the Church there to Jesus: Revelation 19:7-8, Matthew 25:1-12) that the obedient part of the Church will already be with Jesus when He subsequently descends from the sky (the first heaven) to the earth (Revelation 19:14, Revelation 17:14, Zechariah 14:5c,4). Jesus and the obedient part of the Church will then physically reign on the earth for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4-6, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 2:26-29).
(See the "Millennium" sections of Revelation 20:4 below)
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*1 Thessalonians 4:13 / *1 Thes. 4:13 -
The hope here is not the rapture, but the physical resurrection of the dead in Jesus Christ, which resurrection will occur immediately before the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
(See also section 2 of Titus 2:13 below)
--
*1 Thessalonians 4:14 / *1 Thes. 4:14 -
(With)
See 1 Thessalonians 3:13 above.
--
*1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 / *1 Thes. 4:15 -
(Re: *Surviving the tribulation / *Alive and remain)
Some people in the Church will still be "alive and remain" at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming and the Church's rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17), immediately after the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 (Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8).
Also, even all those people in the Church who will die before or during the Tribulation will be in the rapture, for it will include all dead Christians of all times, right after they have been physically resurrected (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
(See also 1 Thessalonians 3:13 above, and the "Protection" section of Revelation 7:4 below. Also, see Isaiah 26:19 and Matthew 24:31 above)
--
*1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 / *1 Thes. 4:16 -
(Re: Resurrection)
In 1 Thessalonians 4:16, like in John 6:39-40,44,54, the original Greek word (anistemi: G0450) translated as "rise" is the same word used to refer to Jesus Christ's physical resurrection from the grave on the third day after His death in 1 Thessalonians 4:14, Romans 14:9, Mark 8:31, Mark 9:9,31, Mark 10:34, Mark 16:9a, Luke 18:33, Luke 24:7,46, Acts 10:41, Acts 13:34, and Acts 17:3,31.
That is, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 means that the physical bodies of the dead in Christ of all times will be resurrected from their graves at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming, just as Jesus' own physical body was resurrected from His grave at His first coming, on the third day after His death (Luke 24:39,46; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4,21-23,51-53, Philippians 3:21, Romans 8:23-25).
(See also Luke 24:39 above)
~
(Re: Will the resurrected dead *walk the earth for some time before they are raptured?)
Note that nothing in the Bible refers to them doing that, for they could be raptured immediately after they are physically resurrected, just as those who will be alive and remain at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming could be raptured immediately after they are changed into immortal physical bodies (1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17); and just as God's Two Witnesses will not walk the earth for some time after their mortal bodies are resuscitated back to mortal life (a few months before the rapture), but will immediately ascend (Revelation 11:11-12).
~
(Re: The *trump of God = the *last trump)
The trump-of-God resurrection of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:16) at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15) is the same as the last-trump resurrection of the Church (1 Corinthians 15:52) at Jesus' Second Coming (1 Corinthians 15:21-23, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6). And the trump of God/last trump is the trumpet in Matthew 24:31, at the Second Coming (Matthew 24:30), immediately after the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 (Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6).
~
(Re: Is the trumpet of God, blown by God in 1 Thessalonians 4, different than the trumpet of an angel, blown by an angel in Matthew 24?)
Note that nothing requires that the trumpet of God in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 will be blown by God Himself instead of by an angel under God's command, just as nothing requires that the trumpet in Matthew 24:31 will be blown by an angel instead of by God Himself. That is, the trumpet of God in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 can be the same trumpet as in Matthew 24:31, for both 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Matthew 24:31 refer to the trumpet which will sound at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15-16, Matthew 24:30-31; 1 Corinthians 15:21-23,51-53).
~
(Re: Means that Jesus is *Michael?)
No, for Jesus Christ is not any angel, but God the Son (Hebrews 1:4 to 2:17). So the voice of an archangel, literally a "chief angel", heard at Jesus' future, Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:16) will not be the voice of Jesus but of one of the archangels who will accompany Him at His return with all of the holy angels (Matthew 25:31). It could be the voice of Michael, who is just one of the chief angels (Daniel 10:13). (1 Thessalonians 4:16's original Greek does not refer to the voice of "the" archangel, but an archangel.)
1 Thessalonians 4:16's "with" preceding "a voice of an archangel" can mean that a voice of an archangel will be heard in addition to 1 Thessalonians 4:16's shout, just as the "with" preceding the shout means that the shout will occur in addition to the descent of Jesus Christ. So the verse can be listing three things which will be heard at Jesus' descent: a shout (which could be from Jesus), a voice of an archangel, and a trumpet of God.
(See also section 2 of Daniel 12:1(space) above)
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*1 Thessalonians 4:17 / *1 Thes. 4:17 -
(Alive and remain)
This refers to "we" Christians who will still be alive at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming.
(See also 1 Thessalonians 4:15 above)
~
(Re: *Rapiemur) / (Does Jesus ever mention a *rapture?)
Yes, for the rapture is the gathering together of the Church to Jesus Christ at His future, Second Coming (2 Thessalonians 2:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17) which Jesus mentions in Matthew 24:30-31, Mark 13:26-27, and John 14:3.
Also, just as it is okay to use the English word "Bible" even though it is not in the Bible, so it should be okay to use the English word "rapture" even though it is not in the Bible. The English word "rapture" is derived from the root of the Latin word "rapiemur", which is how the old, Latin, Vulgate translation of the Bible translated the original Greek word (harpazo: G0726) translated as "caught up" in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. So the "rapture" is simply the Church's being "caught up" together to Jesus Christ at His future, Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17), which is the same as the Church's being "gathered together" to Jesus at His Second Coming (2 Thessalonians 2:1, Matthew 24:30-31, John 14:3), which will occur immediately after the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 (Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6).
Christians need to be wary of the mistaken idea that no rapture will occur at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming, for such an idea could be employed by the future Antichrist's False Prophet (of Revelation 19:20, Revelation 13:13-15) to fool some Christians into thinking that Jesus' Second Coming has happened (Matthew 24:23-26) without Jesus having to have raptured (caught up together/gathered together) the Church into the sky to hold a meeting in the air with Him at His Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1, Matthew 24:30-31, John 14:3).
(See "At that meeting" under Matthew 24:31 above. Also, see Revelation 13:11 below)
~
(Re: Will not Christians be caught up into *heaven?)
Do you mean that the rapture will take Christians all the way into the third heaven (of 2 Corinthians 12:2b)? If so, note that nothing in the Bible requires that Christians will be raptured any higher than the clouds of the sky, the first heaven, to hold a meeting in the air with Jesus Christ at His future, Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17). After that meeting, in which the Church will be judged by Jesus (Psalms 50:3-5, cf. Mark 13:27) and the obedient part of the Church will be married to Jesus (Revelation 19:7, Matthew 25:1-13), the obedient part of the Church will come back down from the sky, the first heaven, with Jesus (Revelation 19:15-21) to physically reign on the earth with Him for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4-6, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 2:26-29). After the 1,000 years and subsequent events (Revelation 20:7-15, Ezekiel chapters 38-39) the obedient part of the Church will then live on a New Earth, as in a new surface for the earth, with God the Father and Jesus in the literal city of New Jerusalem (Revelation chapters 21-22).
(See also 2 Corinthians 12:2(space) above)
~
(Re: Will Christians not be caught *up at all?)
Note that there does not have to be an "up" in 1 Thessalonians 4:17's original Greek for it to mean "up". For the clouds and the air are up. 1 Thessalonians 4:17's original Greek word (harpazo: G0726) translated as "caught up" can also be used to refer to people being taken to where God's throne is (Revelation 12:5), which is "up" in heaven (Revelation 4:1-2); just as God's future, Two Witnesses will ascend "up" to heaven (Revelation 11:12).
~
(Re: Are the *clouds figurative, like in Hebrews 12:1?)
Hebrews 12:1 refers to a singular, already existing, and only-figurative "cloud" of only Old Testament witnesses (Hebrews 11), while 1 Thessalonians 4:17, like Matthew 24:30 and Revelation 1:7, refers to plural, not-yet-existing clouds which will be literal like Luke 9:34's literal cloud (up on a mountain: Luke 9:28). But the clouds of 1 Thessalonians 4:17, Matthew 24:30, and Revelation 1:7 will be up in the sky, the first heaven, the literal air, like Acts 1:9's literal cloud was "up" in the sky; and like the literal cloud in which God's future, Two Witnesses will ascend physically to heaven (Revelation 11:12).
(See also Acts 1:11 above)
At Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming, He will be literally seen in literal clouds (Revelation 1:7, Matthew 24:30), just as lightning is seen in literal clouds (Matthew 24:27). But the literal clouds in Revelation 1:7, Matthew 24:30, and 1 Thessalonians 4:17 may cover the raptured Church in the sky from view of the non-Christian world while the Church is being judged by Jesus (Psalms 50:3-5, cf. Mark 13:27) and then the obedient part of the Church is married to Jesus (Revelation 19:7-8, Matthew 25:1-12) in the sky, the first heaven (Revelation 19:14).
(See also Matthew 25:10 and Matthew 25:1-13 above. And see the "Marriage" section of Revelation 19:7 below)
~
(Re: Does "in the clouds" mean an invisible, that is, a pre-tribulation, coming of Jesus?)
No, for 1 Thessalonians 4:17 is the same, post-tribulation coming of Jesus Christ as Matthew 24:29-30, when "they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds" (Matthew 24:30).
(See also Matthew 24:31 above)
~
(Re: Is the *air figurative of spirit, like in 1 Corinthians 15?)
1 Thessalonians 4:17's "air" will be the literal air like the air in 1 Corinthians 9:26, 1 Corinthians 14:9, and Acts 22:23. But the air in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 will be up in the sky, as high as the clouds, like the air in Revelation 9:2 and Revelation 16:17.
The Church will not be changed into spirit at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming, but resurrected (if dead) or changed (if alive) into immortal flesh and bone bodies like Jesus Himself was resurrected into on the third day after His death (Luke 24:39,46; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4,21-23,51-53, Philippians 3:21, Romans 8:23-25). Also, the apostle Paul does not refer to the "air" in 1 Corinthians 15, and nothing there (or anywhere else in the Bible) requires that he was using "air" in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 as a synonym for spirit.
The purpose of the rapture (the catching up) is not to change the bodies of living Christians into immortal bodies, but to "catch up" both their already-changed immortal bodies and the just-resurrected immortal bodies of dead Christians of all times into the sky to hold a meeting in the air with Jesus Christ at His future, Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17). The already-changed, living Christians will be raptured (caught up) "together with them" (1 Thessalonians 4:17), that is, together with the just-resurrected Christians (1 Thessalonians 4:16b-17).
(See also Luke 24:39 above)
~
(Re: *Full preterism?)
Full preterism sometimes claims that Christians are each individually resurrected and caught up into heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) when they die. But this is not the case, for 1 Thessalonians 4:17 will include "we which are alive and remain", as well as "them", meaning as well as all dead Christians of all times, who will all be physically resurrected at the same time, at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:21-23, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6), at the single moment that the last trumpet will sound (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Matthew 24:31), which will not be until immediately after the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 (Matthew 24:29-31, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6).
So just as even Jesus Christ Himself was not resurrected at the moment that He died but was resurrected on the third day after He died (1 Corinthians 15:4), so Christians are not resurrected at the moment that they die but must wait until Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming to be resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:21-23; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6). Jesus' Second Coming could occur near the start of the third, 1,000-year period (or "day": 2 Peter 3:8) after Jesus' first coming in the first century AD. The first 1,000-year period could have been the years 1 to 1000 AD, the second 1,000-year period could have been the years 1001 to 2000 AD, and the third 1,000-year period could be the years 2001 to 3000 AD.
(See also Hebrews 1:2 below and 1 Thessalonians 3:13 above. Also, see the "air" section above here, and the "fear" section of 2 Thessalonians 2:1 below)
~
(Re: *No landing on earth? / No white horse?)
Note that nothing in 1 Thessalonians 4 says or requires that Jesus Christ will not at that same coming subsequently descend to the earth on a white horse as in Revelation 19:7-21. And there is no explicit descent to the earth, or a white horse, in Matthew 24:30 either. But it is still the same, future, Second Coming of Jesus Christ as in Revelation 19:7-21. And even in Revelation 19:7-21 there is no explicit descent to the earth as in Zechariah 14:3-21, even though Revelation 19:7-21 is the same Second Coming as Zechariah 14:3-21, which has no explicit white horse.
~
(Re: No angels?)
Note that 1 Thessalonians 4:16 does not say that the Lord Jesus Christ will come "by himself", just as nothing in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 requires that the Lord Himself will not be accompanied by His angels at that time. For otherwise there could be no "voice of the archangel" heard at that time. And 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 refers to the same, future, Second Coming of Jesus and gathering together (rapture) of the Church as 2 Thessalonians 2:1, which refers to the same, future, Second Coming of Jesus and gathering together (rapture) of the Church as Matthew 24:30-31. Jesus will send forth His angels at that time to gather together (Matthew 24:31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1) all of the "caught up" Christians (1 Thessalonians 4:17) in myriad different places in the sky (the first heaven) all around the globe (Mark 13:27, Matthew 24:31) to the one place in the sky above Jerusalem where the returned Jesus will be, before He lands on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:4).
(See also the section above, and 1 Thessalonians 3:13 above)
~
(Re: What about *Darby?)
The Darby doctrine is mistaken not because it teaches a rapture per se but because it teaches a man-invented, pre-tribulation rapture, and one all the way into the third heaven, rather than the Biblical, post-tribulation rapture into the sky, the first heaven (Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6; 1 Thessalonians 4:17). Also, the Darby doctrine is mistaken because it teaches a man-invented form of Dispensationalism which sets up a mutual exclusiveness between the Church and Israel rather than teaching Biblical Covenantalism (Matthew 26:28; 1 Corinthians 11:25; 2 Corinthians 3:6, Hebrews 9:15, Jeremiah 31:31-34).
(See also the "Tribes" section of Romans 11:17 above, and see Matthew 24:31 and Ephesians 3:1-2 above)
~
(Re: *Parousia/*coming, *apocalypse/*revelation, *epiphany/*appearing)
Jesus Christ's future parousia (coming), His future apocalypse (revelation), and His future epiphany (appearing), all refer to the same thing: His future, Second Coming.
For His future "parousia" (G3952) is His second "coming" when He will resurrect and change the obedient part of the Church (of all times) into immortal physical bodies (1 Corinthians 15:21-23,51-53), when He will resurrect and then catch up together (rapture) the Church into the clouds to hold a meeting with Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17), when He will gather together (rapture) the Church and destroy the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:1,8). This will occur immediately after the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 (Matthew 24:29-31, Revelation 19:7,20) and right before the future Millennium (Revelation 20:4-6).
And Jesus' future "apocalypse" (apokalupsis: G0602) is His future "revelation" which the Church is waiting for (1 Peter 1:13; 1 Peter 4:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10), His second "coming" which the Church is waiting for (1 Corinthians 1:7), His future "appearing" which the Church is waiting for (1 Peter 1:7).
And Jesus' future "epiphany" (epiphaneia: G2015) is His future "appearing" which the Church is waiting for (1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:8, Titus 2:13), the future "brightness" of His future parousia which will destroy the future Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:8).
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Next entry / Prior / Table of Contents
Dec 20, 2018
(Re: *Slavery)
At the time that the Bible was written, thousands of years ago, slavery was not at all based on race. For back then there were many more white slaves than black. And no doubt some of the white slaves had black masters. The Bible is not racist (Acts 17:26, Revelation 5:9).
Also, the Old Testament forbade the cruel treatment of slaves (Leviticus 25:43, Exodus 21:26-27), of whatever race, and forbade the return of escaped slaves to their masters (Deuteronomy 23:15-16). Similarly, the New Testament commands the right treatment of slaves (Colossians 4:1), and says that slaves should obtain freedom from mortal masters if they are able to (1 Corinthians 7:21). But Christians are to remain the voluntary slaves/servants of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:1, Romans 6:22, Revelation 1:1), who has freed them from slavery to sin (John 8:34-36), and offers them eternal life (Romans 6:22-23).
Also, the world today takes pride in its outlawing of slavery. Yet the world overlooks the billions of "wage slaves" today who are not paid a living wage, while their corporate masters grow rich off of their labor. So slaves today are cared for less by their masters than slaves in Bible times were to be cared for (Colossians 4:1, Exodus 21:5).
(See also Leviticus 25:10, Acts 2:44, and Micah 4:4 above)
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*1 Thessalonians 1:3 / *1 Thes. 1:3 -
This, Galatians 5:6, and Titus 3:8 mean that Christians should be performing works of faith in Jesus Christ and His Gospel. For both faith and continued works of faith (not works of the letter of the Old Covenant Mosaic law) are required for Christians to obtain ultimate salvation from hell (Romans 2:6-8, James 2:24, Matthew 7:21).
(See also Ephesians 2:8 above)
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*1 Thessalonians 1:10 / *1 Thes. 1:10 -
Here, "the wrath to come" refers to the same wrath as 1 Thessalonians 5:9.
(See 1 Thessalonians 5:9 below)
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*1 Thessalonians 2:5 / *1 Thes. 2:5 -
The original Greek words (prophasis: G4392; and pleonexia: G4124) translated as "cloke of covetousness" can mean "pretext for greed".
(See also paragraph 4 of 2 Corinthians 11:8 above)
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*1 Thessalonians 3:13 / *1 Thes. 3:13 -
(Re: Will Jesus first come for His bride, and then later *with His bride?)
No, for Jesus Christ's coming for His bride, and with His bride, will occur at the same Second Coming. For 1 Thessalonians 3:13 and 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 show that at Jesus' Second Coming, the souls of all obedient dead Christians of all times will be brought down from the third heaven with Jesus (1 Thessalonians 4:14-15), and their souls will descend to the earth and their physical bodies will resurrect/rise from their graves (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Then they and all Christians who will survive the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 on the earth, those who will still be "alive and remain", will be raptured up high into the air above the places all around the globe where they will be (1 Thessalonians 4:17a). And then they will be gathered together from the sky (the first heaven) all around the globe (Matthew 24:31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1) to the one place in the sky where the returned Jesus will be (1 Thessalonians 4:17b), which will be in the clouds above Jerusalem, before He descends to set His feet on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:4-5, Acts 1:11-12).
It is because of this Second-Coming rapture into the sky and then the gathering to where in the sky Jesus Christ will be (and then the marriage of the obedient part of the Church there to Jesus: Revelation 19:7-8, Matthew 25:1-12) that the obedient part of the Church will already be with Jesus when He subsequently descends from the sky (the first heaven) to the earth (Revelation 19:14, Revelation 17:14, Zechariah 14:5c,4). Jesus and the obedient part of the Church will then physically reign on the earth for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4-6, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 2:26-29).
(See the "Millennium" sections of Revelation 20:4 below)
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*1 Thessalonians 4:13 / *1 Thes. 4:13 -
The hope here is not the rapture, but the physical resurrection of the dead in Jesus Christ, which resurrection will occur immediately before the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
(See also section 2 of Titus 2:13 below)
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*1 Thessalonians 4:14 / *1 Thes. 4:14 -
(With)
See 1 Thessalonians 3:13 above.
--
*1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 / *1 Thes. 4:15 -
(Re: *Surviving the tribulation / *Alive and remain)
Some people in the Church will still be "alive and remain" at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming and the Church's rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17), immediately after the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 (Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8).
Also, even all those people in the Church who will die before or during the Tribulation will be in the rapture, for it will include all dead Christians of all times, right after they have been physically resurrected (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
(See also 1 Thessalonians 3:13 above, and the "Protection" section of Revelation 7:4 below. Also, see Isaiah 26:19 and Matthew 24:31 above)
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*1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 / *1 Thes. 4:16 -
(Re: Resurrection)
In 1 Thessalonians 4:16, like in John 6:39-40,44,54, the original Greek word (anistemi: G0450) translated as "rise" is the same word used to refer to Jesus Christ's physical resurrection from the grave on the third day after His death in 1 Thessalonians 4:14, Romans 14:9, Mark 8:31, Mark 9:9,31, Mark 10:34, Mark 16:9a, Luke 18:33, Luke 24:7,46, Acts 10:41, Acts 13:34, and Acts 17:3,31.
That is, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 means that the physical bodies of the dead in Christ of all times will be resurrected from their graves at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming, just as Jesus' own physical body was resurrected from His grave at His first coming, on the third day after His death (Luke 24:39,46; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4,21-23,51-53, Philippians 3:21, Romans 8:23-25).
(See also Luke 24:39 above)
~
(Re: Will the resurrected dead *walk the earth for some time before they are raptured?)
Note that nothing in the Bible refers to them doing that, for they could be raptured immediately after they are physically resurrected, just as those who will be alive and remain at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming could be raptured immediately after they are changed into immortal physical bodies (1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17); and just as God's Two Witnesses will not walk the earth for some time after their mortal bodies are resuscitated back to mortal life (a few months before the rapture), but will immediately ascend (Revelation 11:11-12).
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(Re: The *trump of God = the *last trump)
The trump-of-God resurrection of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:16) at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15) is the same as the last-trump resurrection of the Church (1 Corinthians 15:52) at Jesus' Second Coming (1 Corinthians 15:21-23, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6). And the trump of God/last trump is the trumpet in Matthew 24:31, at the Second Coming (Matthew 24:30), immediately after the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 (Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6).
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(Re: Is the trumpet of God, blown by God in 1 Thessalonians 4, different than the trumpet of an angel, blown by an angel in Matthew 24?)
Note that nothing requires that the trumpet of God in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 will be blown by God Himself instead of by an angel under God's command, just as nothing requires that the trumpet in Matthew 24:31 will be blown by an angel instead of by God Himself. That is, the trumpet of God in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 can be the same trumpet as in Matthew 24:31, for both 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Matthew 24:31 refer to the trumpet which will sound at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15-16, Matthew 24:30-31; 1 Corinthians 15:21-23,51-53).
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(Re: Means that Jesus is *Michael?)
No, for Jesus Christ is not any angel, but God the Son (Hebrews 1:4 to 2:17). So the voice of an archangel, literally a "chief angel", heard at Jesus' future, Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:16) will not be the voice of Jesus but of one of the archangels who will accompany Him at His return with all of the holy angels (Matthew 25:31). It could be the voice of Michael, who is just one of the chief angels (Daniel 10:13). (1 Thessalonians 4:16's original Greek does not refer to the voice of "the" archangel, but an archangel.)
1 Thessalonians 4:16's "with" preceding "a voice of an archangel" can mean that a voice of an archangel will be heard in addition to 1 Thessalonians 4:16's shout, just as the "with" preceding the shout means that the shout will occur in addition to the descent of Jesus Christ. So the verse can be listing three things which will be heard at Jesus' descent: a shout (which could be from Jesus), a voice of an archangel, and a trumpet of God.
(See also section 2 of Daniel 12:1(space) above)
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*1 Thessalonians 4:17 / *1 Thes. 4:17 -
(Alive and remain)
This refers to "we" Christians who will still be alive at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming.
(See also 1 Thessalonians 4:15 above)
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(Re: *Rapiemur) / (Does Jesus ever mention a *rapture?)
Yes, for the rapture is the gathering together of the Church to Jesus Christ at His future, Second Coming (2 Thessalonians 2:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17) which Jesus mentions in Matthew 24:30-31, Mark 13:26-27, and John 14:3.
Also, just as it is okay to use the English word "Bible" even though it is not in the Bible, so it should be okay to use the English word "rapture" even though it is not in the Bible. The English word "rapture" is derived from the root of the Latin word "rapiemur", which is how the old, Latin, Vulgate translation of the Bible translated the original Greek word (harpazo: G0726) translated as "caught up" in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. So the "rapture" is simply the Church's being "caught up" together to Jesus Christ at His future, Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17), which is the same as the Church's being "gathered together" to Jesus at His Second Coming (2 Thessalonians 2:1, Matthew 24:30-31, John 14:3), which will occur immediately after the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 (Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6).
Christians need to be wary of the mistaken idea that no rapture will occur at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming, for such an idea could be employed by the future Antichrist's False Prophet (of Revelation 19:20, Revelation 13:13-15) to fool some Christians into thinking that Jesus' Second Coming has happened (Matthew 24:23-26) without Jesus having to have raptured (caught up together/gathered together) the Church into the sky to hold a meeting in the air with Him at His Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1, Matthew 24:30-31, John 14:3).
(See "At that meeting" under Matthew 24:31 above. Also, see Revelation 13:11 below)
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(Re: Will not Christians be caught up into *heaven?)
Do you mean that the rapture will take Christians all the way into the third heaven (of 2 Corinthians 12:2b)? If so, note that nothing in the Bible requires that Christians will be raptured any higher than the clouds of the sky, the first heaven, to hold a meeting in the air with Jesus Christ at His future, Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17). After that meeting, in which the Church will be judged by Jesus (Psalms 50:3-5, cf. Mark 13:27) and the obedient part of the Church will be married to Jesus (Revelation 19:7, Matthew 25:1-13), the obedient part of the Church will come back down from the sky, the first heaven, with Jesus (Revelation 19:15-21) to physically reign on the earth with Him for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4-6, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 2:26-29). After the 1,000 years and subsequent events (Revelation 20:7-15, Ezekiel chapters 38-39) the obedient part of the Church will then live on a New Earth, as in a new surface for the earth, with God the Father and Jesus in the literal city of New Jerusalem (Revelation chapters 21-22).
(See also 2 Corinthians 12:2(space) above)
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(Re: Will Christians not be caught *up at all?)
Note that there does not have to be an "up" in 1 Thessalonians 4:17's original Greek for it to mean "up". For the clouds and the air are up. 1 Thessalonians 4:17's original Greek word (harpazo: G0726) translated as "caught up" can also be used to refer to people being taken to where God's throne is (Revelation 12:5), which is "up" in heaven (Revelation 4:1-2); just as God's future, Two Witnesses will ascend "up" to heaven (Revelation 11:12).
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(Re: Are the *clouds figurative, like in Hebrews 12:1?)
Hebrews 12:1 refers to a singular, already existing, and only-figurative "cloud" of only Old Testament witnesses (Hebrews 11), while 1 Thessalonians 4:17, like Matthew 24:30 and Revelation 1:7, refers to plural, not-yet-existing clouds which will be literal like Luke 9:34's literal cloud (up on a mountain: Luke 9:28). But the clouds of 1 Thessalonians 4:17, Matthew 24:30, and Revelation 1:7 will be up in the sky, the first heaven, the literal air, like Acts 1:9's literal cloud was "up" in the sky; and like the literal cloud in which God's future, Two Witnesses will ascend physically to heaven (Revelation 11:12).
(See also Acts 1:11 above)
At Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming, He will be literally seen in literal clouds (Revelation 1:7, Matthew 24:30), just as lightning is seen in literal clouds (Matthew 24:27). But the literal clouds in Revelation 1:7, Matthew 24:30, and 1 Thessalonians 4:17 may cover the raptured Church in the sky from view of the non-Christian world while the Church is being judged by Jesus (Psalms 50:3-5, cf. Mark 13:27) and then the obedient part of the Church is married to Jesus (Revelation 19:7-8, Matthew 25:1-12) in the sky, the first heaven (Revelation 19:14).
(See also Matthew 25:10 and Matthew 25:1-13 above. And see the "Marriage" section of Revelation 19:7 below)
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(Re: Does "in the clouds" mean an invisible, that is, a pre-tribulation, coming of Jesus?)
No, for 1 Thessalonians 4:17 is the same, post-tribulation coming of Jesus Christ as Matthew 24:29-30, when "they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds" (Matthew 24:30).
(See also Matthew 24:31 above)
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(Re: Is the *air figurative of spirit, like in 1 Corinthians 15?)
1 Thessalonians 4:17's "air" will be the literal air like the air in 1 Corinthians 9:26, 1 Corinthians 14:9, and Acts 22:23. But the air in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 will be up in the sky, as high as the clouds, like the air in Revelation 9:2 and Revelation 16:17.
The Church will not be changed into spirit at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming, but resurrected (if dead) or changed (if alive) into immortal flesh and bone bodies like Jesus Himself was resurrected into on the third day after His death (Luke 24:39,46; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4,21-23,51-53, Philippians 3:21, Romans 8:23-25). Also, the apostle Paul does not refer to the "air" in 1 Corinthians 15, and nothing there (or anywhere else in the Bible) requires that he was using "air" in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 as a synonym for spirit.
The purpose of the rapture (the catching up) is not to change the bodies of living Christians into immortal bodies, but to "catch up" both their already-changed immortal bodies and the just-resurrected immortal bodies of dead Christians of all times into the sky to hold a meeting in the air with Jesus Christ at His future, Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17). The already-changed, living Christians will be raptured (caught up) "together with them" (1 Thessalonians 4:17), that is, together with the just-resurrected Christians (1 Thessalonians 4:16b-17).
(See also Luke 24:39 above)
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(Re: *Full preterism?)
Full preterism sometimes claims that Christians are each individually resurrected and caught up into heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) when they die. But this is not the case, for 1 Thessalonians 4:17 will include "we which are alive and remain", as well as "them", meaning as well as all dead Christians of all times, who will all be physically resurrected at the same time, at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:21-23, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6), at the single moment that the last trumpet will sound (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Matthew 24:31), which will not be until immediately after the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 (Matthew 24:29-31, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6).
So just as even Jesus Christ Himself was not resurrected at the moment that He died but was resurrected on the third day after He died (1 Corinthians 15:4), so Christians are not resurrected at the moment that they die but must wait until Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming to be resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:21-23; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6). Jesus' Second Coming could occur near the start of the third, 1,000-year period (or "day": 2 Peter 3:8) after Jesus' first coming in the first century AD. The first 1,000-year period could have been the years 1 to 1000 AD, the second 1,000-year period could have been the years 1001 to 2000 AD, and the third 1,000-year period could be the years 2001 to 3000 AD.
(See also Hebrews 1:2 below and 1 Thessalonians 3:13 above. Also, see the "air" section above here, and the "fear" section of 2 Thessalonians 2:1 below)
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(Re: *No landing on earth? / No white horse?)
Note that nothing in 1 Thessalonians 4 says or requires that Jesus Christ will not at that same coming subsequently descend to the earth on a white horse as in Revelation 19:7-21. And there is no explicit descent to the earth, or a white horse, in Matthew 24:30 either. But it is still the same, future, Second Coming of Jesus Christ as in Revelation 19:7-21. And even in Revelation 19:7-21 there is no explicit descent to the earth as in Zechariah 14:3-21, even though Revelation 19:7-21 is the same Second Coming as Zechariah 14:3-21, which has no explicit white horse.
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(Re: No angels?)
Note that 1 Thessalonians 4:16 does not say that the Lord Jesus Christ will come "by himself", just as nothing in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 requires that the Lord Himself will not be accompanied by His angels at that time. For otherwise there could be no "voice of the archangel" heard at that time. And 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 refers to the same, future, Second Coming of Jesus and gathering together (rapture) of the Church as 2 Thessalonians 2:1, which refers to the same, future, Second Coming of Jesus and gathering together (rapture) of the Church as Matthew 24:30-31. Jesus will send forth His angels at that time to gather together (Matthew 24:31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1) all of the "caught up" Christians (1 Thessalonians 4:17) in myriad different places in the sky (the first heaven) all around the globe (Mark 13:27, Matthew 24:31) to the one place in the sky above Jerusalem where the returned Jesus will be, before He lands on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:4).
(See also the section above, and 1 Thessalonians 3:13 above)
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(Re: What about *Darby?)
The Darby doctrine is mistaken not because it teaches a rapture per se but because it teaches a man-invented, pre-tribulation rapture, and one all the way into the third heaven, rather than the Biblical, post-tribulation rapture into the sky, the first heaven (Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6; 1 Thessalonians 4:17). Also, the Darby doctrine is mistaken because it teaches a man-invented form of Dispensationalism which sets up a mutual exclusiveness between the Church and Israel rather than teaching Biblical Covenantalism (Matthew 26:28; 1 Corinthians 11:25; 2 Corinthians 3:6, Hebrews 9:15, Jeremiah 31:31-34).
(See also the "Tribes" section of Romans 11:17 above, and see Matthew 24:31 and Ephesians 3:1-2 above)
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(Re: *Parousia/*coming, *apocalypse/*revelation, *epiphany/*appearing)
Jesus Christ's future parousia (coming), His future apocalypse (revelation), and His future epiphany (appearing), all refer to the same thing: His future, Second Coming.
For His future "parousia" (G3952) is His second "coming" when He will resurrect and change the obedient part of the Church (of all times) into immortal physical bodies (1 Corinthians 15:21-23,51-53), when He will resurrect and then catch up together (rapture) the Church into the clouds to hold a meeting with Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17), when He will gather together (rapture) the Church and destroy the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:1,8). This will occur immediately after the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 (Matthew 24:29-31, Revelation 19:7,20) and right before the future Millennium (Revelation 20:4-6).
And Jesus' future "apocalypse" (apokalupsis: G0602) is His future "revelation" which the Church is waiting for (1 Peter 1:13; 1 Peter 4:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10), His second "coming" which the Church is waiting for (1 Corinthians 1:7), His future "appearing" which the Church is waiting for (1 Peter 1:7).
And Jesus' future "epiphany" (epiphaneia: G2015) is His future "appearing" which the Church is waiting for (1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:8, Titus 2:13), the future "brightness" of His future parousia which will destroy the future Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:8).
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