1 Thess 5:6-9
Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
There isn't a rapturist I know who does not associate this passage with the rapture.
We know from the context of the chapter that the term "sleep" in this passage is not referring to physical death, but to a state opposite to "watching".
Those who "watch and be sober" are said to be "Awake" directly contrasted with those who "sleep" or are "Drunk", not "watching".
Both groups of people are living, breathing humans.
Here comes my question:
Since every rapturist I know believes the rapture removes the entire number of believing Christians on earth, and also believes the rapture removes only people who are "watching" as opposed to those who are "Sleeping", how does the rapturist interprate verse 10 of this passage:
...who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
This passage is clear, those who are "Sober" and "wake", escape wrath, but it also says that those who "sleep" and are "Drunk" shall live together with Jesus forever.
Any rapturist care to reconcile this?
Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
There isn't a rapturist I know who does not associate this passage with the rapture.
We know from the context of the chapter that the term "sleep" in this passage is not referring to physical death, but to a state opposite to "watching".
Those who "watch and be sober" are said to be "Awake" directly contrasted with those who "sleep" or are "Drunk", not "watching".
Both groups of people are living, breathing humans.
Here comes my question:
Since every rapturist I know believes the rapture removes the entire number of believing Christians on earth, and also believes the rapture removes only people who are "watching" as opposed to those who are "Sleeping", how does the rapturist interprate verse 10 of this passage:
...who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
This passage is clear, those who are "Sober" and "wake", escape wrath, but it also says that those who "sleep" and are "Drunk" shall live together with Jesus forever.
Any rapturist care to reconcile this?