Peace in Christ.
The “rapture”…if you want to call it that…means to be “caught up”. What are we to be “caught up” to?
We…who overcome…are to be caught up to sit together in the throne of Christ (with Him) who is set down in His Father's throne...at His right hand. This is a now thing...for this current age we are living in... in this earth.
Rev 3:21-22 KJV
(21) To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
(22) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Christ is set at the right hand of God ABOVE (Greek: Epouranios -above the heavenlies) the “heavenlies”….
Eph 1:19-21
(19) And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
(20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly (ABOVE the heavenlies) places,
The “heavenlies” are all the highly exalted things of this earth: all principality, and power, and might, and dominion.
Christ sits in His throne far above all the highly exalted things (the “heavenlies”) of this earth….and we are to sit together with Him NOW in this PRESENT AGE…and also in the age to come.
(21) Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world (AGE), but also in that which is to come:
(22) And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
(23) Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
The “heaven” speaks of anything that is highly exalted. It can mean anything in this earth that is highly exalted. For example: Capernaum was “exalted unto heaven”…but was to be brought down low.
Mat 11:23 KJV
(23) And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
God raises us up NOW to sit together ABOVE the heavenlies (all principality, and power, and might, and dominion)….all exalted things/people of this present age…and in the age to come as well. We are "raptured"....raised up together with Christ far above the ruling authorities of this earth.
Eph 2:4-6
(4) But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
(5) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)
(Greek: Epouranios -above the heavenlies)
(6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places (ABOVE the HEAVENLIES) in Christ Jesus:
We move upward only…being made the “head” with Christ and not the tail in this earth.
Deu 28:13 KJV
(13) And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
We are to rule with Him NOW in this present age (being raised up to be sitting with Him in His throne) above all of the things/people of this earth…and now in our mortal bodies that manifests His life (the manifestation of the Son of man to this earth).
We are to rule with Him now…putting down all rule and all authority and power (the heavenlies of this earth are to be brought down and all things to be subjected unto Christ). This will be a process for us….Christ the first fruits. We rule with Him until all of the enemies...all high things that are exalted .... are put down.
When all things are finally put under the rule of Christ, then comes the end….the end of this present age will come.
1Co 15:23-26 KJV
(23) But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
(24) Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
And at the very end of this age after all the other exalted things are put down, the last enemy that is to be defeated is death.
(25) For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
(26) The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
At the very end of this age then comes the redemption of our mortal bodies….the change over from being mortal to immortal. We who had inherited an age-lasting life will never mortally die until this moment.
1Th 4:13-18 KJV
(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.
The Christians that perished (that had fallen “asleep” in Jesus) shall be then raised up alive.
They had mortally died (perished) because they were not preached the gospel of truth and so did not understand that we are to have “eternal life”…that is, an age-lasting life NOW in our mortal bodies. They had perished because they listened to false prophets who had no understanding of the gospel and led them down the broad way to their mortal destruction....and never inheriting an age-lasting life. They will have missed out ruling with Christ in this present age.
But we who know the truth of the gospel now are to remain here in this earth alive (we which are “alive and remain”) unto the redemption moment.
We shall not mortally die but shall remain alive here in our mortal flesh until the very end of this age (age-lasting life) where then we shall be changed into immortal thereby circumventing our mortal deaths completely in Christ.
Those who died in Christ (not inheriting an age-lasting life in their mortal bodies) shall then be raised up first...and God gives them a body that He determines.
(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:
But we who are "alive and remain"....because we had inherited an age-lasting life now in our mortal bodies, shall be caught up together with them (the resurrected perished group of Christians) IN CLOUDS.
There is no “THE” here in verse 12. The definite article does not appear “in THE clouds”. It is “IN CLOUDS”. We are to be caught up together (with those who had perished mortally) IN CLOUDS. "The" was inserted and does not appear in the Greek.
(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.
Young's Literal Translation
then we who are living, who are remaining over, together with them shall be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in air, and so always with the Lord we shall be;
These “clouds” are “clouds” of people that will surround us when we are caught up to meet the Lord in the air.
They are the outside people of the world who will see the Son of man (eyewitnesses of the revealing of the life of Jesus in our mortal flesh) and will surround us in belief and praise of God. They will fly to us like a cloud . Isaiah 60:8 .
They will be the “clouds” of people that will surround us at the time that we are caught up with to the Lord when the very end of this age comes.
Mat 24:30 KJV
(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.
The “Son of man” speaks of His life being made manifest in our mortal flesh now BEFORE the end of the age comes.
The Son of man appears in our MORTAL FLESH now in this present age giving us an age-lasting life (eternal life).
The Son of man comes on the “clouds” of the people of the outside world who will believe in Christ when they will see us with His manifest life in our mortal flesh.
But we are told that we cannot transfer over from this age to the coming age in our flesh and blood. We…who will remain alive in our mortal bodies for the duration of this age (and putting down all rule in this earth with Christ)…shall be changed from mortal to immortal at the very end of this present age.
We (the mortal that manifested the Son of man in our mortal flesh) shall have never died like the Christians who had no knowledge of the gospel (the Christians of the "corruption") nor knowledge of the rest of the Scriptures.
There are 2 groups of Christians being talked about here in 1 Corinthians 15: those who had mortally perished (the corruption who never manifested the life of Jesus in their mortal bodies) and those who will never die (the mortal who will have manifested the life of Jesus in their mortal bodies).
They….the perished Christians…will then inherit “incorruption” at the very last trump which happens at the very end of this age. They will have missed out on all of things of the duration of this age that happen with the revealing of the Son of man....His age-lasting life and the blessings to inherit now.
1Co 15:50-54 KJV
(50) Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
(51) Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
They…the mortally perished Christians…will then be raised incorruptible. Christ is Lord of the “dead”.
But we…who will still be morally alive (never dying because we had an age-lasting life….aka “eternal life”) will then be changed over to immortal in order to go into the coming age. Christ is also Lord of the living…those who will never die throughout this current age.
The highlighted red words are for the mortally perished Christians who were never given the truth of the gospel but believed in Christ but did not inherit an age-lasting life in this age nor the blessings that come with it.
The highlighted blue words are for those who will hear the gospel of truth and will receive an age-lasting life with the blessings that come with it. They will NEVER DIE but will continue to live until the very end of this age where they will then put on immortality (this mortal must put on immortal) as we will then transfer from this present age into the coming age.
(52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
(53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
(54) So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
The “rapture”…if you want to call it that…means to be “caught up”. What are we to be “caught up” to?
We…who overcome…are to be caught up to sit together in the throne of Christ (with Him) who is set down in His Father's throne...at His right hand. This is a now thing...for this current age we are living in... in this earth.
Rev 3:21-22 KJV
(21) To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
(22) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Christ is set at the right hand of God ABOVE (Greek: Epouranios -above the heavenlies) the “heavenlies”….
Eph 1:19-21
(19) And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
(20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly (ABOVE the heavenlies) places,
The “heavenlies” are all the highly exalted things of this earth: all principality, and power, and might, and dominion.
Christ sits in His throne far above all the highly exalted things (the “heavenlies”) of this earth….and we are to sit together with Him NOW in this PRESENT AGE…and also in the age to come.
(21) Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world (AGE), but also in that which is to come:
(22) And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
(23) Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
The “heaven” speaks of anything that is highly exalted. It can mean anything in this earth that is highly exalted. For example: Capernaum was “exalted unto heaven”…but was to be brought down low.
Mat 11:23 KJV
(23) And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
God raises us up NOW to sit together ABOVE the heavenlies (all principality, and power, and might, and dominion)….all exalted things/people of this present age…and in the age to come as well. We are "raptured"....raised up together with Christ far above the ruling authorities of this earth.
Eph 2:4-6
(4) But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
(5) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)
(Greek: Epouranios -above the heavenlies)
(6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places (ABOVE the HEAVENLIES) in Christ Jesus:
We move upward only…being made the “head” with Christ and not the tail in this earth.
Deu 28:13 KJV
(13) And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
We are to rule with Him NOW in this present age (being raised up to be sitting with Him in His throne) above all of the things/people of this earth…and now in our mortal bodies that manifests His life (the manifestation of the Son of man to this earth).
We are to rule with Him now…putting down all rule and all authority and power (the heavenlies of this earth are to be brought down and all things to be subjected unto Christ). This will be a process for us….Christ the first fruits. We rule with Him until all of the enemies...all high things that are exalted .... are put down.
When all things are finally put under the rule of Christ, then comes the end….the end of this present age will come.
1Co 15:23-26 KJV
(23) But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
(24) Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
And at the very end of this age after all the other exalted things are put down, the last enemy that is to be defeated is death.
(25) For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
(26) The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
At the very end of this age then comes the redemption of our mortal bodies….the change over from being mortal to immortal. We who had inherited an age-lasting life will never mortally die until this moment.
1Th 4:13-18 KJV
(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.
The Christians that perished (that had fallen “asleep” in Jesus) shall be then raised up alive.
They had mortally died (perished) because they were not preached the gospel of truth and so did not understand that we are to have “eternal life”…that is, an age-lasting life NOW in our mortal bodies. They had perished because they listened to false prophets who had no understanding of the gospel and led them down the broad way to their mortal destruction....and never inheriting an age-lasting life. They will have missed out ruling with Christ in this present age.
But we who know the truth of the gospel now are to remain here in this earth alive (we which are “alive and remain”) unto the redemption moment.
We shall not mortally die but shall remain alive here in our mortal flesh until the very end of this age (age-lasting life) where then we shall be changed into immortal thereby circumventing our mortal deaths completely in Christ.
Those who died in Christ (not inheriting an age-lasting life in their mortal bodies) shall then be raised up first...and God gives them a body that He determines.
(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:
But we who are "alive and remain"....because we had inherited an age-lasting life now in our mortal bodies, shall be caught up together with them (the resurrected perished group of Christians) IN CLOUDS.
There is no “THE” here in verse 12. The definite article does not appear “in THE clouds”. It is “IN CLOUDS”. We are to be caught up together (with those who had perished mortally) IN CLOUDS. "The" was inserted and does not appear in the Greek.
(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.
Young's Literal Translation
then we who are living, who are remaining over, together with them shall be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in air, and so always with the Lord we shall be;
These “clouds” are “clouds” of people that will surround us when we are caught up to meet the Lord in the air.
They are the outside people of the world who will see the Son of man (eyewitnesses of the revealing of the life of Jesus in our mortal flesh) and will surround us in belief and praise of God. They will fly to us like a cloud . Isaiah 60:8 .
They will be the “clouds” of people that will surround us at the time that we are caught up with to the Lord when the very end of this age comes.
Mat 24:30 KJV
(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.
The “Son of man” speaks of His life being made manifest in our mortal flesh now BEFORE the end of the age comes.
The Son of man appears in our MORTAL FLESH now in this present age giving us an age-lasting life (eternal life).
The Son of man comes on the “clouds” of the people of the outside world who will believe in Christ when they will see us with His manifest life in our mortal flesh.
But we are told that we cannot transfer over from this age to the coming age in our flesh and blood. We…who will remain alive in our mortal bodies for the duration of this age (and putting down all rule in this earth with Christ)…shall be changed from mortal to immortal at the very end of this present age.
We (the mortal that manifested the Son of man in our mortal flesh) shall have never died like the Christians who had no knowledge of the gospel (the Christians of the "corruption") nor knowledge of the rest of the Scriptures.
There are 2 groups of Christians being talked about here in 1 Corinthians 15: those who had mortally perished (the corruption who never manifested the life of Jesus in their mortal bodies) and those who will never die (the mortal who will have manifested the life of Jesus in their mortal bodies).
They….the perished Christians…will then inherit “incorruption” at the very last trump which happens at the very end of this age. They will have missed out on all of things of the duration of this age that happen with the revealing of the Son of man....His age-lasting life and the blessings to inherit now.
1Co 15:50-54 KJV
(50) Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
(51) Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
They…the mortally perished Christians…will then be raised incorruptible. Christ is Lord of the “dead”.
But we…who will still be morally alive (never dying because we had an age-lasting life….aka “eternal life”) will then be changed over to immortal in order to go into the coming age. Christ is also Lord of the living…those who will never die throughout this current age.
The highlighted red words are for the mortally perished Christians who were never given the truth of the gospel but believed in Christ but did not inherit an age-lasting life in this age nor the blessings that come with it.
The highlighted blue words are for those who will hear the gospel of truth and will receive an age-lasting life with the blessings that come with it. They will NEVER DIE but will continue to live until the very end of this age where they will then put on immortality (this mortal must put on immortal) as we will then transfer from this present age into the coming age.
(52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
(53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
(54) So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
