. Remember Paul said say these words of comfort to one another, meaning the rapture
I used to believe in a pretrib rapture as well and I would still believe today if it were biblical. It is not.
Paul comforted them because they were worried about where the dead were. He didn't comfort them because of a pretrib rapture. If we read the verses altogether in context we can see that Paul calls the event of 1st Thes chapter 4 -the day of the Lord. There were no chapters these were actual letters.
The original subject context matter of the verses starts here,
I Thessalonians 4:13 "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."
I Thessalonians 4:14 "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
It's about the dead/those that sleep. He then goes on to describe that the Lord will them with him when he returns. He's not describing a pretrib rapture. He's telling them to not worry about where their loved ones are and that they will be with him in the end as well at this return.
They should be read like this, because the subject doesn't change into chapter 5.
I Thessalonians 4:16 "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with a voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first;"
I Thessalonians 4:17 "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."
I Thessalonians 4:18 "Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
I Thessalonians 5:1 "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you."
I Thessalonians 5:2 "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night."
Thessalonians 5:3 "For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape."
Again, Paul has just named the event of chapter 4 -the day of the Lord. And it's this day that comes like a thief in the night. And we can see that the analogy of the thief in the night is not because it's a secret whisking away. It's because it's such a huge suprise because at that time, people will be saying "peace and safety" and then sudden destruction comes upon them. And this day only comes upon those like a thief for those not watching.
But this day is the very same day that Paul talks about in his second letter the second letter he had to write because the Thessalonians were confused as well of the timing. They though the day of Christ was at hand as well, imminent and it wasn't. Paul told them what must happen first.
He gives the same warning about deception that Christ did,
II Thessalonians 2:1 "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,"
Here's where people want to start separate the 2nd coming into two parts but we see there that doesn't make sense. Paul states "our" gathering together unto him. That is the subject. He includes himself and them. There's no separation of believers into a pretrib rapture and the second coming. He goes on,
II Thessalonians 2:2 "That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand."
He states don't even be confused by his first letter that the day of Christ is at hand. Imminent. It's not.
II Thessalonians 2:3 "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;"
II Thessalonians 2:4 "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."
Falling away is departing from the truth, apostasy. This all connects with his first letter in that people will be saying peace and safety. It's the fake peace and safety that Satan/Antichrist brings. People will be worshipping him as God. They will believe he is the savior. Paul teaches this as well that Satan is disguised as an angel of light. He would not be be able to fool anyone otherwise. It's by those miracles and wonders that he performs.
That's why Christ states he comes at an hour most do not expect. Because most of the world will believe he's already here. Peace and safety and then bam, the true Christ will return. That's the true deception and snare that will come upon the entire world and why we need the full gospel armour on to be able to stand in that "evil" day. Paul states we have to stand in that evil day, not fly away. Christ states the same thing.
Paul can't make it any clear. He writes to them to nail down the timing of "our gathering back to him. Again he includes himself so if people try and state our gathering back to him is not the pretrib rapture why does he include himself? He wouldn't. There is only one more coming. We have to let the scriptures and context speak for themselves. It will happen to one generation.
Hebrews 9:28 "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin, unto salvation."
It is scriptural backed- the Rapture.
Again no offence, if it were scriptural backed, I would certainly believe. I was "taught" this doctrine but I find it not biblical at all. We can pull or add anything to make something believable but when read chapter by chapter and verse by verse, as well and book by book - is not biblical.
