This is for purgedconscience, who asked me to provide more evidence for the word "apantesin" meaning "meet and return" as opposed to "meet .... and then go to heaven," in 1 Thess. 4:17
"Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord." 1 Thess. 4:17 ESV
"ἔπειτα ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες οἱ περιλειπόμενοι ἅμα σὺν αὐτοῖς ἁρπαγησόμεθα ἐν νεφέλαις εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ κυρίου εἰς ἀέρα· καὶ οὕτως πάντοτε σὺν κυρίῳ ἐσόμεθα." 1 Thess. 4:17 Greek
First, it is the believers that "meet and return" at the second coming. We return to earth with Jesus. Here is what The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the New Testament by Cleon L. Rogers Jr & Cleon L. Rogers III says.
"Apantesis - meeting. (Noun, not an infinitive as most translations make this word to be!)
The word had a technical meaning in the Hellenistic world related to the visits of dignitaries to the cities where the visitor would be formally met by the citizens, or a deputation of them, who went out from the city and would then ceremonially escort him back to the city."
So Paul, who knew his Greek, picked this word, instead of something else, because he knew it meant that we would meet the highest dignitary of all, Jesus Christ, and then ESCORT HIM BACK TO EARTH!
This word only occurs in four places in the Bible. The other three occurrences are as following.
"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom" Matt. 25:1
"Τότε ὁμοιωθήσεται ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν δέκα παρθένοις, αἵτινες λαβοῦσαι τὰς λαμπάδας ἑαυτῶν ἐξῆλθον εἰς ὑπάντησιν τοῦ νυμφίου." Matt 25:1
The word ὑπάντησιν or upantesiv here is an alternate for apantesin, meaning "meeting" Rogers and Rogers add the following to this word. In this case, the bride is the honoured guest, who the bridegroom goes out to meet and bring back.
"This represents the betrothal, then the marriage. The bridegroom, accompanied by his friends went to meet fetch the bride from her father's house and brought her back in procession to his own house, where the marriage feast was held."
A few verses later the same word is used in verse 6. Here, the virgins are the ones who come out to meet the honoured guest, who is the bridegroom. Then they go back in with him. Meet and go back, again!
"But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’[SUP]7 [/SUP]Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.[SUP]8 [/SUP]And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’[SUP]9 [/SUP]But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’[SUP]10 [/SUP]And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.[SUP]11 [/SUP]Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’[SUP]12 [/SUP]But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’[SUP]13 [/SUP]Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." Matt 25:6-13
"μέσης δὲ νυκτὸς κραυγὴ γέγονεν· Ἰδοὺ ὁ νυμφίος, ἐξέρχεσθε εἰς ἀπάντησιν αὐτοῦ." Matt 25:6 Greek
This final example is when Paul arrived in Rome, a deputation came to meet him at the Forum of Appius. Then they accompanied him back to Rome, as verse 16 says. In other words, they met the famous Paul and went back with him to Rome.
"And the brothers there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage. And when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him." Acts 28:15-16 ESV
"κἀκεῖθεν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἀκούσαντες τὰ περὶ ἡμῶν ἦλθαν εἰς ἀπάντησιν ἡμῖν ἄχρι Ἀππίου Φόρου καὶ Τριῶν Ταβερνῶν, οὓς ἰδὼν ὁ Παῦλος εὐχαριστήσας τῷ θεῷ ἔλαβε θάρσος." Acts 28:15 Greek
