We will be changed and our bodies will become immortal. We will rise and meet the Lord in the air in the clouds. That is for certain and the dead in Christ will rise first and then we who are alive at the time. That is the rapture. Timing is up for debate the event itself is not.
Any attempt to say that we do not physically rise to the clouds is just being belligerent and there is no sense in arguing with them since they have no fear of changing the plain meaning of the text to suit whatever they want to try and make it say.
After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
13Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.
14For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
15According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
18Therefore encourage one another with these words.
The promise is that there will be some who do not die. They will go from having their current body to one that is glorified like the ones who are dead but rise in a glorified body. Those who don't die first are changed in a twinkling of the eye without "sleeping".
51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—
52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
h
Both of these passages from 1 Thess 4 and 1 Cor 15 are talking about what we call "The rapture" or the catching away of the saints.
for the Greek word translated catching away in the Latin Vulgate the word
he Latin Vulgate used the Latin verb-- "Rapiemur"
This gets translated Rapture in english. This is explained in different ways but they all mean the same, the word Rapture is fine. Those that say it is not in the bible are correct, if they mean it is not in the Greek. But none of the other words in the KJV are in the bible either are they? It is silly to make an argument that the word Rapture should not be used. Using the Greek word would not communicate and the goal of speaking, writing and teaching is to communicate so since Rapture does communicate the verses I have posted here that word is the correct word to use. "The Catching Away" could be used but Rapture is usually enough.
The Pre Tribulation Rapture theory is an expanded topic. But Rapture does not automatically refer to Pre Tribulation Rapture theory.
Both Post Tribulation Theorists and Pre Tribulation Theorist believe in the event referred to as the Rapture.
Then there are those who believe in a secret Rapture, meaning that we are changed in a moment and rise to meet the Lord but no one sees it.
I believe the scriptures I posted suggest that it is visible in the reference to clouds. That Jesus rose up into the clouds, and that he is promised to come back in like manner suggests that when he does we will rise up having been changed and glorified and it will be visible to those who observe it. That is a rapture but a visible one, not a secret one.
So the word Rapture should refer to the event of being changed and rising to meet the Lord.
The theories about when it happens in relation to the tribulation requires further labeling, such as Pre Trib Rapture, or whether it is visible, "secret rapture" or "invisible rapture" but the word Rapture itself should be reserved for the event whereby a particular generation of believers who are still alive will not die but be changed into their glorified post resurrection state and rise and meet the Lord in the air/clouds. Visibly and physically.
)
