Many pre-tribbers like to point to 1Thess 4:16-18, but leave out the preceding verse 15. Here is the full context of His Second Coming:
1Th. 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
1Th. 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
1Th. 4:15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
1Th. 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
1Th. 4:17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
1Th. 4:18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
The underlined portion has given me much to think about as a pre-tribulation rapture believer. I want to consider everything.
But as I read this, it sounds as if the text means to say that AT His second coming, the ones who survive the tribulation will not go up to meet Jesus in the clouds (be raptured) until the dead rise first. This looks as though the rapture starts at the second coming.
It's a timing issue of the rapture that I'm concerned about. Am I misinterpreting this?
Can someone explain this to me?
1Th. 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
1Th. 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
1Th. 4:15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
1Th. 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
1Th. 4:17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
1Th. 4:18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
The underlined portion has given me much to think about as a pre-tribulation rapture believer. I want to consider everything.
But as I read this, it sounds as if the text means to say that AT His second coming, the ones who survive the tribulation will not go up to meet Jesus in the clouds (be raptured) until the dead rise first. This looks as though the rapture starts at the second coming.
It's a timing issue of the rapture that I'm concerned about. Am I misinterpreting this?
Can someone explain this to me?
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