The thing is, the dead rises first before those who are alive at the [...]
Are you, by chance, among those who mistakenly believe this text is stating that the dead in Christ will be caught up BEFORE those who are still-alive will be caught up (as in, the "we which are ALIVE and remain unto" will ARRIVE at the meeting OF THE LORD in the air AFTER the dead in Christ meet Him there BEFORE the rest of the Body does)??
Many people DO mistakenly believe this is what the text is conveying, so you're not alone.
But the text isn't saying that. It is saying there will be ONE snatch-action (harpazo - G726) for both components of the One Body... that is, the dead in Christ will RISE first (i.e. be bodily resurrected ['to stand again' (on the earth)]) before we'll be "caught up TOGETHER [WITH THEM]"--that is, "caught up [verb] together [adverb ; meaning, AT THE SAME TIME that they are also 'caught up']"--It is NOT that "the dead in Christ" will be "caught up first" before the "we which are ALIVE" ones are caught up. No.