What does 1 Thessalonians 4:17 Mean?

Study Notes

caught up
Not church saints only, but all bodies of the saved, of whatever dispensation, are included in the first resurrection. as here described, but it is peculiarly the "blessed hope" of the Church (cf) Matthew 24:42 ; Matthew 25:13 ; Luke 12:36-48 ; Acts 1:11 ; Philippians 3:20 ; Philippians 3:21 ; Titus 2:11-13 .

raised

Resurrection, Summary:

(1) The resurrection of the dead was believed by the patriarchs Genesis 22:5 ; Hebrews 11:19 ; Job 19:25-27 and revealed through the prophets; Isaiah 26:19 ; Daniel 12:2 ; Daniel 12:13 ; Hosea 13:14 and miracles of the dead restored to life are recorded in the O.T.; 2 Kings 4:32-35 ; 2 Kings 13:21 .

(2) Jesus Christ restored life to the dead Matthew 9:25 ; Luke 7:12-15 ; John 11:43 ; John 11:44 and predicted His own resurrection; John 10:18 ; Luke 24:1-8 .

(3) A resurrection of bodies followed the resurrection of Christ Matthew 27:52 ; Matthew 27:53 and the apostles raised the dead; Acts 9:36-41 ; Acts 20:9 ; Acts 20:10 .

(4) Two resurrections are yet future, which are inclusive of "all that are in the graves" John 5:28 . These are distinguished as "of life"; 1 Corinthians 15:22 ; 1 Corinthians 15:23 ; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 ; Revelation 20:4 and "of judgment"; John 5:28 ; John 5:29 ; Revelation 20:11-13 . They are separated by a period of one thousand years Revelation 20:5 . The "first resurrection," that "unto life," will occur at the second coming of Christ 1 Corinthians 15:23 the saints of the O.T. and church ages meeting Him in the air 1 Thessalonians 4:16 ; 1 Thessalonians 4:17 while the martyrs of the tribulation, who also have part in the resurrection Revelation 20:4 are raised at the end of the great tribulation.

(5) The mortal body will be related to the resurrection body as grain sown is related to the harvest 1 Corinthians 15:37 ; 1 Corinthians 15:38 that body will be incorruptible, glorious, powerful, and spiritual 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 ; 1 Corinthians 15:49 .

(6) The bodies of living believers will, at the same time, be instantaneously changed 1 Corinthians 15:50-53 ; Philippians 3:20 ; Philippians 3:21 . This "change" of the living, and resurrection of the dead in Christ, is called the "redemption of the body"; Romans 8:23 ; Ephesians 1:13 ; Ephesians 1:14 .

(7) After the thousand years the "resurrection unto judgment" John 5:29 occurs. The resurrection-body of the wicked dead is not described. They are judged according to their works, and cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:7-15 .

Verse Meaning

Then God will catch up the saints alive on the earth into the air and unite us forever with Christ. The word in the Latin Vulgate translated "caught up" is rapturo from which the term "Rapture" comes. In Greek it is harpazo (cf. Acts 8:39; 2 Corinthians 12:2-4). Living saints will experience translation-their bodies will become immortal-and saints who have died will experience resurrection with immortal bodies. Both kinds of Christians will meet (Gr. apantesis, cf. Matthew 25:6; Acts 28:15) in the air with Christ with whom we will remain never to experience separation from Him. Since we will always be with the Lord from then on we will return to earth with Him at His second coming, participate in His earthly millennial kingdom with Him, and finally dwell with Him in the new heavens and earth. Old Testament believers will evidently experience resurrection at the end of the Tribulation ( Daniel 12:1-13; Isaiah 26:13-19). ^[1] Probably Paul included himself in the living group because he believed that the Lord"s return was imminent. He set an example of expectancy for the church of all ages. ^[2] [source]

Why will God snatch Christians up into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air? Pretribulationists answer that we will go with Christ to heaven where we will abide with Him in the place He has prepared for us there ( John 14:1-3). We will receive our rewards at the judgment seat of Christ ( 2 Corinthians 5:10) and await our return with Him at His second coming ( Revelation 19:14). Thus we will spend the seven-year Tribulation with the Lord in heaven, not on the earth. Posttribulationists respond that Christ never actually returns to the earth in such a view. He has to change direction and return to heaven immediately. This seems unnatural to them. Pretribulationists say this is not unusual in view of what Jesus said about His coming to take His bride, the church, to His Father"s house ( John 14:3). [source][source]

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Posttribulationists say God will snatch Christians up to meet Christ in the air to join Him as He proceeds to the earth to set up His kingdom. ^[3] Pretribulationists point out that it is even more unnatural for Christians to change direction and return to earth immediately than it is for Christ to change direction and return to heaven (cf. John 14:1-3). [source][source]

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"A meeting in the air is pointless unless the saints continue on to heaven with the Lord who has come out to meet them." ^[4] [source]

Most amillennialists affirm that this catching up will result in Christians going to heaven and not ever returning to the earth, as the following quotation shows. [source][source]

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"Those who meet the Lord in the air (the space between the earth and the heavens in Jewish cosmology) are caught up in a heavenly ascent by the clouds without any indication that they then return to earth." ^[5] [source]

Most amillennialists, of course, do not believe that there will be an earthly messianic (millennial) reign for Christians or Christ to return to the earth to participate in. Barclay took this section as poetry, a seer"s vision that the reader should not take literally. ^[6] [source]

Posttribulationists believe that since the Scriptures elsewhere present the Rapture as taking place at the end of the Tribulation, they say, it must be Christians who change direction in mid-air rather than Christ. [source][source]

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Are there any other passages of Scripture that clarify when this translation of living saints will occur? Both pretribulationists and posttribulationists agree that this event will happen at the same time as a resurrection of believers from the dead ( 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52). However we disagree about what resurrection is in view. Some posttribulationists identify this resurrection with one that will take place at Christ"s second coming. ^[1]0 Some of them hold that this resurrection is "the first resurrection" ( Revelation 20:4-5) and that no resurrection will precede this one, specifically one before the Tribulation. ^[8] However, pretribulationists point out that there has already been at least one resurrection, namely, Christ"s. The resurrection of Jairus" daughter, the widow of Nain"s Song of Solomon , and Lazarus were really resuscitations since these people died again. Consequently "first" must not mean the first ever but first in relation to others, probably the first of the two mentioned in Revelation 20:4-5. This "first resurrection" evidently refers to a resurrection of believers that will take place at the end of the Tribulation. The second resurrection, the resurrection of unbelievers, will occur at the end of the Millennium. This interpretation opens the possibility for another resurrection of believers before the Tribulation. ^[9] [source]

Marvin Rosenthal offered a unique interpretation that he called the "pre-wrath Rapture." ^[10] He believed that the only time when God will pour out His wrath on the world will be the last quarter, rather than the last half, of Daniel"s seventieth week ( Daniel 9:24-27). He equated this21-month long period with the day of the Lord ( Joel 2:1-2). ^[8] [source]

Most premillennialists have understood the day of the Lord to describe the whole seventieth week (seven years) plus the messianic (millennial) kingdom. ^[12] We view the whole seven-year Tribulation as a period of the outpouring of divine wrath ( Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 12:1). ^[13] [source]

"Just as each day of creation and the Jewish day consisted of two phases-a time of darkness ("evening") followed by a time of light ("day") ^[4]-so the future Day of the Lord will consist of two phases, a period of darkness (judgment) followed by a period of light (divine rule and blessing)." ^[8] [source]

A representative amillennial explanation of this passage is as follows. [source][source]

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"Although an attempt has been made here ^[16] to organize the details of 1 Thessalonians 4:16 f. into a reasonably coherent picture of the events of the end, it must be acknowledged that Paul was probably not interested in giving us a literal description. His goal was to reassure the Thessalonians that their fellow Christians who had died would participate on equal terms with them in the salvation experience accompanying the parousia of the Lord." ^[17] [source]

Yet there are no clues in the passage that we should take what Paul said as anything other than a literal description. [source][source]

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Context Summary

It is suggested that God Himself is the teacher of love. Others may teach the lower classes in the school of grace, but the highest is reserved for the Supreme Teacher. Note that recurring more and more, 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:10. The distribution of goods in the early Church may have led to abuses, which the injunctions here given were intended to rectify. It is well to bring up every child to know one means of livelihood, and children are much more likely to grow up into noble and useful people, if they are encouraged to work for their living. Do something in the world!

These disciples anticipated the speedy return of the Lord and feared lest those who had died would be worse off than they: The Apostle bade them dismiss such fears, because they who remained alive until the coming of the Lord would have no precedence over others who had died. Paul assures them that they who had fallen asleep were with Jesus, and that they would accompany Him when He came again; To those who needed to be raised, Jesus would be "the Resurrection"; to those who were living, He would be "the Life." They that believed in Him, though they had died, yet would they live; and they who lived till He came would never die. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Thessalonians 4

¹  He exhorts them to go forward in all manner of godliness;
⁶  to live holily and justly;
⁹  to love one another;
¹¹  and quietly to follow their own business;
¹³  and last of all, to sorrow moderately for the dead
¹⁷  followed by a brief description of the resurrection, and second coming of Christ to judgment