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Paul next turned to another subject on which his readers needed instruction in view of their newness in Christ (cf. 3:10). He outlined the immediate hope of his readers. He did this to explain that those of their number who had died, or would die in Christ, would share in His glory with those who were living when He returned. This pericope deals with the relation of their dead brethren to Christ's return.
The time of the Rapture has been a matter of disagreement among conservative interpreters. Some believe it will take place before the Tribulation (pretribulationists). Others believe that it will take place after the Tribulation (posttribulationists). Others conclude that it will take place during the Tribulation (midtribulationists). Still others hold that the Lord will catch away only some Christians, not all (partial rapturists). What does 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 reveal about the time of the Rapture? How do advocates of the various schools of interpretation cited interpret these verses? Because 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5 are "probably the most important passages dealing with the Rapture"73I want to examine them carefully.
I believe it is fair to say that more pretribulationists base their belief that the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation on 1 Thessalonians 4 than on any other one passage of Scripture. This passage also contains more detail about the Rapture than any other one. It has major significance. All conservative interpreters agree that the translation of living Christians and the resurrection of dead Christians will take place at the same time. On this issue there is agreement regardless of when the Rapture will occur in relation to the Tribulation.
4:13 Paul wrote that to be uninformed about the future as a Christian is not good, even though some in our day say that eschatology is unimportant. Those "asleep"are the dead in Christ (cf. Mark 5:39; John 11:11). The ancients commonly used "sleep"as a euphemism for "death"(e.g., 1 Kings 2:10).74Knowing the future of believers who have died gives hope in the midst of grief. Paul did not deny that the death of a believer brings grief to his or her loved ones (cf. John 11:35). Nevertheless he insisted that Christians need not grieve as those who have no hope grieve.
"The risen Lord robbed death of its sting and horror for the believer and has transformed it into sleep for those in Christ."75
Pretribulationists and posttribulationists agree that the Thessalonian believers were grieving for two reasons. They grieved because their loved ones had died and because they thought the resurrection of dead Christians would take place after the Rapture. Pretribulationists believe the Thessalonians erroneously thought this resurrection would follow the Tribulation. Some posttribulationists believe the Thessalonians incorrectly thought that this resurrection would take place at the end of the Millennium.76Both of these conclusions rest on the interpretation of other passages that indicate the time of the Rapture. It was not the resurrection as such that disturbed the Thessalonians but the fact that they might not see their departed brethren for a long time that did. Specifically it was the fact that their dead fellow Christians might not participate in the Rapture with them that upset them. They apparently thought that one had to be alive to participate in the Rapture.77
4:14 We could translate "If,""Since."This word introduces a first class condition in the Greek text, which in this case is a condition true to reality. The death and resurrection of Christ are among the best attested facts of history.78Furthermore the Scriptures predicted these events before they occurred. Therefore we can be equally certain that the events of the Rapture, which Paul predicted here, will also happen. Paul told his readers that God would bring the spirits of Christians who had died back with Jesus when He returned for the saints still living on earth. Notice that it is only those who have died "in Jesus"(saints "in Christ,"i.e., Christians as contrasted with all the saved of all ages) who will accompany our Lord.79
Pretribulationists identify this return of Christ with the Rapture that, we say, will occur before the Tribulation. Posttribulationists contend that this return of Christ (the Rapture) will occur at the end of the Tribulation just before the second coming of Christ.
4:15 Paul further stressed the truth of his teaching (cf. v. 14a) by explaining that it was a revelation from the Lord, not just his opinion. Paul expected to be in the company of the living when Christ returned. He believed in an imminent Rapture. The "coming"(Gr. parousia, lit. "appearing") of Christ is his appearing in the clouds (cf. Acts 1:11). It is not His second coming, the coming at which time He will remain on the earth, set up His earthly kingdom, and reign for 1, 000 years (cf. Rev. 19:11-21). The differences in the descriptions of these comings present them as separate events (cf. Matt. 24:30-31 and 1 Thess. 4:15-17).
Some posttribulationists have asserted that the "word of the Lord"referred to in this verse is what Jesus taught in the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24:30-31; Luke 17:34-35). That was His revelation concerning His second coming that they believe will follow the Rapture immediately.80Pretribulationists, on the other hand, believe "the word of the Lord"is not a reference to what Jesus taught in the Olivet Discourse. Most pretribulationists see no reference to the Rapture in the Olivet Discourse. We take "the word of the Lord"as referring to revelation Jesus gave Paul that the Gospels do not record, as did Ladd81and Gundry,82both posttribulationists. In short, we cannot identify "the word of the Lord"certainly with Jesus' teaching concerning His second coming recorded in the Gospels.
This leads to another question. Are there any prophesied events that must take place before the Rapture occurs? Posttribulationists say there are, namely the events of the Tribulation and preparations for the second coming of Christ (Matt. 24; Rev. 4-18). Pretribulationists say there are no events that God predicted would take place before the translation of the saints in the passages that speak of that translation (i.e., the Rapture).
The fact that the living will have no advantage over the dead when Christ returns makes excessive sorrow for dead Christians, beyond the sorrow connected with their dying, unjustified.
4:16 A supernatural announcement will precede the Lord Jesus' return for His own. People will hear a shout, an angelic voice, and a trumpet blast. Probably believers will hear them if not all people living on the earth. These may be three descriptions of one event or three separate events. It appears that these three events will take place literally (cf. Acts 1:9; 1 Cor. 15:52). In any case, God will herald the return of Christ from heaven. Note that only the dead "in Christ"experience resurrection. That is, God will reunite their resurrected, glorified bodies with their spirits (1 Cor. 15:35-58).
Many posttribulationists identify this trumpet blast with the one that will announce Christ's second coming (Matt. 24:31) or with one of the trumpet blasts that heralds judgments coming on the world in the Tribulation (Rev. 8:2, 7, 8, 10, 12; 9:1, 13; 11:15). Pretribulationists believe this must be a different trumpet blast since the Rapture will precede the Tribulation.83One's interpretation of this event will rest on when he or she believes the Rapture will take place relative to the Tribulation.84
4:17 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 rapturofrom which the term "Rapture"comes.85Living 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. Matt. 25:6; Acts 28:15) in the air with Christ with whom we will remain never to experience separation from Him.86Old Testament believers will evidently experience resurrection at the end of the Tribulation (Dan. 12:1-13; Isa. 26:13-19).87Probably 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.88
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 Cor. 5:10) and await our return with Him at His second coming (Rev. 19:14). 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).
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.89Pretribulationists 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).
"A meeting in the air is pointless unless the saints continue on to heaven with the Lord who has come out to meet them."90
Most amillennialists affirm that this catching up will result in Christians going to heaven, not returning to the earth, as the following quotation shows.
"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."91
Posttribulationists reply that since the Scriptures elsewhere present the Rapture as taking place at the end of the Tribulation it must be Christians who change direction in mid-air rather than Christ.
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 (vv. 14-17; cf. 1 Cor. 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.92Some of them hold that this resurrection is "the first resurrection"(Rev. 20:5) and that no resurrection will precede this one, specifically one before the Tribulation.93However, pretribulationists point out that there has already been at least one resurrection, namely Christ's. Consequently "first"must not mean the first ever but first in relation to others, probably the first of the two mentioned in Revelation 20:5-14. 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.
Marvin Rosenthal offered a unique interpretation that he called the "pre-wrath Rapture."94He 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 (Dan. 9:24-27). He equated this 21-month long period with the day of the Lord (Joel 2:1-2).95
Most premillennialists have understood the day of the Lord to describe the whole seventieth week (seven years) plus the messianic (millennial) kingdom.96We view the whole seven-year Tribulation as a period of the outpouring of divine wrath (Jer. 30:7; Dan. 12:1).97
"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') [Gen. 1:4-6]--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)."98
A representative amillennial explanation of this passage is as follows.
"Although an attempt has been made here [in his commentary] to organize the details of vv. 16f. 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."99
4:18 The hope of being reunited with saints who have died and, what is more important, with Christ gives believers a hope that we can and should use to comfort one another when loved ones die.
"Paul's central point [in vv. 13-18] is that Christians who have died are in no way behind those who are alive at the Lord's coming, since the dead will actually rise first; then, we will all go together to meet the Lord in the air."100
Both pretribulationists and posttribulationists agree that the revelation Paul just gave is a comfort to believers. The hope of translation before death that Paul revealed is greater than the hope of resurrection after death that the Thessalonians had held. Will this translation occur before the Tribulation or after it? Pretribulationists say it will occur before. Consequently we have a very comforting hope. Not only may our translation precede our death, but it will also precede the Tribulation. Furthermore it may take place at any moment. Posttribulationists say our hope consists only in the possibility of our being translated before we die. We may have to go through the Tribulation. Therefore the Rapture is not imminent.
"The hope of a rapture occurring after a literal great tribulation would be small comfort to those in this situation [i.e., in mourning for loved ones who have died]."101
". . . although the church has gone through periods of great persecution in the past and undoubtedly may go through greater and even more intense persecutions before Christ returns, nevertheless, the view of a posttribulational rapture is impossible for the simple reason that it makes meaningless the very argument that Paul was presenting in the Thessalonian letters. Paul was arguing for the imminence of Christ's return. This is to be the major source of comfort for suffering believers. If Christ will not come until after the great tribulation (that is, a special period of unusual and intense suffering still in the future), then the return of the Lord is not imminent and tribulation rather than deliverance is what we must anticipate."102
I prefer the pretribulational explanation of verses 13-18 for the following reasons. The passage pictures the Rapture as an imminent event, but it is not if the Tribulation must come first. Second, Christians are not destined to experience the outpouring of God's wrath (1:10; 5:9-10). Third, the prospect of an imminent Rapture is a much greater comfort than the prospect of a posttribulational Rapture, and Paul revealed this information to provide comfort. Fourth, there is no mention of the Tribulation in the passage, but that would be appropriate and reasonable if it will precede the Rapture.103
A comparison of verses 13-18 with John 14:1-3 shows that they refer to the same event.
A similar comparison of 1 Thessalonians 4 and Revelation 19, which describes the second coming of Christ, reveals that these two chapters must describe different events.104
