If this verse doesnt mean the rapture, then what does it mean?

Question

1 Thessalonians 4:17 (KJV)

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Answer 1

It can be interpreted any number of ways, like 95% of the bible. It could also be a metaphor for nuclear war, for all we know.

Answer 2

That is indeed the verse from which we derive the bizarre visual of the "rapture". But in context its purpose is very different. Paul is reassuring Christians who are concerned that members of their community have died and will miss Christ's return. He tells them not to worry, that those who have "fallen asleep" will resurrect before anything else happens. Note the words: "...so shall we ever be with the Lord." He's talking about heaven. Being "caught together in the clouds" and "meeting the Lord in the air" likely does not mean anything more than simply entering heaven. The image of floating up into the sky depends entirely on a very literalistic reading of this single verse, the only one in the Bible of its kind. That's not much to build an entire branch of eschatological speculation upon.

Answer 3

Yes it could mean that. It could also mean other things.

I fear many will be surprised and disappointed at how the End Times play out.

There may not be a physical re-appearance of Jesus, but one "like" him (as inferred in Revelations) therefore of the same bloodline of the House of Judah.

By the way, the only surviving bloodline of Zedekiah was Princess Tamar Tephi who Jeremiah himself took to the ancient druid priest-king family, the cuilleain (divine holy ones, from which the holly tree is named) around 600 BCE. So maybe it will be from this bloodline?

Then again, the "Messiah" might be elected like
http://one-faith-of-god.org/constitution/one_faith_0550.htm

and the antichrist might come from the bloodline of the house of Judah...

Answer 4

um... it seems to me that what this says is, everyone that is still alive will float in the air to meet the lord. and we will remain in the air with the lord forever.
now ive never read the bible before but thats what i interpret in reading that little passage

Answer 5

That' we'll be a member of the mile high club when we meet the Lord!!!

Answer 6

I assume the spirit or soul is always alive.

It's obviously a statement about the spiritual energy.

Answer 7

"For this is what we tell YOU by Jehovah’s word, that we the living who survive to the presence of the Lord shall in no way precede those who have fallen asleep [in death]; because the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice and with God’s trumpet, and those who are dead in union with Christ will rise first. Afterward we the living who are surviving will, together with them, be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we shall always be with [the] Lord." -- 1Th 4:15-17 NWT

There are 2 resurrections, just as there are 2 flocks.
One heavenly, & one earthly.
The earth was created to be inhabited by perfect creatures of all the types created. Man's willful coarse got things off track for awhile (1 of God's days is as 1,000 years to us, or, 365 thousand times longer than a day is to us, figuratively), but it will soon be put back. To get it & keep it there, God made his Son the King of his Kingdom. He has given him heavenly helpers --who have lived through all the troubles man has ever suffered-- to rule as kings & priests with him over mankind, helping him to bring everything & everyone back to a state of Absolute Perfection.

The heavenly flock are resurrected first, to heaven. "Those who are dead in union with Christ will rise first", refers to Christ's followers who had died before Christ was enthroned as King.

"The living who survive to the presence of the Lord shall in no way precede those who have [died]", refers to those who are alive at the time of Christ's enthronement, & have yet to finish their earthly coarse. The Apostle Paul writes:

"Look! I tell YOU a sacred secret: We shall not all fall asleep [in death], but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, during the last trumpet. -- 1 Corinthians 15:51,52

This refers to the individual, eventual, deaths of those of the heavenly class who happen to be alive at the time of Christ's enthronement, that they will not be held for any length of time in the memory of God to be later resurrected, but instead change from human to spirit life, Immediately.

Later, the rest of mankind who have died will be resurrected to life on earth.

The following articles explain it better, plus have many Scripture reference/links to help you see where it teaches about the 2 resurrections (heavenly & earthly) in the Bible itself:

Death--The Only Remedy
- - What Is Meant by “Resurrection”?
- - Who Will Be Resurrected?
- - Resurrection to Life in Heaven--For Whom?
- - Who Will Be Resurrected to Life on Earth?
http://www.watchtower.org/e/20060315/article_02.htm

The Hereafter--Where Will It Be?:
- Earth Just a Testing Ground?
- Eternal Happiness---In Heaven or on Earth?
http://www.watchtower.org/e/20001001/article_01.htm

What Is the Kingdom of God? :
1 Where is it located?
2 Who is its King?
3 Do others share in ruling with the King? ...
http://www.watchtower.org/library/rq/article_06.htm

The Perfect Government of Peace
http://www.watchtower.org/library/lmn/article_10.htm

Advanced On-site Search
(In case a link becomes modified, this can be used.) http://watchtower.org/search/search_e.htm

Answer 8

I belive that does refer to what is commonly called the "rapture"