They have not died...they were raptured. ...to a place. Remember even Christ said ..I go to prepare a place for you. That suggest...not heaven.?
The Father's house is
in heaven. That's where Christ went to prepare a place for believers. But NONE could go there before Christ, through His cross and resurrection, made atonement for sin and defeated death.
Joh 14:1 ¶ Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if
it were not
so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if
I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
None will be caught up (raptured) until Christ comes again. Notice too it says those believers who are still alive at Christ's coming again shall be caught up, not raptured because they are not dead. The living believers will be caught up with believers who have physically died resurrected to life again. There will be no resurrection of any believer to physical life again until the last trumpet sounds that time for this earth shall be no longer when Christ has come again with the spiritual body of believers God will bring with Him.
1Th 4:13 ¶ But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,
concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that
Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that
we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16 For
the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 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.
