Understanding the The 1000 Year Millennium in Prophecy

[Rich R]

Look in Strongs Concordance or equivalent and see, if you think it differs in this text..

I don't think it differs. That's was my point. The other places where it's used don't indicate we need to take it as some hidden spiritual meaning. Maybe I misunderstood you, or maybe the other way around. Not an unheard of situation on these forums.

 

[ewq1938]

NOPE! There is the rapture of the church dead and living.

The dead are not raptured because they are already in heaven (with Christ) and don't need to be raptured anywhere. Only the living need to be raptured because they are on the Earth and spread out all over the world and need to be raptured up to one place in the clouds so they can for the first time be gathered together at the same place.

 

[Ronald Nolette]

The dead are not raptured because they are already in heaven (with Christ) and don't need to be raptured anywhere. Only the living need to be raptured because they are on the Earth and spread out all over the world and need to be raptured up to one place in the clouds so they can for the first time be gathered together at the same place.

Their bodies are raptured. Even though their souls and spirits are in heaven, their bodies are caught up and glorified! It is all right there in thesselonians and Revelation.

 

[ewq1938]

Their bodies are raptured. Even though their souls and spirits are in heaven, their bodies are caught up and glorified! It is all right there in thesselonians and Revelation.

The dead receive new bodies that Paul said were in heaven so no rapture of the dead or their new bodies happens because it doesn't need to happen.

2Co 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2Co 5:2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

The new body is in heaven! Here Paul uses an analogy of a building, house and tabernacle to represent a physical body. One of these is an "earthly house" meaning the mortal flesh body we are born into and then a heavenly house which is in heaven that represents the new immortal body. This speaks of when a saved humans body dies (dissolved) that there is another body in heaven waiting for them and the time of Resurrection. There is nothing in the passage about the person's spirit returning to their dissolved/dead body and it being brought back to life. Paul speaks of a different body that already exists in heaven.
Paul knew he wasn't returning to his old body.

He speaks of the mortal body being dissolved and a new body that is waiting in heaven. Clearly that is not bringing the dissolved body back to life and changing it which would eliminate the need for the new body in heaven that he mentions.

2Co 5:3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
2Co 5:4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

Paul writes that he desires to be clothed with the house from Heaven and says it is eternal in Heaven. That's the resurrected body and it is from heaven not from the Earth nor from an Earthly grave.

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.

The dead saints that resurrect are not brought to Jesus in a rapture but are brought with Jesus before the rapture even begins. That's a very important thing to recognize. Only those living saints are raptured and brought to Jesus and those he brought with him from heaven.

 

[Ronald Nolette]

The dead receive new bodies that Paul said were in heaven so no rapture of the dead or their new bodies happens because it doesn't need to happen.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

King James Version

​

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.
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:
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.

Bible says there is!

 

[Timtofly]

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17​

​

King James Version​

​

​

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.
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:
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.

Bible says there is!

Those in Paradise will know first when the Second Coming is about to happen, not those alive on the earth.

Jesus brings with Him, those in Paradise, because they did rise first from Paradise as they meet those on earth half way between Paradise and the earth. Why would Jesus grab those on the earth and bring them with Him to the clouds and then rapture those from Paradise later? The trip starts in Paradise and Jesus continues on to the Mount of Olives. The church remains in Paradise and told to wait until the final harvest is gathered. The rapture is the opening of the 5th Seal, from both Paradise and from the earth. Those in Paradise are raptured first.

 

[ewq1938]

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17​

​

King James Version​

​

​

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.
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:
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.

Bible says there is!

No, it doesn't. Only the living are caught up to meet the former dead and Christ. The dead are in heaven and so is the new body so when the resurrection happens, it happens in heaven. No rapture happens for them.

 

[Hobie]

This apocalyptic book must be viewed in one of two main general overriding ways – literal or figurative. One’s ultimate stance on this important issue will drastically influence one’s eventual view of every aspect of revealed truth in this book.

Notwithstanding, the literalist are faced with many great hitherto revealed events and characters which revelation.

Revelation 1:1 says, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.”

The order of the transmission of this prophecy was expressly:

God – Christ – Angel – (signified or symbolised) – John

The Greek word interpreted ‘signified’, in this key introductory verse of Revelation, is semaino (Strong’s 4591), which actually means to signify or sign-i-fy. This word is found seven times in the New Testament and is interpreted as follows in the King James Version:

Signs (John 4:48)
Signify (Acts 25:27)
Signifying (John 12:33, 18:32, 21:19)
Signified (Acts 11:28; Revelation 1:1)

The Greek Word for sign in the New Testament is semeion (Strong’s

4592), which is significantly derived from the above word semaino (Strong’s 4591) that is found in Revelation 1:1. In fact, the word semaino itself originates from the shorter Greek word sema (meaning sign, token or mark). The whole weight of this interlinked family of words is definitely signs and sign language.

Vines Dictionary highlights Revelation 1:1, whilst explaining the meaning of the Greek, saying, “Rev. 1:1, where perhaps the suggestion is that of expressing by signs.”

This is exactly what the book of Revelation is; it a number of similar figurative visions indicating and impressing important spiritual truths by way of signs and/or symbols

It is the unveiling of the events all the way to the end by Christ, and we need to study and comprehend what it lays out...

 

[WPM]

It is the unveiling of the events all the way to the end by Christ, and we need to study and comprehend what it lays out...

I agree!

 

[Ronald Nolette]

Those in Paradise will know first when the Second Coming is about to happen, not those alive on the earth.

Jesus brings with Him, those in Paradise, because they did rise first from Paradise as they meet those on earth half way between Paradise and the earth. Why would Jesus grab those on the earth and bring them with Him to the clouds and then rapture those from Paradise later? The trip starts in Paradise and Jesus continues on to the Mount of Olives. The church remains in Paradise and told to wait until the final harvest is gathered. The rapture is the opening of the 5th Seal, from both Paradise and from the earth. Those in Paradise are raptured first.

Sorry but Paradise is now closed and in heaven. when Jesus ascended back to heaven, He took Paradise with Him. so those OT souls are now in heaven and their bodies are awaiting resurrection, which appears to be the first resurrection mentioned in rev. 20

When a Church saint dies they immediately go to heaven as Paul declared in Cor.

2 Corinthians 5:8
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

The church is shown in heaven before Jesus returns and gathers the elect on earth. Those elect are the saved Jews and gentiles of the trib period. they are not part of the Bride of christ.

 

[Ronald Nolette]

No, it doesn't. Only the living are caught up to meet the former dead and Christ. The dead are in heaven and so is the new body so when the resurrection happens, it happens in heaven. No rapture happens for them.

Well you can take it up with god. that is what He wrote The souls of the dead are in heaven, and at the rapture their bodies are resurrected and glorified then the living are caught up anjd glorified.

 

[ewq1938]

Well you can take it up with god. that is what He wrote The souls of the dead are in heaven, and at the rapture their bodies are resurrected and glorified then the living are caught up anjd glorified.

God did not write that the dead are ever raptured. They don't need to be because they are already with Jesus.

The resurrected are not raptured.

The raptured are not resurrected.

Or, in other words:

Only the dead are resurrected.

Only the living are raptured.

 

[Timtofly]

Sorry but Paradise is now closed and in heaven. when Jesus ascended back to heaven, He took Paradise with Him. so those OT souls are now in heaven and their bodies are awaiting resurrection, which appears to be the first resurrection mentioned in rev. 20

When a Church saint dies they immediately go to heaven as Paul declared in Cor.

2 Corinthians 5:8
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

The church is shown in heaven before Jesus returns and gathers the elect on earth. Those elect are the saved Jews and gentiles of the trib period. they are not part of the Bride of christ.

Paradise was never opened until the Cross.

It was not closed at the Cross.

Paradise has been in heaven since the Flood, as the tree of life was never destroyed.

Abraham's bosom was the grave, not Paradise. Why would you call God's presence and the tree of life, the grave and death?

Adam was banned from Paradise in physical life and in physical death. No one could enter Paradise until the Cross, and Jesus declared, "It is finished". At that point Paradise was opened wide, so the redeemed could enter. Revelation 7:9 has been the reality since the OT redeemed entered Paradise Resurrection Sunday.

"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;"

That means every one since Abel, Noah, Job, Abraham, all those in Hebrews 11 have come out of great tribulation and entered their rest. They have been serving God day and night in that heavenly temple for 1994 years, come Easter Sunday. Abraham's bosom was closed and all have now entered Paradise directly upon physical death.


No one in Christ tastes death since the Cross. Leaving this body is immediately entering a permanent incorruptible physical body in Paradise. The tribulation of the church started at Pentecost, when Peter was thrown in prison. Stephen was stoned to death. Many were martyred and others persecuted for the Gospel's sake. There have been times of peace, but still areas of immense persecution for others.

Revelation 7 does not say they just started in Paradise, nor will start in the future. They have been physically there since the Cross. And Paradise was called the third heaven by Paul. Heaven is not closed to the redeemed. Redeemed souls are not waiting in sheol for the Second Coming. They are waiting in Paradise where the tree of life is. The Tree of life has always been in Paradise, because that word means Garden. Jesus did not say to the thief he would enter the Garden of Eden, because that was the name while physically on the earth.

Paradise is also called the New Jerusalem when it returns to earth. It is not called the Garden of Eden, nor Paradise then. But still the same place where the tree of life is.

 

[Ronald Nolette]

God did not write that the dead are ever raptured. They don't need to be because they are already with Jesus.

The resurrected are not raptured.

The raptured are not resurrected.

Or, in other words:

Only the dead are resurrected.

Only the living are raptured.

So who are the dead in christ that are snatched up before the living?

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

King James Version

​

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.
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:
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.

 

[Ronald Nolette]

Paradise was never opened until the Cross.

It was not closed at the Cross.

Paradise has been in heaven since the Flood, as the tree of life was never destroyed.

Abraham's bosom was the grave, not Paradise. Why would you call God's presence and the tree of life, the grave and death?

Adam was banned from Paradise in physical life and in physical death. No one could enter Paradise until the Cross, and Jesus declared, "It is finished". At that point Paradise was opened wide, so the redeemed could enter. Revelation 7:9 has been the reality since the OT redeemed entered Paradise Resurrection Sunday.

"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;"

That means every one since Abel, Noah, Job, Abraham, all those in Hebrews 11 have come out of great tribulation and entered their rest. They have been serving God day and night in that heavenly temple for 1994 years, come Easter Sunday. Abraham's bosom was closed and all have now entered Paradise directly upon physical death.


No one in Christ tastes death since the Cross. Leaving this body is immediately entering a permanent incorruptible physical body in Paradise. The tribulation of the church started at Pentecost, when Peter was thrown in prison. Stephen was stoned to death. Many were martyred and others persecuted for the Gospel's sake. There have been times of peace, but still areas of immense persecution for others.

Revelation 7 does not say they just started in Paradise, nor will start in the future. They have been physically there since the Cross. And Paradise was called the third heaven by Paul. Heaven is not closed to the redeemed. Redeemed souls are not waiting in sheol for the Second Coming. They are waiting in Paradise where the tree of life is. The Tree of life has always been in Paradise, because that word means Garden. Jesus did not say to the thief he would enter the Garden of Eden, because that was the name while physically on the earth.

Paradise is also called the New Jerusalem when it returns to earth. It is not called the Garden of Eden, nor Paradise then. But still the same place where the tree of life is.

Well that is your opinion.

But the account of Lazarus and the Rich man, the common teaching in Israel in that day, the book of Jude as well as other verses say you are wrong.

Jesus took those in Paradise to heaven with Him when He asceneded as written in Ephesians. He took Paradise with Him and now Paradise is empty.

NOw when a believer dies, because Jesus blood has been shed and poured out on the mercy seat in heaven, we go directly to be with the Lord.

You need to remember that the blood of bulls and goats only covered sins, but did not remove them. Only the blood of Jesus actually shed removes sin.

 

[ewq1938]

So who are the dead in christ that are snatched up before the living?

There aren't any who are snatched up. Christ brings the dead with him from heaven where they have always been and where the new resurrection has always been. You are simply misreading the passage.

 

[Rich R]

There aren't any who are snatched up. Christ brings the dead with him from heaven where they have always been and where the new resurrection has always been. You are simply misreading the passage.

Not saying you are wrong, but where did you get that idea? Here's a couple of verses that seem to say something different:

1 Cor 15:52,

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.​

1 Thess 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:​

​

This really seems to say that the dead rise. Nothing there about come down from heaven.

​

I'm not sure why Christians think dead people aren't really dead. The so-called immortal soul was common in Greek and Egyptian theology, so maybe that's where it comes from. The scriptures are clear as to what the dead are doing and it's not sitting on clouds and playing harps (personally, I was really glad to hear I wouldn't be doing that for eternity). They seem to day the dead will be doing nothing other than rotting.

1 Cor 15:26,

The last enemy [that] shall be destroyed [is] death.​

​

In truth, God calls death an enemy. Tradition says about death, "Going to meet your maker" could hardly be considered an enemy. Who ought we to believe, truth or tradition?

Ps 88:10,

Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise [and] praise thee? Selah.​

That is a rhetorical question meant to make us thing, i.e. a figure of speech. Lest there be any doubt as to the answer, God tells us in no uncertain terms what the dead do.

Ps 115:17,

The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.​

Eccl 9:5,

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.​

​

Ps 146:4,

His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.​

​

Wouldn't it be wise to align our thoughts with the scriptures instead of man's philosophy? 1 Thess 4:13-17 gives the true source of comfort when it comes to the death of our loved ones.

​

​

 

[ewq1938]

Not saying you are wrong, but where did you get that idea? Here's a couple of verses that seem to say something different:

1 Cor 15:52,

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.​

The rapture, which is a physical moving of people from one place to another is not found in that verse.

1 Thess 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:​

​

This really seems to say that the dead rise. Nothing there about come down from heaven.

The rapture, which is a physical moving of people from one place to another is not found in that verse. Rising there means a resurrection not rising upward from Earth to Heaven etc.

I'm not sure why Christians think dead people aren't really dead.

This is a different subject and best covered in a different discussion.

This next part is long but worth the read as it shows how and why the dead in Christ will not be raptured at any point.

The living are raptured up to be together with Christ and the resurrected saints that came with Him. The dead saints aren't brought up from the Earth because they are in heaven and Christ brings them with him! The Resurrection occurs in heaven not the Earth.

2Co 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2Co 5:2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

The new body is in heaven! Here Paul uses an analogy of a building, house and tabernacle to represent a physical body. One of these is an "earthly house" meaning the mortal flesh body we are born into and then a heavenly house which is in heaven that represents the new immortal body. This speaks of when a saved humans body dies (dissolved) that there is another body in heaven waiting for them and the time of Resurrection. There is nothing in the passage about the person's spirit returning to their dissolved/dead body and it being brought back to life. Paul speaks of a different body that already exists in heaven.
Paul knew he wasn't returning to his old body.

He speaks of the mortal body being dissolved and a new body that is waiting in heaven. Clearly that is not bringing the dissolved body back to life and changing it which would eliminate the need for the new body in heaven that he mentions.

2Co 5:3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
2Co 5:4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

Paul writes that he desires to be clothed with the house from Heaven and says it is eternal in Heaven. That's the resurrected body and it is from heaven not from the Earth nor from an Earthly grave.

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.

The dead saints that resurrect are not brought to Jesus in a rapture but are brought with Jesus before the rapture even begins. That's a very important thing to recognize. Only those living saints are raptured and brought to Jesus and those he brought with him from heaven.

Jud 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
Jud 1:15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Jesus comes WITH his resurrected saints and then the living saints are raptured up to meet them.

Rev 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

The saints and angels make up the heavenly army that comes from heaven.

Jesus does NOT come alone, and does NOT rapture up the resurrected saints, and then has a second rapture of the living saints. There is only ONE rapture and it is only for those that hadn't died!



1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

Again, something awaits us in heaven. Is it not the new glorified body given in a heavenly resurrection?

 

[ewq1938]

If scripture interprets scripture then I submit:

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.

Though Jesus was a carpenter's son, I do not believe he is literally speaking of building a house in heaven for us but this being a reference to what 2 Corinthians 5:1 touches upon, a new body in heaven.

1Co 15:36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
1Co 15:37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

A mortal body is sown but a different body is what shall be received.


So, when it's time for second coming all the dead saints in heaven who are bodiless spirits will resurrect physically in heaven into the immortal body that was in heaven, then Christ will descend and the resurrected saints will follow Him, and when they reach the clouds above the Earth the living saints will be changed into immortal beings, then will be "caught up" in the Rapture to meet Christ and the heavenly saints and Christ will descend to his Earthly destination and all the will follow Him.

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.

G4862
s?´?
sun
soon
A primary preposition denoting union; with or together (but much closer than G3326 or G3844), that is, by association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, instrumentality, addition, etc.: - beside, with. In compounds it has similar applications, including completeness.
Total KJV occurrences: 125


Since the Greek word G4862 "sun" means "union" the verse can be understood as:

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

That makes sense since Christ brings the resurrected with him from heaven and that the resurrection bodies are already in heaven according to Paul. There is nothing that places the resurrected dead on the Earth at the time of the rapture.

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.


The passage speaks of the dead rising first, then the living being caught up with "them in the clouds". The "them in the clouds" are the dead (plural-them), who resurrected in heaven and followed Christ down to the clouds.

The order of events are:


1. the 7th trump sounds

2. Christ leaves heaven.

3. the dead resurrect and follow Christ.

4. the dead and Christ are in clouds

5. the living change into immortals and then are raptured to the clouds to meet with "them" as verse 17 mentions.



"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together"


The ones alive will be caught up together as a group. The resurrected dead are not part of this.


"to have union/be united with them in the clouds,"


And who is the "them" that are in the clouds? It's the resurrected dead and Christ.


"to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."



I know it sounds like the living will meet with another group (the resurrected dead) and those two groups are caught up together but that isn't what the verse is talking about. It's one group being caught up to meet with another group that is already in the clouds and waiting for the living saints to arrive. Take that and add all the above scriptures speaking about the new resurrection body being in heaven and we arrive at a heavenly resurrection for the dead saints.

What all of this scripture means:


1. We know that the new body is in heaven. 2Co 5:1

2. We know the living cannot prevent/precede the dead ie: the dead will be with Christ before living will be. 1Th 4:15

3. God will make sure that Jesus brings dead with him. 1Th 4:14


That means the dead resurrect in heaven where the new body is already waiting.


The dead in Christ will be resurrected, not raptured.

The living in Christ will be raptured, not resurrected.



There are four types of physical resurrection:


1. A dead human body brought back to mortal life. Lazarus.

2. Christ's dead human body resurrected and changed into immortal retaining scars from the day he died.

3. The dead in Christ (like Paul) whose old bodies no longer exist (dissolved) and a new and immortal body waiting in heaven for them to "stand up in" when it's the correct time (7th trump/second coming).

4. The unsaved dead whose dissolved bodies will be recomposed and brought back to mortal life for judgment day and the lake of fire punishment.

 

[Rich R]

The rapture, which is a physical moving of people from one place to another is not found in that verse.

True. But how about the very next verse?

1Thess 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.​

​

While we will be with Jesus in the clouds. Exactly what that mean, I don't know. However it's worth noting that we will be with Jesus from that point on. Where will he be? Revelation 19:19 says he will come down with his army and make war with earthlings. There is no indication he goes back to heaven. Revelation 21:1-3 says the new Jerusalem will come down from heaven. Wouldn't that indicate it will be on the earth? It also says God will be with us.

Revelation takes us back to the original Garden of Eden. God made the heavens for spiritual beings. Humans were made to live on the earth.

This next part is long but worth the read as it shows how and why the dead in Christ will not be raptured at any point.

The living are raptured up to be together with Christ and the resurrected saints that came with Him. The dead saints aren't brought up from the Earth because they are in heaven and Christ brings them with him! The Resurrection occurs in heaven not the Earth.

2Co 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2Co 5:2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

The word "from" as used in verse 2 is not the same as the word "in." My Toyota truck is "from" Japan. It is currently not "in" Japan.

The new body is in heaven! Here Paul uses an analogy of a building, house and tabernacle to represent a physical body. One of these is an "earthly house" meaning the mortal flesh body we are born into and then a heavenly house which is in heaven that represents the new immortal body. This speaks of when a saved humans body dies (dissolved) that there is another body in heaven waiting for them and the time of Resurrection. There is nothing in the passage about the person's spirit returning to their dissolved/dead body and it being brought back to life. Paul speaks of a different body that already exists in heaven.
Paul knew he wasn't returning to his old body.

He speaks of the mortal body being dissolved and a new body that is waiting in heaven. Clearly that is not bringing the dissolved body back to life and changing it which would eliminate the need for the new body in heaven that he mentions.

2Co 5:3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
2Co 5:4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

Paul writes that he desires to be clothed with the house from Heaven and says it is eternal in Heaven. That's the resurrected body and it is from heaven not from the Earth nor from an Earthly grave.

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.

You correctly said Paul used an analogy.

" A resemblance of relations; an agreement or likeness between things in some circumstances or effects, when the
things are otherwise entirely different." ~ Websters

In other words, an analogy is not identical to the actual thing. If Paul's words were the real thing, we would have a glaring contradiction with the several clear verses I quoted that say dead people are dead. The verses I quoted before about the state of dead people are not analogies. They are the actual state of the dead. They are dead.

Are we currently actually naked? No. It's part of the analogy.

You might want to check out a Jewish idiom that says something, "came down from heaven." It basically means something good comes from God. Manna is one example.

The dead saints that resurrect are not brought to Jesus in a rapture but are brought with Jesus before the rapture even begins. That's a very important thing to recognize. Only those living saints are raptured and brought to Jesus and those he brought with him from heaven.

Jud 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
Jud 1:15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Jesus comes WITH his resurrected saints and then the living saints are raptured up to meet them.

Rev 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

The saints and angels make up the heavenly army that comes from heaven.

Jesus does NOT come alone, and does NOT rapture up the resurrected saints, and then has a second rapture of the living saints. There is only ONE rapture and it is only for those that hadn't died!

Not sure where you get that. There is no reason it can't be that we meet Jesus in the air, the tribulation occurs and then Jesus comes with his army. I think that fits much better with Thessalonians and Revelation

1 Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1 Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

Again, something awaits us in heaven. Is it not the new glorified body given in a heavenly resurrection?

Yes, our new bodies are reserved in heaven just like my aforementioned Toyota was reserved in Japan until it came here.