What did Paul teach us that the rapture is for? When it would occur?
There are two main teachings by Paul on the rapture,the first one is:
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
This is of course about the coming of the Lord for his bride. Not the coming of the Lord to rule on this earth as Lord of lords during the Kingdom Age. That is why we are caught up or raptured up to be with him, the same as Rev. 14:14 where Jesus Harvests his church a pre trib rapture flashback. But in Rev. 14:1, that is the actual second coming where Jesus lands on Mt. Zion, and harvests his wheat (Israel) and in Revelation 14:17-20 where Jesus harvests the wicked grapes. We are the Barley harvest, which needs no crushing in order to be harvested. The tribulum was a machine (Greek word) that crushed wheat so it could be sifted in order to be harvested. Barley can be sifted without being crushed.
The second example that is used is in 1st Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 15:35-58
This in short, points to those dead in Christ being raised without corruptible sin flesh, as spirit men, and thus those of us who are living need to be changed so that our corruptible sin flesh doesn't stop us from goin to heaven. In other words we must lose this sin flesh, and like the dead who are raised as spirit men, go to be with the Lord as spirit men, not men with flesh. So, 1 billion Christians will go to be with Jesus, our bodies are not welcomed there, thus we zoom to heaven via our spirit man, leaving our bodies on earth. Basically, that is what happens when someone dies now, except the rest/sleep first. The proof of this is in the very scriptures you cited. It just goes over most everyone's head.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is
sown in corruption(Sin flesh); it is
raised in incorruption: 43 It is
sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
44
It is sown a natural body;
it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
Every point in this whole passage can only be interpreted properly when we understand the dead are raised in a NON CORRUPT Spiritual Body which is of Christ Jesus. Thus those who are alive and remain at the time of the rapture must CHANGE.....why? Verse 50 tells us.....flesh and blood can not enter heaven.
50 Now this I say, brethren,
that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
When Mary saw Jesus was resurrected in John 20 he said "Touch me not, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. [to offer the Sacrifice]. Mary's sin flesh merely touching Jesus would have defiled the Sacrifice so that it woud not have been acceptable to God.
There is also no mention of a tribulation upon the earth or a persecution upon the saints after these events. Paul tells us that the rapture is only for changing of our bodies so we can enter heaven. Paul also says that this happens at the last trumpet. The last trumpet is the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15.The number seven means completeness to God, the completeness of Gods wrath is finished. Remember there was also a trumpet in 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
The Church will not go through the tribulation, so if the message is to comfort those who will be Raptured, along with their dead loved ones, speaking in that letter about the coming tribukation would have been pointless, they already knew about it, that is why in 2 Thess. 2:1-3 they FEARD being in the tribulation. and Paul had to tell them that we would DEPART before the DOTL comes by being gathered unto Jesus.
The Last Trump always ended the Harvest. Jesus fulfills all 7 Feasts, they were holy convocations (dress rehearsals). Jesus is our 1.) Passover 2.) he was unleavened from sin 3.) he was the first-fruits of the grave. He is as we speak harvesting souls as our high priest in heaven, we are the body (church) he uses to harvest these souls during the 4.) Summer Harvest (Church Age). All that is left is Jesus ending the Summer Harvest, Israel Atoning and Jesus Dwelling with Israel for 1000 years. That will fulfill all 7 Feasts.
Now, what ALWAYS ended the summer harvest? The Feast of Trumps !! Why is it said that we can not know the exact day nor hour of Jesus' return for his bride? Because Israel were on God time or a Lunar calendar. They never knew the exact day nor hour the New Moon would come in, thus they could not know the exact day nor hour the New Year would come in either. They could and did however know the Season, of course. So, the Israeli leaders would send two witnesses up into the hills/mountains to spy out the new moon, when they saw it they reported back to the Israeli leaders, then the 5.) Feast of Trumps started, the Shofar blew in 9 sets of 11 or 99 times, then on the "LAST TRUMP" (100th) it blew longer & louder than the other 99 and officially ended the Summer Harvest or in this case the Church Age Harvest of souls. After the Trumpets it is on to the 6.) Feast of Atonement, where we see Israel repents or atones, just like Dan. 9:24-27 says must happen before the 70th week can end. Lastly, the 7.) Feast of Tabernacles comes, but to tabernacle just means to Dwell with God, thus Jesus ruling from Jerusalem during the Kingdom Age fulfills this also, thus Jesus fulfills all 7 Feasts he calls the Church Home in Rev. 4:1 and sounds as a TRUMPET !! Jesus' blood ATONES Israel, after the finally repent !! And Jesus dwells with Israel for 1000 years.
We have to understand the things we speak about brother. The Last Trump is not a Judgment Trump, it is Jesus rapturing his Church, ending the Harvest of Souls. Not knowing these things will leave one on a bad path. We need all of the facts, not just bad facts passed down by men. We have to dig them out.
By the way, Rev. 11 the 7th Trump. Rev. 14:17-20. Rev. 16:19 and Rev. 19:17-20 are all the exact same event. Just like we are told about the 2nd Trump in Rev. 11 but given NO DETAILS, because we see the details in Rev. 9, the 2nd Woe is 200 million Angels bringing plagues. Likewise, when we hear that the 3rd Woe comes quickly, we are also nit given the DETAILS in Rev. 11 either, we see the details in Rev. 16, the 7 Vials are the 3rd Woe, which come via the 7th Trump. In Rev. 11 we are told the 7th Trump will bring victory only because PRAYING THEM DOWN was a part of the Two-witnesses ministry, but they die at the 2nd Woe, thus we are told what the 7th Trump (3rd Woe/7 Vials) will eventually bring, VICTORY. It does not happen in Rev. 11 per se, that is a Parenthetical Citation chapter.