1 Thessalonians 4:17-18

Text (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18)

17 then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Translation and Paraphrase

17.

Then (after that,) we who are living (and) remaining shall at the same time be caught up with them (the resurrected saints) in (the) clouds, unto (the) meeting with the Lord in the air. And in this manner we shall be (united) with the Lord (to be with him) always.

18.

Wherefore (seeing that we have such a glorious hope), comfort (and exhort) one another by these words.

Notes (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18)

1.

There is a gospel song entitled, The Meeting In the Air. That is a fine title. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 talks about meeting the Lord in the air, and the word meeting is actually a noun (Gr., apantesis, meaning meeting). Will you join in that meeting in the air with the Lord?

2.

I am sure that no Christian will have acrophobia (fear of heights) when our bodies have been transformed, and we have been caught up in the air. Caught up means to seize, carry off, snatch out or away. It is the same word used in Acts 8:39 to describe how the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip after he baptized the Ethiopian.

3.

Many Scriptures teach that the Lord is coming with clouds. Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:30. The Lord's presence is often associated with clouds and smoke. Exodus 19:18; Isaiah 6:4; Psalms 18:11-12; Matthew 17:5

4.

Note that we are to meet the Lord in the air, the atmospheric region.

5.

The glorious meeting with the Lord shall never end.

6.

This Scripture brings to our minds other blessed passages:

John 14:3I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.

John 17:24Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am. (Jesus wants us to be with him. Death can be a fulfillment of the desire of Jesus for us to be with him personally.)

Revelation 21:3; Revelation 22:3 speak of eternally dwelling with God.

7.

Because of all the glorious hope we have in Christ's second coming, we are commanded to tell Christians who mourn, that they will meet their dead in Christ on that day when Christ appears, and that in sweet union and communion they will ever be with their Lord and their loved ones.

8.

The word comfort is the same word also translated exhort. The coming of Christ and the resurrection of the dead is both a comfort and a stimulus to us to serve Christ more fully. On the meaning of comfort or exhort, see notes on 1 Thessalonians 2:3, par. 2.

STUDY SUGGESTION

We urge you now to turn to the Did You Learn? questions which follow immediately, and try to answer (preferably by writing out the answers) questions 27 to 46