^ Noose, all those are "verbs" (so, if anything, would correlate with the verb-action in Matt24 I referred to, or of death).
Re: our Rapture (2Th2:
1), the word is a "noun" "[our]
gathering-together - G1997 -
episynagōgēs " ['UNTO HIM,' by the way] (I'm not saying that a verb is NEVER used in relation to speaking of our rapture, but that this
"gather" word is a
noun,
unlike your examples, and correlates to the
numerous "noun" words Paul uses when speaking of "our Rapture" [I mentioned earlier that Paul refers to our Rapture some 10x throughout both epistles to the Thessalonians, using various words/phrases...
not merely the
one reference most point to (1Th4:16-17)])
Yes, verb because it is the Lord that gathers and in 2 Thess 2, Paul refers to us being taken or Paul and those believers at his time being taken. To me, it is the same thing only that on one side it is the Lord doing and on the other side, the action is being done to believers. But it even gets mysterious when Paul describes the event:
1 Thess 4:
13Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope.
14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.
15By the word of the Lord, we declare to you that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep.
16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise.
17After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.
18Therefore encourage one another with these words.
The striking thing here is Paul counts himself amongst those that are alive and are caught together with those that sleep. This is not just another case of "proleptic 'you'" because Paul really counts himself amongst those that are alive during the return of the Lord here.
And bizarrely, Paul again would later count himself amongst the dead that will be raised and be caught together with his 1st century listeners:
2 Cor 4:
12So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
13And in keeping with what is written: “I believed, therefore I have spoken,”
c we who have the same spirit of faith also believe and therefore speak,
14knowing that the One who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in His presence.
15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is extending to more and more people may overflow in thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
Again, this is not just a "proleptic 'you'", he meant it to those that he wrote to- that he will be raised and be caught up with them. This to me, is what it means to gather or coming together; the souls of the dead believers indwelling the living believers. This idea has been termed heretic here by some but this is just the way i see it. And i believe this is what it means the old testament faithfuls being gathered to their people.
But even bizarrely, Paul poses a question about resurrection:
1 Cor 15:
29If these things are not so, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them?