Both 1st Thessalonians 5:1-4 <--context is last part of chapter 4 the resurrection
This is that sequence issue again. It is the same sequence being shown in 2Th2 [3x there]; Our Rapture/Departure to the meeting of the Lord IN THE AIR that pertains solely to "the Church which is His body" takes place, and then... what happens
following that is "
SINGULAR BIRTH
PANG"
1Th5:2-3 on the earth [the
ARRIVAL of the DOTL time period
with its 'man of sin' and
ALL he will DO over the course of those YEARS], but that singular [initial] birth
PANG [at its ARRIVAL] does
not remain alone... many more "birth PANGS
follow on from the initial one, just as labor
COMES UPON a woman with child. It is
not "one and done!"
This is how "birth PANGS" work.
(Jesus told of the INITIAL birth pang [singular] when He spoke of "the beginning of birth PANGS [PLURAL]," and much more [tribulation events] follows on even from those (those are just the "SEALS" aspect). This is not yet the moment of His "RETURN" to the earth, but is what PRECEDES it as these "
beginning of birth PANGS" will unfold upon the earth, and all that follows "the BEGINNING of birth PANGS [plural]" is...
more "birth pangs" that aren't only "the
beginning" of them, but the
further on ones.
)
2nd Thessalonians 2 The BODY PRESENCE and OUR GATHERING together UNTO Christ
Verse 1 is indeed speaking of our Rapture. Paul was bringing a corrective to their minds, which involved telling them WHY "the Day of the Lord" is not, in fact, "PRESENT [perfect tense indicative--meaning, a past event with present effects]". He supplies the reason, which involves the SEQUENCE.
You can forget it.....ONE COMING not TWO......and if it does not JIVE with ONE coming it is erroneous.....end of story....and do me a favor....don't address me....you will not change my mind after 33 years of studying it and especially after coming out of the imminent return farce.....
His "PAROUSIA-PRESENCE" IN THE AIR (in
OUR episynagoges UNTO HIM") involves
no one else. And Paul also said in 1Cor15:23 "[re: resurrection] but each
IN HIS OWN ORDER" and later in vv.51-53 speaks
even more specifically (regarding "the Church
which is His body") where he says "
THIS corruptible" ['the DEAD in Christ,' here] and "
THIS mortal" [the 'we which are ALIVE and remain unto' (this part also spoken of in 2Cor5:3-4 "that MORTALITY might be swallowed up OF LIFE" [this is at our Rapture event!]); who are both [the DEAD in Christ and the WE which are ALIVE and remain unto" are together caught UP/AWAY
"AS ONE" (the "
ONE BODY"!)] which was something
distinct from the "resurrection" that Martha [and ALL OT saints]
WELL-KNEW ['resurrect' means 'to stand again ON THE EARTH']!! There was NO MYSTERY [unrevealed/undisclosed b/f His resurrection], NO MYSTERY
about THAT ['resurrection'],
they all [all OT saints] understood that VERY WELL. Yet
here, Paul is disclosing "a mystery" (his assigned task).
The "GREAT" trumpet of Matthew 24:29-31 (AFTER/END of the trib) correlates with Isaiah 27:12-13 and it is, there said to be, "the angels
HE SHALL SEND" to do so, and THEY will be gathered "
ONE by ONE" (not "AS ONE")... and are gathered to one location ON THE EARTH... in
every way distinct from our "
epiSYNagoges UNTO HIM [IN THE AIR]" (and there is a PURPOSE to our Rapture... [actually more than one]... that is
unique to "the Church
WHICH IS HIS BODY" [i.e. saints of "this present age [singular]"]). His "PAROUSIA-PRESENCE" IN THE AIR pertains SOLELY to "the Church WHICH IS HIS BODY" (and thereafter, His "JUDGMENTS" will unfold upon the earth with the INITIAL "birth PANG [SINGULAR]" (=SEAL#1 / "the man of sin be revealed" / "whose coming"/"prince THAT SHALL COME"/"FOR ONE WEEK" / Matt24:4/Mk13:5 'G5100 - tis - 'A CERTAIN ONE'... all of that being at the START of many MORE "birth PANGS" that follow on from there, and which earthly-located events lead up TO His promised
and prophesied EARTHLY Millennial Kingdom, commencing upon His "RETURN"
to the earth WHERE His "PAROUSIA-PRESENCE" WILL be located ['coming'] at THAT point in the "chronology"... ALL "
SON OF MAN cometh/coming/shall come/etc" passages refer to THIS [His designation regarding THIS])