How is it that Jesus in a physical body could walk through walls? How could He walk with the deciples on the road and they not know him and then just disappear unless He was in a spiritual body.
Then what does 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 say.
potterclay
To fully understand 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 you have to back up to verse 13 and find out what the subject is that Paul is talking about.
1 Thessalonians 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.
14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15For 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.
16For 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:
17Then 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.
18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Verse 13 I would not have you ignorant: People use this word wrong far to often. It dose not mean that you are stupid, dumb, etc. It means that you just do not have the needed understanding, teaching, skills etc. Here is a good example you could hand me the keys to a loaded 18 wheeler and ask me to back it up to the loading dock; I could not do it. Does that make me stupid? No. Give me the keys to my car and ask me to back it up; No problem. What does He not want them to be ignorant about? Where the dead (those that have fallen asleep) are. Why? That you sorrow not, (that you do not greave ) Even as others which have no hope. What hope don't they have? The hope of seeing there loved ones again in heaven and being able to be with them for EVER never sick, never sad, never what ever you want to put there for EVER and EVER.
Verse 14. For IF we believe that Jesus died and rose again: Notice the biggest little word in the bible: If (do you) believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead? If so all those that have died believing in Jesus will return with God. In order for them to return with God they have to be with God. They are not out there in some dark hole in the ground with rotten flesh and decaying bones. That is why we do not greave a those that have no hope. Notice Paul did not say do not greave; of course you are going to miss a loved one.
Verse 15: For this we say by the word of the Lord; who's word are we talking about here? The Lord Jesus Christ not some man's word but Gods word. That we: who is the we? All of those that believe in Jesus Christ; not just those that he is writing to but every one that will ever come after him untill Jesus returns. Shall NOT!! prevent (stop the following from happening) them that are asleep(dead, have died)
Verse 16: For the Lord Himself shall descend: He is not sending someone else. From Heaven: (That is where He is coming from Heaven. He is not coming out of a tomb, or grave) with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: What trump would that be? Paul told us in 1st Corinthians 15 it is the 7th trump the last trump the furthest on out. You must not misread this last part of the verse. And the dead IN Christ shall rise first. Who are the dead in Christ? It is not His children because they are alive in Christ. The dead in Christ are those that do not know him, They are dead to Him. The chose not to follow Him; They chose instead to follow the Antichrist, Satan, the serpent . . . Again Paul told us this in 1st Corinthians 15. This makes my second reference to this I am just going to put it in here. The dead in Christ shall rise first. Of course they are going to rise first. Why? The moment you die the soul, the spirit, the intellect that you are returns to God who created. That part of you that is eternal.
Verse 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. We which are alive and remain (will be left behind and not receive our reward) In the clouds: Where are the clouds? In the sky the lower part of the atmosphere. We are going to meet the Lord in the air (The spirit: John 3 Jesus describes the spirit like the wind (air) You know when it comes and when it go but you cannot see it) and we shall forever be with the Lord.
Where is The Lord Jesus Christ going to take us. No where. We are staying right here. Where are we going to meet Jesus? On the mount of Olives "on that day" what day is that? The first day of the millennium when every knee will bow and every tung confess Jesus Christ is Lord and we shell always be with the Lord
Verse 18: Wherefore comfort one another with these words. This is who we are to comfort one another when we are grieving.
1st Corinthians 15
50Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
51Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52In 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.
53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal
must put on immortality.
54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55O death, where
is thy sting? O grave, where
is thy victory?
56The sting of death
is sin; and the strength of sin
is the law.
57But thanks
be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Zechariah 14:4
And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which
is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west,
and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
I hope this helps.