Ok. Maybe I'm misunderstanding but it is not just the dead in Christ but we who are alive as well. IOW it is the whole Church, all those who are in Christ, from the day of Pentecost till the time of the Rapture.
1Thess.4:15-17
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.
Maybe it is perspective? When I say "the Church", I think of everyone who is in Christ, dead or alive, beginning with Peter. Maybe you only think of the Church as those who are currently operating on the earth at any given time? Or are you thinking there is a timing gap between the raising of "the dead in Christ" and "those who are alive"?
I agree with your point about own rank/order. Believers are raised each in their own company, the Church being one company in the family of God.
I think the main problem throughout this thread though, is that people keep thinking this passage in Matthew 24 of people being taken, is the Resurrection which it is not. No-one is being resurrected here, they are being destroyed. When Christ returns His sword is a romphaia (cmp.Rev.19:15), a big broad sword that is used to destroy the enemy. The first time He came it was a machaira (cmp.Matt.10:34), a long bladed knife used to strip away the lies.
“people keep thinking this passage in Matthew 24 of people being taken, is the Resurrection which it is not. No-one is being resurrected here, they are being destroyed. “
Amen . notice in the beginning Jesus is asked
two questions one is “ when will the temple and cities buildings be destroyed as your telling us ? The second is and when is your coming and the end of the world ?
“And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, 1
Tell us, when shall these things be?
and 2
what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”
Matthew 24:2-3 KJV
Jesus is answering both questions and they get conflated as if he’s talking about only his second coming, but the answers get conflated because he’s going back and forth between a short range prophecy regarding Israel’s deflation and thier scattering into the nations by rome in ad 70
snd then the other answer he’s giving about his return at the end of the world and gathering of the church or what many refer to as “the rapture “
its important to notice he’s been asked and is answering two seperete questions one regarding the destruction of Jerusalem and the temples Demise in other words Jerusalems desolation
and the other regarding his return from heaven at the end of the world when he will do this
“For
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:
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.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 KJV
Matthew 24 is addressing two periods of time o e tbat was imminent
When we look at Matthew 24 contemporary verses we see it much better
“And
when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are
in Judæa flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.”
Luke 21:20-22 KJV
This is about fulfillment of ot prophecy regarding Jerusalems desolation thier punishemnt for breaking the covenant
“Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.”
Matthew 23:36-38 KJV
aback to Matthew 24
“When ye therefore shall
see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand
then let
them which be in Judæa flee into the mountains: And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: for
then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but
for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.”
Matthew 24:15-16, 19-22 KJV
this is about jeruswpms desolation and the Jewish dispersia which happened in 70 ad the return of Christ from heaven is what we wait for now could happen anytime
