1 Thessalonians 4:15

Paul further stressed the truth of his teaching (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:14 a) by explaining that it was a revelation from the Lord, not just his opinion. Paul expected to be in the company of the living when Christ returned. He believed in an imminent Rapture, one preceding the Tribulation. Even some amillennialists acknowledge this. [Note: E.g., Morris, The First . . ., p. 136.] (Amillennialists and postmillennialists are typically also posttribulationists, though not all posttribulationists are amillennialists or postmillennialists. Some are premillennialists.) The "coming" (Gr. parousia, lit. "appearing") of Christ is His appearing in the clouds (cf. Acts 1:11). It is not His second coming following the Tribulation, the coming at which time He will remain on the earth, set up His earthly kingdom, and reign for 1,000 years (cf. Revelation 19:11-21). The differences in the descriptions of these comings present them as separate events (cf. Matthew 24:30-31 and 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17).

Some posttribulationists have asserted that the "word of the Lord" referred to in this verse is what Jesus taught in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:30-31; Luke 17:34-35). That was His revelation concerning His second coming, which they believe will follow the Rapture immediately. [Note: E.g., J. Barton Payne, The Imminent Appearing of Christ, p. 68; and Alexander Reese, The Approaching Advent of Christ, p. 140, cf. pp. 267-68.] Pretribulationists, on the other hand, believe "the word of the Lord" is not a reference to what Jesus taught in the Olivet Discourse. Most pretribulationists see no reference to the Rapture in the Olivet Discourse. We take "the word of the Lord" as referring to revelation Jesus gave Paul that the Gospels do not record, as did some posttribulationists. [Note: E.g., Ladd, pp. 72-73; and Gundry, p. 102.] In short, we cannot identify "the word of the Lord" certainly with Jesus’ teaching concerning His second coming recorded in the Gospels.

This leads to another question. Are there any prophesied events that must take place before the Rapture occurs? Posttribulationists say there are, namely, the events of the Tribulation (Daniel’s seventieth week) and preparations for the second coming of Christ (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24; Revelation 4-18). Pretribulationists say there are no events that God predicted would take place before the translation of the saints in the passages that speak of that translation (i.e., the Rapture).

The fact that the living will have no advantage over the dead when Christ returns makes excessive sorrow for dead Christians, beyond the sorrow connected with their dying, unjustified.