Friday, March 5, 2021

1 Thessalonians 4:17 and "meet" ( ἀπάντησις) vs. the "Rapture"

  

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 Thess 4:17)

 

In 1 Thess 4:17, the term translated as "meet" is ἀπάντησις. It is sometimes used for meeting someone important and then escorting them back to where the crowd (not the dignitary!) came from. Note Acts 28:15:

 

And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet (ἀπάντησις) us as far as Appii forum, and the three taverns, whom when Peter saw, he thanked God, and took courage.

 

The Christians came out from Rome to meet Paul and escort him back to Rome.

 

In Matt 25:1, 6 we read:

 

Then shall the kingdom be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet (υπαντησις, "going to meet") the bridegroom . . . And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet (ἀπάντησις) him.

 

Such further adds to the case against the “rapture” reading of this verse. For more, see:

 

Response to Douglas V. Pond on Biblical and LDS Anthropology and Eschatology

 

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