So who are "we who are still alive and are left"....?
The 'dead in Christ' are nekros, a corpse.
1 Thessalonians 4
13-18 (Concordant Literal) . . .
13 Now we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are reposing, lest you may sorrow according as the rest, also, who have no expectation.
14 For, if we are believing that Jesus died and rose, thus also, those who are put to repose, will God, through Jesus, lead forth together with Him.
15 For this we are saying to you by the word of the Lord, that we, the living, who are surviving to the presence of the Lord, should by no means outstrip those who are put to repose,
16 for the Lord Himself will be descending from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the Chief Messenger, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall be rising first.
17 Thereupon we, the living who are surviving, shall at the same time be snatched away together with them in clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And thus shall we always be together with the Lord.
18 So that, console one another with these words.
The Lord Himself will be descending out from the heavenly realms, manifesting into the earthly and lower reality IN a shout of command, IN the voice of the Chief Messenger, and IN the trumpet of God. In these aspects of manifestation His presence will become realized: IN an archangel's shout of command, not only the sound, but also the working of the command to bring about alignment with what is so ordered. The trumpet is certain members of Christ's body, a prepared vessel, producing specific resonances as a result of the wind of the Holy Spirit blowing throughout the changing chambers of it. There are seven Voices sounding. There are seven thunders resulting from the bright lightening of great power exchanges. There are seven trumpets not making an uncertain sound. These will bring about irreversible changes among the sons of men.
The dead, those whose bodies have corrupted in death and who have been placed in Christ, those also who have experientially entered the baptism into His death shall be rising first. Thereupon we, the living who are surviving, who have not already ascended, entering by the work of the Spirit at that time into things pertaining to incorruption and immortality, those not yet participating in the feast of tabernacles, shall at the same time be snatched (a form of
harpazo meaning "seized, possessed," not "away" as even the CLT has added) but possessed together, that is we are brought into a level of simultaneity with them in clouds which are the dust of His feet, with them in the glory clouds to meet the Lord in the air, the lower atmosphere which is that relating to the earth. And thus shall we always be together with the Lord. What the Lord possesses us into is not something we come back out of. So shall we ever be with the Lord. It's something right here on earth, but we will no longer be subject to what Adamic life was, such as gravity, need for food, or protection. These changes will occur among humanity over a period of time as we are being brought into a simultaneous experience and manifestation with one another and the Lord.
This is unlike the Rapture doctrine, which says we will be caught up only to return in another second coming after some un-agreed upon and never mentioned in the Bible length of time. This gap between two second comings is not mentioned in the Bible, so of course neither are the timings related to them. Neither are we going to suddenly disappear to some other Biblically unspecified place. "When He appears we shall appear with Him in Glory!" Here is where the answer of the travail will come forth. Here, from the birth pangs of all creation shall be birthed those born of God, those whose bodies are placed into the complete liberty and authority of being physically born of God.
