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1 Thessalonians 4

1 Thess. 4:17 KJV (With Strong’s)

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17
Then
ho (Greek #3588)
the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)
KJV usage: the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.
Pronounce: ho
Origin: ἡ (hay), and the neuter τό (to) in all their inflections
epeita (Greek #1899)
thereafter
KJV usage: after that(-ward), then.
Pronounce: ep'-i-tah
Origin: from 1909 and 1534
we
hemeis (Greek #2249)
we (only used when emphatic)
KJV usage: us, we (ourselves).
Pronounce: hay-mice'
Origin: nominative plural of 1473
which are alive
zao (Greek #2198)
to live (literally or figuratively)
KJV usage: life(-time), (a-)live(-ly), quick.
Pronounce: dzah'-o
Origin: a primary verb
and remain
perileipo (Greek #4035)
to leave all around, i.e. (passively) survive
KJV usage: remain.
Pronounce: per-ee-li'-po
Origin: from 4012 and 3007
shall be caught up
harpazo (Greek #726)
to seize (in various applications)
KJV usage: catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).
Pronounce: har-pad'-zo
Origin: from a derivative of 138
together
hama (Greek #260)
properly, at the "same" time, but freely used as a preposition or adverb denoting close association
KJV usage: also, and, together, with(-al).
Pronounce: ham'-ah
Origin: a primary particle
with
sun (Greek #4862)
with or together (but much closer than 3326 or 3844), i.e. by association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, instrumentality, addition, etc.
KJV usage: beside, with. In composition it has similar applications, including completeness.
Pronounce: soon
Origin: a primary preposition denoting union
them
autos (Greek #846)
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
KJV usage: her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which. Compare 848.
Pronounce: ow-tos'
Origin: from the particle αὖ (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward)
in
en (Greek #1722)
"in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.
KJV usage: about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (... sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.
Pronounce: en
Origin: a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519 and 1537)
q the clouds
nephele (Greek #3507)
properly, cloudiness, i.e. (concretely) a cloud
KJV usage: cloud.
Pronounce: nef-el'-ay
Origin: from 3509
, to
eis (Greek #1519)
to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases
KJV usage: (abundant-)ly, against, among, as, at, (back-)ward, before, by, concerning, + continual, + far more exceeding, for (intent, purpose), fore, + forth, in (among, at, unto, -so much that, -to), to the intent that, + of one mind, + never, of, (up-)on, + perish, + set at one again, (so) that, therefore(-unto), throughout, til, to (be, the end, -ward), (here-)until(-to), ...ward, (where-)fore, with. Often used in composition with the same general import, but only with verbs (etc.) expressing motion (literally or figuratively).
Pronounce: ice
Origin: a primary preposition
meet
apantesis (Greek #529)
a (friendly) encounter
KJV usage: meet.
Pronounce: ap-an'-tay-sis
Origin: from 528
the Lord
ho (Greek #3588)
the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)
KJV usage: the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.
Pronounce: ho
Origin: ἡ (hay), and the neuter τό (to) in all their inflections
kurios (Greek #2962)
supreme in authority, i.e. (as noun) controller; by implication, Master (as a respectful title)
KJV usage: God, Lord, master, Sir.
Pronounce: koo'-ree-os
Origin: from κῦρος (supremacy)
in
eis (Greek #1519)
to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases
KJV usage: (abundant-)ly, against, among, as, at, (back-)ward, before, by, concerning, + continual, + far more exceeding, for (intent, purpose), fore, + forth, in (among, at, unto, -so much that, -to), to the intent that, + of one mind, + never, of, (up-)on, + perish, + set at one again, (so) that, therefore(-unto), throughout, til, to (be, the end, -ward), (here-)until(-to), ...ward, (where-)fore, with. Often used in composition with the same general import, but only with verbs (etc.) expressing motion (literally or figuratively).
Pronounce: ice
Origin: a primary preposition
the air
aer (Greek #109)
"air" (as naturally circumambient)
KJV usage: air. Compare 5594.
Pronounce: ah-ayr'
Origin: from ἄημι (to breathe unconsciously, i.e. respire; by analogy, to blow)
: and
kai (Greek #2532)
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
KJV usage: and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.
Pronounce: kahee
Origin: apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force
so
houto (Greek #3779)
in this way (referring to what precedes or follows)
KJV usage: after that, after (in) this manner, as, even (so), for all that, like(-wise), no more, on this fashion(-wise), so (in like manner), thus, what.
Pronounce: hoo'-to
Origin: οὕτως (hoo'-toce) adverb from 3778
shall we
esomai (Greek #2071)
will be
KJV usage: shall (should) be (have), (shall) come (to pass), X may have, X fall, what would follow, X live long, X sojourn.
Pronounce: es'-om-ahee
Origin: future of 1510
ever
pantote (Greek #3842)
every when, i.e. at all times
KJV usage: alway(-s), ever(-more).
Pronounce: pan'-tot-eh
Origin: from 3956 and 3753
be
esomai (Greek #2071)
will be
KJV usage: shall (should) be (have), (shall) come (to pass), X may have, X fall, what would follow, X live long, X sojourn.
Pronounce: es'-om-ahee
Origin: future of 1510
r with
sun (Greek #4862)
with or together (but much closer than 3326 or 3844), i.e. by association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, instrumentality, addition, etc.
KJV usage: beside, with. In composition it has similar applications, including completeness.
Pronounce: soon
Origin: a primary preposition denoting union
the Lord
kurios (Greek #2962)
supreme in authority, i.e. (as noun) controller; by implication, Master (as a respectful title)
KJV usage: God, Lord, master, Sir.
Pronounce: koo'-ree-os
Origin: from κῦρος (supremacy)
.
q
Rev. 11:12• 12And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. (Rev. 11:12)
r
John 14:3• 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:3)

More on:

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Air,
Cloud,
Rapture of the Saints

Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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we which.
1 Thess. 4:15• 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. (1 Thess. 4:15)
;
1 Cor. 15:52• 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. (1 Cor. 15:52)
caught.
1 Kings 18:12• 12And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth. (1 Kings 18:12)
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2 Kings 2:11,16• 11And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
 16And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the Lord hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send. (2 Kings 2:11,16)
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Acts 8:39• 39And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. (Acts 8:39)
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2 Cor. 12:2‑4• 2I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
 3And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
 4How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. (2 Cor. 12:2‑4)
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Rev. 11:12• 12And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. (Rev. 11:12)
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Rev. 12:5• 5And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. (Rev. 12:5)
in the.
Matt. 26:64• 64Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. (Matt. 26:64)
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Mark 14:62• 62And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. (Mark 14:62)
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Acts 1:9• 9And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. (Acts 1:9)
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Rev. 1:7• 7Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (Rev. 1:7)
and so.
Psa. 16:11• 11Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psa. 16:11)
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Psa. 17:15• 15As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. (Psa. 17:15)
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Psa. 49:15• 15But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah. (Psa. 49:15)
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Psa. 73:24• 24Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. (Psa. 73:24)
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Isa. 35:10• 10And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isa. 35:10)
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Isa. 60:19‑20• 19The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
 20Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. (Isa. 60:19‑20)
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John 12:26• 26If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor. (John 12:26)
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John 14:3• 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:3)
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John 17:24• 24Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. (John 17:24)
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2 Cor. 5:8• 8We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. (2 Cor. 5:8)
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Phil. 1:23• 23For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: (Phil. 1:23)
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2 Peter 3:13• 13Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (2 Peter 3:13)
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Rev. 7:14‑17• 14And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
 15Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
 16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
 17For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. (Rev. 7:14‑17)
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Rev. 21:3‑7,22‑23• 3And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
 4And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
 5And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
 6And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
 7He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
 22And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
 23And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. (Rev. 21:3‑7,22‑23)
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Rev. 22:3‑5• 3And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
 4And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
 5And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. (Rev. 22:3‑5)
• The translation of all the changed saints is simultaneous. The grief of such as doubted the full blessedness of those meanwhile put to sleep was really ignorance and unbelief; for even if they could not anticipate the fresh revelation from the Lord, they ought, from their divinely given knowledge of His love and of His redemption, to have counted on His grace towards the dead saints no less than towards the living. (“On 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18” by W. Kelly)
• The resurrection of the sleeping saints is called a resurrection out of, or from among, the dead; which could not be said of the resurrection of the wicked, for they leave no more to be raised. Thus both classes are raised separately, and the traditional idea of one general resurrection of the dead is fictitious. Dan. 12 speaks of a resuscitation of Israel, Matt. 25 of the Lord's judgment of the nations: neither refers to the literally dead. (“On 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18” by W. Kelly)
• We leave the earth precisely as He left it. This is very precious. There is this difference: He went up in His own full right, He ascended; as to us, His voice calls the dead, and they come forth from the grave, and, the living being changed, all are caught up together. (“1 Thessalonians 4” by J.N. Darby)
• The proper expectation of the Christian is entirely separated from all which follows the manifestation of Christ and which is in connection with the government of this world. (“1 Thessalonians 4” by J.N. Darby)
• Death is not the Bridegroom, but merely a servant (for all things are ours) for ushering us, absent from the body, to be present with the Lord. But here it is no mere individual going after dying to Him, but His coming, the Conqueror of death, for us all, whether sleeping or waking, that we may be changed into His glorious image even in the body. (“On 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18” by W. Kelly)

J. N. Darby Translation

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17
then *we*, the living who remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we shall be always with the Lord.

W. Kelly Translation

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17
then we, the living that remain, shall be caught up together with them in clouds to meet [the] Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.