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We don’t totally disagree, N.

If +Paul’s writing to the church at Thessalonica is correct - and I believe them to be - SOMETHING like being swept skyward does occur to the living faithful (after the rising of the sleeping faithful).

Where Orthodox theology departs from that of dispensationalist Protestantism (on this topic) is that Holy Scripture did not put too fine a point on the “how” (men did that much, much later), rather being ready for the “IT.” That we should live our lives all the time as if it were happening in the next five minutes. Follow the path to Christ. Mimic the lives of Saints. Try not to give in to the passions wrought by the fall and the curse of mortality.

I haven’t the foggiest notion whether the faithful will be clothed in eternity at that point. The epistle is silent there. And it’s not an important detail.

Then we do agree...and yes...the dead in Christ rise first...and then we shall be changed. We have a semantic problem. That event is what we (disp/prot) call the Rapture. It is called the rapture for the SAME reason we say JESUS. It IS an event...we gave it a name. You could call it the snatching away...the catching away...the Harpazo...or the Rapture...and you would be quoting scripture the same way you do when you say "JESUS." If you were to go back in time 2000 years and yell out "JESUS!" Nobody would know who you were talking about.

Now...the TIMING of the event is open for debate...and that is so non-essential its not funny. I believe it happens before Daniel's 70th Week (Daniel 9:24)...some believe it happens AFTER the 70th week at teh Second Coming. Some believe there is no 70th week and it happens before the millenial Kingdom. Some believe there is no MK and it happens before eternity.

But the bottom line...and we agree...IT DOES HAPPEN. Living Saints get swept skyward after the dead in Christ Rise...and according to 1 Cor 15...that is when mortality...both for the changed living believer and the resurrected dead believer puts on immortality.

I and others call that event "The Rapture" (we just put it at a different time on God's clock than you and others).