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1 Thessalonians 4 says differently...unless you want to deny straight clear meaning scripture. Arguments of when it will occur well...that is another matter. ( 16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. 17After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. 18Therefore encourage one another with these words.…”)

Now if you can point to a time in scripture when this has happened; let the rest of us know. The other issue with your statement is that why should graves be literally opened and the dead in Christ allow to rise first(and is there a time lapse between the 2) if it is merely a change in ‘spiritual perception’. The Mount of Transfiguration was a “perceptual spiritual unveiling” for the disciples but they weren’t “changed” by it. 1 Thessalonians 4 speaks of something completely different all together; perception, physical change and spiritual expansion to being full heirs of salvation in Christ Jesus is what the passage speaks of!

Also 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 speaks of this:”51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

55
“O death, where is your victory?

So deny the Rapture, you deny the word of God!