The “rapture” symbolically describes what will happen at the end of the age when the living saints receive their glorified bodies. The “rapture” is described in the following passage.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thess. 4:16-17)
The same events are described in another passage in 1 Corinthians.
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Cor. 15:51-52)
We know these two passages are speaking of the same thing because they both speak about the resurrection of the saints.
According to these two passages, when the dead saints are resurrected, the living saints will be “changed” or “caught up in the air.” At this time, the saints on the earth won’t die but will be physically transformed as their mortal bodies become immortal.
Being “changed” and being “caught up in the air” refer to the same thing. They refer to putting on a glorified body.
By describing receiving a glorified body as being “caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air,” God is explaining a spiritual mystery using symbols.
Meaning of “Caught Up”
When the living saints receive their glorified bodies, they will be “caught up.” This does not mean that they will be physically caught up into the atmosphere . Instead, it means that when they receive their glorified bodies, they will be empowered spiritually.
There are a couple of examples of people who were “caught up” in the New Testament.
Paul was “caught up to the third heaven” where he had a powerful revelation of God (2 Cor. 12:2-4).
John was caught up in the Spirit to heaven (even though his body was on the earth) where he received communications from God (Rev. 4:1).
To be “caught up” refers to being empowered spiritually so that the spiritual realm becomes more real to a person than the material realm. When someone is caught up in the spirit, God and eternal things become more apparent than the material things of the earth. When this happens, people can see God or angels, receive communications from heaven, and experience the miraculous.
When the saints receive their glorified bodies, they will be spiritually caught up to heaven. They will see and experience God like never before, and the entire spiritual realm will become very real to them.
Meaning of “Clouds”
When the living saints receive their glorified bodies, they will be ” caught up in the clouds.” This does not mean that they will be floating around in the upper atmosphere in cumulus clouds. Instead, it means that they will receive their glorified bodies at the same time the dead saints are resurrected, and they will all be glorified together.
In the New Testament, clouds symbolically refer to dead saints. In Hebrews 12:1 for example, it says we are “surrounded with a great cloud of witnesses.” This cloud is the dead saints who are witnessing us as we run our race for God on the earth. This cloud surrounds the throne of God in heaven.
The book of Revelation says that Jesus will return to the earth with clouds (Rev. 1:7). This means that Jesus will come back with the dead saints. When he returns, the dead saints will be resurrected. These dead saints are the armies in heaven who follow Jesus on white horses. (These horses are also symbolic, by the way.)
The dead saints will be resurrected when Jesus comes back to the earth. We will receive our glorified bodies along with them and be united with them, and then we will be together in our glorified bodies.
Meaning of “The Air”
When the living saints receive their glorified bodies, they will be “caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” “The air” does not refer the air we breathe, nor does it refer to the upper atmosphere where the clouds are. Instead, it refers to the spiritual realm.
In the New Testament, the air refers symbolically to the spiritual realm that dominates the earth. Satan is called the “prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2). This doesn’t mean that Satan is controlling the air that we breathe, but it means that he has vast power over the world and its affairs. Through evil spiritual power, Satan influences the world and the people of the world.
When the saints are “caught up in the air,” they will come into a place of spiritual power and authority over the earth. Satan will no longer be the prince of the power of the air. Instead, the people of God will be in this position, ruling the world with and on behalf of Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
At the end of the age, Jesus Christ will return to the world, the dead saints will be resurrected, and the living saints will be transformed and put on their glorified bodies. This is what is referred to as being caught up in the clouds in the air. This symbolic statement reveals some specific things that will happen to God’s people who are alive on the earth at this time. They will be empowered spiritually to dominate the spiritual realm along with Christ, at the same time that the dead saints are resurrected.
Bethel Cornerstone 