What does it mean that we will meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17)?

Notice also that we are going to meet the Lord. The word used here only occurs thrice elsewhere in the New Testament, viz., in Matthew 25:1 and 6, and Acts 28:15. In each case it has the meaning of "going forth and returning with." When the brethren from Rome "met" Paul that was exactly what happened. They went forth as far as Appii Forum and having met him they joined his company and returned with him to Rome. Just so shall we all meet our Lord in the air. Joining His company — never to part from Him — we shall subsequently return with Him when He is manifested to the world in His glory.

They will be caught right up into the Father's house, of course. John 14 assures us of that, but the Lord will come forth to meet them to conduct them into that place that He has prepared for them. His coming forth to meet them shows the love He has for them, and the honour that He puts upon them. As a king goes forth to meet his royal bride when the news reaches him that she has left her own land for his, so will the Lord come forth to meet His bride.

But that He should meet her in the air is full of significance. The air is the seat of Satan's power; he is the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2). It is from the air — the heavenlies — that the principalities and powers and rulers of the darkness of this world and the spiritual wickedness operate (Eph. 6:12), and it is there that the Lord will meet His own. Suppose a great king at war with another were to send a message to his army in a distant field of operations, saying that he would meet them in the capital of the enemy's country. Well, we should say, he will need to crush the enemy's power before he can do that, and if he does it, it will be the most conclusive evidence of his complete victory. It is just so in this matter. The enemy is a defeated foe; the power of the devil has been annulled. Would he not, were he able, prevent the Lord from receiving His own into glory? He certainly would; but it is in the very capital of his dark dominion, in the region from which he now operates against the church, and holds men in darkness, that the Lord will meet His saints, and they, sharing His triumph and joy, will pass through the air and into the Father's house to be for ever with the Lord.

There was another revelation made through Paul to the Thessalonian saints, who were in difficulty because they saw some of those, whom they knew to be saints, had died to all outward appearance like sinners, so that they could not understand where the difference was. The thought of the Lord's return was so fresh, so fervent, and so real in the hearts of these Thessalonians, that they evidently thought that not one of them would die, but that they would all be alive and caught up when Christ came. They were constantly looking for the Lord to return from heaven; but some of their brethren died, so that they were very sorrowful and unhappy. But the Lord directed the apostle to write to them about it. He states in the fourth chapter of the first epistle, commencing at the fifteenth verse, "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord;" observe, by the word of the Lord, thus showing that there had been an especial word given him by the Lord, to meet the trouble of mind in which they then were. How blessed is this! "For 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 [anticipate, or go before] them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air." You see the apostle shows them that those who had slept in Jesus, and had been carried to their graves shall not be behind when the Lord comes, but that they will be raised first; that is, they will come out of their graves first; then the living saints will be changed; and then we shall all be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. The air will be the meeting-place of Christ and His saints; and then we shall be for ever with the Lord." So that you see we get, from these revelations to the Corinthian and Thessalonian saints, clear instruction as to what will take place when the Lord Jesus Christ descends personally into the air. Let us not forget that "He shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven," and that then we shall be changed and caught up. For instance; suppose the blessed Lord should come whilst we are in this room, what would take place? Why, every one of us who are in Christ, and all saints around us in this large town, and all that are Christ's everywhere, living or dead, throughout the world, would be immediately changed, "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." This mortal body would instantly put on immortality. Christ's coming into the air would be like a mighty magnet. You have seen a powerful magnet, which when put within a certain distance, attracts small particles of metal to itself from all directions: just so the blessed Lord coming into the air will be like a magnet; for the dead in Christ shall come up out of their graves, and the living saints shall be changed, and all be caught up to meet the Lord.

"Caught up." I feel there is something there connected with the Lord Himself. That is, He is coming forth habited in the glory of resurrection, and just in the way most fitted to display His own power. The bodies dead in the grave are all gleaned up in a moment — expression of the virtue He applies. There is no power in us to mount up. We are caught up in a moment, to meet the Lord in the air. He fills us up with life.

When He descends from heaven with the shout and the dead in Christ are raised and we are changed, then "we shall be caught up together with them in clouds to meet the Lord in the air." It will be the blessed time of reunion with the loved ones who have gone before. What joy and comfort it must have brought to the sorrowing Thessalonians when they read these blessed words for the first time! And they are still the words of comfort and hope to all His people, when they stand at the open graves of loved ones who fell asleep as believers.

Often the question is asked, "Shall we not alone meet our loved ones but also recognize them?" Here is the answer: "Together with them" implies both reunion and recognition. These words would indeed mean nothing did they not mean recognition. We shall surely see the faces of our loved ones again and all the saints of God on that blessed day when this great event takes place. The clouds will be heaven's chariots to take the heirs of God and the joint-heirs of the Lord Jesus Christ into His own presence. As He ascended so His redeemed ones will be taken up. Caught up in clouds to meet the Lord in the air; all laws Of gravitation are set aside, for it is the power of God, the same power which raised up the Lord Jesus from the dead and seated Him in glory, which will be displayed in behalf of His saints (Eph. 1:19-23). Surely this is a divine revelation.

How wonderful this is, the Lord is coming again soon, dear brethren. "And the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds" - this does not mean physical clouds, it means clouds of saints, it is a morning without clouds, the word "the" is not there in the Greek. Is that not wonderful? There are going to be clouds, myriads, thousands, millions of saints at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We will be caught up in clouds of saints "to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord".

Let me just direct the attention of my readers to one expression in this blessed portion. The English translation has "in the clouds," which is not exact. The Greek text says "in clouds," (not "into the," nor "in the.") It means that the very clouds which at our Lord's public appearance will be the symbols of judgment*, will, at His coming for His saints, be only like chariots — the means of conveying them up to Him. "A cloud" (like a chariot) "received him out of their sight" (Acts, 1:9; Comp. Rev. 11:12.) It will be the same with His saints. Sweet and blessed thought!

"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air." In perfect unison thus all the saints shall meet Him. Wonderful joy indeed! In those very clouds that have once obscured heaven from earth we shall meet Hirn, and in the atmosphere above the earth's level. Let the world argue about the physical impossibility of this great prospect. We shail experience it while they weary their minds and tongues with idle speculations and unbelieving questions. "So shall we ever be with the Lord." This is clear enough that our portion is eternally heavenly - in the Father's house, with the Lord, where He is, not to leave His presence again to return to live on earth, as some have imagined. Certainly there will be an earthly people but those who have been taken by our Lord to heaven, the Father's house, will have this as their permanent abode.

At the Rapture the Lord descends from heaven only to the air. He comes to take all His own to heaven, from murdered Abel (the first believer to die) till the last person saved of the "Church" (1 Thess. 4:15; Heb. 11:40).

This is to be accomplished by the Lord's sudden descent from heaven, not in judgement, not to appear to the world, but simply and only for believers, the dead in Christ rising first, then both they and the living being caught up together in clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. This is the rapture, which is a prospect to fill the heart with comfort.