It's amazing to me that people still believe the pre-trib Rapture nonsense, when the bible so plainly teaches us otherwise.
Right here in the "Rapture" scripture is the truth that Paul is describing
the coming of the Lord.
He has come once already and died on the cross.
so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. Hebrews 9:28
This coming of the Lord described in 1 Thessalonians 4 is
the second coming, also known as the Day of the Lord.
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive
and remain
until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 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. 17 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. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2
For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:2
The Day of the Lord is the second coming of Jesus Christ, in which He gathers His people together at the resurrection/rapture and destroys the antichrist.
Paul clarifies this to these Thessalonians who thought, like so many today that the Day of the Lord or Day of Jesus Christ could somehow come without them knowing.
Now, brethren, concerning
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for
that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains
will do so until He is taken out of the way.8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth
and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8
This "Parousia", Coming of the Lord is where the Church is gathered [resurrected/raptured] and the antichrist is destroyed by the brightness of His coming.
The antichrist comes first and is revealed in the temple and continues for 3 1/2 years, and is destroyed by the brightness of His
coming, when Jesus returns on
the last Day to gather [resurrection/rapture] His people and destroy remove and destroy the wicked on the Day of the Lord.
JLB