© SeventhDayChurchOfGOD.NET 2021

15 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 them which are asleep. 16 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:

15 (Expositor’s) [David’s Notes]For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord (presents the Doctrine of the Rapture of the Church as the “Word of the Lord”), that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord (all Believers who are alive at the Rapture) shall not prevent them which are asleep. (This refers to the fact that the living Saints will not precede or go before the dead Saints.) [The dead in Christ are currently with Christ in Heaven. But they do not yet have eternal bodies.]

16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout (refers to “the same Jesus” which the Angels proclaimed in Acts 1:11), with the voice of the Archangel (refers to Michael, the only one referred to as such [Jude, Vs. 9]), and with the Trump of God (doesn’t exactly say God will personally blow this Trumpet, but that it definitely does belong to Him, whoever does signal the blast): and the dead in Christ shall rise first (the criteria for being ready for the Rapture is to be “in Christ,” which means that all who are truly Born-Again will definitely go in the Rapture):

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up (Raptured) together with them (the Resurrected dead) in the clouds (clouds of Saints, not clouds as we normally think of such), to meet the Lord in the air (the Greek word for “air” is “aer,” and refers to the lower atmosphere, or from about 6,000 feet down; so, the Lord will come at least within 6,000 feet of the Earth, perhaps even lower, with all the Saints meeting Him there; but He, at that time, will not come all the way to the Earth, that awaiting the Second Coming, which will be seven [days] or more years later): and so shall we ever be with the Lord. [Rev 19 shows the Saints in Heaven at The Wedding Feast ot The Lamb] (This presents the greatest meeting humanity will have ever known.)Jimmy Swaggart, The Expositor’s Study Bible

5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. [The Feast Days were commonly lived out by Paul in all The Churches he attended.]

2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. [Believers should know the Holy Day Plan and The Seasons of God. Yet the delay has been nearly 2,000 years and The Church has neglected God’s Plan and Calendar. The Roman Church officially changed ‘times and laws’ under Pope Justinian in the 630's AD.]