WHERE DID ALL THE CHRISTIANS GO?

1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-18 ACCORDING TO MY UNDERSTANDING

[13] But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have died, nor that you grieve for them as do others who have no hope.  [14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, those who have died believing in Jesus, will God bring with Him when He returns.  [15] For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not precede our brethren who have died.  [16] For the Lord will 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:  [17] Then, we who are alive at that time will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:  and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  [18] Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

"Caught up" - The Greek word translated "caught up," is ἁρπάζω (harpazō), which means:  "to seize, carry off by force; to seize on, claim for one's self eagerly; to snatch out or away"  It appears 13 times in the King James Version of the New Testament.  It is translated "to catch up" 4X; "to take by force: 3X; "to catch away" 2X; "to pluck" 2X; "to catch" 1X; "to pull" 1X.  Those verses are as follows:

Matthew 11:12 - "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."

Matthew 13:19 - "When any one heareth the Word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side."

John 6:15 - "When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force, to make Him a king, He departed again into a mountain Himself alone." 

John 10:12 - "But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth:  and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep."

John 10:28-29 - "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.  My Father, Who gave them to Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."

Acts 8:39 - "And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more:  and he went on his way rejoicing." 

Acts 23:10 - "And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle."

2 Corinthians 12:2, 4 - "I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth; such an one was caught up to the third heaven....How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter."

Jude 1:23 - " And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." 

Revelation 12:5 - "And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to His throne."

JOHN 14:1-3:  A PARALLEL PASSAGE TO 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-18

[1] Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.  [2] In My Father's house are many mansions:  if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I AM, there ye may be also."

THE "CATCHING AWAY" IS KNOWN AS THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH!

ALL WHO ARE TRUSTING IN THE LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST,

WILL SOON, VERY SOON, BE "CAUGHT UP" TO BE WITH HIM FOREVER!