Which eschatological event is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18?

• A. The destruction of the temple and the dispersion of Israel.
• B. The final judgment with no rapture.
• C. The coming of the Lord and the rapture; the dead in Christ will rise, and we who are alive will be caught up.
• D. The establishment of the eternal kingdom on earth.

Answer: (C)

The coming of the Lord and the rapture described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 is the key idea. In this passage, Paul reassures believers that those who have died in Christ will be raised, and those who are alive will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. The sequence is clear: the Lord will descend with a shout, the trumpet of God sounds, the dead in Christ rise first, and then we who are alive will be transformed and caught up to meet the Lord, so we will always be with Him. This text focuses on the hopeful gathering of believers at Christ’s return, not on events like temple destruction, a final judgment without a rapture, or an earthly kingdom established at that moment. The image of meeting the Lord in the air emphasizes a divine gathering and the certainty that believers will be with Him forever.