The word "RAPTURE" is not a bible word, but comes from the Latin word "Rapto", to seize by force. A word doesn't have to be in the bible to be a doctrinal occurrence or a doctrine. Trinity isn't in the bible either, however it is a true doctrine, see my rebuttal of "Apostolic Pentecostalism"!

1 Thess. 4:13-18 is the passage on the Rapture for the Christian in this age now! We'll go verse by verse with my comments below in BOLD.

Verse 13. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
asleep:1 Thes 5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Acts 7:59,60 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

The above verses shows that it's the body that sleeps!

Soul leaves the body at death:
Gen 35:18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.

Rachel's body was buried later:
Gen 35:19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.

When a saved person in this age dies, his spirit and soul goes to be with the Lord:
Phil 1:21-23 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
2 Cor 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
2 Cor 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Definition of death:
James 2:26 For asthe body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Now look at 1 Thess 4:14:
1 Thes 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
NOTICE IT DIDN'T SAY BAPTISM, LIVE A GOOD LIFE, TAKE THE SACRAMENTS, ETC. IT SAID BELIEVE THE GOSPEL, 1 COR. 15:1-4.
Those which sleep in Jesus are the spirit and souls of the saved, look at 5:10:
1 Thes 5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
WAKE: Those that are alive. We are sitting with Him in Heavenly places right now:
Eph 2:1-3 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:5,6 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
OUR BORN AGAIN SPIRIT IS CONNECTED TO THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO LIVES IN US, WHO IS CONNECTED TO THE TRINITY, WHICH IS IN HEAVEN NOW.

Back to 1Thess 5:10 WHETHER WE WAKE OR SLEEP: The word "SLEEP" is saved people that has died. When we die we go to Heaven, because the Holy Spirit dwells in us.
1 Cor 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
2 Cor 5:6-8 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
LOOK AT 1THES 4:14 AGAIN * even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. WHEN JESUS COMES IN THE RAPTURE TO GET "we who are alive and remain"
1 Thes 4:15 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.
NOTE: "prevent" This means "pre - event" go ahead of. We which are alive will not rise before the dead Christians rise to meet their soul and spirit and get a glorified body.
1 Thes 4:16 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:
JESUS DESCENDS WITH A SHOUT: The shout will probably be "COME UP HITHER" this phrase is in the Bible 3 times.
1. Prov 25:7 For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.
This ref. probably typifies the "post trib. rapture."
COMPARE Rev. 14:14,17 to Matt 24:30,31
Rev 14:14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
Rev 14:17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
Matt 24:30,31 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
2. This next ref. is a MID-TRIBULATION Rapture:
Rev 11:10-12 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. 11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
3. THIS THIRD REF. IS THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.
Rev 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
NOTE: We are in the Laodicean period now.

BACK TO OUR TEXT 1 THESS.4:17
1 Thes 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall 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.
THE SAINTS BODIES IN THE GRAVE WILL COME UP AND JOIN THEIR SPIRIT AND SOUL AND BECOME A GLORIFIED BODY, WE WHO ARE ALIVE WILL RISE TO MEET THE LORD AND BE CHANGED INTO A GLORIFIED BODY JUST LIKE JESUS CHRIST.
1 Thes 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
THE GREATEST COMFORT IS THAT WE WILL GET A NEW BODY THAT CAN NEVER DIE.
How will we go up?
Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you
.
What will our new body be like?
Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
COMPARE THIS VS. TO PHIL. 3:20,21
Phil 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Phil 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all
things unto himself.
1 Cor 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
1 Cor 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

COMPARE THIS VS TO GEN. 2:21-24 TO LK. 24:39
Gen 2:21-24 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

COMPARED TO LK 24:39
Luke 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

LETS GO THROUGH THE VERSES AGAIN
1 Thes 4:13-18 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, (DEAD CHRISTIAN'S SPIRIT AND SOUL UP IN HEAVEN) that ye sorrow not, even as others (LOST PEOPLE ON EARTH) which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus (DEAD CHRISTIAN'S SPIRIT AND SOUL) will God bring with him. 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 (CHRISTIANS ALIVE HERE ON THE EARTH) shall not prevent (PRE-EVENT) them which are
asleep. (THE SPIRIT AND SOUL OF CHRISTIANS COMING FOR THEIR BODIES) 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, (COME UP HITHER TOMMY) with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (THE BODIES WITH
THE SPIRIT AND SOUL THAT HAVE COME TOGETHER AND HAVE CHANGED INTO A CLORIFIED BODY) 17 Then we which are alive and remain (WITH OUR GLORIFIED BODY) shall 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.

TYPES IN THE RAPTURE:

1. CHRIST'S BODY, THE CHURCH, BEARS THE SAME RELATIONSHIP A WIFE BEARS TO HER HUSBAND. Eph. 5:23,24,25,29,30,31,32 SO THE FIRST MARRIAGE, MR. AND MRS. ADAM, IS A TYPE OF CHRIST AND THE CHURCH.

a. ADAM GOT HIS BRIDE BY GOING INTO A DEEP SLEEP OR DEATH; JESUS CHRIST DIED AND ROSE AGAIN OT GET THE CHURCH
b. ADAM'S BRIDE WAS TAKEN FROM BELOW HIS HEART; JESUS CHRIST WAS PIERCED WITH A SPEAR BELOW THE 5th. RIB.
c. EPH. 5:30 We are bone of Christ bone and flesh of His flesh; ADAM'S WIFE WAS BONE OF HIS BONE AND FLESH OF HIS FLESH.
d. ADAM'S WIFE WAS OBTAINED BY SHEDDING OF BLOOD; JESUS CHRIST'S BODY, THE CHURCH WAS OBTAINED BY SHEDDING OF BLOOD Col. 1:14

HOW WILL WE GO UP IN THE RAPTURE?
Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
THE POWER THAT RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD IS IN YOU, SO ALL GOD HAS TO DO IS PUT THAT POWER INTO PLAY AND WE ARE GOING UP.
Eph 1:18-20 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, THAT POWER IS IN US NOW!