Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Thessalonians 4:17

"then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." — 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (ASV)

Shall be caught up.—“Our Assumption,” as Bishop Ellicott well calls it. The spiritualizing of our natural bodies without death, as described in 1 Corinthians 15:50 and following, will enable us to be “caught up” equally well with, and in company with (both of which thoughts are included in “together with”), the resurgent dead. “Clouds” and “air” will be support enough for material so immaterial. Theodoret says, “He shows the greatness of the honor: as the Master Himself was taken up upon a shining cloud, so also those who have believed in Him.” The absolute equality, then, of quick and dead is proved.

To meet the Lord in the air.—St. Chrysostom says: “When the King comes into a city, those who are honorable proceed to meet him, but the guilty await their judge within.” The phrase “in the air” certainly does not mean “heaven.” The word air in itself properly signifies the lower, denser, grosser atmosphere, in which the powers of darkness reign (Ephesians 2:2); but here it is only used in contrast with the ground, and means “on the way from Heaven from where He comes,” of course not to dwell there, but to accompany Him to His Judgment-seat on the earth.

And so.—Now that St. Paul has settled the question of disparity between the dead and the living, he does not think it necessary to describe what is immediately to follow; that, the Thessalonians were sure to know : it only remains to say that having once rejoined the Lord, they would never be parted from Him.