We Will be Resurrected...but When?

The Rapture, the "dead in Christ," and the timing of bodily resurrection

One question I’ve been asked several times recently is about the order of the resurrection of bodies at the time of the Rapture.

According to 1 Thessalonians 4, when the Rapture takes place, two separate things will happen:

1. Those who “have fallen asleep”—who have died as believers—will have their bodies resurrected. As 1 Thessalonians 4:16 says, “the dead in Christ will rise first.” Their bodies will rejoin their eternal souls in the presence of Christ.

2. Those who are still living at the moment of Rapture will be caught up “together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). This includes their bodies and souls at the same time.

But there is some difference of opinion and interpretation over what, exactly, Paul means when he refers to the “dead in Christ.” For instance, does this include the Old Testament believers who died before Jesus? If so, then when will Tribulation saints be resurrected?