Joseph Plevnik, «1 Thessalonians 4,17: The Bringing in of the Lord or the Bringing in of the Faithful?», Vol. 80 (1999) 537-546

The image of bringing in, which, in dependence on Hellenistic parousia depictions, denotes the bringing in of the Lord at his coming, does not fit the imagery and the theology of Paul in 1 Thess 4,13-18. Hellenistic parousias depict the citizens making the royal visitor welcome in their city, whereas 1 Thess 4,13-18 depicts the effect of the Lord’s coming on them. The faithful are raised; the faithful are taken up. 1 Thess 4,13-18 really depicts the bringing in of the faithful, not of the Lord. The implication is that they do not return to the earth, but stay with the Lord forever.

        In Hellenistic Parousias, only persons of high standing, emperors or kings or their high representatives, were in this fashion brought into the city. It was a strictly regulated ceremonial event: people, lined up according to rank and occupation, processed out of their city toward the approaching visitors and his retinue, greeted him, and then solemnly led him into their city. It was customary for the people to wear on that occasion white robes and garlands. In addition, the whole city was decorated for the event and festivities were scheduled: incense was burned, sweet-smelling oil was poured, the temple was open, and an offering was made to the gods. At his coming, the ruler would show himself magnanimous and bestow upon the citizens certain privileges and liberties. The city would long after remember this magnificent and splendid event and look on it as the beginning of a new epoch³¹. According to Peterson, since both Paul and his audience in Thessalonica were familiar with this ceremony, they naturally imagined the parousia of Christ to be like this. When Christ the ruler will come from heaven and approach their "civitas terrena", the faithful will go up on the clouds to meet him in the air and bring him joyfully into their earthly "city"³².

        The focus of Peterson’s depiction is more on the faithful than on the Lord coming down from heaven. It is the faithful who are active, in congruence with Hellenistic parousias. They seize the initiative and go forth to meet the Lord. This, however, causes problems with the passive voice of a(rpa/zw, which Paul employs here. a(rpaghso/meqa means "we shall be taken up". It is also doubtful that the faithful in Thessalonica regarded going up from the earth to be like going out of the city. In addition, it poorly agrees with 1 Thess 4,14, which states that God will through Jesus bring the deceased faithful with him (into his presence).