I Thessalonians 4:13-18 speaks of Christ’s return and taking His saints with Him. The express purpose of Paul in this section is to encourage the Thessalonians (v. 18) in particular regarding those who are asleep (v. 13), that is the dead in body. What stands out most to me is that whether you have died or not when Christ returns you will join Him so long as you are the Lord’s.
We often use the term rapture to define the event of Christ bringing His people with Him. The following is how I find this passage, in isolation, to describe the rapture. Christ will descend from heaven clearly. He comes with the voice of an archangel and the trumpet of God. These are both loud sounds. Also trumpets signify a public announcement often of the coming of a king or army. So the description is one of a public return.
Chronologically what is clear is that the dead in Christ rise first. I understand this to mean that the dead in Christ rise before those who are living are caught up with Christ. I also think this is what Paul means in verse 15 when he says that the living will by no means precede those who are asleep. Verse 17 also indicates that the living will be caught up to join those who were asleep who rose first. The passage indicates that as Christ descends so we ascend to Him (God of course is the one causing us to ascend) and meet in the air. And so it is that both the living and the dead will always be with the Lord.
One additional thought that I have, but wish to hold very loosely is that these event seem to occur in an immediate sequence. So Christ comes and immediately the dead rise then immediately the living join Him in heaven, and then we all are with Him forever immediately. I understand that some views of eschatology differ at this point. Though I find this passage to indicate immediate succession I don’t think the verses make any outright chronological claims other than the one I mentioned above.
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David V