CAUGHT UP

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                                       CAUGHT UP
         There are several places in the New Testament where  the term
"caught up" is  used.  An  examination of them is enlightening.

     The first one we will look at is 2 Corinthians 12:2 "I  knew a man in
Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the   body, I  cannot  tell; or
whether out of the body, I cannot  tell:  God knoweth;  such  an one caught
up to the third  heaven.   See  end note.

          II  Corinthians  12:4 How that he was  caught  up  into paradise,
 and heard  unspeakable words, which it is  not  lawful for a man to utter. 

      Paul said he didn't know whether he left his body or   not.  One
  thing   he did  know--he was into another  realm  entirely.  Where and what
is "Paradise?'

       My  mind  goes to the conversation which  Jesus  had  with Nicodemus.
 Notice the words, "up" "down" and "in" as Jesus  used them.   John 3:13 And
no man hath ascended up to heaven,  but  he that  came  down from heaven,
[even] the Son of man which  is  in heaven. 

      Where, exactly, was Jesus while He was conversing with Nicodemus?

    Another Scripture that is our favorite is   I 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:  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. 

       I have some questions about whether we have been given the correct
interpretation of this verse.  
            (1) Is the "shout  and the voice of the Archangel" supposed to be
something  audible, or  is it figurative language, as so much of the
Scripture is?  
            (2) Just  what   does   the "trump of God"  consist  of, and
  will  it  be audible to the human ear?

    The third question concerns the phrase "caught up".  Does  it actually
mean leaving  terra firma, or is there a hidden  meaning to this also?

     Next  come  questions about what we have been  taught  about "clouds".
  Does the term mean those things we see in  our  skies almost  every  day?
 Maybe not, when we look at  all  the  places where the term is used in
Scripture.

    My  question about the term "air" just won't go away  and  be quiet.   I
 am  fairly sure  that it is not  talking  about   the  stuff we  breathe.
 The ONLY other Biblical definition I can find is  in  Eph 2:2  "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:   This creates more questions than it answers.

    Here  are  a couple more Scriptures for us to look  at  along this line
of thinking.

     Revelation  11:12  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. 

     Revelation  12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who  was to rule all
nations with a rod of iron: and her child was  caught up unto God, and [to]
his throne.

            End Note:  Paul' use of the term "third heaven" is referring to
 Peter's  definition of the "former", which  perished  in  the flood,  that
 which  now is, and the one we "look  for",  or  the "third" heaven, wherein
dwelleth righteousness.