The WTS has a rather interesting "spin" on this subject. They suceed in perverting the message of Paul at 1 Th 4:13-18 with such dogmatic boldness, that they make him mean the very opposite of what he is actually saying.
Well what IS he saying? He is saying that when '"The Parousia of the Lord" occurs, there will be two "kinds" of believers: those who are dead, and those who are alive. As far as the dead are concerned, they will "rise" - and as for the ones who are alive, they will be "caught up TOGETHER" with those who have risen, and the two groups will then be "always with the Lord"
Does it say anything about those who are living as having to die? No of course not. That in fact is the point of his revelation. "We who are ALIVE will be caught up" To any intelligent reader of Paul's words the meaning is obvious.
But not to those who wrote the "[human] Reasoning on the Scriptures" book. There is an extended discussion on this section of Scripture on pgs 312-317 and they go to almost absurd lengths to [mis]interpret Paul's words. The WTS insists that at this section of the Bible, Paul is NOT discussing the "rapture" but the resurrection. So that, Paul is saying that EVERYONE, at the time of going into heaven, MUST die. [When the point of his discussion is that the do Not have to] As the various members of the "anointed" die, they are instantly conveyed to their heavenly abodes, which is the "rapture" Now since we know that Christ "came" in 1874, this resurrection has been taking place since 1878 [3 and a half years later] OOPS! What AM I saying???
I forgot - Joe Hoover goofed when he gave his revelation to the Wt society. We now know that Jesus came in 1914, so this "first resurrection" has been occurring since 1918. Till that time, those who were dead had to wait. Then in 1918 they were resurrected as a group without any fuss, invisibly, of course.But now when a member of the "anointed" dies, he does not need to wait, instantly he is conveyed, at death, to heaven. So this "rapture" is a process [according to the WTS] which has been unfolding for the past 88 years, and is not an event, which is what Paul describes it as. And the Lord does NOT descend, the dead go up to him instead. One by one, and not "at the same time" the dead "anointed" will be resurrected
Rather than this event being described as a process, Paul clearly says it happens "at the same time" [KIT vs 17] So unless Paul SAID " at the same time" but MEANT the very opposite, ie "at different times, over at least 88 years" There is no possible way the WTS "explanation" can be sustained.
Incidently, WHO "descends" [vs 16]? We have four J versions of the NT: J7, J8, J13, J14, who say it is YHVH.!! The WTS "translates" these same versions at vs15 as "jehovah", but judiciously ignores these same versions in the next verse!!
Cheers