Translation
For we declare this to you in the word of the LORD,
Go to footnote numberthat we the living who remain until the coming of the LORD, shall in no way precede those who have fallen asleep,
Paraphrase
For we make the following declaration to you according to the words of our SUPREME RULER: those of us who are living and remain on earth until the coming of our SUPREME RULER will definitely not go ahead of those who have died (while in good standing with Him.)
Footnotes
1
“in the word of the Lord”: Do Paul’s statements refer to something Jesus said, or to something Paul received from God through a vision or some other direct word? The inclusion of the words “In the word of the Lord” implies that Paul is repeating something Jesus said while He was on earth. That is the most natural reading of the text. I believe this passage is a good reflection of what Jesus said in Matthew 24:30 and Matthew 24:31.
WHERE DID PAUL GET HIS INFORMATION FROM?
The inclusion of the words “in the word of the Lord” tells us that Paul is repeating something Jesus said while He was on earth. That is the most natural reading of the text. I believe this passage is based on what Jesus said in Mt 24:30-31. Paul thought that the part about believers (dead and alive) being gathered to Jesus prior to the judgment of the nations would happen at the same time as everything else and would be within the lifetime of their generation. Some of it was fulfilled in AD 70, but the part about being gathered to Jesus did not seem to occur at that time. Paul and the disciples thought there would be one fulfillment when we now know there is more than one time of fulfillment, separated by a long time (in our eyes).