Dispensational Hermeneutic
“Consistently literal or plain interpretation is indicative of a dispensational approach to the interpretation of the Scriptures,” declared Charles Ryrie in 1965.
This statement by Charles Ryrie, prefaces an article by Thomas Ice, succinctly states the "Dispensational Hermeneutic". He(Thomas Ice) goes on in further explanation, quoting an article by Bernard Ramm,
This is sometimes called the principle of grammatical-historical
interpretation since the meaning of each word is determined by
grammatical and historical considerations. The principle might also be
called normal interpretation since the literal meaning of words is the
normal approach to their understanding in all languages. It might also
be designated plain interpretation so that no one receives the
mistaken notion that the literal principle rules out figures of
speech. Symbols, figures of speech and types are all interpreted
plainly in this method and they are in no way contrary to literal
interpretation. After all, the very existence of any meaning for a
figure of speech depends on the reality of the literal meaning of the
terms involved. Figures often make the meaning plainer, but it is the
literal, normal, or plain meaning that they convey to the reader.
The Parousia
Τοῦτο γὰρ ὑμῖν λέγομεν ἐν λόγῳ κυρίου ὅτι ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες οἱ
περιλειπόμενοι εἰς τὴν παρουσίαν τοῦ κυρίου οὐ μὴ φθάσωμεν τοὺς
κοιμηθέντας·(1 Thess. 4:15-Textus Receptus Stephanus 1550)
The "παρουσίαν τοῦ Κυρίου"(coming of the Lord) or "parousia" has been a point of contention between Futurists and Dispensationalists. Both use a "grammatical/historical hermeneutic", but Futurists, such as George Eldon Ladd, see it as "one event", whereas Dispensationalists, such as John Walvoord, see it as "separate, distinct occasions" where
"At the time of the translation of the church, all believers go to the
Father’s house in Heaven (John 14:3), and do not immediately return to
earth after meeting Christ in the air as post-tribulationalists
teach."(source here)
The reason for the disparity between the 2 views is the "Great Tribulation", whereas John Walvoord, Dwight Pentecost, Charles Ryrie, Thomas Ice, and other Dispensationalists call the "catching away" of the church the "Blessed Hope".
ἔπειτα ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες οἱ περιλειπόμενοι ἅμα σὺν αὐτοῖς ἁρπαγησόμεθα
ἐν νεφέλαις εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ κυρίου εἰς ἀέρα· καὶ οὕτως πάντοτε σὺν
κυρίῳ ἐσόμεθα(1 Thess. 4:17-TR Stephanus 1550)
"Then we the living remaining, together with them, will be caught away in (the) clouds for (the) meeting of the Lord in (the) air, and so always with (the) Lord we will be."(Interlinear translation)
"ἁρπαγησόμεθα"(harpazo, (catching away)) indicates the sudden, snatching away that comes from the Greek word ἁρπάζω a future passive indicative first person plural which is often used for a command, a Cohortative Indicative verb. This, in the view of John Walvoord and other Dispensationalists describes a separate, distinct action, and one that must be distinquished from the "Return of the Lord" which Dispensationalists and Futurists both agree as the Millenial Reign of Christ on earth.
Millenial Reign vs New Jerusalem
In John 14:3, the bridegroom, Jesus, prepares a place for His bride,
the Church, so that she “may be where He is.”(John Walvoord-ibid)
In this view, the church is "harpazo" away from what will befall the earth in the last days, and will enjoy the "Marriage Feast of the Lamb". Also, the church "consummates" her marriage with the groom, who will then return in His Second Advent, restoring Israel to her proper covenant relationship with Himself. This means the third Temple accounts of Ezekiel can be fulfilled and all the OT prophecies concerning the reign of the "Son of David" will be fulfilled before the Final Judgement. Israel in this view will reign over the earth, but the church, caught up in Heaven, having attained the 1st resurrection, will await in the Heavenly Jerusalem, where both John Walvoord and Dwight Pentecost state:
(1) the heavenly Jerusalem is the eternal habitation of all
resurrected and translated saints; (2) the heavenly Jerusalem is in
existence in the millennium; (3) the Scriptures teach that there is
some participation of these resurrected saints in the government of
the millennium; (4) objections to comingling or resurrected with
nonresurrected beings is unjustified.(From Doctrine of the Millenium-John Walvoord-taken from here)
This allows for the interaction of the saints during the Millenial Reign, who have "resurrected bodies", as opposed to the unresurrected ones of those who 'survived' the Tribulation and are on the earth to meet the Lord in His 2nd Advent-the Millenial Reign. They will also face "Gog and Magog", the final battle which will determine their future destiny in the New Jerusalem.
Futurist/Post-trib View
George Eldon Ladd says,
"The Blessed Hope is not deliverance from tribulation; it is not even
the Rapture itself; it is the epiphany, the outshining of the glory of
our great God and Savior. If this verse is any guide, the Blessed Hope
is not a secret coming of Christ; it is not the resurrection of the
dead; it is not the transformation of the living; it is not the
catching up of the Church; the Blessed Hope is the glorious epiphany
of Our Lord Himself, which occurs at the end of the Great Tribulation."(ibid)
In this view, ALL the saints on earth at the time will participate in the "Great Tribulation" and the Parousia/Millenial Reign will be 1 event. Therefore, unlike the Dispensational view the fulfillment of Rev. 20:6 and 1 Cor. 15:52 occur simultaneously. This is because, as Robert Gundry point out,
"Other things being equal, the word “descend” (καταβαίνω) indicates a
complete, uninterrupted descent, like that of the Spirit of Christ’s
baptism (Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32, 33) and that of
Christ in His first advent (John 3:13; 6:33, 38, 41, 42, 50, 51, 58.)
Where a reversal from downward to upward motion comes into view, a
specific statement to that effect appears, as in Acts 10:11, 16 (“a
certain object coming down, … and immediately the object was taken up
into the sky.”) In the absence of a statement indicating a halt or
sudden reversal of direction, we naturally infer a complete descent to
the earth, such as will take place only at the post-tribulational
advent."(ibid)
In regards to the issue of "ἀπάντησιν τοῦ κυρίου εἰς ἀέρα" (meeting of the Lord in the air), in the view of the author of this paper, it is evident that
The word ἀπάντησις has exactly the same meaning here that it has in
the other two New Testament references, particularly in Matthew 25:6.
Nothing in the comparative study of the word suggests a withdrawal of
believers to some other place, as the pre-tribulational view seems to
require."(ibid)
Summary
To answer the OP's question, the Dispensational view requires a separate "Parousia" from the Millenial Reign, the interim being "The Great Tribulation". Rev. 20:6 is reconciled with 1 Cor. 15:52 by allowing for resurrected and unresurrected individuals being on earth at the same time; albeit those that are 'resurrected' escape the 2nd death(judgment), whereas the unresurrected must face the "Gog and Magog" battle which will determine their final destiny.
The Futurist viewpoint 'sees' no contradiction; those that "meet the Lord in the air(Parousia), are with Him during the Millenial Reign, and consequently part of the New Jerusalem-having already been "resurrected".
Notes:
Quotes from George Eldon Ladd are taken from: Ladd, George Eldon. The Blessed Hope. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956.
Except where otherwise indicated, Walvoord, John F. The Rapture Question. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Pub. House, 1979.
Quotes from Robert Gundry are taken from: Gundry, Robert Horton. The Church and the Tribulation. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 1973
