DavidT
Member
God's Word declares that Lord Jesus will return upon a cloud (Rev.1:7; Matt.24:29-31; 1 Thess.4:17; Matt.26:64; Mark 14:62; Luke 21:27; Acts 1:9-12; Rev.14:14).
Acts 1:9-12 is especially important about how Jesus returns in the future, because the angels said there that Jesus will return in "like manner" that He ascended to Heaven. And that Scripture points to that ascension having happened upon the Mount of Olives with His disciples there with Him and seeing Him go up on a cloud. That Scripture is very important simply because it links with the Zechariah 14 Scripture which reveals Jesus will return to that very Mount of Olives spot on earth, His feet touching down there upon the earth, and bringing all His saints with Him there.
Jesus Christ also linked the "day of the Lord" being the 'day' of His future return, which of course we cannot know which specific day or hour that will be.
In Revelation 16:15, on the 6th Vial timing, Lord Jesus said He comes "as a thief", and that Blessed are those who 'watch', and keep their garments. He is warning His Church about that timing.
That "as a thief" metaphor is the same idea that Apostles Paul and Peter used of the final day of this present world. In 1 Thess.5, Paul showed that is the day when the "sudden destruction" will come upon the deceived that will be saying, "Peace and safety", their having been deceived by the coming false-Messiah for the time of "great tribulation". In 2 Peter 3:10, Apostle Peter showed on that 'day' that God's consuming fire will burn man's works off this earth. Both examples point to the future literal 'end' of this present world time, and the start of Christ's future "thousand years" reign over all nations, with his 'resurrected' and gathered elect, per Rev.20.
1 Thessalonians 4 by Apostle Paul reveals at Jesus' coming, also on that "day of the Lord", He will resurrect the saints that have died first, and bring them with Him from heaven when He comes (1 Thess.4:13-16). Then those of us still alive on earth, will be "caught up" to Him, and them in the clouds, to meet The LORD in the 'air'.
These events will happen very quickly on that "day of the Lord". Some add an idea that Christ gathers His saints that are still alive from the earth prior... to God's consuming fire burning man's works off this earth. That's not really written though.
The Daniel 3 example of the hot fiery furnace, heated seven times hotter than necessary, is an example about the day of Christ's future coming to gather us, and God's consuming fire event that will also happen at that moment. Shadrach, Meshech, and Abed-nigo were cast into that hot fiery furnace of Daniel 3, and king Nebuchadnezzar saw a 4th Man in that furnace with them, with the likeness of The Son of God (Jesus). When they came out of that furnace, their clothes did not even smell of smoke. But when Neb's servants just got near that hot furnace, they were immediately incinerated. That serves as an example for us on the "day of the Lord" when Jesus comes to gather us, with God's consuming fire burning upon this earth. He does not have to wait to after He gathers us to send His consuming fire upon this earth.
This is actually what Paul meant with those of us still alive on earth being gathered to meet Lord Jesus in the "air". The Greek word there for "air" in 1 Thess.4:17 is connected with the idea of the 'breath', and can point to our spirit with soul. Do you recall what Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 that on the "last trump" the dead will be raised, and we alive shall all be "changed", "in the twinkling of an eye"? That "last trump" is the trumpet of God when Jesus comes from heaven in the clouds, bringing the resurrected saints with Him. All these events will occur very quickly, not all spread out like men's doctrines tend to think.
Those alive are thus 'changed' on that "last trump" moment on the "day of the Lord", and immediately are revealed in their spiritual bodies, and that is HOW they are "caught up" to Lord Jesus, to meet Him in the "air" (breath of life body, the spirit body).
Then once He descends to gather us, His Church, He takes us with Him to the Mount of Olives where His feet will touch down upon the Mount of Olives, and a very great valley will be formed there by that event. I believe it will be the "sudden destruction" of God's consuming fire upon this earth on that day which will also defeat Satan's host armies that will come upon Israel on the last day. That is the battle spoken of in Zechariah 14 at Christ's return that He will fight, and also the battle of Armageddon He showed will happen per Rev.16 on the final 7th Vial that will be poured out into the... "air"!
This means also on that "day of the Lord", the veil of this present flesh world age, will be lifted off for everyone, all will cast off their flesh, with our spirit bodies revealed right here on earth. This is actually hinted at to occur for all peoples and nations, per the Isaiah 25 Scripture, which is where Apostle Paul was pulling from about 'death swallowed up in victory'. Jesus has already defeated death and the devil for us, but there will still exist the "second death" of the casting of the spirit with soul of the unsaved and unrepentant into the future "lake of fire" after His future "thousand years" reign of Rev.20. But when Jesus returns in our near future, we aren't going to have these perishable flesh bodies anymore. Thus the heavenly dimension is going to be revealed right here, on earth, where Jesus is coming to. Both the earthly and heavenly will be joined back together as before.
Acts 1:9-12 is especially important about how Jesus returns in the future, because the angels said there that Jesus will return in "like manner" that He ascended to Heaven. And that Scripture points to that ascension having happened upon the Mount of Olives with His disciples there with Him and seeing Him go up on a cloud. That Scripture is very important simply because it links with the Zechariah 14 Scripture which reveals Jesus will return to that very Mount of Olives spot on earth, His feet touching down there upon the earth, and bringing all His saints with Him there.
Jesus Christ also linked the "day of the Lord" being the 'day' of His future return, which of course we cannot know which specific day or hour that will be.
In Revelation 16:15, on the 6th Vial timing, Lord Jesus said He comes "as a thief", and that Blessed are those who 'watch', and keep their garments. He is warning His Church about that timing.
That "as a thief" metaphor is the same idea that Apostles Paul and Peter used of the final day of this present world. In 1 Thess.5, Paul showed that is the day when the "sudden destruction" will come upon the deceived that will be saying, "Peace and safety", their having been deceived by the coming false-Messiah for the time of "great tribulation". In 2 Peter 3:10, Apostle Peter showed on that 'day' that God's consuming fire will burn man's works off this earth. Both examples point to the future literal 'end' of this present world time, and the start of Christ's future "thousand years" reign over all nations, with his 'resurrected' and gathered elect, per Rev.20.
1 Thessalonians 4 by Apostle Paul reveals at Jesus' coming, also on that "day of the Lord", He will resurrect the saints that have died first, and bring them with Him from heaven when He comes (1 Thess.4:13-16). Then those of us still alive on earth, will be "caught up" to Him, and them in the clouds, to meet The LORD in the 'air'.
These events will happen very quickly on that "day of the Lord". Some add an idea that Christ gathers His saints that are still alive from the earth prior... to God's consuming fire burning man's works off this earth. That's not really written though.
The Daniel 3 example of the hot fiery furnace, heated seven times hotter than necessary, is an example about the day of Christ's future coming to gather us, and God's consuming fire event that will also happen at that moment. Shadrach, Meshech, and Abed-nigo were cast into that hot fiery furnace of Daniel 3, and king Nebuchadnezzar saw a 4th Man in that furnace with them, with the likeness of The Son of God (Jesus). When they came out of that furnace, their clothes did not even smell of smoke. But when Neb's servants just got near that hot furnace, they were immediately incinerated. That serves as an example for us on the "day of the Lord" when Jesus comes to gather us, with God's consuming fire burning upon this earth. He does not have to wait to after He gathers us to send His consuming fire upon this earth.
This is actually what Paul meant with those of us still alive on earth being gathered to meet Lord Jesus in the "air". The Greek word there for "air" in 1 Thess.4:17 is connected with the idea of the 'breath', and can point to our spirit with soul. Do you recall what Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 that on the "last trump" the dead will be raised, and we alive shall all be "changed", "in the twinkling of an eye"? That "last trump" is the trumpet of God when Jesus comes from heaven in the clouds, bringing the resurrected saints with Him. All these events will occur very quickly, not all spread out like men's doctrines tend to think.
Those alive are thus 'changed' on that "last trump" moment on the "day of the Lord", and immediately are revealed in their spiritual bodies, and that is HOW they are "caught up" to Lord Jesus, to meet Him in the "air" (breath of life body, the spirit body).
Then once He descends to gather us, His Church, He takes us with Him to the Mount of Olives where His feet will touch down upon the Mount of Olives, and a very great valley will be formed there by that event. I believe it will be the "sudden destruction" of God's consuming fire upon this earth on that day which will also defeat Satan's host armies that will come upon Israel on the last day. That is the battle spoken of in Zechariah 14 at Christ's return that He will fight, and also the battle of Armageddon He showed will happen per Rev.16 on the final 7th Vial that will be poured out into the... "air"!
This means also on that "day of the Lord", the veil of this present flesh world age, will be lifted off for everyone, all will cast off their flesh, with our spirit bodies revealed right here on earth. This is actually hinted at to occur for all peoples and nations, per the Isaiah 25 Scripture, which is where Apostle Paul was pulling from about 'death swallowed up in victory'. Jesus has already defeated death and the devil for us, but there will still exist the "second death" of the casting of the spirit with soul of the unsaved and unrepentant into the future "lake of fire" after His future "thousand years" reign of Rev.20. But when Jesus returns in our near future, we aren't going to have these perishable flesh bodies anymore. Thus the heavenly dimension is going to be revealed right here, on earth, where Jesus is coming to. Both the earthly and heavenly will be joined back together as before.