Wednesday 17 September 2014

Second coming of Jesus- A detailed Study

What does the Bible say about Jesus' second coming? What are the signs of His coming? And what must we do to receive the reward of the righteous and not the curse of the wicked?
These are important questions to answer because Jesus is coming again soon! Today we live in a very troubling world. It is more than just the common problems that we face today. We are experiencing a major undoing of world stability and of disappearing freedoms and values that once helped to keep the world functional.
But things cannot continue as they have in the past with todays problems. Many can see that we are approaching a cataclysmic ending of our world involving the world's finances and especially destructive forces. Many are now searching for how they can escape what they see is coming ahead.
I believe that the only answer to these deep seated problems are found in the Bible. When Jesus comes back at the end of the age, in His second coming, He will stop the destruction and trouble that is in the world and save His people.
When is Jesus coming back? What is it going to be like? How can we be one of those who will receive His reward when He comes and not be subject of His wrath which is directed to those who destroy the earth.
  1. The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth. Revelation 11:18
Jesus is coming back to reward His people. But He is also coming back to destroy those who destroy the earth! These are awesome and serious thoughts as we approach this time.
The purpose of this web page is to explore what the Bible itself actually teaches about Christ's Second Coming and to let the Bible speak for itself.

What are the Warnings and Signs of Christ's Soon Coming?

When Jesus told His disciples of His soon coming, He especially talked about the signs that will appear in the sky. We can see that Christ's return will be a very visible event! He also spoke concerning false Christs, who would imitate His coming, to try to deceive us.
This description is found in three places: Matthew 24:23-28; Mark 13:5-6; Luke 17:22-25. Mark has very little so below the other two accounts are placed side by side. Compare the two accounts. They complement each other on especially the specific points that are colored:
Purple: Describes these false Christs who will try to deceive God's people.
Yellow: Warns us not to believe these false Christs.
Red: Describes the actual coming event of Christ's soon appearing.

    Matthew 24:23-28
  1. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
  2. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
  3. Behold, I have told you before.
  4. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
  5. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
  6. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Matthew 24:23-28.
    Luke 17:22-25
  1. And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.
  2. And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.
  3. For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.
  4. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. Luke 17:22-25.


Apparently, there is going to be a lot of deception about Jesus' second coming. But God will not allow even Satan to fully copy how Jesus is to come. We know this is true because Jesus specifically warns us how He is to come. All others are imposters!
If people say they are one of the dead prophets or even Christ or if even Satan comes as Christ! We are told not to believe any of these reports or even what we see. Because Christ's coming will be a very public event! For as lightning comes from the east to the west, covering the entire sky; This is what it is going to be like when Jesus comes. No matter where you are on earth, the lightning will cover the sky announcing His coming.
So, if someone says Jesus has already come, you will know that it is not true! When Jesus comes back, everyone will see it over the whole earth.
  1. Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. Revelation 1:7.
Yes, this is a very public event. every eye will see Him, and all the people of the earth will mourn because of Him. All will know that He is coming! In the next Bible text, we find that there is more to happen than just lightning covering the sky. There will also be other kinds of dramatic events when Jesus comes:
  1. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
  2. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
  3. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
  4. Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 2 Peter 3:10-13.
Paul describes the day of the Lord as a fearful day when the heavens pass away with a great noise, and fire melts the earth. The works of man will be burned up. Paul then adds meaning to these events by asking: What kind of people should we be? Who's side should we be on? So, I am reminded of Psalms 91:7-8. Where it reads "A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand: But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked."
It is a marvelous thing to be a Christian! Let us not lose our connection with Christ, else all will be lost and we will then experience the fear and distress of the wicked!

The Saints are Gathered Together when Jesus Comes

Now, when Jesus comes at the end of the world to collect His Saints, He gathers them together from all the parts of the earth. Here we have three parallel accounts of what Jesus told His disciples about His second coming: Matthew 24:29-31; Mark 13:24-27; Luke 21:25-28 and so they are placed side by side. Compare the three accounts. They complement each other on especially the specific points that are colored:
Purple: The signs in the heavens - The powers in heaven will be shaken.
Yellow: Jesus coming in the clouds of heaven.
Green: With the sound of a trumpet the angels are sent to gather the saints.
Red: The actual redemption where the saints are gathered together.

Matthew 24:29-31
29.  Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30.  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31.  And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:29-31.
Mark 13:24-27
24.  But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
25.  And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.
26.  And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
27.  And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. Mark 13:24-27.
Luke 21:25-28
25.  there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26.  Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
27.  then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28.  And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Luke 21:25-28.
It is amazing to see that we are still finding more events that are to take place. The powers shaking in the heavens occur just before Jesus comes. All these things causes great fear among the wicked.
So, Jesus comes after the tribulation of the time of sorrows. Then, once the sun and the moon darkens, and the stars fall; and of course we see that the wicked are extremely fearful because of all these dramatic events; Then, it is at that time, that Jesus come.
This is now the time when the lightening covers the sky and the heavens pass away with a great noise. Also, the elements, the earth, and also the works of man are melted with fervent heat at this time.
Now we come to the good part! When Jesus comes with power and glory, His own people will be scattered over all the face of the earth. But they will look up and see their redemption coming to them. So, when the trumpet sounds, the angels will gather His elect and they will then bring them together. (Elect means: His chosen ones. So, the Elect are the saints who are the righteous.)
We can see this same event described in the Old Testament as well:
  1. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; A fire shall devour before Him, And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.
  2. He shall call to the heavens from above, And to the earth, that He may judge His people:
  3. "Gather My saints together to Me, Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice."
  4. Let the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is Judge. Selah Psalms 50:3-6
  1. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.
  2. And it will be said in that day: "Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation." Isaiah 25:8-9.
The people who are God's people are a special group. They are those who have made a covenant with Jesus by sacrifice. They did without various things so that the will of God could be followed. They sacrificed so that others might also know about Jesus and be saved. These are those who stood for Bible truth above all other things!
So, because of their experience and strong covenant with God, they will be able to look up with happiness at God and Jesus in their glory. They will see the fire and the awesome tempestuous glory that frightens the wicked. But when they see the approaching monarch of the Universe, they will see that their redemption is coming to them. Thus they will cry out: "Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation." It is at this time that the saints are gathered together by the angels.
We can also see that death is swallowed up in victory. God's people will never see death again and God will wipe away every tear from off their faces.

Jesus will Raise His Saints from the Grave when He Comes

Now, it is clear from the next few verses that Jesus will not only take all His people who are living, but He will also raise from the dead all of His chosen ones who died. This will happen when He comes again, at His second coming, when the trumpet of God sounds. We can see that in these verses:
  1. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
  2. 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:
  3. 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. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
Concentrating on verses 16 and 17, we see that Jesus Himself comes down from heaven at His second coming. This is the big event at the end of the world when Jesus comes to get His people and take them back with Him. With a shout of the archangel's voice and the trumpet of God, the dead in Christ rise up first. Then, all who are still alive in Christ, are brought up together with those who had died in the clouds and they meet the Lord in the air to be always with Him.
It is at the second coming of Jesus, the time of the end, when both those who died and those who are alive, will be taken up into heaven.
This was the wonderful news that Paul had to tell those who lived in Thessalonica, because they were crying for the dead as if they had no hope of the future!
  1. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
  2. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
If Jesus rose from the dead, then we know that those who sleep in Jesus will also rise in the last day. In verse 14, it should be clear to us that Paul was saying that even those who sleep in Jesus will God take back with Him to heaven. Paul did not say that Jesus would be bringing the dead people from heaven because of what he said in the next few verses. Paul gives an order of events of what will happen on the day that Jesus comes:
  1. 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:
  2. 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. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
The dead in Christ are raised up to life when Jesus comes! So, it looks like Jesus is taking all His people back to be with Himself. From that time on, all the saints will always be with the Lord!
The idea in 1 Thessalonians 4:14 is a common theme: that if Jesus died and rose again, so will God rise us up. In Romans, we see paul saying it again but in a different way.
  1. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:11
Looking at 1 Corinthians, we find that Paul is consistent. Jesus is the firstfruit of those who have fallen asleep in Jesus and here again Paul says that the dead in Christ will be raised at the time of His coming:
  1. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
  2. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.
  3. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
  4. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23
All who have died in Christ, shall be made alive at Christ's second coming. It doesn't happen before His coming at all.
So, it looks like Jesus is taking all His people back to be with Himself, because there are places for His saints to live and He wants us to be with Him. We will see this in the next Scripture.
In the book of John, there is a discussion that Jesus had with His disciples about His leaving them. In that discussion, Jesus told them that they could not go with Him then, but that they would be able to follow Him when He comes back to take them Home with Him.
  1. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.
  1. Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.
  2. Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.
  3. Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.
  1. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
  2. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
  3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 13:33,36-14:3
So, Jesus agrees with Paul. When Jesus comes again, He will take us unto Himself! In His Father's house, in heaven, there are many mansions. And if He goes to prepare places for us, Jesus will come again and take us unto Himself, so that where ever He is, we may be with Him. There are places for His saints to live and Jesus wants us to be with Him.
At an earlier time, Jesus told His purpose in coming to our world. He specifically points out that His people will be raised up at the last day.
  1. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
  2. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.
  3. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:38-40
Again, we repeatedly see in the Bible that all those who believe in Jesus and are His; Jesus will raise him or her up at the last day, when Jesus comes to take His people Home with Him to Heaven.

A Marvelous Mystery, We will Not all Sleep!

  1. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
  2. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
  3. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
  4. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
  5. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
  6. The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
  7. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:51-57.
Remember, those who are living when Jesus comes will not see death. We saw that was true in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. Now, Paul talks to the Corinthians more specifically about those who will not see death when Jesus comes.
So Paul tells of a marvelous mystery concerning all those who would be alive when Jesus comes: "We will not all sleep". You see, they all thought they were living in the very last days and they figured that they would experience immortality without seeing death.
They were not living at the end of time, but maybe, we might be able to experience immortality without seeing death, 2000 years later.
We need to realize that ultimately, it is the last generation that will have the blessing of not seeing death when that day comes!
The following verses are short descriptions and expressions of joy and hope, looking forward to that day.
  1. Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Acts 1:11.
  1. For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Matthew 16:27.
  1. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Matthew 26:64.
  1. When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. 2 Thessalonians 1:10.
  1. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9.
  1. Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. John 18:36.
Daniel describes one like the Son of man (Jesus Christ) who is given dominion and power from the Ancient of days (God the Father). Here it is described that all people will serve him. However in most of the other passages we see that it is the righteous only who are left. They will receive the kingdom under Christ.
  1. and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
  2. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
  3. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. Daniel 12:1-3.
Here in Daniel, we see that it is those whose name is written in the book of life only, who are delivered. We also get a glimpse that there are two resurrections. One for the righteous and one for the wicked.

What will Happen to the Wicked When Jesus Comes?

Let's look to see what the wicked will experience when Jesus comes. However, before we do, we must realize that we do not need to look at the coming of Jesus with fear and uneasiness. Don't find yourself among the wicked when Jesus comes! Click on: Are You Saved? How do you know if you are saved? Is it a feeling or is there a more sure way to know?
Please find out for yourself what the free gift, that Jesus has for us, is all about. Jesus wants us to experience the same joy that the righteous will feel when they see Him coming in the clouds. And they will be able to say: "Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation." Isaiah 25:9.
OK, now what is it that happens to the wicked when Jesus comes? It is going to be a very traumatic experience. When Jesus comes, all will be rewarded according to what they have done in their life.
  1. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
  2. For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Matthew 16:26-27
  1. And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. Revelation 22:12.
He will be coming with great power. There will be a fire around Him and it will be tempestuous which means, wild, raging, furious, and angry.
  1. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; A fire shall devour before Him, And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him. Psalm 50:3.
Jeremiah speaks of the Lord as roaring from on high. It will be very tempestuous.
  1. The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout." Jeremiah 25:30.
The earth will start to respond to this tempestuous God coming toward it.
  1. The earth is violently broken, The earth is split open, The earth is shaken exceedingly.
  2. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, And shall totter like a hut; Its transgression shall be heavy upon it, And it will fall, and not rise again. Isaiah 24:19-20.
The earth will be self-destructing in front of the eyes of the wicked and their hears will fail them for fear. And they start to realize that it is going to get worse.
  1. men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken.
  2. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Luke 21:26-27.
In terror, the wicked will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud and they will hunt for holes and caves to craw into so they don't have to see what is coming.
  1. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
  2. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;
  3. To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. Isaiah 2:19-21
It is the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb that they want to hide from.
  1. And the heaven [sky] departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places."
  2. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
  3. And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
  4. For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? Revelation 6:14-17
And God will kill the inhabitants of the earth. The dead bodies will be everywhere on the face of the earth.
  1. . . . Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.
  2. Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.
  3. A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.
  4. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
  5. And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground. Jeremiah 25:29-33
The wicked, those who are left, will mainly be destroyed by the brightness of God who is coming. All the wicked will perish in that day.
  1. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:.
  2. Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
  3. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
  4. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
  5. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12
Here is the description of the final battle as it is described in Revelation. In verse 21 we see that the remnant of the wicked are slain with the sword.
  1. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
  2. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
  3. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. Revelation 19:19-21
If you were to read Revelation 19 starting with verse 11, you would find that the one who rides the horse is Jesus. Because of His great wrath all the wicked are slain and no one is left on the earth.

Friend, I do not want you to die with the wicked. Please consider the fact that Jesus loves you and that He would rather have no one experience destruction.
  1. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
  2. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
  3. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
  4. looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 2 Peter 3:9-12
Jesus has such strong love for us, and he longs to gather us together and to take us up with Him to Heaven. When Jesus was on earth the disciples asked Him to look at the wonderful buildings of Jerusalem. When He looked at the place of the temple and Jerusalem, He broke down and cried.
  1. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Matthew 23: 37 NIV
Jesus came to die for us that we might be saved from sure destruction.
  1. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16.
I pray that we are willing to be part of this gathering that is taken to Heaven because the things that He has planned for us is unimaginable.
  1. But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." 1 Corinthians 2:9
Yes the wicked are destroyed, but the righteous are taken to God's home!
  1. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
  2. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:2-3
Friend, why don't you try out what God has planned for you? Click on: Are You Saved? to find out if you are saved? Is it a feeling or is there a more sure way to know?
When Jesus comes, you can be among the group that exclaims: "Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation." Isaiah 25:9.


Jesus is Given the Kingdom

So, lets look to heaven where something special happens to make it possible for Jesus to come again:
  1. I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
  2. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. Daniel 7:13-14.
Daniel describes one like the Son of man (Jesus Christ) who is given dominion and power from the Ancient of days (God the Father). Here it is described that all people will serve Jesus because He has received the kingdom from His Father. As we will see, from the other passages of the Bible, that it is only the righteous who will be present when this happens, and they will receive the kingdom under Christ.
In Revelation, John describes the same event. In this event The Earth will become part of the kingdoms of Jesus, and He will reign forever and ever. It is at this point that Jesus rewards his people and He also destroys all the wicked people who destroy the earth.
  1. Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"
  2. And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,
  3. saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.
  4. The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth." Revelation 11:15-18.
When Jesus comes to the earth the first thing He does is to reap the earth of His righteous people.
  1. And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
  2. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
  3. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. Revelation 14:14-16.
In Revelation, John's visions of the end, that there will be a great reaping. Reaping usually involves good grain, not tares etc. So this must be the gathering of the righteous.


Difficult Bible Passages About the Second Coming Explained.


In my church, the Pastor is teaching that The rapture is before the great tribulation and that some how Jesus will come but in an invisible way to rapture the church and take it to heaven, that we do not have to understand the great tribulation because we shall be with Jesus for 7 years celebrating the wedding of the Lamb, then Jesus is coming back in a visible way, and that the second coming is a different fact then the rapture, what do you think? the question:

Is the rapture at the same time of the second coming of Jesus?
Is the rapture before or after the great tribulation?

Is the rapture separate from the second coming of Jesus? Does the rapture save God's people from having to experience the great tribulation?
There are five basic points to consider when we look at the rapture.
Point #1: All through the Bible, the Second coming of Jesus is described as being anything but Secret. When Jesus comes everyone will know that He is coming. It says:
  1. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. Revelation 1:7
  1. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 2 Peter 3:10.
  1. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Matthew 24:27.
  1. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24:30.
  1. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
  2. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;
  3. To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. Isaiah 2:19-21
I have two other links on the second coming. click on them to see the Bible texts that I have found.
The Second Coming of Christ: The Remnant of the Wicked are slain
The Second Coming of Christ: The Righteous will Receive the Kingdom
Point #2: In Daniel and Revelation, God's people are described as living through the great tribulation. Let's look at a few verses.
  1. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. Daniel 7:25
  1. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Daniel 7:21.
Here we see that the little horn of the beast will wear out the saints of the most high and that the saints will be given into his hand until 3 and 1/2 years are up.
  1. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 12:17
Here we see that the dragon, who is Satan, is wroth (angry) with the woman (the church) and makes war with the remnant of her seed (he makes war with those who are still alive). And how do we identify this group? these are those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ! This is God's people in the great tribulation!
  1. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. Revelation 13:7
Here we have a mouth, which is the same as the little horn in Daniel, and we see that this mouth is given power to make war against the saints of God and to overcome them!
On another web page that I have, I made a synopsis of Satan's actions against the Righteous in the great Tribulation.
  1. it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. Daniel 7:7
  2. (It) was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, Daniel 7:21
  3. He. . . shall persecute the saints of the Most High, Daniel 7:25
  4. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time. Daniel 7:25
  5. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time. Revelation 12:12
  6. he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. Revelation 12:13
  7. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 12:17
  8. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. Revelation 13:7
  9. and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. Revelation 13:15
  10. yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. Daniel 11:33
This synopsis is from the legal battle page.
Point #3: Nowhere in the Bible is there any scripture that speaks of another rapture that is separate from the second coming of Jesus. There is no secret rapture before the tribulation time. None at all.
In 1 Thessalonians we see that both the dead who have died and also those who are yet alive (God's righteous people) will rise together to meet the Lord in the air. Also we see that this is not a secret event. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God"! It will be a very visible event. See the text below:
  1. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
  2. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
  3. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
  4. 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:
  5. 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. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17.
Now in the secret rapture, do they say that only those who are yet alive go up? What about those who have died?
In this text, Paul is trying to give comfort to the Thessalonians, because they expected Jesus to come in their day. And yet, people were dying one by one. What would happen to these people who died?
Paul talks about the time when Jesus comes with a shout and with the trumpet of God, that both those who have died and those who are yet living will be taken up to heaven to ever be with the Lord. There is no mention of any previous secret rapture. None at all. Paul says both those who have died and those who are yet alive are all taken up to heaven together. That includes everyone. All of God's people will be raised together at one time.
Point #4: Some people use Luke 17:34-36 as evidence of a secret rapture. Let's look at the text:
  1. "I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left.
  2. "Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left.
  3. "Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left."
It seems to suggest a secret rapture. However when we read more of the text we find that it is not referring to a secret rapture at all. See the text below:
  1. "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:
  2. "They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
  3. "Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;
  4. "but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.
  5. "Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
  6. "In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.
  7. "Remember Lot's wife.
  8. "Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
  9. "I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left.
  10. "Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left.
  11. "Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left."
  12. And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?" So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together." Luke 17:26-37
We can see that Jesus is drawing a parallel between the second coming and the days of Noah, and also between the second coming and the days of Lot.
In Noah's time there were two classes of people; Noah and his family were taken into the ark and saved, while all the rest who refused to enter the ark were left outside to be destroyed by the flood. They did not get a second chance. Once the door closed on the ark, they were doomed.
In Lot's time there were two classes of people; Lot was taken out of the city of Sodom, and saved, while all those left in the city were destroyed by fire. Again, those who were still in the city were destroyed. They did not get a second chance.
Jesus says that it will be the same when Jesus comes. God's people will be taken to heaven to be with Jesus, while all the others will be destroyed. "two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left." Again, there is no second chance.
Notice that in verse 37, the disciples asked "Where, Lord?" They wanted to know about those who didn't go to heaven, where were they going to be left. Notice the clear answer that Jesus gives: "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together." So, Jesus taught that the bodies of the wicked are going to be left on the ground for the eagles to consume.
This is similar to in Revelation where the remnant (the wicked) who are slain, are fed to all the fowls (birds of prey).
  1. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. Revelation 19:21
Jeremiah also helps to show that there will be no one left on the earth after Jesus comes. It is interesting that he uses the same words used in the book of Genesis to describe the Earth. The Earth was without form and void.
  1. And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground. Jeremiah 25:33.
  1. I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; And the heavens, they had no light.
  2. I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, And all the hills moved back and forth.
  3. I beheld, and indeed there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled.
  4. I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were broken down At the presence of the LORD, By His fierce anger. Jeremiah 4:23-26.
So we can see that Luke 17 is looking at the same second coming that all the other verses in the Bible refer to. Some will be taken and saved, but all the rest will be left to be destroyed. So we can see that the rapture is at the same time of the second coming of Jesus. Its the same event.
Point #5: Some people use 1 Thess. 5:2 as evidence of a secret rapture when the Lord coms as a thief in the night. Here is the text:
  1. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 1 Thess. 5:2
They assume that this must be a quiet, secret coming. But when we start opening the Bible to read more of it we find that it definitely does not speak of a quiet, secret coming at all. Let's look to see what it really says:
  1. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.
  2. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
  3. For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
  4. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.
  5. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 1 Thess. 5:1-5
  1. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
  2. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 2 Peter 3:9-10
  1. "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
  1. "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.
  2. "But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
  3. "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Matthew 24:27,42-44.

So, we can see that in these three scriptures, the thief in the night means that it comes in an unexpected time. It is not talking about how Jesus is coming. This can be understood from the text itself: "be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" "But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief"
Each time the thief in the night is mentioned violent signs are spoken of, like: "Sudden destruction comes upon them" "as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west" "the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat"
It does not sound like a secret rapture to me! All these verses are really referring to the second coming of Jesus that will come at the end of time. So it should be clear that the rapture occurs at the end of the Great Tribulation when Jesus comes back. Remember the verses above (in Daniel and Revelation) that speak of God's people living through that Great time of tribulation. Also remember, that when Jesus comes, the righteous are taken up to heaven while all the rest are slated for destruction. Those who are still living are killed by the brightness of His coming.
  1. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth, and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 2 Thess 2:8
  1. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. Revelation 19:21
A very interesting addition to the thief in the night subject is found in Revelation 16. During the time of the plagues, the 7 last plagues in the great tribulation, between the 6th and 7th plague, Jesus says this:
  1. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
  2. "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame."
  3. And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. Revelation 16:14-16
After 6 of the plagues, demons are gathering the kings of the earth together for this great battle of Armageddon. It is at that time that Jesus says: "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame"
Right after this event, then the 7th and last plague occurs, "in which a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne (of God), saying, 'It is done!'" Revelation 16:17. So, the second coming of Jesus clearly comes at the end of the great tribulation time.

The second question:

Have you ever wondered, what if you already missed the Return of Christ? I am especially intrigued by the statement: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night"

Doesn't that imply that the Lord will return almost unnoticed? Until after He has returned to the heavens again?

The thief in the night can mean one of two things. Either the whole thing is going to be done in secret, which might easily be missed, as you are suggesting; Or it means that it will be a surprise, a sudden and unlooked calamity that everyone will experience with horror, thus it will be extremely noticeable.
Lets look at the Bible verses below, the two Texts of Scripture are placed side-by side, both having the statement we are looking for: "The Lord comes as a thief in the night". It's labeled with the color green.
  1. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.
  2. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
  3. For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
  4. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.
  5. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 1 Thess. 5:1-5
  1. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
  2. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 2 Peter 3:9-10

When we look at more of the verses we find that the event describe is not a secret event at all. But instead, we see violet statements like: "sudden destruction comes"; "they will not escape"; "the heavens will pass away with a great noise"; the elements will melt with fervent heat, both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up".
These statements from the Bible tells us that the thief in the night experience will be a very sudden event that will surprise the people of the world. Believe me, it will be noticed! The people of the world will probably wish with all their hearts that these terrible events would not happen at all.
Now, Paul gives a special message to Christians in verse 4 that adds to the urgency of the surprise event:
  1. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief 1 Thessalonians 5:4.
So, Paul says that since you are brethren (of Christ) and you are not (living) in darkness; This Day should not take you by surprise as a thief.
So this event of the second coming of Jesus will surprise the people of the world and they will face sudden destruction. But Paul says that this event should not surprise us who are followers of Jesus because we are not living in darkness. We are actually looking forward this event.
That means we will not be surprised by it. We expect it to happen and it will be a happy event because Jesus will come to rescue His people from certain death. It is the wicked who will be surprised. They will not be ready nor will they welcome Him because they will see that they are all about to be destroyed by that same event.
As for missing the event, saying that we might not even notice that Jesus comes; That is not possible! We know this because the Bible is very clear! It says that every eye will see Jesus come in the clouds and the wicked will see this and they will morn and wail!
  1. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. Revelation 1:7
  1. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24:30
The wicked will not only be wailing out loud but they will want to be hidden from God.
  1. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
  2. And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
  3. For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? Revelation 6:15-17
The wicked will not be able to stand to even look at God.
It will be such a noisy and dramatic event with fire, lightning, and destruction, etc. that it will NOT be unnoticed! It will be impossible for the return of Christ to be unnoticed!!
  1. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Matthew 24:27.
So, we cannot imply that the Lord will return unnoticed at all because the Bible says very clearly that it will be a violent and definitely a noticeable event. The context of the thief in the night means sudden destruction.
  1. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 2 Peter 3:10.

The third question:

We are not immortal now, but does it not say in 1 Corinthians 15:22 that all people will be made alive?

Let's look at the verse:
  1. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:22.
It does seem like the verse says that Jesus shall raise all people! However, let's look at more of the surrounding verses:
  1. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
  2. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.
  3. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
  4. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.
  5. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23.
If we look at verse 23, we see that it tells who the "all" are. All will be made alive, first Jesus, who is the firstfruits, then those who are Christ's at His coming. It is only those who belong to Jesus, they alone will be raised to life and be made immortal.
So, all sons of Adam will die, but all those who are Christ's at His coming will be made alive!

The fourth question:

How can Jesus be coming to get us at His 2nd coming if the bible says in Zechariah 14, Jude 14, and 1 Thessalonians 4:14 that we come back with Him?

How can He keep the promise of John 14 where He takes us to heaven if He does not take us until the 2nd coming? Zechariah 14 says He comes back in His 2nd coming and sets foot on the mount of olives and takes over His temple to rule for 1000 years.

So Jesus cannot take us to heaven at His 2nd coming, because He will remain on the earth. Jesus cannot come back with us at the 2nd coming if He has to come get us first. Please help me understand these things.

So you are suggesting:

Since Jesus has promised to take us to heaven (John 14);

And since Zechariah 14 says Jesus will rule on the earth when Jesus comes;

That Jesus cannot both take us to heaven and also setup an earthly kingdom at the same time when Jesus comes at His second coming.

So, you are suggesting that the only way for Jesus to keep both of His promises is for Jesus to take us to heaven when we die. The dead in Christ would have been in heaven already, before His second coming. Then, at the second coming of Christ, at the end of the world, Jesus would bring the righteous dead back with Him to the earth.
Let's look at the promise in John 14 to see what Jesus' promise is about.
  1. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
  2. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
  3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:1-3
This promise centers on the fact that Jesus will come again and take God's people with Him to the place of His Fathers House where there are mansions just waiting for them. So, Jesus says that He will keep His promise when He comes, not before. Because He says that when He comes, He will receive us unto Himself.
So, when does Jesus come for His people? Is is when His people die? Or is it at the Second Coming, at the end of the world, the last day? Let's look more closely at the verses which clearly show when Jesus will raise His righteous ones from the grave:
  1. "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.
  2. "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
  1. Jesus therefore answered and said to them, "Do not murmur among yourselves.
  2. "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
  1. Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
  2. "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:39-40, 43-44, 53-54.
Many times Jesus has said that He will raise his people up on the last day. So it should not be surprising to see that Martha repeats what Jesus says when Jesus says to her: "your brother will rise again."
  1. Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
  2. Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." John 11:23-24.
The righteous will rise in the resurrecton at the last day and it will be Jesus who raises them.
In the book of John, there is a discussion that Jesus had with His disciples about His leaving them. In that discussion, Jesus told them that they could not go with Him then, but that they would be able to follow Him later. Jesus specifically tells them that He will personally come back to take them back with Him to His Father's house:
  1. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.
  1. Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.
  2. Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.
  3. Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.
  1. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
  2. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
  3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 13:33,36-14:3
Jesus was going to heaven. So He told them that they could not go with Him at that time, but that they would follow Him at a later time. Finally in verse 3 of John 14 He says that He will come again to receive them unto Himself.
This promise centers on the fact that Jesus will come again and take God's people with Him to the place of His Fathers House where there are mansions just waiting for them. So, Jesus tells us that He will keep His promise when He comes, not before. Because He says that when He comes, He will receive us unto Himself.
Let's look more closely at other verses which clearly show when Jesus will raise His righteous ones from the grave:
  1. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
  2. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
  3. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
  4. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23.
In verses 21 and 23 we see that Jesus is the firstfruits of those who slept in the grave. Jesus rose from the dead. Now in verse 23 we see that the righteous will be made alive at his coming.
Now, lets look at Thessalonians 4 where Paul describes with more detail how Jesus will wake up His people when He comes:
  1. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
  2. 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:
  3. 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. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
In verse 16 we see that Jesus descends from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God. The very first thing that now happens is that all those who were dead in Christ are brought to life.
If everyone wakes up from the dead when they die, they would all wake up at different times since people die at different times. But that is NOT how it happens in verse 16. All the dead wake up at the same time! So it is when Jesus descends from heaven with a shout that the dead rise, not when they die.
Then in verse 17 the very next thing that happens is that all the rest of the righteous, the ones still living at that time, they are brought up together into the clouds. So all those who are dead in Christ and also all those who are yet alive, they are all brought up together in the air at the same time and in the same event, when Jesus comes!
The rising of the dead in Christ does not happen when God's people die. It happens only at the end of the world when Jesus comes to pick up all His people at the same time, both the dead and those who are yet alive.
This was wonderful news to those in the Thessalonian church because they were crying for the dead as if they had no hope of the future!
Now, lets look at the verse that many people think says that Jesus will bring the dead in Christ back with Him from Heaven to the earth when He comes:
  1. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
  2. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
Clearly, verse 14 is saying that even those who sleep in Jesus will God take back with Him to heaven. Paul did not mean that Jesus would be bringing the dead people from heaven because Jesus comes at His second coming in order to wake up the dead and bring them with Him back to heaven. We have just looked at these things in verses 16 and 17 above.
Near the beginning of this page we also saw that Jesus preached that the Saints will enter the kingdom of heaven. Heaven is part of our reward. Here is a quick list of the verse that we covered:
    . . ."My kingdom is not of this world. John 18:33-36
    . . .unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20
    Not everyone who says to Me, Lord! Lord! shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. Matthew 7:21
    . . . Unless you are converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 18:3
    . . .Truly I say to you that a rich man will with great difficulty enter into the kingdom of Heaven.. . . It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Matthew 19:23-24
    . . . many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 8:11
    . . . your reward in Heaven is great. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:12
    . . . lay up treasures in Heaven for yourselves, where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. Matthew 6:20
So, Scripture clearly shows that the righteous will enter heaven. Also, Scripture clearly shows that at the end of the world, the second coming of Christ; That Jesus will come with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then God's people that are alive will be taken up into the clouds to be with the Lord in the air with those who had died.
We are not being gathered on the earth but rather in the air to be taken to heaven where Jesus says: In my Father's house are many mansions. Jesus has prepared a place for us so that He could take us with Him.
So, Scripture shows us that we go to heaven when Jesus comes again, not when we die. Everyone is taken to heaven at the same time to receive their reward.
To answer your question: God cannot start an earthly kingdom and take us all to heaven at the same time. Jesus spoke of heaven as being our reward over and over again. He did not speak of an earthly kingdom.
These points of Scripture add up to one important point: Zechariah 14 must be talking about another time, not during the 1000 years after Jesus comes because the Bible is clear that Jesus takes His chosen people to heaven when He comes.
On the other hand, the Bible is also clear that God's people will inherit the earth after the 1000 years. Click on the icon below that reads: The 1000 years after the Second Coming to learn more about what happens after Jesus comes.
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