There have been many theories about the Return of Christ. Most believe that the next prophetic sign is the "Rapture of the Church". They believe that nothing else needs to be in place prior to His Coming; and that the Rapture can occur at any moment (more on this later) - as this is in error.
Then there are those who have many theories about the Man of Sin - aka: Antichrist. There are erroneous views about him becoming "God-like"; "he has to be a Jew"; Or "he will not have the desire of women"; and "he has to be around the age of Jesus 33 when he appears" - "gook looking"; "charismatic"; "European; or Islamic." And the list goes on.
Then we have those who think that we will be in Heaven - and we don't have to worry about the Great Tribulation; or the appearance of the coming Antichrist. If you believe this then I intend to prove that the Church will indeed go through the Great Tribulation - at least the majority of it.
Now, I must say that I sincerely question those modern day so called Prophets that pretend they have it all right. Well, truth of the matter is NO ONE does. And we won't actually know the full Truth until Prophecy has been Fulfilled. I also question those who believe that we will escape persecution and/or the Great Tribulation because we are in the "Church Age". This is nonsense people. Please read "Foxe's Book of Martyrs". The Disciples and many men of God died horrible deaths for their faith in Christ - the Church is no different. Not to mention God's Son died a HORRIBLE Death on the Cross.
Then (as it relates to men/women) we have those who want to self-anoint or self-proclaim themselves as Prophets; Prophetess; Apostles; Evangelist; Healers; and other self-anointed Titles and/or possess certain gifts - that no longer are required. Yet not one of them has raised anyone from the dead. Let me say that there were only 12 special men that God Sovereignly created for His Eternal purposes. There will NEVER be any other men created like the 12 Apostles were. They were created for a divine purpose, somewhat like the Angels when they were created. The Archangel Michael is an example.
Okay, didn't mean to get on a soapbox......but I just wanted to establish a platform or paint a picture for what I believe will happen: When Jesus Comes.
First - When Jesus Comes, it will be the LAST DAY - make no mistake about this.
The very First Clue that we are given, or the very next prophetic sign is the appearance of the coming Antichrist - NOT the Rapture of the Church. This is what Paul had to say:
2 Thessalonians 2: 1-4 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ AND our gathering together to Him, 2) that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3) Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4) who opposes and exalts himself above [e]every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
Now that we have established that the Coming of Jesus occurs at the same time that we are gathered together to Him will NOT precede the revealing of the Antichrist - WHO will be revealed AT the AOD. What will be the FIRST sign that we will see right before He Appears?
Well, Matthew 24:29-31 answers that:
The Glorious Return
29) “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30) And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31) And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
The aforementioned passages of Scripture mentions the SIGN. Many speculate what this SIGN will be -but the truth of the matter is: WE DON'T KNOW - nor do we know how long it will have appeared prior to His Coming.
After the SIGN - Christ Returns.......and does this:
Zechariah 14:4-5 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
4) in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. 5) You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee Justas you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah King of Judah. Then the Lord, my God, will come and all the holy ones with Him!
The aforementioned is an AMAZING even to occur!
This Day is further described as:
Zechariah 14:6-7 - New American Standard Bible (NASB)
6) In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. 7) For it will be a unique day which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but will come about that at evening time there will be light.
So we have a UNIQUE DAY known only to the Lord in which He Comes. His feet touch the Mount of Olives and a valley is created. We have those that flee to Him - but who are those - and what subsequently happens to them? Well we know that they are not those in immortal bodies that come with Him. There is a difference...these that flee towards Him are those who have survived the Great Tribulation, and are in mortal bodies.
In Matthew 25:31-46 we are given a further description of what happens "When Jesus Comes"
31) "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32) All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33) and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.
34) "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35) For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36) naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' 37) The then righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give you something to drink? 38) And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?" 39) When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40) The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to the one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'
41) "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42) for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you game Me nothing to drink; 43) I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' 44) Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' 45) The He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46) These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
So here are the events in order:
1) The AOD - Antichrist is Revealed
2) Great Tribulation ensues
3) The Sign in Heaven Appears
4) The Trumpet Sounds
5) Christ descends to the Earth
6) The Dead in Christ meet Him in the air
7) Those that are alive in Christ meet Him after those who have died in Him
8) His feet touch the Mount of Olives which splits in half from East to West
9) Those who have survived the Great Tribulation flee towards Him
10) Judgment Ensues
Now, there are some things that should be questioned in what I just mentioned.........