So why do we meet Jesus in the air when post-trib people say that Christ is coming to the earth? Let me figure this out. The angels in Matthew go out and gather the people together before the Lord who comes to the Mount of Olives. There is no mention of of the angels gathering the the elect to to Jesus in the clouds. We will see Him come in clouds but there is no mention of people going to meet Him in clouds. This only takes place in Thessalonians. which presents a totally different story.
In Thessalonians. there is no gathering before the Lord in Jerusalem. Here we see the dead and the living "translated" into glory to meet Him in clouds. Not resurrected (not translated) and gathered before Him in Jerusalem by the angels. In Thessalonians. Jesus also said, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 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. 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.." Where is this place? Certainly being gathered to him in Jerusalem can not be this "place."
The thing about lies is after awhile they become murky and hard to explain at times. So let me clear things up here. We are not going to meet Him in Jerusalem or go up to meet Him only to return to the earth as He is coming down. This makes no sense and certainly isn�t the Mansions we were promised.
So why does Christ come to the clouds. First of all satan is called the Prince of the Power of the air. He has so much power over our skies that at one time one of the Lord�s angels could not make it through to the earth. In pre-trib Rapture theology, Jesus comes to the clouds above the earth to break satan�s strong hold. He comes to kick open the sky and escort us to heaven where he has prepared a place for us.
The living and the dead will be translated into new immortal bodies to meet Him in the air. He is coming in order to take our hand to protect us as He will then lead us home to the Heavenly Jerusalem that has been prepared for the Church. Then we will be judged before the Lord who will sit in His judgment seat, then we will partake in the Lamb�s Supper. This will take place in heaven during the tribulation. It would be pretty strange to do this while coming back down to the earth.
Post-tribbers say that Christ returns after the tribulation and we are taken up into the clouds to join Him as He returns to the earth in the clouds. This sounds rather silly when you try to imagine us going to be with him in the clouds to be judged for rewards and feast with Him as He comes to the earth quickly.
But according to pre-tribulationists, this will all take place during the 7 year reign of satan on the earth. God's wrath will be poured out in full strength against the apostate Church and the apostate Israel. At the end of the 7 year wrath of God, we will come back to to save those Jews and Gentiles that have come to the Lord during the Tribulation period because those days will be shortened or no flesh will be saved.
The scriptures below show that we will all return with Christ when he comes back TO the earth.
"...and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee." Zech. 14:5
"And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean." Rev. 19:13-18
What an awesome sight this will be. There will be millions of the Church, and the dead in Christ clothed in white garments riding white horses. The mass of them will be like galloping clouds being poured out like a giant waterfall of flowing white. Hundreds of millions of Saints with pour down from the skies like cascading clouds.
1Thess. 4:17,18 "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.Wherefore COMFORT one another with these words."
Richard Vizzutti
Back to Home Page