“And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 40:5)
Isaiah prophesies about the 2nd coming of Christ, when He comes in His glory, sets foot on earth and conquers all His earthly enemies. He will come with all His saints. This is the time that all flesh will see it. There is a difference between the rapture of the church and the coming of Christ.
For the rapture, Jesus returns, but He never touches earth. All that belong to Him on the earth, the dead and those alive will meet Him in the sky. “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: 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.” (1Thessalonians 4:16-18) I’m not sure if any others will see Jesus at this time. When Jesus talks about this, He never mentions anyone seeing Him in the sky. He explains that two will be together and one will be taken and one remain. (Matthew 24:40) “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 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. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1Corinthians 15:51-55) Those that are alive when Jesus comes for His church will not die, but will be changed.
It seems that the rapture will happen at night. “I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” (Luke 17:34-36)
In Revelation, Jesus tells the church of Philadelphia that He will keep them from the hour of great temptation. This is the Tribulation. “Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” (Revelation 3:10) It appears that the rapture will occur before the Great Tribulation, possibly before or midway before it gets really bad. This revelation is for the Philadelphia church and all who keep the Word of God. “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God: and I will write upon him My new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” (Revelation 3:11-13) The Tribulation is a hard time. “And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.” (Revelation 9:6) There will be those who will believe at this time. It’s a time of great temptation. Jesus speaks to them in the book of Revelation through John. (Revelation 3:10-11) “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:5-14) The men on earth will suffer greatly. “For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” (Luke 21:22-24) Jesus warns that those days will be hard for everyone. “And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter. (Mark 13:18)
Now the 2nd coming of Jesus is different from the rapture. Jesus comes with the saints and touches earth, the Mount of Olives to be exact, which will split in two. “Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle. And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.” (Zechariah 14:3-4)
It's after the Tribulation when Jesus appears to all men. “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: 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. 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) At this time Jesus comes with all the saints. “And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.” (1Thessalonians 3:12-13)
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. 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.” (Revelation 19:11-14) From these Scriptures, when Jesus returns after the Tribulation, He will come riding on a white horse and will be accompanied by all the saints who will also be riding horses. We know these are the saints because John calls them the armies which were in heaven. The Lord has given us the armor of God to fight spiritually here on earth. “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” (Ephesians 6:10-18) We are God’s army here on earth. When raptured we will be in heaven with Jesus. And we return as His army with Him when He returns to earth.
Now this is how I understand the rapture and the 2nd coming of our Lord. There are various books published by renown experts and learned men on this topic. I merely read the Scriptures and understand as the Holy Spirit gives me understanding. This is how I understand it now and pray the Holy Spirit will give me more understanding as time goes on.
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