Immediately after the Tribulation

Matt 24:29-30 “ immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall 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 on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

Some use this verse to prove the rapture is after the whole tribulation has run its course. The sun being darkened in the Tribulation occurs a number of times, starting in Rev.6.

The Scripture says after the tribulation of those days, meaning the tribulation has already begun, thus referring to Rev.6 as the first time this darkness occurs.

Acts 2:20 “ The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.” (Joel 3:15-16)

If we go back and read this in context we find Jesus at this part of his sermon is focusing on the tribulation period and all the different things that will happen, that leads up to its conclusion. In v:27 “ as the lightning cometh forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west; so shall be the coming of the Son of man.” This is His second coming, NOT the rapture. The world does not see him coming in the rapture, which is the time of the resurrection of the Saints.

Notice what he says in Rev. 1:7 “ 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.”

The sign is his coming in glory " They shall see the Son of man coming." (Matt 16:27; 26:64.)

Continuing 24:30-31 “ Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

Similarities in 1 Thess.4 do not mean sameness. This trumpet is seen in Isaiah 27:12-13. The angels are sent for the final regathering to bring the Jews back into their Land. The same description is used in Deut. 30:3-4. This is a third of the Remnant of Israel that survives the Tribulation.

Zech. 13:8-9 "That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, But one- third shall be left in it:   I will bring the one-third through the fire,
Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; And each one will say, 'The LORD is my God.'

Luke 21:25-28 " And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 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. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory . Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

It is after signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring THEN they will see the Son return in his glory. Luke 9:26 He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's..."

This takes place at the end of the tribulation, in fact his return ends it.

Ps 96:13 “ For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with His truth.”

Ps 98:9 “ For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, And the peoples with equity.”

This is describing Mt.25 when Jesus the Messiah returns to set up the Millennium and separates the sheep from the Goats, and removes evil and the wicked ones.

Mt.25:31-32 " When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats .”

This second coming judgment takes place outside the City of Jerusalem in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, which lies between the city and the Mount of Olives. (Joel 3:1-3)

Matt 16:27 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.

It is individuals who are divided. The Greek word that is translated nations is also translated Gentiles in the New Testament. The sheep and goats will be gathered into the Valley of Jehoshaphat and will to be separated to Jesus’ left side and to His right. On his right are the sheep, and those on his left are the goats. These Gentiles will primarily be judged on their treatment of the Jesus’ brethren, the Jewish people during the Tribulation. (Mt.24:31-46)

It is after this judgment the world and believers will enter the Millennium with Jesus ruling from Jerusalem.

 

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