My two cents
are that just as Jesus wasn't recognized by the Pharisees even though two messiah's were taught (son of Joseph and son of David - the suffering messiah and the the king messiah), there are yet multiple gatherings to come. The "escape from wrath", in my opinion, is for those who were found faithful when He comes in the clouds, His bride, but not all are the bride, just like John the Baptist was a friend of the bride, John 3:29. I see the rapture as a gift for the faithful, not a right, Luke 21:36. (Oops!
I've offended someone for sure
) Next we know the very day of His kingdom return to earth: 1260 days from the time the two witness are murdered and the abomination of desolation which will be on Passover, most likely, of some year; add 1260 days (Rev 11:3, 12:6) and you get 1 Tishri, 3.5 years later (Dan 12:7; Rev 12:14 - odd verse combo there!
), on the Feast of Trumpets. So that leaves an unknown day, Matt 24:36. Which coincidentally there is only one day in the calendar year one cannot know in advance according to traditional settings of the Jewish calendar: 1 Tishri! Wow
... coincident
? Time will tell. Pun intended.
Besides even if that wasn't its meaning, without a point of reference we wouldn't know when any event would happen because on planet earth today, this second, there are two days and 42 official time zones.
Next, Mat 24:29-31 clearly state that there is a gathering of the "elect" AFTER the tribulation, but Mat 13:41 says that all that offends will be gathered at the end of the world. So which is it? o_OAhhh multiple gatherings. Next 1 Thes 4:13-17 says the righteous are taken and the wicked are left behind. Mat 13:30, 49 says the wicked are taken first and righteous are left behind. o_OThis points to two separate events, the rapture and the second coming.
Next John 14:2-3 states that Jesus is going to prepare a place for us in which I guess we never visit if we to meet Him in the air, 1 Thess 4:17, only to do a 180 to return to earth to start His kingdom.
Then there's the wedding... Luke 12:36, Rev 19:9, Luke 14... when does this happen?
(Oh... well after we're destroyed in the tribulation I guess
) When is the judgment seat of Christ, 2 Cor 5:10? When will we get our crowns (one at His appearing, yes, 2 Tim 4:8 another - James 1:12, 1 and another Pet 5:4 but when) and then give it to Him in heaven, Rev 4:10, (only 24 out of how many Christians?) when we never make it there, but only as far as the clouds? Hmm... He comes from heaven with some riding white horses, but those raptured at the end are whisked to the clouds, judged, given crowns, mount a horse, and continue to the earth to defeat the antichrist?
Then you have Matt 25:31-46: why would there need to be a separating of the goats (bad people) and the sheep (good people) if we've already met Him in the air,
unless these sheep were those that survived the wrath of God... salvation during the tribulation (Oops! Another dogma shot to pieces!
) Finally, who will populate the millennium so the devil can tempt, Rev 20, at the end of the 1000 years if all the good are raptured out to meet Jesus in the air only to return to earth at that moment and the bad are gathered to be thrown into the lake of fire? Or see a child of 100 die, Isa 65:20!
And how can we be called accursed unless it's referring to the child being born to those that made it through the tribulation without the mark of the beast.
So see, you're both right and you're both wrong. There's no need to interpret each verse (since it's forbidden anyhow, 2 Pet 1:20
), just put them ALL into a pile, like the old puzzle days, use common sense and put them together using the Holy Spirit to show you the big picture. Oh don't forget the "he who will now letteth", 2 Thess 2:7, is taken away "and then shall that wicked be revealed"! Who keeps evil at bay? Wait! Then there's 2 Thess 2:3 which says "except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition" hmmm another contradiction!
UNLESS!!!
Glory to God!
You understand that the word "apostasia" also means DEPARTURE!! Oh wow!
Now we're smoking! First the departure THEN the son of perdition is revealed. The Holy Spirit is the down-payment on our salvation Eph 1:13-14, so if He goes (2 Thess 2:7) and the wicked be revealed, then we too will go with Him!
Booya! <Elvis> "Thank ya very much!"