I Thessalonians 4:13-18 ... But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with HIM.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (dead).
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.
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Notice that both the dead and those who are still alive will meet the Lord in the air.
At some point the current heaven and earth will be destroyed by God. We could not meet on this current earth.
II Peter 3:10-14 ... But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Nevertheless we, according to HIS promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of HIM in peace, without spot, and blameless.
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It is a very significant piece of information that the apostle Paul tells us in Bible that we will meet the Lord "in the air".
Righteousness will never reign on this present earth. It is in the "new heaven and new earth" wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Revelation 21:1-2 ... And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
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Something else this reveals to us is we will be taken off this earth before the coming of the Wrath of God upon this earth.
Jesus returns for the church ... HE comes through the air ... We rise to meet HIM in the air ... removed from this earth.
The great tribulation is the pouring out the vials of the various woes upon this earth and also the sounding of trumpets by the angels which cause terrible, unheard of problems.
Jesus says, Matthew 24:29-31 ...
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.
Does that mean the church goes through the great tribulation and the wrath of God.
But Jesus came through the air and the dead in Christ rose to meet HIM in the air and so did the elect, who were still living at the time, rise to meet Jesus in the air. (I Thessalonians 4)
(I believe the following is what happens:)
1. Jesus comes through the air. The dead in Christ rise and those who are elect and are still living at the time are changed out of their physical bodies into their spiritual bodies and they rise to meet Jesus and the dead in Christ who are already risen. (I Thessalonians 4 & I Corinthians 15)
2. After this, the great tribulation begins with the wrath of God poured out on those who remain on the earth. Apparently some on the earth at the time will be of God for there are the 144,000 who go through the great tribulation but belong to God. (Matthew 24)
3. After the great tribulation, the total destruction of the heaven and earth begins as per Matthew 24:29-31 and during that time, the elect who are still on the earth are gathered to Jesus by the angels HE sends.
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Notice in one section of scripture (I Thess. 4) we see Jesus coming "in the air" but not to this earth. The elect, dead and living, rise to meet Jesus "in the air".
In Matthew 24, we see Jesus sending HIS angels out to gather the elect.
These really seem like 2 events.
This would also fit I Thessalonians 5 where it says God has not appointed us to wrath.
Going into the great tribulation, there will be some who are elect of God but not born again prior to the great tribulation, therefore they are called during the great tribulation. We read of the 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel.
Revelation 7 ... And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the LIVING God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
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Those elect of God, born again and still alive before the wrath of God is poured out on the earth fit in I Thessalonians 5 ...
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
If we consider this by the Spirit of God, we see how important the information "in the air" is.