The disciples asked Jesus face to face privately;
When shall things happen.
What are the signs.
Matt 24:
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3] And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Then will appear in heaven
the sign of the Son of Man, 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 out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. -Matthew 24:30–31
You implication is: a rapid succession.
1) "Christians" are Raptured
2) Christ is SEEN in the Clouds by those left on earth.
3) Christ is SEEN "Coming" to Earth.
4) Angels gather Christ's Elect.
Disagree.
Matt 24;
The Christ Jesus is ON earth, giving His Disciples a brief answer to their questions.
AFTER Jesus has ascended up to Heaven;
Christ's Servant, a man IN Christ is called (by a sound of a TRUMP) "UP" above the Earth, and ENTERS through a DOOR, to Heaven (IN THE SPIRT,) to SEE, and then speak (TO Christ's servants) Prophecy of WHAT he SEES.
Rev 4
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1] After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
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2] And immediately I was in the spirit:
As Jesus answered the Disciples in Matt 24, in brief....so also I believe John was given details of the SIGNS Jesus spoke of briefly in Matt 24.
So also, I trust to believe, As John was Saved and Born Again, so also am I. And AS John was called UP above the Earth, IN THE spirit, by the Sound of the Lord's Voice, as a Trump, So also will I. And What shall commence ON Earth, will occur WHILE, I am NOT ON EARTH, same as John was NOT on earth.
The BRIEF SIGNS Jesus spoke of in Matt...shall come to pass.
The DETAILED HAPPENINGS John spoke of in Rev...shall come to pass.
You seem to gloss over the details.
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. -1 Thessalonians 4:16–17
DESCEND FROM HEAVEN...to the Clouds.
NOT EARTH.
These verses clearly tells us we shall MEET the Lord in the air. We probably won't stay there, but that's where it happens.
Seconding Coming, is specifically to EARTH.
Descent to the Clouds; is specifically when Jesus gathers His Church "UP" to Him.
After Jesus' Descent TO the Clouds...
After Christ's Church is gathered UP in the air
(Above the earth)
MUCH HAPPENS ON EARTH...
....(and In the Heavens)
Before Jesus' Comes TO the Earth....
Glory to God,
Taken