Hello, Ahwatukee, I am interested and would love to take this in stages, you are actually saying that there should be 2 coming of the Lord, not one. So let's address them in stages: The gathering of the church first.
Now I don't agree that this is the gathering of the church, but it is when he return for the first resurrection to begin his 1,000 years reign of peace. I agree with you, I Thessalonian 4:15-17 did say he will descend from heaven with a shout and the dead in Christ shall rise first
15 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 them which are asleep.
16 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:
17 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.
That is evidence by scripture, as should all things, not an assumption be made of certain things. I Thessalonian 5:21 states to prove all things--
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
However, John 14:1-3 doesn't say that the Lord takes us back to the Father. It say that he will come again, which proves one coming.... did not say I will come again twice....and receive you unto him that where he is, you shall be also. Now the question to ask and needs to be answered by scriptural proof is where is he going to be?
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if
it were not
so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am,
there ye may be also.
4
And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Now I am asking you to prove to me through scripture that where he is going to be is in heaven. Because I have scriptures which states you could not go there.
John 8:21
21 Then said Jesus again unto them,
I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.
I also have scripture to prove where Jesus is going to be after he returns. First of all the angel told the disciples where and how Jesus would return, in the same manner he left. Acts 1:9-12
9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee,
why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey
Therefore this is a clue that he will return back to the same mount of Olive in which he descended from. As revealed in Zechariah the 14 chapter, talking about the day of the Lord which is what his return is called and that he will return to the Mount of Olive, as the Angel predicted.
1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 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.
6 And it shall come to pass in that day,
that the light shall not be clear,
nor dark:
7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass,
that at evening time it shall be light.
8 And it shall be in that day,
that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
11 And
men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.
So, doesn't sound like he is going to go back to heaven, because it states here that he is going to land on the Mount of Olive and be king over the earth.
Now let me tell you what is the big misperception of people the reason you and others thinks there is two coming of Christ. Well because immediately after the great tribulation, when Jesus returns, he is going to take this earth by force in what is called the battle of Armageddon as described above in Zechariah 14:2-3.
Once he has taken this earth by force then he will reign here a 1000 years in peace. In which, means the Devil has to be dealt with in order for it to be peace and no evil. So Revelation 20:1-3 tells you that an angel will bound him for 1000 years.
1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Now during Jesus 1000 years reign, he would have resurrected all the dead who died obeying his commandments, and those who were still alive when he return changed too, to be GODs.
However, there are still flesh and blood people living on the earth. Those who were not destroyed and killed during the great tribulation and the battle of Armageddon. Those people will have to worship Jesus and obey him during this period, as told in Zechariah 14:16-19
16 And it shall come to pass,
that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
17 And it shall be,
that whoso will not come up of
all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that
have no
rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
Also evidence in Revelation 20:4-6 about Jesus return being first resurrection of those ready when he come and all others have to wait for the white throne Judgement which comes after the 1000 year reign.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and
I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received
his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This
is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy
is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Now after the 1000 years Satan will be let loose for a short while to deceive again which he will do as according to Revelation 20:7-10
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom
is as the sand of the sea.
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet
are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
After this come the white throne Judgement
where all dead and alive who have not been changed yet, has to stand before judgement and see if they are found to be worthy of the Tree of Life. Revelation 20:11-15
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is
the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
This is where the Son finally gives the Kingdom to the Father who in return as stated in Revelation 21 chapter bring down his kingdom -- New Jerusalem where He too will dwell with his people and be their GOD. Revelation 21:1-3
1 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.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold,
the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Now, I ask you to provide me scriptural back up of your claim of where Jesus is going to be or go when he return because John 14:1-3 doesn't say where that is.
Shalom,
Jayoish