The coming of the Lord will not be a secret, such as in the teaching of a secret "rapture" in which people become invisible. Rather the coming of the Lord will be an open revelation of God. The rich and poor alike will cry for the mountains and rocks to fall on them and hide them from the face of the Lamb.

First Thessalonians, speaking of the same appearing, tells us there will be a shout, the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet of God—hardly a secret coming.

Yet even during the great tribulation people will be attempting to persuade us that the Lord has returned in secret.

Deception will increase as we approach the end of the Church Age.

We see that where the carcass is, there the vultures will gather. This is a quotation from the thirty-ninth chapter of the Book of Job, verses 27-30.

The mention of "vultures" refers to the Lord's eagles who wait on Him constantly.

The slain Lamb has appeared in the sky above. Those who live by His body and blood will be caught up to Him.

In the Day of Resurrection our doctrine will not raise us to Christ. It is His life in us that will raise us. The body and blood of the Lamb will return to Him who gave it.

We Evangelicals place an unscriptural emphasis on correctness of doctrine. When speaking of His return the Lord never stresses doctrinal correctness. The one important factor is that we have turned away from our adamic nature and are living by His Life, by His body and blood. The Lamb's body is true food and His blood is true drink. They are our eternal life.

Every day of our Christian discipleship we should be turning away from our fleshly impulses. When we overcome our fleshly appetites and passions we are fed, in the spirit realm, with the body and blood of Christ. They are the only Tree of Life. They are the hidden manna that sustain the Lord's warriors.

Now comes the verse that informs us of the timing of the coming of the Lord (the "rapture," to use an unscriptural, misleading term).

Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. (Matthew 24:29—NIV)

The coming of the Lord will take place "immediately after the distress of those days," immediately after the great tribulation.

There is no evidence whatever, in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, which assuredly is one of the definitive passages dealing with the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth, that a special secret "rapture" has occurred prior to the great distress.

People have asked, "How could the coming of the Lord be as a thief, catching people in an unprepared state, if it will be heralded by the darkening of the sun and moon and the shaking of the heavenly bodies?"

The answer is, the signs in the heavens and His return will happen so swiftly there will be no opportunity for repentance.

To be continued.