Let us examine how the second chapter of Joel, and similar passages of the Old Testament, are related to such familiar passages as the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew and the fourth chapter of First Thessalonians. There are certain expressions and facts of Scripture that are common to both the Old Testament and the New Testament descriptions of the Day of Christ:

The "thief."

The trembling of the heavens.

The signs in the sun, moon, and stars.

The "voice" of the Lord.

The expression "the day of the Lord."

The militant nature of the Day of Christ.

The "thief." The second chapter of the Book of Joel declares that the Lord's army will "enter in at the windows like a thief" (Joel 2:9).

Jesus stated that He will come as a thief (Matthew 24:43).

Paul warns that the Day of the Lord will come as a "thief in the night" (I Thessalonians 5:2).

The trembling of the heavens. Joel says "the heavens shall tremble" (Joel 2:10).

Jesus prophesied that at His return, His presence, "the powers of the heavens shall be shaken" (Matthew 24:29).

The signs in the sun, moon, and stars. Joel speaks of the darkening of the sun, moon, and stars (Joel 2:10).

Isaiah pointed to the fact that "the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine" (Isaiah 13:10).

Habakkuk declares, "The sun and moon stood still in their habitation" (Habakkuk 3:11).

The Lord Jesus indicated that the darkening of the sun and moon and the falling of the stars from heaven are the signs of His coming (Matthew 24:29). It is not likely there will be more than one occasion on which such extraordinary signs will be given. Thus the second chapter of the Book of Joel is tied to the twenty-fourth chapter of the Book of Matthew.

Currently, Christian teachers and preachers are pointing to the fourth chapter of the Book of First Thessalonians as being a secret coming, an appearing of the Lord Jesus to "catch away His Bride" before His historic coming—even before the arrival on the earth of Antichrist and the great tribulation.

We know that the historic coming of Matthew, Chapter 24 will take place "immediately after the tribulation of those days," that is, immediately after the great tribulation (Matthew 24:29).

If we can tie the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew to I Thessalonians, Chapter Four, then we can show that the teaching that the believers in Christ will be carried off to Heaven before the tribulation is not a scriptural concept.

The connection between Matthew, Chapter 24 and I Thessalonians, Chapter Four is the Greek term, parousia. Parousia frequently is translated "coming" but may be rendered "presence." We are looking for the presence of the Lord, in the sense of His appearing once more to mankind on the earth.

The term for "coming" in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew is parousia (verses 3, 27, 37, 39).

The same word, parousia, is employed by the Apostle Paul in I Thessalonians 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; and 5:23. It is not reasonable that the Holy Spirit would guide the Lord Jesus and Paul to use the same word for coming if different appearances were being designated. This fact combined with the others we are mentioning seems to indicate that the teaching that Paul was speaking of a special secret "rapture" in First Thessalonians, Chapter Four is in error.

To be continued.