We enter the Kingdom of God by means of the resurrection from the dead. As soon as the change takes place in our body we are ready and prepared to be caught up together with those who have just been raised from the dead.

We who are alive and remain on the earth, being part of the eternal company of saints, will be changed in an instant from human beings into spiritual creatures and will go to join the groups of saints who have just emerged from their graves.

"Together with them in the clouds." The newly resurrected Christians, and we who have been ready to leave the earth at a moment's notice, will be joined together as one Church—one perfect, unblemished Body of Christ.

The Holy Spirit of God will abide on the Church of Christ. To the horror of Antichrist and his deceived followers, including many who profess to be Christians, the whole body of saints will begin to ascend from the surface of the earth.

Slowly, majestically, with anthems of praise rolling from horizon to horizon as a tremendous thunder to accompany the lightning of Christ's Glory, all those who live by the body and blood of the slain Lamb will be caught away in clouds to be joined to Christ for eternity.

If Christ and His saints were, at this point, to leave the earth forever, the rebellious nations of the earth would destroy each other because of the sight they just have witnessed.

But the ascension of the victorious saints is the merest beginning of the sorrows of Antichrist and his followers.

"To meet the Lord in the air." The air is the area from which the fallen angels plague the world with their wicked, perverse, rebellious natures. Now their thrones will be given to the saints of the Most High.

Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. (Daniel 7:22)

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. (Revelation 20:4)

The Glory of Christ and of the holy angels will be seen in the heavens and on the saints on earth at the same time. As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at this time. The waters of glory will come from beneath and then from above (Genesis 7:11).

We shall meet the Lord in the air. For those of us who are alive at the coming of the Lord this will be the first time we have seen Jesus in Person. Those who came from Heaven with Him may know Him better than we—in the visible, external sense. This may or may not be true, for it is certain that the knowledge of the Lord comes to us as we walk through the fire with Him, not from a mere external contact with Him.

To be continued.