Then, perhaps after "forty days" (the Lord ascended forty days after His resurrection) of fellowship, greeting old friends, marveling together at the goodness and greatness of the Lord Jesus, we all shall rise together in clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

"The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven."

This is the coming of the Lord, the Day of the Lord, the Day of Christ. Christ is coming from Heaven. Every eye shall see Him.

First Thessalonians 4:13-18 is the long-awaited coming of the Lord from Heaven, the blessed hope of the church. It is at this time, at the appearing of the Lord, that "two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left." Where will she be taken? She will be taken to meet Christ in the air. She is an "eagle," feeding on the body and blood of the Lamb. She will go to the slain Lamb.

When will she be taken? She will be taken "immediately after the tribulation of those days" (see the context of Matthew 24:41) but before the wrath of God is poured out. Lot, a type of the saved, was brought out of Sodom before the fire came down and destroyed them all.

Listen to the Word of God:

Immediately after the tribulation of those days [the great tribulation] shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: (Matthew 24:29)

It is not possible that the Lord Jesus can return to earth until the four great signs that announce His coming have come to pass. The Scriptures cannot be changed. If an angel from Heaven teaches some other doctrine we will reject him. Christ has spoken clearly and distinctly.

The saints in Thessalonica, two thousand years ago, thought Paul meant the next event that would take place in the world would be the return of Christ. Many of them quit their jobs because of the imminence of Christ's return.

For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. (II Thessalonians 3:11)

Therefore, in Second Thessalonians Paul told the saints in Thessalonica to go back to their jobs because the Day of Christ will not come until the worldwide revolt against authority has taken place and the man of sin has ascended the Throne of God in the Temple of God in Jerusalem, sitting on the golden Mercy Seat between the wings of the Cherubim of Glory, declaring he is God Almighty and there is no God except himself.

As we have said, some of the believers in Thessalonica were persuaded that Christ would return to earth immediately. With this in mind they had abandoned their daily work and were waiting for the coming of the Lord. It was fortunate for them Paul instructed them to go back to work considering two thousand years have passed since then.

To be continued.