The return of Christ is a definite future event during which the glorified Jesus will come to take His bride home and finally judge the people of the earth according to their sins. Jesus himself said, “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Mt 24:30). From Scripture it is clear that the return of Christ will be a complete surprise (Mt 24&25). Jesus Christ the Savior and the Son of God will come like a thief in the night and no one will know the day or the hour (1 Thess 5:2).
I believe that because of this surprising return of Christ and the promises given to the church in Thessalonica by Paul, the church will be delivered or raptured prior to the great tribulation (1 Thess 1:10). In an almost simultaneous event, the dead in Christ will be raised first and then the living followers of Christ will follow to meet Jesus in the air (1 Thess 4-5).
After the rapture, there will be a 7-year period of tribulation during which Israel will be given one last chance to finally accept Jesus Christ as Lord. At the end of the tribulation, Christ will return to imprison Satan and begin the thousand-year millennium (Rev. 19-20). After a thousand years of peace, Satan will be released, defeated, and cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:7-10). Following that, every unbeliever will be judged and cast into the lake of fire as well.
Finally, believers will be freed of evil and will be able to enjoy their Creator for eternity. Heaven and earth will be destroyed and a new heaven and earth will be created for man and God to enjoy forever (Rev 21-22, 2 Pt 3:14).
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