We see Christ laying down what will happen and the signs and events to watch for.

Matthew 24 King James Version (KJV)
1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days 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:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

There are many being taken in by false ideas, or false doctrines such as the secret rapture which are not supported by scripture but are to confuse those who dont look at what the Bible says, and many will be fooled by false christs because they wont know what to look for.

So scripture clearly lays out that when He comes it will clearly be visible and warns against false christs, "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it." as He wont be walking around, but in the clouds with His angels when Christ comes again. We see the same things repeated also in Mark.

Mark 13:1-27 King James Version (KJV)
1 And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!
2 And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,
4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?
5 And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:
6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.
10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.
13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:
15 And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house:
16 And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.
17 But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
18 And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.
19 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.
20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.
21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:
22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.
24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.
26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

And there is further text..

And we find it in Luke, so it was very clear what Jesus said.

Luke 21:5-28 King James Version (KJV)
5 And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said,
6 As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
7 And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?
8 And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.
9 But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.
10 Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
13 And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:
15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.
17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.
24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

So what are the signs & events of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, lets go over them.

Now many of the events portrayed in these chapters have always existed on the earth, but never has there been a time when all these events were evident in the world simultaneously in diverse places.

The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness. Zephaniah 1:14,15

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear,...Luke 21:25,26

The events portrayed here refer to the dark day and the meteor showers, which ushered in the great Advent Movement. After the tribulation of the 1260 years of papal suppression of the truth, New England experienced the famous Dark Day on May 19, 1780 which was followed by signs in the moon as well. The stars that fell were equated with the great meteor shower of November 13, 1833 when 200 000 meteors fell per hour. These signs were seen by the Millerites as fulfillments of these prophecies. The parallel text can be found in Revelation chapter 6.

And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. Revelation 6:12,13.

History records these significant events as follows:

The dark day of New England, so familiar to old and young, came May 19. 1780 .... Near eleven o'clock, it began to grow dark, as if night were coming. Men ceased their work; the lowing cattle came to the barns, the bleating sheep huddled by the fences, the wild birds screamed and flew to their nests, the fowls went to their roosts .... At night it was so inky dark that a person could not see his hand when held up, nor even a white sheet of paper. - "History of Weare, New Hampshire, 1735-1888." (Boston Public Library).

During the whole time, a sickly melancholy gloom overcast the face of nature:- Nor was the darkness of the night less uncommon and terrifying than that of the day; notwithstanding there was almost a full moon, no object was discernible, but the help of some artificial light, which, when seen from the neighboring houses and other places at a distance, appeared thro' a kind of Egyptian darkness, which seemed impervious to the rays.- "The Independent Chronicle" (Boston). June 8, 1780. P4.

The Dark Day of May 19, 1780, was by all accounts a phenomena of nature which did happen but which man is at a loss to explain.

Jesus also predicted that tension between nations would increase prior to the Second Coming.

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. Matthew 24:7

The Greek word for nation used here is the word ethnos from which we get the words ethnic group. Sadly, when we look at the nations of the world today, there may be talk of peace, but ethnic violence, even so-called ethnic cleansing is rife. The world has tried to bring in a new world order and bring together its trade and commerce into one world economy, and yet it still is breaking down.

Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. James 5:3,4

False religions and false Christs will stake their claims prior to the return of Jesus:

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matthew. 24:24

The close of the twentieth century saw a resurgence in false Christs. The so-called Lord Maitreya made his appearance and uttered statements in direct contradiction to scriptures, but the world religions are awaiting just a one as he.

All the great religions posit the idea of a further revelation to be given by a future Teacher. Christians hope for the return of the Christ, the Buddhists look for the coming of another Buddha (the Lord Maitreya ), while Muslims await the Imam Mahdi, the Hindus a reincarnation of Krishna, and the Jews the Messiah even though He has come.

Numerous additional signs of the imminent return of Christ are given in the Scriptures which testify that the time is near. These include:

An increase in knowledge - Daniel 12:4

An increase in demonic activity (Spiritulism, Satanism, etc..)- Rev 16:13,14, 1 Timothy 4:1-7

An increase in lawlessness - 2 Timothy 3:1-7

Departure from the faith - 2 Timothy 4:3,4

Rise of False teachings (evolution) - 2 Peter 3:3-7

Increase in traffic (modern transport) - Nahum 2:4

Of all these signs, the one with the greatest finality is:

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come. Matthew 24:14

We are admonished to study the signs and to pay attention. However, we are not to conclude that we can discern the day or the hour of His coming from these events.

Matthew 24:36
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

If we study the nature of the coming of Christ and the purpose of His coming, then no one need be deceived.

Christ promised to take saints to heaven to eternal life and His word tells us the sequence of how it will happen, and just as surely He says what will happen to the wicked as they are separated from God at the Lake of Fire in eternal death. Lets start with the saints...

John 14:1-3
1 In Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Here is the promise and the return of Christ or His second coming to this earth is the event of His promise that will finally release the people of God from Satan's grip.

Hebrew 9:28
28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

This second time and the manner is described in Acts.

Acts 1:9-11
9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Jesus was taken up into heaven by a cloud, and Jesus declares He will return in the clouds. The clouds refer to the angels that surround Him, as Jesus Himself promised that He would return with the clouds which are all His angels.

Matthew 24:30
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Matthew 25:31
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

Now its not a secret rapture in any way but a event seen by everyone on the earth.

Revelation 1:7
7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Matthew 24:26-27
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Now he will resurrect the saints sleeping in Christ and with the living saints take them up into the clouds of angels to take them to heaven.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 King James Version (KJV)
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

At the second coming, Christ calls forth the dead and sends forth His angels to gather the elect, and together they meet Him in the air. Christ Himself does not come down to the earth, His feet do not touch the earth. He has the angels gather the saints from the earth and then takes them to heaven.

Matthew 24:31
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Now the issue which confuses many nowadays is this pre and post tribulation and other dispensational views but these ideas of the Secret Rapture and Seven Year Tribulation are not supported by the Bible. They are just distractions brought in that blind people to the truth, but lets get to what happens to wicked at the end. We see that the Second Coming of Christ is seen by everyone and the saints, those that are living and even the dead in Christ are resurrected and taken up.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

But only the righteous saints in the grave who are "in Christ" are resurrected at the second coming. The rest of the dead are not resurrected until after the millennium or the thousand years.

Revelation 20:1-5
1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
4 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.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

Take note of this last verse closely, as wicked or the "rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection." The righteous saints are raised in this first resurrection and taken to heaven, but the unrighteous or wicked are not raised until the thousand years are finished.

Revelation 20:6
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Notice that those saints which are raised up in the first resurrection, "the second death hath no power", as the second death is the one that separates man from God forever, and is reserved for the wicked who run and hide at the Second Coming or just lay in the grave if dead already.

Revelation 6:15-17
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

So now after the thousand years, the wicked are resurrected for their judgment which they will receive at the Lake of Fire.

Acts 24:15
And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

So we have the righteous saints who are brought up at the resurrection of the just or of life.

Luke 14:14
And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

John 5:29
And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

And the first resurrection is of the saints not the wicked as the verses make clear. The wicked are brought up at the resurrection of damnation after the thousand years. Those not in the first resurrection will be raised at the end of the 1000 years in the second resurrection. Now those in the second resurrection who are the unjust, will be deceived by Satan again and will be gathered against God's City, will stand before the final great white throne judgment, will be judged by their works, will be cast into the lake of fire, and will suffer the second death .

Revelation 20:7-15
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

So the wicked are resurrected after the thousand years this the scripture tells us, but we need to understand why.

John 5:28-29
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

There is a resurrection of life, and there is a resurrection of damnation. One leads to eternal life as the saints are taken up to heaven and are with Christ for eternity, and the other leads to eternal death, as the wicked are consumed in the Lake of Fire and are separated from God for eternity.

So what are the events of the Second Coming that Christians look for. One is the coming of Christ in glory, which they all show be waiting for. Jesus said:

I will come again. John 14:3

This promise will be fulfilled. The return of Christ or His second coming to this earth is the event that will finally release the people of God from Satan's earthly rule.

...looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ.. Titus 2:13

...to those who eagerly wait for Him, He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. Hebrews 9:28 NKJV

So how He will be the events of Christ's return?

And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they were looking steadfastly toward Heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, 'Ye men of Galilee; why stand ye gazing up into Heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven'. Acts 1:9-l l.

Number one, is in the clouds together with His angels

Jesus was taken up into heaven by a cloud, and He will return in the clouds. The clouds refer to the angels of God that surround Him as can be seen in Hebrew parallelism.

The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels; the Lord is among them, as is Sinai, in the holy place. Psalm 68:17

...who maketh the clouds his chariots; who walketh upon the wings of the wind. Psalm 104:3

Jesus Himself promised that He would return with the clouds (the angels).

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24:30

Further texts are Matthew 26:64; Mark 13:26; Mark 14:62; and Revelation 1:7.

...the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels. 2 Thessalonians 1:7

When the Son of man shall come in His glory and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory. Matthew 25:31

The glory of Christ's coming surpasses anything we can imagine. He will return in the glory of His angels, and that of the Godhead:

...when He shall come in His own glory, and in His Father's and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26

Number two, the Second Coming will be universally visible

Behold He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see Him... Revelation 1:7

Christ warned against false comings of Christ that would not be universally visible.

Wherefore, if they shall say unto you, Behold he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers, believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Matthew 24:26,27

...they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24:30

Number three, the Second Coming will be audible

And he shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of Heaven to the other. Matthew 24:31

The Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout and the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God... I Thessalonians 4:16

Number four, the Lord will Not come down to the Earth, but will await the Redeemed in the sky

For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17

During the last plague, when the final earthquake and hail destroy the inhabitants of the earth, the redeemed (elect) will be gathered together by angels and taken up into the air to meet the Lord in the sky. This is a rapture, but it is not a secret rapture.

And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:31

At the second coming, Christ calls forth the dead and sends forth His angels to gather the elect, and together they meet Him in the air. Christ Himself does not come down to the earth - His feet do not touch the earth. His command to His angels is:

Gather my saints together unto me, those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. Psalm 50:5

So what are the sequence of events of the Second Coming itself which scripture tells us.

1. The Righteous Dead are Raised

For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. I Thessalonians 4:16

Only the righteous who are "in Christ" are resurrected at the second coming. The rest of the dead are not resurrected until after the millennium or thousand years.

And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given unto them. And I saw the souls of those 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 for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Revelation 20:4,5

The righteous are raised - the unrighteous are not raised until the thousand years are finished.

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection... Revelation 20:6

In John 5:28,29, Christ tells us that all shall hear His voice. He talks of two resurrections - "the resurrection of life", and "the resurrection of damnation". These two events are separated by a thousand years.


2. The Righteous Living will be Translated

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them, to meet the Lord in the air. I Thessalonians 4:17

The living righteous ("we which are alive") will be gathered together with the resurrected righteous to meet the Lord in the air. The righteous living will not taste death, but will be translated as were Enoch and Elijah. (Genesis 5:24; 2 Kings 2:11)

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.' 1 Corinthians 15: 51-54 NKJV

The living righteous are changed in moments at the last trumpet. Our bodies will be changed into the likeness of His glorious body.

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body... Philippians 3:20, 21 NKJV

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him . . and every man that hath this hope in Him, purifieth himself, even as He is pure. 1 John 3:2,3 NKJV

He will swallow up death in victory, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth; for the Lord has spoken it. And it shall be said in that day: 'Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.' Isaiah 25:8,9

3. The Wicked are Slain and the Nations Destroyed

The cry of those who have rejected God is:

And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?' Revelation 6:15-17 NKJV

The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. Psalm 110:5,6

There is no peace of nations or joy expressed here at the second coming of the Christ. Those who have slighted the mercy of Christ and sought to destroy his saints will be destroyed by the brightness of His coming. Neither is the Lord a respecter of position. The heads of nations will give an account for their actions. Then the wicked one, the man of sin, will be revealed for what he is.

And then shall the wicked be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 NKJV

These people will be destroyed and their bodies will be strewn over the earth.

And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth, even unto the other end of the earth; they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground. Jeremiah 25:33

They cannot be gathered, lamented or buried because no living being will remain on earth.

I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form and void; and the heavens, they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, and all the hills moved back and forth. I beheld, and indeed there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens had fled. I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, and all its cities were broken down at the presence of the Lord, by His fierce anger. For thus says the Lord: 'The whole land shall be desolate; yet I will not make a full end.' For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black, because I have spoken. I have purposed and will not relent, nor will I turn back from it. Jeremiah 4:23-28 NKJV

'I will utterly consume everything from the face of the land,' says the Lord; 'I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens, the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks along with the wicked. I will cut off man from the face of the land,' says the Lord. Zephaniah 1:1-3 NKJV

In contrast with the events described above is the doctrine of the secret rapture which proposes that the people of God will be secretly taken to heaven while the unconverted remain on the earth to receive what is tantamount to a second chance. The second chance doctrine is a doctrine of false hope which does not encourage people to change their lives and make right with God. Scripture is clear we have to turn from our sins and turn to the Lord:

Isaiah 55:7 King James Version (KJV)
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Ezekiel 18:21-23 King James Version (KJV)
21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.
23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

Again there is an "if" in these verses. Salvation is conditional to turning to God and obedience. We will be held accountable..

Matthew 16:27 King James Version (KJV)
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

We find God's justice cannot be compromised.

2 Thessalonians 1:6-7 King James Version (KJV)
6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

According to these texts, relief for the righteous and recompense for the wicked take place at the same time - at the return of Christ. Dispensationalists separate these events by a period of seven years. First the rapture, then the destruction of antichrist at the second coming. During this supposed period, the Jewish people will have gone through the tribulation and will have come to accept Christ.

The glory of Christ's second coming leaves no hint of secrecy. The events occurring at the second coming are all described as occurring at the same time. The return of Christ is the blessed hope of the people of God: Jesus is to be revealed. (1 Corinthians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:7,13; 4:13) Dispensationalists do not believe in Spiritual Israel (the church) but believe that the promises are for literal Israel. They thus separate the Church from Israel, but the Bible makes no such distinction.

Galatians 6:16 King James Version (KJV)
16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

Typology in the Bible always points to something greater. The shadow is of less significance than he who casts the shadow. The lamb points to Christ - the latter being so much greater than the former. Literal Babylon points to end-time Babylon, comprising all the apostate forces prevalent at the end of time. Literal Jerusalem or Israel of old is a type of end-time spiritual Jerusalem or Israel comprising all the redeemed of all ages. Dispensationalists literalise the type and make it the same as the type. They await a literal reconstruction of Babylon and Israel, which would be the same as awaiting the return of a literal lamb.

According to the dispensationalist view, the tribulation is therefore determined for the Jews only. The Bible knows nothing of such a teaching. The trials and tribulations are, on the contrary, designed to purge and cleanse the church. (1 Thess. 3:3) God's people, those who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, have to go through the tribulation.

Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, 'What are these which are arrayed in white robes, and whence came they?' And I said to him, 'Sir, thou knowest.' And he said to me, 'These are they which come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb...' Revelation 7:13,14

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: 'The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' He said to them, 'An enemy has done this'. The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?' But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."' .... And His disciples came to Him, saying, 'Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.' He answered and said to them: 'He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43 NKJV

The wicked and the just stay together till the harvest - the return of Christ.

When Israel of old was delivered from the bondage of Egypt, the plagues did not fall when the Israelites were already gone. They were present and witnessed the events, being subjected to the first three plagues themselves. God, however, divinely protected them from the effects of the last seven plagues, just as He will divinely protect God's people at the end of time from the effects of the last seven plagues to fall on this earth. (Revelation 3:10-13) God's people are urged to hold on till He comes. They are not raptured before the events. The texts often quoted for the rapture are:

For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your lord is coming. Matthew 24:38-42 NKJV

These texts do not prove a secret rapture. They merely point out that at the return of Christ, some will be saved and others will be lost. Finally, the dispensationalist view that "antichrist" will arise after the secret rapture is also not in line with the teaching of Scripture regarding the man of sin. (See The Man Behind the Mask) The Bible clearly teaches that this power will arise from the church, not after the church.

Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. 1 John 2:18,19 NKJV

Having gone through the tribulation and felt the wrath of antichrist, the only hope for the people of God is the return of Christ. Just as the blood of the lamb was to be painted on the doorposts of the Israelite dwellings during the night of the final plague in Egypt, so the blood of the lamb must be painted on the doorpost of the heart to alert the destroying angel that we have been purchased by the blood of the lamb.

And it will be said in that day, 'Behold, this is our God, we have waited for Him and He will save us. This is the Lord. we have waited for Him. We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation. Isaiah 25:9 NKJV