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The day of His entrance into His Temple through the eastern gate is the day when the earth is lightened with His presence. Eze. 43:2 The scripture nowhere, even hints, that His coming and the rapture will be an event which is invisible. Like Ezekielís vision, when He comes, He comes as the light of the world. Inasmuch as Jesus is the precise image and likeness of His Father. He is filled with and is clothed with the glory of the Father until He is the very brightness of that glory. Heb. 1:3 Brightness, off flash or effulgence. Strongís Dict.
Paulís subject is that of the rapture when he wrote to the church at Thessaloniaca, he used the word parousia, which is translated today into the coming of Christ and the rapture of the saints. He emphasized the truth that His coming or rapture would be with the same brightness as mentioned by Ezekiel when He entered into the eastern gate in all of His splendor and glory. 2 Thess. 2:8 Jesus related the visibility of His coming at the time of the rapture to the lightning, the glorious, brilliant shining forth of what the Psalmist calls the Lordís arrows. Ps. 144:6 He also gave a specific direction from which He will appear. Mt. 24:27.
The highly visible second coming of Christ, and the accompanying rapture is further stated in the book of Revelation. Rev. 1:7 He is declared to be coming with clouds. Clouds which are not like the natural clouds which drift over our earth today but clouds of the saints and armies of the Lord. They too will shine with His glory as they are clothed with the light and righteousness of the Almighty. Rev. 19:14 Not only will the living inhabitants of the earth behold His coming but all of heaven and hell (those who pierced Him) will see His coming.
The great volume of sound is another factor which must be considered when His coming (rapture) is said to be secret. He comes with a shout, using the volume of the voice of an archangel. A shout which will be heard almost simultaneously around the whole of the earth. The trump of the Lord will also be sounded. A blast which will exceed all previous trumpet sounds. This is His trumpet, it will be loud enough to awaken the saints from their place of burial. 1 Thess. 4:16 His coming will be the brightest, most glorious cosmic event ever, of which there are many preceding the rapture. Signs which have not yet been fulfilled but will be before that glorious and wonderful day arrives. The signs mentioned by Joel (2:30-31) have yet to take place and they will before He comes.