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The coming (Gr. parousia, spoken of as being the rapture), the return of the Lord Jesus will be most spectacular event of time. Flashes of lightning are extremely visible, brilliant and most impressive. Jesus said that His return would be as lightning. Mt. 24:27 Furthermore He indicated the direction of His coming, as lightning shining from the east, or the sun rising. That bolt of lightning will flash around the world at the speed of light. For some it will be day, for others night. Every time zone will see His return almost simultaneously. Therefore He will return to the inhabitants of the whole earth, time zone by time zone at basically one and the same moment of time.
Luke made it personal and pertaining to the Lord Jesus by saying; “so shall the Son of man be in His day.” Lk. 17:24.
The visibility of the return of the Lord Jesus is well documented in the scriptures. We have already seen that He will return like lightning an element of this earth’s atmosphere which is common and highly visible. Wonderfully enough it is also an evidence of the glory of the Lord as lightning is revealed as emanating from the throne of the Lord. Rev. 4:5 It is a manifestation of the living, active glory of the Lord. Who do you suppose the person was who appeared to Daniel whose face appeared as lightning? Dan. 10:6 He was the same dignitary who rolled back the stone from the empty tomb. His countenance glowed with the glory of the Lord. The stone was rolled back for the women to view an empty tomb. He said, “He is not here, He is risen.” Mt. 28:2,6 For the answer, check Mt.17:2 Ezekiel’s beings of life were also persons associated with the fiery presence of the Spirit of the Lord. From them flashed forth streaks of lightning. Eze. 1:13 Their speed of movement or travel had the appearance of a flash of lightning. Eze. 1:14.
The presence of the Lord on Mt Sinai was a mighty demonstration of His awesome presence. The Lord concealed His glory in the thick, black cloud. The evidence of His presence was made manifest in the roar of the thunder and the constant flashing of the lightning. The mountain trembled at His presence, the people trembled at the sound of His voice. Ex. 19:16,18. They well had cause to tremble for they had been witnesses of the destructive force of the hail and the ball lightning which had run along the ground in Egypt when Moses lifted up his staff. His action produced the greatest manifestation of the damaging power of a storm and hail that Egypt had ever known up to and until that time. Ex. 9:23-26 Only in the land of Goshen (Israel’s quarters) the judgments of the Lord were not experienced.