Christ's return to earth
The return of Christ to earth is an event completely independent of the rapture of the church. The rapture of the church will take place in the air and is a salvation event for the Christian people from the judgments of God upon the earth in the days of the Antichrist and the false prophet.
Christ's return to earth will take place to establish judgments against the Antichrist, the false prophet and all those who rejected Christ as the savior of their soul. When Christ returns to earth he will come with his holy angels and the redeemed saints who participated in the rapture of the church.
Then I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he that sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and fights.
12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on his head were many diadems; and he had a name written that no one knew but himself.
13 He was clothed in a robe dyed with blood; and his name is, THE WORD OF GOD.
14 And the armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses.
15 Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations, and rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the wine of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And on his vesture and on his thigh he has this name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Revelation 19:11-16 Reina-Valera 1960 (RVR1960).
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As the word well says: "Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he shall tread the winepress of the wine of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God".
Christ's return to earth is for judgment, first against all the nations that worshipped the beast and served him. Christ will set his feet upon "Mount Zion" which will be split in two and a valley will be formed. The nations will be shaken with a great earthquake of considerable magnitude and the wrath of God will be kindled against them and the Lamb will fight to the end of the wicked who hated Christ and loved evil.
And there roared and thundered thunder and lightning, and there was a great earthquake, the worst since man was put on the earth. Revelation 16:18 New International Version (NIV)
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God will severely punish all nations remaining for the great day of the Lord, which will be immediately after the 7 years of "Great Tribulation on earth".
The Lamb after punishing the nations will fight against the Antichrist and the false prophet, both will be thrown alive by the Lord into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat upon the horse, and against his army.
20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who had done before him the signs by which he had deceived those who received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. Revelation 19: 19-20 Reina-Valera 1960 (RVR1960).
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After the Beast (Antichrist) and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire, the Lamb, who rides the white horse, will fight against the Dragon (Satan) and bind him with a chain and cast him into the depths of the earth until the thousand years are fulfilled.
And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 And he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be fulfilled; after which he would be loosed for a little time. Revelation 20: 1-3 The New King James Version (NKJV).
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When Christ has set everything in order on earth and saved the people of Israel from the hands of the Antichrist, God will restore the whole earth that was in chaos because of the great earthquake, then Christ will reign on earth for a thousand years from Jerusalem over all the nations that have been left standing.
God's promises are faithful and true. God's people are invited to be watchful because the coming of Christ is nearer than we can imagine. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Church.
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