Christ will return twice; He will return once to meet the saved that are the “body of Christ,” in the clouds. The second time Christ will return is during The Great Tribulation.” On this occasion, Christ will return to earth, to the Mount of Olives.
The “Body of Christ” Will Meet Christ in The Clouds
All those that believe the gospel of the grace of God are called members of the “body of Christ.” These members of the “body of Christ” are awaiting the return of Jesus Christ, and will meet Him in the clouds.
In I Thessalonians 4:13-17 God tells us that:
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.
What these verses mean is that the souls and spirits of the members of the body of Christ who have already died have been in heaven with Christ and He will bring these spirits and souls with Him when He returns to meet us in the clouds. These spirits and souls will be reunited with their “new bodies” in the clouds.
Additionally, those saved members of the “body of Christ” who are alive when Christ returns will inherit a new body for their spirit and soul and meet Christ in the clouds. Then Christ will return to heaven with all saved members of the “body of Christ.”
Christ Returns to Earth to Fight During The Great Tribulation
We know that Christ ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives as referenced in Acts 1:11-12. Christ will also descend to the Mount of Olives when He returns to fight during The Great Tribulation. We, that are the saved members of the “body of Christ,” will not be on earth when The Great Tribulations starts.
Christ Ascends To Heaven
Christ ascended to heaven ten days prior to Pentecost, as seen in Acts 1:11-12.
Acts 1:11-12
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.
12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.
Christ Descends From Heaven
Christ’s return to earth is recorded in II Thessalonians 1:7-10. In verse 7 we see that we, the “body of Christ,” need not worry. This is because we will have already met Christ in the clouds and will have been taken back to heaven before Christ returns back to earth at the end of The Great Tribulation.
II Thessalonians 1:7-10
7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
We see in Zachariah 14:4 that Christ will descend to the Mount of Olives when He returns to fight during The Great Tribulation.
Zachariah 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.