His coming and gathering in verse 1, is the fulfillment of his promise in John 14:3 to receive us unto himself and 1Thessalonians4:13-18 is he himself coming for his bride , which is not his Second Coming. The Second Coming is after the rapture of the church, because the marriage feast in Revelation 19 is after the marriage.
The Day of the Lord is not a time of celebration. It is a time of judgment.
God is allowed to do both celebration and judgment on the same day. See what manner the Lord will be praised when the seventh trumpet sounds:
Revelation 11:16-18
16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying:
“We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.
18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,
And the time of the dead, that they should be judged,
And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,
And those who fear Your name, small and great,
And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”
It doesn't say first resurrection in 1Thessalonians 4:14-17. Revelation 20:4-6 doesn't say anything about the translation of the living (the rapture)
I didn't say that 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 says first resurrection, but it clearly says the dead are raised slightly prior to gathering of the living. Revelation 20:4-6 says that the resurrection including these Tribulation martyrs is the first resurrection. Therefore, there can be no earlier resurrection of the Church, and therefore, the "rapture" or gathering of the church happens
after the Tribulation, not before.
That gathering pertains to the Jews scattered around the world - a referral back to God's promise back in Deuteronomy in His commitment to them.
The gathering of the Israelites to Israel is not the context of Matthew 24:31 or 2 Thessalonians 2:1. These are about the gathering of the elect to the Lord Jesus Christ. Otherwise Paul would not say, "
our gathering together with Him."
It does mention the gathering in verse 1, but it looks like you have to saw off verse 1 and deny it even though verse 1 and 2 together make a complete sentence.
I never said two separate sentences, but two verses.
But my point is, you can't acknowledge that "the day of Christ" and "that Day" refer to "the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him" - one special day. By dividing the verses and the sentences and redefining the clear meaning, you take it all out of context.
he, who now letteth - Jesus - who is given all power in heaven and in the earth to let things happen
he, who will let - Jesus - who will allow the man of sin to be revealed
he, to be taken out of the way - (Jesus) his body here on earth the church
What doesn't fit the "he" for all three requirements:
God the Father
The Holy Spirit
Michael, the angel
The church
Jesus keeps Satan from doing all the evil he really wants to do. At some point (I believe after He has sealed the 144,000), the Lord will allow Satan to do whatever he wants but not hurt the people who have the seal of God on their foreheads. The rest of the saints God will allow Satan and his demons to kill.
Revelation 12:17
17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 13:6-7
7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Revelation 13:14-17
14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth—by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.