Post-tribulation doctrine

I think you will agree the opening of the horse seals begins the Trib.

The second horse ushers in war, a condition prevalent during the Trib.

The third horse ushers in hyper inflation, a condition prevalent during the Trib.

The fourth horse ushers in death, a condition prevalent during the Trib.

Now, don't you think the first horse should also be a condition on earth, like the other three? If the first horse is a person then the others must be identifiable as people. If the first horse represents peace, a condition prior to the coming of the AC then it would be consistent with the interpretations of the other three horses.

 

there are several different views about the rider on the white horse I believe the seal of the whire horse rider represents the Antichrist.

Here is a commentairy that I have found that you may find interesting concerning the rider on the white horse.

What is described by the seals is similar to the signs of the end of the age as described by Jesus in Matthew 24. There will be wars, famines and earthquakes (Mat 24:6-8), persecution (24:9-14), the heavenly bodies are shaken (Mat 24:29) and 'at that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn' (Mat 24:30). After the opening of the seven seals the scroll can be read and we find more detail, but this starts in chapter 8. The seven seals describe tribulation that is largely man made (wars, famine and persecution) but under the control of God, the seven trumpets are disasters sent by God with the aim of persuading man to repent, the seven bowls are the final outpouring of God's wrath on impenitent mankind. The fact that the seven seals are opened by Christ indicates his sovereignty over the future. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Rev 22:13), he is sovereign from the beginning to the end of history, and everything in between.

2.1. First seal (6:1)
Rev 6:1 I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

v1 - I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals - Jesus opens the seals following the worship of all creation but especially that of the church. John watches with anticipation as the Lamb opens the first seal. Jesus opens the seals but not the book, the opening of the seals is preliminary to opening the book. Jesus opens the seals to permit us to see the future course of history which is not hidden from the saints (1:1, 22:6, 10). God has entrusted Jesus to reveal the future course of history to His church cf. 1:1, 'the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy' (19:10).

v1 - Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" - Each one of the four living creatures introduces the first four seals. The thunder emphasises the command, Come! Which calls the first horse onto the stage. Note that the opening of the seals by the Lamb is not passive but it brings events onto the stage of human history.

v2 - I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest - The first of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, this image is taken from Zechariah (Zec 1:8, 6:1-8) in which there are four chariots pulled by different coloured horses, these are the four spirits of heaven going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world. The four horses cover each direction of the compass, that is, they affect the whole earth. Some see the rider on the white horse as the same rider as in Rev 19:11 i.e. Christ, see Hendriksen. This is not certain, the rider in Rev 19:11 had a sword, this one has a bow. The bow is more likely to be that of the Parthians who were the only mounted archers in the ancient world. He was given a crown, is this likely to refer to Christ who had many crowns (see Rev 19:12), but see comment on 14:14. The crown is a victors crown (Gr., stephanos) as distinguished from a royal crown (diadema), the victors crown is appropriate for someone going forth to conquer. The crown is not the same type of crown that the beast wears (13:1) or Christ wears in 19:12 who both wear the royal crown (diadema) although the 'son of man' in 14:14 wears the victors crown.

The forth horse summarises the first three and is distinctly evil, the first horse signifies the lust for conquest which is commonly the cause of war, which is the next seal and famine (third seal), the fourth seal describes death by sword, famine, plague and wild beasts. It should also be noted that in the sixth seal the wrath of the Lamb falls on the kings, princes, generals and mighty (men) among others who are responsible for war. Rev 19:18 also describes the kings, generals, mighty men, horses and their riders and the rest whose flesh the birds flying in mid-air eat. The four horses cover the four directions of the compass, they are of a unity, just as the first four trumpets and bowls affect the whole earth. The first four seals are introduced by the living creatures, the rest are not. The first rider representing conquest is the most straight forward reading of the text, although the fact that he is riding a white horse raises problems for this interpretation, although John may simply be thinking of Zech 1:8, 6:3 which have a white horse. Others argue that Christ cannot be commanded by heavenly creatures therefore the horseman must be the conquest of the word of God as prophesied by Christ (Mark 13:10), however see 14:15 where someone 'like a son of man' is told to reap. There is at least one verse in which an arrow is likened to the word of God 'He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver', (Isa 49:2).

Grimsrud argues that the white horse signifies triumphant warfare because the four horsemen represent war and its attendant evils: war, strife, famine and disease, and makes the following observation: ' Conquer is used 11 times in the book to allude to conquest by a faithful witness (once in each of the seven letters, in 5:5 of the Lamb, and in 12:11 and 15:2 of the faithful servants). Three times it refers to conquest by violence (here, in 11:7 where the beast kills the two witnesses, and in 13:7 where the beast wars against and conquers the saints). In all 'conquering' passages, Christ and his followers conquer by dying; Satan and the evil powers by killing'.

Johnson identifies the rider on the white horse with the antichrist and his forces that seek to conquer the followers of Christ. Each of the first four seals, then, represents conflict directed at Christians to test them and sift out false disciples (v.10). He goes on to say that this interpretation need not necessarily eliminate the fact that the seals may also refer to judgements on humankind in general. Yet since the fifth seal stresses the cry of the martyred Christians, probably the thought of Christian persecution belongs also in the first four seals. Each of them unleashes events that separate false belief from true. The destruction of Jerusalem is a case in point (Lk 21:20 ff.). The white horse goes forth to conquer, and as he does so, judgement falls on the unbelief of Israel (Lk 21:22-23), while at the same time there is testing of believers to separate the chaff from the wheat (cf. Lk 21:12-19).

There are some who see the first horseman as conquest in general, the antichrist in particular (Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible) and who argue:

He is the deceiver; therefore he appears in white (Mat 24:5, 2 Thess 2:11).
The crown he wears is different from the crown worn by Christ in Rev 19. It is the crown of the conqueror (stephanos) not the royal crown of a king (diadema), however note that the one 'like a son of man' seated on a cloud wears a crown (stephanos) of gold on his head, 14:14.
The bow symbolises conquest. In the OT it is always the symbol of military power (Ps 46:9; Jer 51:51; Hos 1:5).
To be consistent one must relate this horsemen to the other three who appear destructive.
Note that this rider already possesses a bow but the crown is given to him and goes forth to conquer and hence is a counterfeit Christ.
a. This rider possesses a bow but Christ possesses no bow; a weapon of war is not part of his being.
b. This rider is given a crown but Christ is not given a crown. He was either crowned throughout eternity or at his ascension.
c. This rider sets out to conquer but Christ has always been conquering men's hearts. This horseman who sets out to conquer is one who already posses a bow and is given a crown at some point in time. From that point, he goes forth to conquer (cf. The little horn of Dan 7; The man of sin and the beast and the ruler of the restored Roman Empire of Rev 13; the abomination of desolation of Mat 24:15).
However the first horse being Christ conquering the nations is more in harmony with the whole book. If the rider is Christ then the conquest is the gospel, the martyrs we see in the fifth seal are there due to the resulting persecution that breaks out because of the conquest of the gospel. Hendriksen's argument that the rider is Christ is as follows:

In 5:5 Christ is portrayed as one who has triumphed.
The horse is white, this colour is associated with the holy and heavenly, e.g. white robe, white cloud, white throne, white stone etc., therefore the rider cannot be the devil or the antichrist.
The rider wears a crown which harmonises with 14:14 where Christ wears a crown of gold.
The word conquer or overcome refers with two exceptions (11:7, 13:7) to Christ or believers, see 3:21b. Compare John 16:33 with Rev 3:21b, see also Rev 5:5 and 6:2.
Compare the rider on the white horse here with the rider on the white horse in 19:11 who is clearly Christ. In 5:5 Christ conquered at the cross, in 6:2 is now conquering through the gospel, and in 19:11 he is going to conquer on the great day of judgement which is why he wears many crowns.
The idea of a conquering Christ is in harmony with the purpose of the book, see above (v) and 1:13 ff., 2:26,27, 3:21, 5:5, 6:16, 11:15, 12:11, 14:1 ff., 14:14 ff., 17:14, 19:11 note especially 17:14.(Rev 17:14) They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings--and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."
The rider on the horse in 6:2 is in harmony with Mat 10:34 in which he says that he has not come to bring peace on earth but a sword, referring to persecution. The rider on the white horse is followed by the rider on the red horse who carries a sword, and the fifth seal sees the souls of the martyrs under the altar.
Compare with Psa 45:3-5 see also Heb 1:8 which quotes this psalm in which the rider is the Son.
Compare with Zech 1:8 ff. See also Hab 3:8,9; Isa 41:2.
To sum up the first rider and his relationship to the other seals, there are four views:

a. The first rider represents the lust for conquest and as such forms an integral part of the four horsemen who are all evil and are summed up by the fourth horsemen. Conquest brings with it war, famine and death. However the colour white is usually associated with good not evil, but it can indicate victory (Lenski), the rider wears the victory crown.

b. A step further is to say that the rider is the antichrist who brings havoc and misery on the world as indicated by the second, third and fourth horsemen, the fifth seal shows the resultant persecution of Christians by the antichrist followed by the sixth seal representing the end when Christ returns.

c. The first horsemen is Christ conquering by the power of the gospel and the other seals 2 to 5 represent various forms of persecution resulting from the proclamation of the gospel of the first seal. It is perhaps appropriate that Jesus who is the beginning and the end should appear on a white horse at both the beginning and end of the visions about the future.

d. The first rider is the word of God (see Lenski), this again harmonises with the rider on the white horse in chapter 19 whose name is the Word of God and also with Matthew 24:14 and the Matthew 24 model for the interpretation of all the trumpets (see comments after 6:8). The gospel is preached and during the same time there is war, famine and death from various causes. This view makes the best sense in terms of the purpose of Revelation because persecution arises because of the word of God as indicated by the martyrs of the fifth seal who had been slain because of the word of God (5:9). Consider the two witnesses who are slain because they prophesy (11:7) and those beheaded because of the word of God (20:4). In Isa 49:2 the prophet Isaiah compares himself to a polished arrow concealed in the Lords quiver which in the context of the verse, which also refers to his mouth as a sharpened sword, must be the word of God. Consider that the armies of the Lord, who are the saints (see 17:14), as well as Christ, also ride white horses (19:14) and it is through these that the gospel is preached. Finally consider that the gospel also goes throughout the earth in the four directions of the compass just as do war, famine and death.

 

Interesting read. Some things I go alone with:

Seals similar to Mt. 24.

The (1st 5) seals describe tribulation that is largely man made.

Lust for conquest (in the AC) which is commonly the cause of war.

This is a new thought:

If the AC is responsible for all four conditions on earth during his reign then he may be identified with the riders on all of the horses.

What do you think?

 

This has been a thought of mine as well. I find it difficult to reconcile with those who only want to identify the rider of the first horse as the AC and then allegorize the other three riders. To me, the parallelism is blatently obvious, so either the riders are all literal riders and hence could possibly be identified as the AC, or they are all symbolic, and none represent the AC specifically. You can't have it both ways.

 

Thanks for the confirmation One should never be too old or too experienced to learn new things.

 

The rider on the white horse was given a crown
therefore giving him authority over the Nations on earth the other hoesemen were given authority of natural disasters, Famine, Pleagues Death.
We have to remember that this passage of scripture is symbolic and John the writer is trying to describe what he has seen as accurately as he possibly can for the reader to be able to understand. This passage could have been more understandable back in the time which it was written, as a lot of the things in the Revelation John wrote about during the tribulation early readers could not have possibly understood but as we get closer to the time frame in which this will all take place the mystery begins to unfold before our very eyes as to exactly where the 4 horsemen are attributed during the 7 year tribulation.
but the rider of the white horse who represents the antichrist will be on the earth and will be a powerful world leader (More than likely Head of the European Union) which is thought to be the beast with seven heads and ten horns as described in Revelation 17:3-14
this also gives discription of Babylon and the old Roman empire which once was but is no more,(The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; Rev. 17:8) however when John was given the Revelation the Roman empire was still the world power which has since fallen.
but is soon to rise up once agin (shallAscend out of the bottomless pit,Rev. 17:8) Which is believed to be the european Union, the New World Order

 

The four horsemen represents what man has contributed to the destruction of Gods creation on earth Past present and future.
the spirit of antichrist has been around since the fall of satan.
The antichrist is Satans way to try to mimic God.
We must remember that satan is the god of this world (notice I used little g) what authority satan does have is given to him by God however his power is also limited by God.

we can see in Job where God has given satan limited authority of the attributes of the other 3 riders.

 

You said "Past present and future."

How far in the past is Revelation"

 

the rider on the white hores as described in REV. CH 6 is the antichrist </font>[/QUOTE]I believe he was refering to Rev. 19:11-16 which has Jesus on a white horse.

 

Correct TC, thanks.

 

I was not speaking in terms of the Revelation I was generally speaking.

man has contributed everything what is wrong with the world today and the four horsemen represents fallen man and the capabilities of his destructive power.
Thats mikeoligy there

 

You could not give a direct answer so I will.

Revelation according to your warped perception begins in the garden of Eden with the fall a man.
According to your view fulfillment of Revelation began when "the great dragon was hurled down - that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole astray (12:8).

Jesus said to John "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." At once he was taken up in the Spirit to God's throne (Rev. 41-3). John experienced a vision or prophecy concerning the kingdom of God. Never at any time or anywhere in the Bible do prophecies concern historical events. They can be of immediate situations or the future, but NEVER of the past. Whether you accept the incorrect early date or the 95-96 A.D. date, you are corrupting the Word of God with your view.

 

You could not give a direct answer so I will.

Revelation according to your warped perception begins in the garden of Eden with the fall a man.
According to your view fulfillment of Revelation began when "the great dragon was hurled down - that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole astray (12:8).

Jesus said to John "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." At once he was taken up in the Spirit to God's throne (Rev. 41-3). John experienced a vision or prophecy concerning the kingdom of God. Never at any time or anywhere in the Bible do prophecies concern historical events. They can be of immediate situations or the future, but NEVER of the past. Whether you accept the incorrect early date or the 95-96 A.D. date, you are corrupting the Word of God with your view. </font>[/QUOTE]Geesh Prophrcy nut
I never put the scriptures of revelation in past tense. you are mis-interpriting what I have said and now trying to put words in my mouth that I did not say .

do you not think Carnal man has the same attrabutes as the 4 horsemen?

 

If Revelation is not in the past tense then it has to be all future tense, beyond when it was written in 96 A.D.. Very good you are learning the truth

The four horsemen do not exemplify man's nature, rather the consequences of his actions.

The third horse ushers in hyper inflation, a "quart of wheat" will cost a day's wages; this has never happened in the past.

 

It would be well for us to see the similarity of our Lord's teaching about the Tribulation Period as recorded in Matthew and those things that occur when the first six seals are broken. The order is the same in Matthew and Revelation.

1. War------------------------------------Matthew 24:6,7..................Revelation 6:3,4

2. Famine---------------------------------Matthew 24:7.....................Revelation 6:5,6

3. Death----------------------------------Matthew 24:7-9..................Revelation 6:7,8

4. Martyrdom----------------------------Matthew 24:9,10,16-22.......Revelation 6:9-11

5. The Sun, Moon Darkened, etc.--------Matthew 24:29.....................Revelation 6:12-14

6. A Time of Divine Judgment------------Matthew 24:32;25:26...........Revelation 6:15-17

Remember also that the Tribulation Period and Daniel's seventieth week are the same period. It is well to note that during the Tribulation:

1. The Holy Spirit restrains evil no longer.

2. Christians as light and salt are removed.

3. Satan knows he has but a short time.

4. Evil men are free to carry out their wicked plans.

5. There is direct judgment from God.

The Tribulation is triggered from Heaven. Jesus directs the whole operation. The Tribulation does not break suddenly like a tornado. The opening of the seals is gradual, logical and chronological. They are opened one at a time. The first four which send forth the four horsemen represent four great cosmic events which penetrate and influence the entire social structure in every continent and race. These are revolutionary global movements.

I. The Rider on the White Horse (verses 1 and 2) -- The first seal opened

Verse 1 -- The living one is not speaking to John but to the rider on the white horse as if to say, "come or go, it is time to do what you are going to do."

Verse 2 -- This rider is the "little horn" of Daniel chapter seven, the one who makes a covenant with the Jews in Daniel 9:27, the Man of Sin, the ruler of the restored Roman Empire and the final world dictator, and the counterfeit Christ. He comes to power by ushering in a false peace. He comes imitating Jesus (riding on a white horse) (Revelation 19). The world will think it is entering the Millennium when it is actually entering the Tribulation (I Thessalonians 5:3).

II. The Rider on the Red Horse (verses 3 and 4) -- the opening of the Second Seal -- The peace which the rider on the white horse will bring to the earth will be temporary. Soon after the Tribulation begins war will come on the earth. What this will involve we are not told. It may be the events of Daniel, chapter 11:40-42.

The characteristic of the end-time age is "Wars and rumors of wars" (Matthew 24:6). Therefore, the hope of permanent peace by means of the United Nations is doomed to failure.

III. The Rider on a Black Horse (verses 5 and 6) -- The opening of the Third Seal

The color of the black horse speaks of mourning and famine (Jeremiah 4:28; Malachi 3:14; Lamentations 5:10). The balances indicate a scarcity of food. A measure of what is approximately on quart. A "penny" was the normal day's wage for a laborer. Imagine a day's wage only buying a quart of wheat. The depression of the 1930's was nothing compared to the one that is coming to the world during the Tribulation. A working man will be unable to support his family in that day.

The oil and wine symbolize luxury. There will be none in that day for folks will not have the means by which to purchase them.

IV. The Rider on the Pale Horse (verses 7 and 8)

Hell here is hades. The place of the dead is pictured here as a terrible monster about to seize people. This seems to indicate that the sword, famine, (death), pestilence and wild beasts will decimate by 1/4 the population of the earth. There are now about three billion people on the earth. If 1/4 are destroyed at this time then 750 million people will die.

The pale horse represents plague and pestilence that will stalk the earth. It also can involve germ warfare. Dr. Frank Holtman, head of the University of Tennessee, bacteriological department made this statement, "While the greater part of a city's population could be destroyed by an atomic bomb, the bacteria method might easily wipe out the entire population within a week. The virus causing psittacosis or parrot fever, one of the most deadly of human diseases, is appraised by the scientists as the most preferable for this purpose. While the cost of producing psittacosis bombs is comparatively cheap, its lethal potency is high. Less than one cubic centimeter of this virus is required to infect twenty million human beings when released in the air as infinitesimal spray."

The Bible does not tell us when the middle of the Tribulation begins. Some believe the "Great Tribulation, or the last three and one-half years will begin with the fourth horseman. Others believe it will begin with the opening of the sixth seal, for verse seventeen says "the great day of His wrath has come." Others believe it begins with the events of Chapter Eleven. Since the Bible does not definitely indicate, we think it wise not to be dogmatic. At any rate, the last three and one-half years will be more terrible than the first three and one-half years.

V. The Tribulation Martyrs (verses 9-11) -- The opening of the Fifth Seal

"Under the altar, the souls of them slain for the Word of God." They were seen under the altar because of the way in which they died, these Christian martyrs are like the Old Testament sacrifices whose blood was poured out at the bottom of the altar (Leviticus 4:25). These were slain after the Rapture because these were souls and they had not as yet their resurrection bodies. Those raptured have resurrected bodies. Note: Every time a person dies for Jesus they are giving the supreme sacrifice. Note: They were killed for their testimony. The time is rapidly coming when real believers will be killed for their testimony. Note: They were seen! The dead in Christ are still alive! The false idea that when men die they cease to be is answered here. These saints were with Jesus. White robes were given unto them. They are clothed in the Righteousness of Christ (Isaiah 61:10; Romans 3:22). Notice their cry: "How long?" They will be so anxious to gain their Glorified bodies and gain vengeance upon those who killed them. Even as they will be longing for their glorified bodies, even now do those who have gone on to Heaven long for their glorified bodies and the Rapture of the living saints. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

VI. The World's Greatest Prayer Meeting (verses 12-17) -- The opening of the Sixth Seal

"A Great Earthquake" -- The whole earth will shake, jolt, and toss. Every mountain and island will be moved out of its place.

"The Sun became black" -- People will panic when suddenly there is no light from the sun and the moon will be blood red.

"The Stars of Heaven" -- Meteors and objects from Heaven will fall to the earth (verse 13). On November 13, 1833, a night like this happened and the people were scared to death. On that night, for nearly three hours, fiery balls filled the sky and people were horrified.

"The Heaven Departed as a Scroll" -- A tremendous supernatural change in the sky will startle the people on earth into realizing God is on His throne watching them.

God is trying through His preachers and through His churches and through various other means to get people's attention today, but they will not listen. They will in this day. He will get their attention during the Tribulation, but then it will be too late.

THE EFFECT UPON EARTH DWELLERS (verses 15-17)

1. The Pray-ers (verse 15) -- Every strata of society:

Kings -- who thought they were too powerful for Jesus

Great Men -- who thought they were too great for Jesus

Rich Men -- who thought they were too wealthy for God

Soldiers -- who thought they were too strong for God

All Christ Rejectors

These are the ones who laugh at the prayer meeting crowd now. They will do lots of praying then, themselves.

2. The Hiding

3. The Object of Their Prayers -- Prayed to the rocks -- They would not pray to the Rock of Ages before the Rapture, so now they pray to the rocks to fall on them.

4. Their Prayer -- To die and be hidden from Jesus -- They could have prayed once and been hidden in Jesus. Your choice: Hide in Jesus or Hide from Jesus.

5. A Great Question They Ask -- Who shall be able to stand? None will be able to stand against his wrath. How foolish are those who reject Him. One day they will answer to Him. How foolish for one to be here during the Tribulation when they could be with Jesus.

CONCLUSION

God has planned some awful and terrifying events for the Tribulation Period. How much better it will be to be watching them from Heaven and not be awed and caught by them on the earth. If you are not saved, accept Christ today and assure yourself you will not be here when the awful day of His wrath shall come.

 

Non Baptist posting in Baptist only forums. REMOVED

[ December 31, 2004, 12:45 PM: Message edited by: dianetavegia ]

 

No I don't agree, because Jesus says the Great Tribulation does not begin until AFTER the AoD. Therefore, it cannot start at the beginning of the 70th week. It must start at or immediately after the midpoint 3.5 years into the 70th week:

Mat 24:15 When YE therefore SHALL SEE the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand
Mat 24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
Mat 24:17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
Mat 24:18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
Mat 24:19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
Mat 24:20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
Mat 24:21 For THEN SHALL BE GREAT TRIBULATION, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Therefore, the Great Tribulation at most can only be 3.5 years. However, Jesus Himself shortens this time period in the very next verse:

Mat 24:22 And except THOSE DAYS should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Conclusion: The GT starts at or immediately after the AoD and is cut short sometime within the 2nd half of the 70th week. What cuts it short? I'm glad you asked. The 6th seal sign:

Mat 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
Rev 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;


Followed by the Second Coming, which begins with the Rapture:

Mat 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.