Christ descends into the air, the dead in Christ rise first, then living believers are caught up together with them to meet Him in the air, and all go into heaven with Him.
According to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, the Lord Himself descends from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. The dead in Christ rise first, and then believers who are still alive are caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. From there, as Les teaches, the whole company goes up into heaven for the judgment seat of Christ and the marriage of the Lamb.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 — Paul gives the exact order: the Lord descends, the dead in Christ rise first, and living believers are caught up to meet Him in the air.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 — Reveals that this catching up and change happens instantly, at the last trumpet.
Zechariah 14:4 — Shows the later Second Coming, when Christ's feet stand on the Mount of Olives, in contrast to this meeting in the air.
Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, '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: 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.' In 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 he adds, 'Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.' These two passages give the sequence for the Church: the Lord's descent with a shout, the resurrection of the dead in Christ, and the catching up of living believers together with them into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. The change is instantaneous. By contrast, Zechariah 14:4 describes a later event when 'his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives.'
Les Feldick walks through 1 Thessalonians 4 and shows the order for the Church. When the trumpet sounds, Christ leaves heaven and comes into the atmosphere. All the dead believers of the church age are raised from wherever they are around the planet, and in the very next split second believers who are alive and remain are caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. From there the whole company goes up into heaven for the judgment seat of Christ and the marriage of the Lamb, ready to return with Christ seven years later at His Second Coming. Les stresses that this coming for the Church is a mystery with no prophetic sign, whereas the Second Coming is preceded by prophetic events and brings Christ's feet to the Mount of Olives.
Scripture places the resurrection of the dead in Christ first. First Thessalonians 4:16 says 'the dead in Christ shall rise first.' Les describes this as all the dead believers of the church age being raised from wherever they are and going up to meet the Lord in the air.
Living believers are changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, and are caught up together with the resurrected believers in the clouds (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:17). Les calls it a split, split second event: all of a sudden the dead believers are raised, and in the next instant we who are alive and remain are caught up.
Believers meet the Lord in the air, not on the Mount of Olives. From there, as Les teaches, the whole company goes back up into heaven with Him to the judgment seat of Christ and the marriage of the Lamb, and later returns with Him at the Second Coming.
Les contrasts the two comings. Christ's coming for the Church into the air has no prophetic sign or known day. The Second Coming, however, is preceded by prophetic events, ends the seven-year tribulation, and brings Christ's feet to the Mount of Olives. Matthew 24's gathering of the elect from the four winds contains no church language.
Christ Descends Into the Air
Les explains that when the trumpet sounds, Christ leaves heaven and the dead in Christ rise first; then living believers are caught up to meet Him in the air, not on the Mount of Olives.
After the Air: Judgment Seat and Marriage
Les says that after meeting the Lord in the air, believers go back up into heaven for the judgment seat of Christ and the marriage of the Lamb, then return with Him at the Second Coming.
No Prophetic Sign for the Church's Catching Up
Les notes that the Rapture has no prophetic sign, while the Second Coming to the Mount of Olives has prophetic events leading up to it.
Seven-Year Tribulation Then Second Coming
Les places the seven-year tribulation after the Church is caught up, ending with Christ's feet on the Mount of Olives at the Second Coming.
Matthew 24 Has No Church Language
Les points out that Matthew 24's gathering of the elect at the Second Coming is not about the Church; there is no church language in it.
A Split-Second Resurrection and Catching Up
Les emphasizes the sequence: Christ leaves glory, the trumpet sounds, the archangel shouts, dead believers are raised, and living believers are caught up in a split second to meet the Lord in the air.
Who Goes Into the Kingdom? What the Bible Really Says
Now then, here's the second coming. Christ is returning with glory and power. This group of Jews who I maintain go out in unbelief so far as Christ as the Messiah and the King, remember they're going to give glory to God as they see the event, but they're still in unbelief so far as Christ is concerned.
Feet on the Mount of Olives at His Return
Les contrasts the Rapture with the Second Coming by noting Christ left the Mount of Olives head first but will return feet first, standing on that mountain.
1 Thessalonians 4:16: 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:
This is the opening step in the sequence for the Church's resurrection.
1 Thessalonians 4:17: 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.
This verse gives the catching up of living believers with the resurrected dead.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52: Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Shows that the change and resurrection are instantaneous at the last trumpet.
Zechariah 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.
Describes the later Second Coming, contrasting with the meeting in the air for the Church.
Matthew 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.
Shows that the Second Coming gathering is from the four winds, which Les says is not church language.
No. Scripture says believers meet Him in the air, and Les emphasizes that this is not the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives return belongs to the Second Coming (Zechariah 14:4).
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. Les describes it as a split, split second: dead believers are raised and living believers are caught up right behind them.
Les teaches that believers go up into heaven for the judgment seat of Christ and the marriage of the Lamb, and after the seven-year tribulation they return with Christ at the Second Coming.
Watch the Teaching: What Happens at the Rapture? 1 Corinthians 15 Explained