Did you notice that in verse 31 He sends His angels to gather the elect from one end of heaven to the other? This isn't, "He gathers His people from one end of the earth to the other" as often misapplied, He gathers His Elect who are in various places "in heaven." What is heaven? The upper atmosphere. We refer to it as the first, second or third heavens. The first and second being what we see here on earth, the blue sky we directly see and then the part that includes the planets and stars.

    Why is this important? Because it's a truth we've missed for ages.

    Are the elect and the bride the same two groups? If they were would He differentiate between the two?

    In both instances from Strong's it is referred to any way you look at it, "above the earth." The elect are above the earth at this time. They are not on earth, but above it. He sends His angels to go through the heavens or sky, and collect His elect.

    Now don't get lost on me here.

     This doesn't pertain to a rapture where they've all been taken up to heaven because those in heaven, i.e. the Lord's habitation are already with Him. At His Second Coming He is with the "clouds" those who have already been redeemed, His bride, already at that time because then He sends His angels to go gather His Elect.

      So who are the elect and why are they up in the sky and not already with Jesus when He returns, or on the earth?

      Because it shows what I've always said, the Elect and the Bride are two different groups. Just as I've written about there being two groups of 144,000 and not just one. One group is part of the Elect, the other is part of the Bride and they will work together in the last days to destroy Satan's kingdom he's building on earth and preach the Salvation of Jesus to those who will listen.

      One group, the Elect, operates in the power and spirit of Enoch, and the other, the bride, is of Elijah.

    The mission of Elijah in the last days is to turn the hearts of the children back to the fathers. What does this mean? He/they will bring His bride (children) back to the knowledge of their fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yehovah is the God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The patriarchs of Israel. Are there two different God's being worshipped today among the "children" ? Sounds like it. Is the New Testament a new gospel? It has been. Most have adopted the New Testament as a complete replacement of the Old Testament instead of a continuation. Do you really think Yehovah said to the writers, "Ok this half is the Old Testament, and call this half the New Testament." No. The writers of the day divided it like that, they made it appear as there was an old and a new, a separation of the two, one outdoing or replacing the other and it has caused nothing but confusion and mayhem in the churches since.

    Most people don't realize that in Enoch's years he spent more time in the "heavens" than he did here on earth. He and Elijah never died. They were both taken up in chariots to heaven. Enoch's ministry was completely different than Elijah's. You can only die once, and these two will return to die on the streets of Jerusalem in the last days.  And that's how the last days will be. The two groups have two different ministries, with their leaders Enoch and Elijah.

    Elijah walked the earth and preached the Gospel showing signs and proclaiming the name of the Most High. That is what the Bride's group, the second group of 144,000 will do.

    Enoch was in space, heaven, seeing things and doing things no one else ever got to. And that's what the first group of 144,000 will do. They are the Elect, those (angels) who were chosen to come to earth before the earth was even created (as humans). And they are going to be seeing things and doing things the other group can't do.     

     Now let's backtrack to an article I wrote last year on the two groups of 144,000..

      Here's more info from the same article on these two different groups of 144,000 that will be operating during the tribulation period.

     The first group receives the mark of the Name of the Lord in heaven, the second group receives the mark or seal of the Lord on earth (doesn't say what that is.)

   What's the last Seal? It signifies silence for the space of half an hour. This means for a short time nothing is physically happening to the earth, this is when His second group is being sealed on earth and the first group is returned, they will work together and be busy preaching His redemption and salvation to those who will listen.

    Interesting isn't it?

     The Prophet Isaiah described the last days as a time of cosmic catastrophic events.  He said, "For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.  Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcasses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.  And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree" (Is. 34:2-4).

       He describes the earth shifted on its axis, "the earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again" (Is. 24:19-20). 

       He said the Lord would make a man more precious (rare) than fine gold and that He would shake the heavens, causing the earth to remove out of its normal place in the atmosphere.  Isaiah said, "And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord and for the glory of His majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth" (Is. 13:9-13, 2:19).

       Jesus told the Prophet Joel "I will gather all nations and I will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat...let the heathen be wakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat:  For there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.  Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision:  for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.  The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining (Joel 3:2,12,14,15).

      This valley of Jehoshaphat refers to the same modern day Kidron Valley.  This valley is 14 miles wide and 20 miles long.  However the war itself will spread out for 200 miles north and south.  It will extend to the east and the Mediterranean Sea will border the west.

     When all the world's armies are assembled in the valley that surrounds Mount Megiddo they will be staging a resistance front against the advancing armies of the Orient.  It will be the world's worst nightmare - nuclear holocaust at its worst.  A full-out nuclear bombardment between the armies of the Antichrist's and the Kings of the East.

       In Revelation 16:12 John reveals that the Euphrates River will be dried up so the Kings of the East can advance toward Israel. When the Antichrist takes over rule in Jerusalem, the kings of the East (China and her armies) will advance toward Israel to try and destroy the Antichrist and take over Israel for themselves. The Antichrist will, in effect, gather all the world's armies to fight off this Chinese invasion to Israel, it is when all these armies meet under the pretext of warring against each other that the Lord will return and they will stop fighting each other to fight against the return of the Lord.

      It is during this nuclear confrontation that a strange sight from the sky will catch their attention.   At the height of their nuclear assault on the advancing armies something strange will happen.

       Jesus predicted the suddenness of His return.  He said, "For as lightening cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be" (Matt. 24:27).  And again He said, "...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" (Matt. 24:30).  Perhaps the "sign of the Son of Man" will be a gigantic celestial image of Jesus flashed upon the heavens for all to see.  This would explain how all men suddenly recognize who He is and see the scars from His piercing at the cross.

       What are these clouds?  They are the saints returning with Jesus wearing white robes.  In Hebrews 12:1 believers are referred to as "a cloud of witnesses."  The clouds then would be all of the Church Age believers returning in immortal glorified bodies with Jesus in the air.  This will also include the resurrected Old Testament saints (Rev. 19:14).  As the Prophet Zechariah predicted, "...and the Lord my God, shall come, and all the saints with thee" (Zech. 14:5).

       The Apostle John speaks of the apparel of the saints as they return with Christ: "And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean" (Rev. 19:14).  He explains the white linen robes: "And to her (the saints) was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints." (Rev. 19:8).

       After an instant image of Jesus flashes across the sky the armies will see Jesus and His saints descending from heaven in a heavenly parade too glorious to imagine.  But they will not fear the Lord and lay down their weapons, instead, they will see that Jesus' destination is to the Mount of Olives and move over to the Valley of Jehoshaphat in a combined effort to where the Mount of Olives is located.

      It is in this valley that Jesus will destroy the remaining armies and set His feet on the mount where they so long ago left from when He was here as a suffering Messiah (Zech. 14).  When His feet touch the mount a great earthquake will result splitting the mount from east to west causing a great gap as one half of the mount moves north and the other south.

       It is at this time that the surviving Jewish remnant will understand the prophecy that this valley caused by the earthquake between the mount has been created for them, they will flee and run into it for protection from the terrible judgment that is about to be poured out on the surrounding armies described in Zechariah 14:4,5,11,12:  His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount 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.  And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains...And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem;  their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth."

     This is exactly what would happen if someone was caught in the middle of a thermonuclear blast or exposed to an unprecedented chemical warfare blast.  In their attempts to destroy Jesus and His saints these armies will destroy themselves.

       This last global conflict describes a great thermonuclear and/or chemical war.  It is a nuclear war that will cause the sun to lose its shining and a chemical war that could along with a nuclear blast, describe the other effects.  Of course a thermonuclear blast itself could melt the skin off the soldiers in the surrounding armies and cause their eyes to sink back in their heads.  For most of these armies, the last thing they will see on earth is Jesus and His saints.

      As Armageddon begins Israel will certainly defend itself against the threat of total annihilation by the Orient and empty its own nuclear arsenal on its approaching enemies with the combined might of the Antichrist's armies.  Jesus said in Matthew 24:22 that unless He intervened all flesh would be destroyed (in the entire world).  This suggests that a nuclear exchange of deadly proportions is already underway when He comes in glory and power with His saints to rescue Israel from total destruction.  He will let these armies empty their artillery on each other where many will die as a result.  The whole world will see Jesus and His heavenly armies descend from heaven, for many, it will be a time of panic and fear.

    So let's jump over to the Book of Revelation to see what John has to say about the Second Coming in a more vivid description:

 The Battle of Armageddon

    The best account of Armageddon  is in Rev.19:11-21:

1- The Entrance:
    19:11- And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 
    12- His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 
    13- And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called the Word of God. 
    14- And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
    15- And 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 treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
    16- And he hath on his vesture (robe) and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
    17- And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God.
    18- That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 
    19- And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.  

And how does the war go?
    20- And the beast was taken (captured), and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone (sulphur). 
    21- And the remnant (rest) were slain with the sword (words) of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. 

Satan himself will eventually join them in the lake of fire:
     And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.  (Rev.20:10).

     Notice how easily Jesus overcomes and defeats Satan.  This "mighty and powerful" devil that millions in the New Age and other cults hailed as their leader, the one that hundreds of millions worshipped as their God, is taken captive by an angel, singular not plural, not even an angel of the highest rank such as Michael the Archangel and great warrior, but a lesser angel.  He is taken, bound, and cast into the bottomless pit for a thousand years during the Millennial Reign of Christ.

      The Prophet Isaiah described the destiny and future home of the Antichrist and False Prophet and God tells us where it will be located.  It will be located in the land of Idumea which is today modern Jordan.  Idumea is the Greek word for Edom.  This is the land formally occupied by ancient Edom, the descendants of Esau (Gen. 25:30).

       In Isaiah 63 God tells us what He will do with the land of Jordan after the battles of Armageddon and Jehoshaphat are over.  He said that He will cause the streams of the land to pour forth pitch.  The soil of the land will become covered by brimstone or possibly lava as a result from erupting volcanoes that have been set off as a result of bomb blasts and earthquakes and the fires from Hell beneath the earth shall burst through and the entire land of Jordan will become a land of burning pitch.  Isaiah says Hell is enlarging itself (5:14).  It enlarges its appetite and can open its mouth without limit.  So many will die in the Tribulation Period as a result of God's judgments that Hell must enlarge without limits to accommodate the souls of men and women.

       In Isaiah 14:9 we are told that Hell is moving towards the surface of the earth.  Some Bible interpreters suggest that during the reign of the Antichrist that hell will break through the surface of the earth and meet him at his coming as indicated in this passage which reads: "Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations."

      If this is a literal interpretation, then at some point of the Antichrist's reign, perhaps caused by the nuclear war in the Middle East when the Russians invaded it and then were destroyed, hell will break through the surface of the earth and then already be in existence and ready for the Antichrist and False Prophet who are cast into it after the Second Coming of Christ. 

     When it does break through, there will be located on this earth what the Bible calls a lake of fire.  This lake of fire will be a huge place that will accommodate at what some interpreters estimate some 39 billion people since the creation of man who rejected Christ.  It will contain all those who refused Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

      This lake of fire is also verified in Matthew 13:49,50: "So shall it be at the end of the age (after Armageddon) the angels shall come forth and separate the wicked from among the righteous, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

     This lake is also reserved for all those who received the mark of the beast.  John tells us that they will be tormented with fire and brimstone forever and ever: "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever" (Rev. 14:11).  This smoke will be eternally visible as it rises from the lake of fire.  God explains in Isaiah 66:22-24 that when He creates a new earth and establishes His Millennial Reign that the smoke of their torment will be visible.  He said, "They (the people of the new earth) will go out and look upon the dead (separated) bodies of those who rebelled against me (in the lake of fire) and their worm (existence) will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind."

       When a person dies his or her soul which makes them who they are will go to either heaven or hell.  Death simply means "separation from God."  If you die and go to Hell, you are separated from God, your soul will still be very much alive, you will be able to feel, think, smell, taste, etc..Your senses will be intact.  God describes Hell as a place of torment, of pain and suffering, very much alive, the souls who end up there will feel the torment of its fire and not be able to "cease to exist."  For eternity, those who rejected God will feel the fire of Hell scorch and torment them.  They will not be given a second chance to repent and accept Christ's salvation.  At the end of Christ's one thousand year Millennial Reign the Great White Throne Judgment will occur where every unsaved person in the history of mankind will be judged for their deeds and then cast into this lake of fire to join the Antichrist and False Prophet.

      But at this time in prophecy, after the two beasts are cast into the lake of fire Jesus will stand at the Mount of Olives and judge the surviving nations (Matt. 25:31-33) and all the saints will assist Him. 

And what happens to those who followed the Beast:
      "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."  Those who worship the beast will join the beast!. (Rev 19:20, 20:15, 21:8).

    And what does the Prophet Isaiah have to say about it?

    In that day the LORD Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people. He will be a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment (28:5-6)...Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty (13:6)...the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all who mourn (61:2)...For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redemption has come (63:4)...The LORD will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by the LORD (66:16). 

     And the Apostle Peter..

     These prophets indicate some kind of a huge explosion resulting in a fire that completely destroys the "works" on the earth and the sky. What are these works? Anything made with mans hands. All cities, homes, dwelling places, etc.. will be burned up as well as anything in the "heavens" made with man's hands that is/are there including but not limited to satellites and space stations.

     Guess who's completely taking over now? Jesus isn't coming back to unite mankind. He is coming back to judge and destroy the works of man and mankind. Ok, so now what happens?

     Now what comes into affect? If you take the Bible literal there is a Millennial Reign of Yahushua on earth for 1000 years, the final and last rebellion of Lucifer, and then the Great White Throne Judgment as spoken of in Rev 20:1-6 and Rev. 21, then Rev. 20:7-15 and Ezekiel 38.

    Most people are expecting the war of Ezekiel 38&39 to happen before the Second Coming of Christ, but if you look at the cross-referencing in Revelation 21 they go straight to Ezekiel 38.

    After the War of Armageddon and the Lord's Return, the earth and sky are "passed away." They are destroyed and everything in them made of man's hands is destroyed.

    The New Jerusalem comes down and is the home of Jesus' bride and His people. The people, (sheep) that were placed on His right hand (Matt. 25:33) are allowed to live on the earth during that time and rebuild it.

    It shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see My glory (Isaiah 66:18).

    Who exactly are these people if they aren't the elect or the bride?

    These are those who survived during the tribulation period and were a help to His people. During this time the 144,000 messengers of God must be protected and cared for during the Tribulation Period.  The persecution of Christians will be great during this time and these evangelists who are traveling all over the world will need places to stay, food, clothes, etc...and those who help and care for these evangelists will in no doubt be risking their own lives.

    Some nations will be kinder to them than others and some people will be kinder to them than others.  These evangelists will be targeted for death because they are preaching the message of salvation.  They will be hunted down, imprisoned, and will have no way to survive without the help of others.  They will have to depend on their converts to provide their basic needs and to hide them from the bounty hunters since there will probably be a price on their heads and according to the Book of Revelation the beast will eventually overcome them and kill them. But those who had helped them during their ministry on earth and survive the tribulation period will be granted to enter into the Millennial Reign with Christ after the Tribulation Period.