How would it be possible for the saints to come down from heaven (Revelation 21:2) when 1 Thessalonians 4:17 says that they would only be gathered as far as the atmosphere?

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And so we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

Verse 16 denotes what happened at our Lord’s return in 1874 to the saints who had been sleeping in death for centuries. They were awakened to receive new immortal spiritual bodies like that of our Lord’s glorious body. Verse 17 goes on to say that future saints now living “will be caught up [changed at the moment of death] together with them [to be also like the saints who were already raised] in the clouds [often symbolic of trouble and persecution] to meet the Lord in the air [earth’s atmosphere, not the heaven of heavens].” We believe that these scriptures refer to the harvest of the Gospel Age, a time preceding our Lord’s setting up of His kingdom on earth. Even though persecution has not been the experience of all the saints either before our Lord’s second presence or after, there are scriptures pertaining to the closing days that indicate that the very last members of the Church may suffer persecution and violence before they die. For example, their experience would be comparable to that of Elijah who was caught up in a fiery chariot and accompanying whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11). Since we believe the Church class is still being completed (as is the great multitude, also a heavenly class), the marriage of the Lamb cannot have occurred. (See Revelation 19.) Therefore, we conclude that the risen saints are not yet with our Heavenly Father in the highest realm of heaven, where Jesus was seated after He ascended to heaven. We believe that the risen saints are with our Lord Jesus in the lower areas of heaven tearing down this present evil system so that Christ’s earthly kingdom can be set up.

However, in Revelation 21:2, the time frame has moved forward to the actual setting up of the earthly Kingdom. The Church is now complete, the marriage has taken place in the highest realm of heaven where God abides, and all people on earth are aware of a change in government from man’s control to Jesus and His Church’s control.

“I saw the Holy City [the government of God], the New Jerusalem [the completed Church in glory and Kingdom power, now united in marriage to the Lamb], coming down out of heaven from God [coming down from the highest place in heaven as they get their directive to rule], prepared as a bride [all the saints are counted as one collectively] beautifully dressed [resplendent for her husband Jesus].” (Revelation 21:2) This verse pertains to the inauguration of the reign of Christ. “Coming down from heaven” signifies that the New Jerusalem is of divine origin.

Are the risen saints in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 being gathered only as far as the earth’s atmosphere? Perhaps they may be in this realm or some other heavenly realm. We are not dogmatic on this issue. However, these same saints in Revelation 21:2 (the New Jerusalem) now descend
from the highest echelon of heaven since that is where their marriage to the Lamb took place.

What are the end times?

The end times are what Daniel calls the “time of the end” in Daniel 12:4.  Here is Daniel 12:4 from the New Living Translation: “But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.”

Daniel is instructed to keep the prophecy a secret until the time of the end.  We would ask this next question: what is it the end of? The answer is that “the time of the end” refers to the end of this current age. 

God has made a plan for redeeming all of mankind from sin and death (1 Timothy 2:3-6).  Since Pentecost, God has been selecting a little flock or a bride for his son from this imperfect world (Ephesians 1:7-11).  After the completion of this little flock, a new age will come. That new age starts with Christ’s kingdom. Revelation 21:1 says there will be “a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away.” The end of the first heaven and the first earth is symbolic. It means that the current imperfect political, social, economic, and religious organization of the world will come to an end. In its place will be Christ’s kingdom established in Heaven and on Earth.

When will this happen? Daniel 12:4 gives us two important clues. The verse says the prophecy will not be revealed “until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.” First, we believe the prophecy indicates that the time of the end will be a time when man is rushing here and there. Doesn’t that describe the last 100 to 200 years? Before the 1800s man’s fastest way to travel was by horse or by boat, and most people did not travel far from home. Since the mid to late 1800s, we have seen the speed of travel increase greatly. Mankind went from the horse to putting a man on the moon.This increase in speed and ability to travel matches the description of rushing here and there from Daniel 12:4.  

Second, Daniel mentions there will be an increase of knowledge. During much of human history, knowledge increased, but over the last 100 to 200 years, the increase in knowledge has been very fast. Now, experts estimate that the amount of information in the world will double every 12 months. Knowledge is certainly increasing.

Because we see an increase in knowledge and man traveling faster and further than ever before, we believe Daniel 12:4 shows we are now in the end times. When Christ’s bride (the little flock) is complete, then this age will end, and Christ’s kingdom will begin.