The Second Coming of Christ

This phrase to meet the Lord in the air tells us two very important truths about Christ’s return. When we meet the Lord we will escort Him back to the earth. The term meet can refer to common meetings, but this generally has a more definite use, and typically refers to the formal reception of a newly arriving magistrate. F. F. Bruce describes this royal reception:

“When a dignitary paid an official visit to a city in Hellenistic times, the action of the leading citizens in going out to meet him and escort him back on the final stage of his journey was called the apantasis, or 'the meeting.”