For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  (Matthew 24:27)

Jesus is speaking to four of his disciples telling them of what to expect in the end times and specifically, the signs of his second coming. The Greek word that translates the participle of the verb ‘to come’ is actually a noun παρουσία parousia; while this word has a common meaning, as here in Paul:

…God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming (parousia) of Titus…(2 Corinthians 7:6)

Actually, Jesus is referring the Parousia, the event of his glorious and triumphal return, where none will doubt his complete splendour and power; therefore, Jesus invokes the second and specific meaning of this Greek word, where the arrival of a King during a royal progression through his realm would bring his regal presence.

Yet the nature of The Parousia causes confusion.  Compare these descriptions of Jesus’ second coming:

‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’  (Acts 1:11)

This angelic challenge to the disciples staring at the cloud behind which Jesus vanishes, is a reminder of what Jesus himself told some of them:

(the world) will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory… (Matthew 24:30)

Jesus not only returns from the clouds but to the same place of his ascension, the Mount of Olives:

Behold, a day is coming for the Lord…on that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east… (Zechariah 14:1&4).

So, Jesus’ Second Coming heralded by the last trumpet announces Jesus’ arrival on earth and the establishment of the Messiah’s terrestrial reign:

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.”  (Revelation 11:15)

Contrast this with Paul:

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.  (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

The Lord comes but to collect and gather to himself his elect in the clouds.  This describes a spiritual and nebulous meeting.  

In fact, both descriptions of Jesus’ coming simply describe two different perspectives.  The first experience of The Parousia is that of the unbelieving world, those that have not believed Jesus had already come, succumbed to death and conquered it; but there is sub-division also.  Some, the majority, will be those who deny God, while the rest is the remnant of Israel that God has preserved (Romans 11:5).  These will see Jesus walk on Olivet and mourn.

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will mourn on account of him.   (Revelation 1:7)

The second experience is that of the raptured.  Jesus speaks of this also in his eschatological teaching:

But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.  (Matthew 24:36-42)

And we should also note that the exact timing of the Rapture is sealed (and any that predict the exact timing in relation to other events are misled and misleading).  Not only does Jesus explicitly say this, but he deliberately separates out the description of the Rapture from that of his coming to the earth by inserting a short parable about the fig tree.

Therefore, at some point during the Great Tribulation, Christians will hear the last trumpet and be instantly transformed, along with every other believer posthumously:

Behold! I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.  (1 Corinthians 15:51-53)

Thus, The Parousia is different depending on your beliefs. But to any that might contend that this suggests Jesus would need to be in two places at once, consider that the Rapture removes the Church into the eternal realm instantly.  Here Jesus is always present, because the eternal realm exists out of time.  It is not so much the Jesus cannot exist in two places but in time and eternity simultaneously.

What is certain is that at The Parousia is that Christ is revealed in all his majesty:

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh, he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.  (Revelation 19:11-16)