Hey Rob, thanks for sticking with the topic. I am going to suggest that your textual notes are defending the pretrib rapture position. That is fine, but I would suggest that a look at the standard language works would not betray the bias towards a “gradual” return of Christ. As I said, No confession or creed of any mainstream Christian body has every subscribed to the pre-trib rapture on textual grounds. My friends who defend it are always telling me that it is a “hidden” or symbolic truth of the Bible. I am always telling them that scripture has one plain meaning and no secret meanings for some generations.

I would also suggest that the force of these two texts (both Luke and Matthew) is violated seriously if a gradual, hidden, secret coming of Jesus is being described. The simplest reading is on one day, Christ returns publically and separates the world for judgment.

So, here is Thayer’s Lexicon on “parousia,” the word for “coming” in your Matthew citation (bold text mine):

2. the presence of one coming, hence, the coming, arrival, advent,...2 Cor. 7:6f; 2 Thess. 2:9 (cf. 8 … of a return, Phil. 1:26. In the N. T. especially of the advent, i. e. the future, visible, return from heaven of Jesus, the Messiah, to raise the dead, hold the last judgment, and set up formally and gloriously the kingdom of God: Matt. 24:3; (27), 37, 39; 1 Thess. 3:13; 4:15; 5:23; 2 Thess. 2:1; James 5:7f; 2 Pet. 3:4; 2 Pet. 1:16; , 1 Cor. 15:23; (1 Thess. 2:19); 2 Thess. 2:8; 2 Pet. 3:4; (1 John 2:28); 2 Pet. 3:12.

And Louw-Nida on the same word: “85.25 parousi,a, aj f: the presence of an object at a particular place – ‘presence, being at hand, to be in person.’ h` de. parousi,when he is with us in person’ (literally ’... his bodily presence’) 2 Cor 10.10.

For me the key text is (boldface is mine) :2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering- 6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

This text cannot possible be refering to a secret rapture, but to a coming on Christ on one day to execute vengence and bring reward. Notice that the text is to “you,” the Thessalonians, so that Paul is telling the Thessalonians what they must watch for. Not a secret return, but public vengence and reward on the same day. I would be interested in a pre-trib rapturist view on that text.