The Rapture Vs. The Second Coming

The Rapture of the Church and Second Coming of Jesus Christ – are these the same event and/or are these events to occur at the same time in the future, or are these two distinctly separate events to occur at very different future points in time? This has been a highly-debated topic over the years with very staunch supporters on both sides of the issue. This study will look at both of these events, and will provide a strong argument in support of the biblical position that these are truly two distinctly separate events that are separated by seven or more years. Said another way, that the Rapture of the Church will occur prior to the beginning of the seven-year tribulation period; whereas, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will occur at the very end of this same period. To start, let us take a brief look at these two events, firstly, the Rapture of the Church. To begin with, the word “Rapture” comes from the Latin word “rapere” found in the expression “caught up” in the Latin translation of I Thessalonians 4:17, “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” (NKJ: I Thessalonians 4:17) The actual Greek word being translated “caught up” is “harpazo.” This Greek word “harpazo” refers to a seizing or a snatching away by a force that cannot be resisted. We see an example of the meaning of this word, “harpazo,” in the following passage, “Now when there arose a great dissension, the commander, fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.” (NKJ: Acts 23:10) In this passage, the phrase “take him by force” is the translation of the Greek word “harpazo.” The word “Rapture”, used in a biblical context, is used to refer to an event in which Jesus Christ will come to take His Church, that is, Christians both alive and dead, back with Him to heaven. In contrast, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ refers to the return of Jesus Christ to this world to establish His kingdom here on earth. This event was foretold all throughout the Old Testament, and its fulfillment is chronicled in Revelation chapter 19, verses 11 thru 21: “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, "Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great." And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.” (NKJ: Revelation 19:11-21) It is interesting to note that prior to the actual coming of Jesus Christ to the earth, and then his subsequent crucifixion and resurrection, it was generally believed that the Messiah would come just once to earth and immediately establish his kingdom and rule. Even though the Old Testament Scriptures definitely portrayed two distinctly different circumstances of His Coming, the readers of the Old Testament saw in them only one event. The following are a selection of verses that speak of the coming of the Messiah: Old Testament Scriptures Referencing The First Coming Of Jesus Christ Chronicled in the Gospels (Speaking of the Triumphal Entry) "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.” (NKJ: Zechariah 9:9) (Speaking of the crucifixion) “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?.... All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying. "He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!"….I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. They pierced My hands and My feet;….They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots….All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the LORD, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You….They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, That He has done this.”(NKJ: Psalm 22:1,7-8,14-16,18,27,31) (Speaking of the crucifixion) “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked-- But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (NKJ: Isaiah 53:1-12) Old Testament Scriptures Referencing the Second Coming of Jesus Christ Spoken of In Revelation Chapter 19 “Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the LORD, For He is coming to judge the earth.” (NKJ: I Chronicles 16:33) “Give to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns; the world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved; He shall judge the peoples righteously." Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the LORD. For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with His truth.” (NKJ: Psalm 96:8-13) “Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.” (NKJ: Isaiah 2:3-4) “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (NKJ: 9:6-7) “But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.” (NKJ: Isaiah 11:4-6) “He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken. And it will be said in that day: "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation." (NKJ: Isaiah 25:8-9) “For behold, the LORD will come with fire and with His chariots, like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire.” (NKJ: Isaiah 66:15) "Thus says the LORD: 'I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, The Mountain of the LORD of hosts, The Holy Mountain.'” (NKJ: Zechariah 8:3) Verses Simultaneously Speaking of Both Comings "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,” (NKJ: Isaiah 61:1-2) The Lord recited the previous verse in reference to His first coming, but stopped short of the last phrase since those words were in reference to His Second Coming, “So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: ‘The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.’ Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’" (NKJ: Luke 4:16-21) "’Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; the battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be 'from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.'” (NKJ: Zechariah 9:9-10) Now that we are looking back in hindsight, it is obvious to us that the Scriptures were describing two very distinct and separate events in relation to our Lord’s coming. The circumstances surrounding these two events are very different in nature, and portray two completely contrasting scenarios. Yet, interestingly enough, the readers of the Old Testament, prior to the initial coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, only saw these Scriptures speaking of one event. The same can now be said of the New Testament’s portrayal of the return of Jesus Christ. Though two distinctly different events are described, there are those who hold that the future return of Jesus Christ will only occur in one event at one time, similar to the misinterpretation of the Old Testament prophecies pertaining to the coming of the Messiah. The return of Jesus Christ will actually occur in two stages, those two stages being the Rapture of the Church, where Jesus Christ will come for believers both alive and dead, and take them back to heaven with Him, and then what is referred to as the Second Coming where He will come back to earth to establish His kingdom. One of the keys to understanding the separateness of these two events is to compare the descriptions of each event. In doing so, one will soon realize that these two events possess completely different aspects. Of the return of Jesus Christ, the Scriptures tell two different stories, and these two stories have very opposite and opposing attributes. The following are comparisons of some of the Scriptures describing these two events: 1) At the Rapture, believers meet the Lord in the air – At the Second Coming, believers return with the Lord to the earth. Rapture verse: 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NKJV) “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” Second Coming verse: Revelation 19:11-21 (NKJV) “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, "Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great." And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.” (NKJ: Revelation 19:11-21) 2) The Rapture is the removal of believers from the earth as an act of deliverance – The Second Coming includes the removal of unbelievers as an act of judgment Rapture verses: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 (NKJV) “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” Romans 5:9 (NKJV) “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” 1 Thessalonians 5:9 (NKJV) “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” Second Coming verses: Matthew 25:31-46 (NKJV) "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."” Revelation 19:17-21 (NKJV) “Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, "Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great." And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.” 3) The Rapture will be secret and instant – The Second Coming will be visible to all Rapture verses: 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 (NKJV) “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 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 incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."” Second Coming verses: Revelation 1:7 (NKJV) “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.” Matthew 24:29-30 (NKJV) “”Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” 4) The Rapture is imminent, it could take place at any moment, and no signs precede it – The Second Coming will not occur until after certain specific end-times events take place Rapture verses: Matthew 24:36-44 (NKJV) “”But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 (NKJV) “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.” Titus 2:13 (NKJV) “…looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” Second Coming verses: The Second Coming occurs in chapter 19 of the book of Revelation after the tribulation period described in chapters 6 thru 18 of the book of Revelation. A series of specific events are outlined in these chapters that must occur prior to the Second Coming. 5) At the Rapture, there is no mention of establishing Christ’s Kingdom on earth – At the Second Coming Christ has come to set up His Kingdom on earth Rapture verses: No Rapture verses mentioning Christ’s Kingdom on earth Second Coming verses: Matthew 25:31-34 (NKJV) “”When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Zechariah 14:3-4 (NKJV) “Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south. “ 6) After the Rapture the world is deceived, and after the Second Coming Satan is bound so he cannot deceive Rapture verses: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 (NKJV) “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.” Second Coming verses: Revelation 19:20 (NKJV) “Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.” Revelation 20:1-3 (NKJV) “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.” 7) At the Rapture, Christians are taken to the Father’s House, but at the Second Coming Christians reign with Christ, and do not see the Father’s house Rapture verse: John 14:1-4 (NKJV) “"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know."” Second Coming verse: Revelation 20:4 (NKJV) “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” 8) The Rapture occurs before the seven-year tribulation period, and the Second Coming occurs at the end of this period Rapture verses: See Bible study on “The Rapture” for discussion on why the Rapture must occur prior to the seven-year tribulation period. Second Coming verses: The Second Coming occurs in chapter 19 of the book of Revelation after the tribulation period described in chapters 6 thru 18 of the book of Revelation 9) The Rapture is spoken of as a mystery by Paul, a truth not revealed until its disclosure by the apostles, but the Second Coming is predicted all throughout the Old Testament Rapture verse: 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 (NKJV) “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 incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” Second Coming verses: Zechariah 12:10 (NKJV) “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.” Zechariah 14:3-4 (NKJV) “Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south. “ 10) The Rapture is referred to as the blessed hope, and Christians are to comfort each other regarding the event; whereas, with the Second Coming there will be mourning by Israel Rapture verses: 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 (NKJV) “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” Titus 2:11-13 (NKJV) “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,…” Second Coming verses: Zechariah 12:10 (NKJV) "”And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.” Matthew 24:30 (NKJV) “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Conclusion What is the importance in believing that the Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming are two completely separate events that will occur at different points of time in the future? There are several key issues that make this belief important to us: - If the Rapture and the Second Coming are the same event, the return of Christ is not imminent—there are many things that must occur before Christ will return to our world to reign (Matthew 24:4-30), in particular, the seven-year tribulation period (Revelation, chapters 6 thru 18). Therefore, though the Scriptures tell us to have an expectation that our Lord may return at any time, with the Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming occurring at the same point in time, such a hope for His imminent return is not possible. - The Rapture is described as the blessed hope and we are to comfort one another, but if this event occurs at the end of the seven-year tribulation period, and we as Christians are to suffer through this period of tribulation upon the earth, then how could this be a blessed hope, and how are we to find comfort in these words? - In describing the seven-year tribulation period, Revelation chapters 6–19, there is no mention of the Church. It is absent from the scene. Paul speaks of the fullness of the Gentiles in his letter to the Romans, “For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” This point in time “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” is in reference to the Christians here now on earth. The “fullness” of their “coming in” is a reference to a point in time when a pre-determined number, set by God, of believers is achieved, and then the Lord will come down to take those Christians up to heaven with Him. God’s primary attention currently is on the Church, but, after the Rapture of the Church, His attention will then be turned back to His people, the nation of Israel. The tribulation period is also called “the time of trouble for Jacob” (Jeremiah 30:7), and God will again turn His attention to Israel (Romans 11:17-31). The “bride of Christ”, that is, the Church, must first be removed from the scene, this world, for the nation of Israel to again become God’s primary focus. If the Rapture were to occur at the same time, or is the same event, as the Second Coming, then this cannot occur. It is of great importance that we know and understand that the Rapture of the Church and Second Coming of Christ are two distinctly separate events occurring at completely different times since other very important foundational biblical truths, as outlined above, depend on the this biblical truth. Paul writes in his second epistle to the church in Thessalonica, “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him….Let no one deceive you by an means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin (the “first beast” or antichrist) is revealed….and now you know what is restraining, that he (the “first beast” or antichrist) may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.” (NKJ: II Thessalonians 2:3-7) We are told here by Paul that the coming of the our Lord Jesus Christ, that is, the Second Coming, will not occur until after the antichrist has been revealed. The revealing of the antichrist is being restrained by a force referred to as “He”, and this person must be taken out of the way before the antichrist can come forward. This “He” is not God or Jesus in that they are in heaven, and it would not be proper or make sense to say of either of them that they would be “taken out of the way.” However, the Holy Spirit is here on earth, and resides in the hearts of all Christians. Jesus Christ makes reference to the sending of the Holy Spirit after His departure from this world, that is, after His crucifixion, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” (NKJ: John 14:16-17) The Holy Spirit lives within the bodies of the Church saints, and will never leave us, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (NKJ: I Corinthians 6:19) Therefore, for the antichrist to come forward in this world, the Holy Spirit must be taken out of the way. However, since the Holy Spirit resides in the hearts of all Christians, then for the Holy Spirit to be removed from this world, it would logically follow that the Christians must be removed from this world. Hence, the Rapture of the Church. Further, we are told in the book of Matthew that during the last days, “lawlessness will abound” (NKJ: Matthew 24:12). We would be hard pressed to envision a world with the coexistence of the Church and abounding lawlessness. However, with all the Church saints removed from the world, and with but a small contingent of tribulation saints (tribulation saints being those who are to come to a saving faith post-Rapture) alive here on earth, only then can we see how the world can fall into such a state of lawlessness. Sound biblical study tells us that first the Rapture of the Church will occur where Jesus Christ will meet us believers in the air, and then will take us back to heaven to live with Him for eternity. This event will occur prior to the seven-year tribulation period. Then, at the very end of the seven-year tribulation period, the Lord Jesus Christ will return to earth from heaven to establish His kingdom here on earth. Fellow Christians, comfort yourselves with these words, and be ever vigilant for the imminent return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. God Bless