The Difference Between the Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming of Christ

[Quasar93]

Have you ever stopped to think what the Scriptures tell us where believers go after the death of our bodies? Where are we going when our body dies?

"We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." As recorded in 2 Cor.5:8, confirming Ecc.12:7. Which is, IMO, conclusive to the fact that Jesus is not going to let the rest of His Church remain on earth to go through the tribulation. He will return for all of us who belong to Him, still alive here on earth, at His appearing, according to Jn.14:2-4 and 1 Thes.4:14-18. All those who have died in Him, go to be with Him in heaven, immediately after their physical death, according to 2 Cor.5:6-8.  Beginning with Pentecost, they are seen returning with Him from heaven, in 1 Thes.4:14, when He returns for all of us who belong to Him, left here on earth alive at His appearing in the clouds of the sky.  Beginning with Jn.14:2-4 and 28, He returns to take us with Him, back to our Father in heaven.  As recorded in 1 Thes.4:17, when we will be CAUGHT UP [raptured] together with them [all those who previously died in Him] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

"In my Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you also may be where I am." Vs.3."And you know the way to where I am going."  Jn.14:2-4.

And where did Jesus tell them He was going? "You heards me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you. If you loved me , you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I." Vs 28. Confirmed in Jn.16:10, 17 and 28.

The important fact in the above to keep in mind is, that it cannot possibly take place when Jesus returns in His Second Coming to the earth. Because, in the above passage, He returns for all those who belong to Him, bringing with Him all those who had fallen asleep [Died] in Him from heaven, AND RETURNS WITH THEM ALL TO OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN!

The above passage is reinforced by Paul, in 1 Thes.4:14-18, alluding to, "will be CAUGHT UP/RAPTURED together with them [The dead in Christ] to meet the Lord in the clouds of the air, in vs 17." Vs 14 refers to God bringing with Jesus, all those who previously died in Him, and are with Him in the clouds of the air, when all of us who belong to Christ, left here on the earth alive at His appearing, meet Him, together with them, in the clouds of the air. Where in vs 15, Paul reveals the entire event is ACCORDING TO THE LORD'S OWN WORD, which is directly from Jn.14:2-4 and 28. The only place in the Scriptures Jesus taught the believers in Him then, what we refer to today as the rapture of the Church.

How does the above teaching of the coming pre-trib rapture of the Church by Jesus, Paul and John, differ from His Second Coming to the earth? Jesus returns in His second coming to the earth, with His entire Church, [After the marriage to His Bride, the Church, in heaven, in Rev.19:7-9] [as well as in Zech.14:4-5; Jude 14 and Rev.19:14], in His armies from heaven, as well as His angels, recorded in Mt.24:30-31. He will return to fight the battle of Armageddon first, to defeat the antichrist, the false prophet and the ten horns [nations] allied to them, in Rev.19:11-20. He does not gather anyone to Himself in the clouds of the sky in His second coming, as He will in the rapture, nor does He return to heaven with them, as He will at the rapture of the Church! But rather, to save the remnant of Israel, in Zech.12:10 and  Zech.14. Then Satan will be thrown into the Abyss for 1,000 years, in Rev.20:1-3, then to administer the first resurrection, in Rev.20:4 and 6, bringing peace to the entire earth.  He will then establish His 1,000 year reign on the earth.  NOTICE that Jesus DOES NOT return to heaven at any time after He sets foot on the Mount of Olives [Zech.14:5] in His Second Coming, until God has created the new heaven and earth, in Rev.21:1, as seen in verses 22-23.Jesus testimony about His Second Coming to the earth, in Mt.24:30-31:"

At that time, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. [At the end of the seven years of tribulation]. [Confirming Zech.12:10-13]  Israel in particular, because they will then recognize Jesus as their Messiah FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.  While the rest of the world will finally realize Jesus is who He said He was, the Son of God. You will not see any mourning when Jesus appears in the clouds of the sky at the rapture of the Church, when He calls up all those who belong to Him, left here on the earth alive, before the seven year tribulation begins. But rather, great rejoicing will take place! They will see the Son of Man coming on the couds of the sky, with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call and they will gather His ELECT [Jesus is addressing Israel, not the Church which did not exist then, because the Holy Spirit had not from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." Vs 30-31. The angels will gather His ELECT, in Mt.24:31, from the four winds [ISRAEL], from one end of the heavens to the other [THE RAPTURED CHURCH], in His second coming,- confirming Ez.34:11-16, meaning, the Jewish people from all over the entire world. Take notice: No one meets the Lord in the clouds of the sky, here. Nor does does He return from the clouds of the sky with us, to our Father in heaven, as the Scriptures reveal He will in Jn.14:2-4 and 28 and 1 Thes.4:16-17, at the pre-trib rapture of the Church. Nor does Jesus remain in the clouds of the sky, but will take us to our Father in heaven.  

Jesus will return in His second coming, to the earth, where He will remain to establish His 1,000 year kingdom here on the earth, according to Rev.20:4 and 6. Jesus Olivet Discourse, recorded in Mt.24; Mk.13 and in Lk.21, pertains to His second coming to the earth and has nothing whatever to do with the Church. Because the ministry during His first advent was exclusively to Israel, as He made abundantly clear in Mt.15:24 as well as in 10:5-6. The Church did not exist until the arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, in Acts 2:1-3, ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven, in Acts 1:9. It was in response to the questions His disciples had asked Him in Mt.24:3, "...when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age." Which He clearly revealed to them, completely through the seven year tribulation to the signs of His coming and of His actual arrival, in Mt.24:30-31 on the Mount of Olives, according to Zech.14:5.

The "second coming" is found in Zech.14:4-5; Jude 14; where you find Jesus returning with all His angels in Mt.24:30-31 and His entire Church following Him on white horses, dressed in fine linen, white and clean, in Rev.19:14 [A sign of the righteous acts of the saints, as found in Rev.19:8, NIV], in His armies from heaven. Which makes it quite impossible for any such thing as a post-trib rapture.The entire text by Jesus, from Mt.24:4-31 is an amplification of Dan.9:27, where God has decreed Israel to go through the 70th and final week/the seven year tribulation. Which the Church will not go through, according to 2 Thes.2:3 and 7. The antichrist is all three of the "he's" in Dan.9:27, the very same person found in Dan.7:23-27; 8:9-12 and in 9:27, confirmed by Paul, in 2 Thes.2:3-4 and 8, that immediately follow the pre-trib rapture of the Church, recorded in 2 Thes.2:3. There is no resemblance of Mt.24:30-31, or in any of the counterparts in Mk.13 and Lk.21 of the second coming of Christ, to the earth, to that of the pre-trib rapture of the Church, when Jesus gathers us all into the clouds of the sky and takes us from there to our Father in heaven, as He promised us, in Jn.14:2-4 and 28. And Paul in 1 Thes.4:14-18; 2 Thes.2:1-8. Confirming Dan.9:27. [The latter confirms who the antichrist is, his triggering the 70th and final Week/seven year tribulation and the timing of the pre-trib rapture of the Church as confirmed by Paul in 2 Thes.2:3-4].

From another source:  http://www.pre-trib.org/data/pdf/Ice-Di ... heRapt.pdf


Quasar93

[Psalms37:4]

The rapture of the church and the Second Coming are clearly two distinct comings as different as night and day.

In the rapture, Christ comes at a time on earth when people are partying, celebrating, getting married etc. Hard to imagine any of this this happening anytime inside or immediately after the tribulation.

Matthew 24:37-39 New King James Version (NKJV)

³⁷ But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. ³⁸ 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, ³⁹ and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Matthew 24:37-39 New Living Translation (NLT)

³⁷ “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. ³⁸ In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat.³⁹ People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.

 

During the Second Coming, people on earth are having heart attacks fearful of what's happening and of things about to happen. This does not look anything like the coming in Matthew 24:37-39. They are as different as night and day.

Luke 21:25-27 New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁵ “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; ²⁶ men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

 

[Last Daze]

14 hours ago, Psalms37:4 said:

In the rapture, Christ comes at a time on earth when people are partying, celebrating, getting married etc. Hard to imagine any of this this happening anytime inside or immediately after the tribulation.

Not if they've just endured terrible plagues and think that they are now victorious.  Remember that at the death of the two witnesses, people are partying, giving gifts, rejoicing.  They think they're out of the woods.  Doesn't take much longer (45) days until they're convinced of their victory, and the partying continues . . . until it ends.

[Justin Adams]

Wars, wars, earthquakes, tribulations, executions - man of sin - two witnesses - 'peace peace where there is no peace' - WHAMMO-WRATH-BAMMO, bowls and fire as the angels begin to reap - days cut short - saints taken as below earthly eyes melt into heads - worldly fire - heavens melted - all is purged - AoD and his bunch cremated - smoldering ruins - Yeshua on mount of Olives - clean-up - millennia begins. (slightly abbreviated version).

Yahweh does not mess about - He does it quickly; as in the days of Noah.

Edited December 8, 2017 by Justin Adams

[Psalms37:4]

44 minutes ago, Last Daze said:

Not if they've just endured terrible plagues and think that they are now victorious.  Remember that at the death of the two witnesses, people are partying, giving gifts, rejoicing.  They think they're out of the woods.  Doesn't take much longer (45) days until they're convinced of their victory, and the partying continues . . . until it ends.

Oh I get it. You're trying to tell us people will decide to get marry when they see two people die right, this happens all the time. That just makes a whole lot of sense.

In case you missed it, Jesus said people will be getting marry when He comes for the rapture. Hope you're not also trying to tell us the rapture is on the day the two witnesses dies too because Jesus said no man knows the day and hour. I guess the bible must be lying too sine it also told us the two witnesses will be prophesying for 1260 days.

Matthew 24:37-39 New King James Version (NKJV)

³⁷ But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. ³⁸ 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, ³⁹ and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

The rapture is only for the church, not for Israel. Israel's tribulation is only 3 1/2 years. They in peace and safety during the first half of Daniel 70th week. The two witnesses are in Israel. Matthew 24:37-39 is a prophecy of the rapture for when Christ comes for the church at a time when the world is in peace. This is not about Israel. The rapture has nothing to do with Israel.

 

[Last Daze]

1 hour ago, Psalms37:4 said:

Oh I get it. You're trying to tell us people will decide to get marry when they see two people die right, this happens all the time. That just makes a whole lot of sense.

In case you missed it, Jesus said people will be getting marry when He comes for the rapture. Hope you're not also trying to tell us the rapture is on the day the two witnesses dies too because Jesus said no man knows the day and hour. I guess the bible must be lying too sine it also told us the two witnesses will be prophesying for 1260 days.

Matthew 24:37-39 New King James Version (NKJV)

³⁷ But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. ³⁸ 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, ³⁹ and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

The rapture is only for the church, not for Israel. Israel's tribulation is only 3 1/2 years. They in peace and safety during the first half of Daniel 70th week. The two witnesses are in Israel. Matthew 24:37-39 is a prophecy of the rapture for when Christ comes for the church at a time when the world is in peace. This is not about Israel. The rapture has nothing to do with Israel.

 

No, that's not what I'm saying.  That's what you wanted to hear so you could ridicule me.  If you're really interested, I'll explain.

Look at what happens when the two witnesses are killed.

• Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.  And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.  Revelation 11:9-10

Those who had persisted in aligning themselves with the man of sin had been tormented by the plagues for 3ish years prior to the death of the two witnesses.  The plagues had gotten worse and worse and were virtually intolerable when the man of sin appears victorious over the two witnesses by killing them.  Their death brought an end to the effects of the plagues.  It's obvious because of their reaction as the bolded part above clearly states.

In the fourth day after their death, they are brought back to life and caught up to heaven.  This is cause for great concern so the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet compel the kings of the world to gather at Armageddon.

• And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.  Revelation 16:13-14

This process takes an additional 40 days to complete.  As time drags on, people become more confident in the man of sin's claims that the armies are an effective deterrent and that he is the victor.  During the 40 days, in the absence of divine judgment, things return to normal for the people of the world just as Jesus said they would.

What advice did Jesus give concerning the 40 days when the armies are gathering?

• “Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.”  And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.  Revelation 15:15-16

You see, Jesus still hadn't come like a thief at that point, obviously.  It's not until the day after the 40 days that He returns like a thief in the night on the day of the Lord, and we are resurrected, changed, and raptured.

Ridicule me if you wish but that's what the scriptures say.  It's not for no reason that Jesus said what He did when He did in Revelation 15:15.  He's not confused about things.

[Justin Adams]

Yes. After the really bad times, people start to think they have 'heaven on earth'. Just like after 9/11, it did not take long before folk put that in the back of their minds and just carried on. People tend to do that. Even during the blitz there were marriages etc. It is what we do to cope. 

[Justin Adams]

NOTE: I see lots of posts about pre-trib and the difference between etc etc. It is like you are trying to convince yourselves that the second coming is not what the scriptures say it is. I think you are probably uncertain - and just because many agree with you, still does not change anything. It will be what it will be, and scriptural, you will see.

[Last Daze]

51 minutes ago, Justin Adams said:

Yes. After the really bad times, people start to think they have 'heaven on earth'. Just like after 9/11, it did not take long before folk put that in the back of their minds and just carried on. People tend to do that. Even during the blitz there were marriages etc. It is what we do to cope. 

Exactly.  People move on quickly, especially when they think its all over and they're in the clear.

[Daniel 11:36]

The Lord is telling this story and He pauses to say the following

• “Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.” 
•  
• And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.  Revelation 15:15-16

He then proceeds with the battle Armageddon which occurs in the 30 days following

Edited December 8, 2017 by Daniel 11:36