Read Time:12 Minute, 28 Second
Today we are going to look at some of the major differences between the Rapture & the Second Coming Of Jesus.
.
Rapture Vs The Second Coming Of Jesus
.
In our last episode, we saw how the first coming & second coming of our Lord Jesus were mixed up and given in the Old Testament.
.
A similar pattern is found in the Bible for the Second Coming Of our Lord Jesus as well. So unless we can understand that, and see clearly which verses or portion of verses are talking about the Rapture and which ones are talking about the Second Coming, it would be impossible to understand the Timeline of God and the next events that are going to unfold.
.
Let us look at 5 verses that talk about the Rapture:
.
-
THE LORD HIMSELF SHALL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN:
[1Th 4:16-17 KJV]16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:17 Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
.
I want you to focus on 4 particular things here:
.
POINT NUMBER 1:
.
Notice how it says the LORD HIMSELF shall descend from heaven. Now contrast that statement with Revelation Chapter 19:11 which is the second coming of Jesus:
.
[Rev 19:11 KJV] And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him [was] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
.
Can you see the difference?
During the rapture, Jesus himself descends whereas, for his Second coming, the imagery given in the Bible is totally different where he comes riding on a White Horse.
.
Now don’t ask me if Jesus is really gonna be riding a White Horse or not. I don’t know for sure. But the Bible talks in vivid imagery in order for us to understand and differentiate the events from one another. So let us focus on the point that the Bible is trying to make with regards to his coming.
.
.
POINT NUMBER 2:
.
“With A Shout”
Now, this is the Shout of our Lord Jesus Himself.
.
.
POINT NUMBER 3:
.
“With the Voice Of The archangel”
This is the GREEK WORD “archangelos”(G743) which is the CHIEF OF ANGELS and usually, it is Michael the chief Angel.
.
.
POINT NUMBER 4:
.
“TRUMP OF GOD”
.
This is one of the most confusing parts when it comes to end-time study.
THE TRUMPET.
People usually think that this is one of the trumpets that is mentioned in the book of Revelation.
.
But notice in this verse it clearly says “TRUMP OF GOD”.
Now contrast that statement with Revelation Chapter 8, verse 13:
.
[Rev 8:13 KJV] And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!
.
Do you see? Those are referred to as the Trumpet of the angels. Not the TRUMP OF GOD!!
Quiet a huge difference there, I hope you get it now.
.
-
RAPTURE THE MYSTERY UNVEILED:
[1Co 15:51 KJV] Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,[1Co 15:52 KJV] In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
.
This is another famous Rapture verse.
Again, many people are confused with the LAST TRUMP mentioned here. People think that it’s the 7th Trumpet mentioned in the book of Revelation.
.
People argue that its the last trumpet mentioned in Rev 11:15
But it is not so. It can be proven with the simple fact that when Paul was writing the book of Corinthians, the book of Revelation was not there and so when Paul said at the last trump, people would not have been able to understand what this was. But Paul very confidently wrote at the last trump meaning his audience clearly understood what he meant by the last trump, else he would have explained it. We find no explanation given by Paul about the last trump.
So what last trump was Paul referring to?
I believe that it’s the Feast of Trumpets or Rosh HaShanah.
We will be studying this in more detail in the later videos of Spiritual Power Nuggets. So please subscribe and stay tuned.
In short, the Feast of Trumpets, or Rosh HaShanah, is a feast of the Israelites where one hundred trumpet blasts are blown and the last trumpet blast is a lengthy one. So when Paul said, at the last trump, the people at that time understood what the last trump was!
But BEWARE, that should not encourage you to set a date for the Rapture, because NO ONE KNOWS when the rapture will take place!
.
.
-
RAPTURE IS AN ESCAPE FROM TRIBULATION:
[Luk 21:36 KJV] Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
.
Jesus himself gave us a clue about the escape from Tribulation.
The Greek word used here is:
ek-fyoo’-go (G1628)
-Means to flee out of, flee away
-to seek safety in flight
-to escape
.
I have checked all the references in the Bible where this word is used and it means ESCAPE in every verse where it is used. You can check it out yourselves using the BlueLetterBible.org website or the mobile app.
.
.
-
THE PROMISE OF JESUS TO TAKE US TO HEAVEN:
.
[Jhn 14:1 KJV] 1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
.
[Jhn 14:2 KJV] 2 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.
.
[Jhn 14:3 KJV] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.
.
Where was Jesus going when He spoke these words?
He was going to Heaven and look at what he said? I go and prepare a place for you. So Jesus is preparing a place for us in Heaven. These are HIS words. Finally, HE says, “I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am, there you may be also.
It cannot get more clearer than that.
.
For people believing in Post Tribulation Rapture, if Jesus comes, in the end, to set up God’s kingdom on earth, when will He take us to Heaven?
.
.
-
PROMISE TO THE CHURCH IN THE LETTER OF JESUS:
[Rev 3:10 KJV] Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
.
This is the promise given by Lord Jesus to one of the seven churches found in the book of Revelation.
Let us focus on the main promise here…
.
I WILL ALSO KEEP THEE FROM THE HOUR OF TEMPTATION
.
I have seen many people argue and translate that this verse DOES NOT mean to:
-
-
-
KEEP YOU AWAY FROM TRIBULATION
-
BUT, it means to
-
KEEP YOU THROUGH THE TRIBULATION
-
-
.
Really? Let us look at the exact GREEK Words used here in the Bible.
.
THE WORD “FROM” USED HERE IN THE GREEK IS:
the word “EK” (G1537), it means the following:
-
-
-
out of,
-
from,
-
by,
-
away from
-
-
.
THE WORD “HOUR” USED HERE IN THE GREEK IS:
the word “HORA” (G5610), it means the following:
-
-
-
a certain definite time or season
-
any definite time, point of time, moment
-
the daytime or a day
-
a twelfth part of the day-time or an hour
-
-
.
However you see, the word HOUR is used to denote a SPECIFIC PERIOD OF TIME.
So Jesus clearly promised one of the seven churches, that it will be KEPT FROM or OUT OF the HOUR or TIME OF TRIBULATION.
It cannot get more clearer than that.
.
.
Now, let us look at 5 verses about the Second Coming Of Jesus:
.
-
JESUS COMES BACK TO WAGE WAR AND DEFEAT HIS ENEMIES:
.
[Rev 19:11 KJV] And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him [was] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
.
This is the fulfillment of Zechariah 14: verses 3 and 4:
.
[Zec 14:3 KJV] 3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
.
[Zec 14:4 KJV] And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which [is] before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, [and there shall be] a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
.
So during the Second Coming Of Jesus, He comes back to wage war against his enemies and defeat them! It’s a very dreadful day.
.
.
-
JESUS COMES BACK TO EXECUTE JUDGEMENT:
.
[Jude 1:14-15 KJV]:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard [speeches] which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
This is a New Testament verse that actually refers to the Old Testament Book which is the Book of Enoch. But the book of Enoch is not part of our Bible. This has been excluded during the canonization of the Bible and we don’t know the reason for that. However, this is a very important book of the Old Testament and it is a very detailed description of what happened on earth between the fallen angels and the human beings and why God had to bring the flood during the time of Noah to destroy all life on earth. This detailed book was written by Enoch – the man who was raptured by God!
.
Now, this verse in Jude refers to the book of Enoch and states that God is going to come with ten thousands of his saints to execute judgment upon all the ungodly.
.
This is talking about the SECOND COMING of JESUS and not the Rapture.
.
.
-
JESUS COMES AFTER THE TRIBULATION:
.
[Mat 24:29-30 KJV]29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
This is a clear Bible verse that talks about the second coming of Jesus.
.
.
-
JESUS SEPARATES THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS:
.
[Mat 25:31 KJV] When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:[Mat 25:32 KJV] And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth [his] sheep from the goats:[Mat 25:33 KJV] 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
This event happens at the second coming of Jesus, when Jesus sits on his throne and Jesus himself separates the Sheep from the goats and then…
let us read what happens next:
.
[Mat 25:34 KJV] 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
.
Are you able to see the difference between the Rapture event and the second coming of the Lord Jesus?
During the rapture, Jesus is not coming to earth and sitting on the throne but instead, the bride of Christ or church believers get raptured and go to Heaven.
.
However, during the second coming, Jesus sits on his throne and separates the sheep from the goats, and tells the sheep to enter into the millennium which is on earth. Notice the most important thing here, the believers or the sheep are not translated into their supernatural spiritual bodies.
.
There is a very important reason why this is so. They will get into the millennium in their physical bodies in order to populate the earth during the 1000 years of reign! We will cover this very important topic in another Spiritual Power Nugget video. So please subscribe and stay tuned.
.
So you see, there are significant differences between the Rapture and the Second Coming.
.
.
-
JESUS COMES BACK TO DESTROY THE ANTI-CHRIST:
.
[2Th 2:8 KJV] And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
.
The Wicked One mentioned here in this verse is the Anti-Christ and the Bible clearly tells us that he will be destroyed during the Second Coming Of Jesus which happens AFTER the time of Tribulation.
.
This Bible passage is a heavily loaded one and is one of the most debated subjects when it comes to the Rapture and Second Coming. I will be creating a video specifically on this Bible passage. So do subscribe and stay tuned.
.
.
We have seen 5 passages from the New Testament that talk about the Rapture when Jesus comes in the clouds and takes us to Heaven and 5 passages from the New Testament that talk about the Second Coming of Jesus when He comes down to earth and his feet lands on the ground and establish his Millenial reign on earth.
.
There is a clear contrast between both of these events as you have seen.
.
.
LET US COMPARE THEM SIDE BY SIDE NOW:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I hope you are able to clearly see the contrast between the 2 events.
.
.
I highly encourage you to go ahead and watch the YouTube Video Below where I will explain in detail and differentiate between the 2 sets of Bible Portions given above.
.
.
Very well documented with Scripture and illustrations. Good apologetical defense. Thank you.
Thank you so much Doug for leaving your comment. I am delighted to read it. Every word you type as feedback brings joy and proves that it was worth the time and effort 🙂
Stay blessed and I invite you to visit the youtube channel and subscribe.
God Bless
I love it ,went through it and I believe the rapture will take place first,thank you.
Hello Steve Gangadeen, thank you so much for leaving your comment here. It really matters a lot to read the wonderful comments from God’s own 🙂
God Bless You and indeed the Rapture WILL OCCUR first and its very soon.
Hola, Amigo, that was avery good and awesome study explaining the rapture and secong coming of Jesus Christ. Thanks for that study. I appreciate that. God bless you.
Dr. Wilner Blanchard
Thank you very much Dr.Wilner. I just noticed your comment and have approved it. I am delighted to see your words. Thank you again! God bless
Thanks friend that study. God bless.
Dr. Wilner Blanchard
Much appreciated and I am really overjoyed to see your comments. Thanks a lot and God bless you my friend.
Thank you for helping us go deeper to understand the difference between Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ.
May I seek clarification: If Christ were to rapture His church before the tribulation, then all those who remain are non-believers. How then the dividing of the sheep and the goats at His 2nd coming? Who are the sheep? Why are there sheep? I really hope to understand clearly God’s Word as He intended it to be. There are truly too many interpretations of end time prophecies.
A wonderful question and I will answer you in detail soon.
@Sue
Dear Sue, I will try to answer your query in detail here with the help of the Lord Almighty.
AFTER the Rapture, 4 groups of people will be left on earth during the Second Coming of Jesus.
1. The SAVED and Righteous ones who are ALIVE (those who get saved AFTER the Rapture, there will be many).
2. The SAVED and Righteous ones who are DEAD (tribulation martyrs).
3. The EVIL ones who are ALIVE.
4. The EVIL ones who are DEAD.
[Mat 25:33-34 KJV] 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Now, the 1st group – “The SAVED and Righteous ones who are ALIVE” are the sheep. They have managed to survive the tribulation period and stay alive during the Second Coming of Jesus. These are the sheep. They will enter into the Millennium/Kingdom of God in their physical bodies because they will repopulate the earth during the 1000 years when Satan would be bound. Think of it like how it happened during the time of Noah. After the flood, the entire earth was repopulated from only Noah’s family.
The 2nd group – “The SAVED and Righteous ones who are DEAD (tribulation martyrs)”, they are resurrected during the Second Coming Of Jesus and they will be in their resurrected supernatural bodies and will not reproduce but they will reign with Jesus!
[Rev 20:4 KJV] 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
The 3rd group – “The EVIL ones who are ALIVE” are the goats. They will be judged at the second coming of Jesus.
[Mat 25:41 KJV] 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.
The 4th group – “The EVIL ones who are DEAD” are part of the rest of the dead who are not resurrected but will be resurrected at the Great White Throne Judgement at the end:
[Rev 20:5 KJV] 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection.
I hope it is clear to you. God Bless You.
I love this eye opener very powerfull i needed this you ansewed all the questions i was asking about the Rapture
Hi Rhoan, thank you so much for such a encouraging comment. It is so motivating to read it and I am overjoyed and all praise be to God almighty for the answers! God bless you abundantly.
Well done, however the “Book” of Enoch (there are actually 2 of them) is not part of the canon for a reason. They are frauds. On top of that, there’s no proof that Enoch, the 7th from Adam ever wrote a book. Jude was quoting Enoch, something that was divinely revealed to him.
In order for you to make such a claim about these fraudulent writings leads me to believe that you never even read them, especially the second one. Where’s the proof for 450 foot tall giants? Where’s the proof for 10 mile high trees? This all seems akin to ancient cult myths such as the Anunnaki coming from the “planet” Nibiru to save mankind from themselves, and destroying Earth…
Hi Duke Nukem,
Thank you for commenting but I have studied the full book of Enoch. I even did a detailed study of the evidence from history for the giants and high trees.
You said that Jude was quoting Enoch and it was divinely revealed to him… Let us azamine that verse:
[Jude 1:14-15 KJV]:
14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
Jude SAYS, ENOCH PROPHESIED….. This is a strong statement with assertion that Enoch Prophesied meaning it was written down else why even bring that into reference in the Bible text. That is a clue for us left by the Holy Spirit to consider the book of Enoch worthy of our study 🙂 Thank the Holy Spirit.
Besides, in the context of this study, I had mentioned what is given in the book of JUDE which is part of our Bible and there should be no question of that verse saying God is coming with ten thousands of his saints..
God Bless.
I love this!…very well analysed…Blessings
Thank you so much Alma. It’s a pleasure and God bless you.
You strongly hinted that Jesus Christ is the archangel Michael.
The Bible says Michael is ONE OFF the chief princes. Not THE chief prince. ( Daniel 10:13)
Are you guys JW’s or are you SDA? If so, you have the wrong Jesus, Jesus is not a created being and no angel is part of the triune God.
To make that claim you need to alter scripture, refer to books that for good reason were rejected as scripture and/or be one of those religions that 1(has a so called prophet) 2) must lower the true status of Christ the second person of the Trinity.
I can’t think of more dangerous ground to walk on. Beware of the plagues so mentioned in Revelation for those that either ad to or take from the prophecy of that book.
Hello Wayne,
I have NEVER hinted that Jesus Christ is the archangel Michael.
This is not true and I will never say that. 🙂
Thank you
Hi i’m Darnika. Love the teachings. I agree with everything.
Hello Darnika, thank you so much for your comment. Means a lot and may God bless you abundantly.
Thanks alot
You are most welcome. It’s a blessing to read the comments from the children of God. Thank you so much
Hi – it looks to me like what you’ve laid works for a pretribulation view of the rapture,a mid-tribulational view, but also a pre-wrath view. Have you heard of pre-wrath? It’s the belief where the rapture happens before God pours out His wrath (like pre & mid-trib), but this can be after the revealing of the anti-Christ, and even after the mid-point (the treaty and abomination that causes desolation).
Hi Andrew, like you said what I have spoken here looks like a combination of many things and YET there can only be ONE TERM that defines exactly the view of Rapture as portrayed in Revelation 6th Seal which is the ON-TRIBULATION RAPTURE because that is exactly the sequence as per the book of Revelation. God Bless.