Taught @ Grace Community Church In Arroyo Hondo New Mexico on June 21st 2020 (Sunday Evening Service). Follow This ministry on Facebook

There are a lot of ideas circulating the internet about the rapture and the second coming of Christ. Most people get the two events confused, describing the two as the same event, yet they are not. And the reason for this is simply: people don’t pay attention to details when studying and quoting Scriptures.

Internet ministers and some commentaries minister the rapture of the church is the second coming of Christ. They always base their teaching with one verse of Scripture rather than what the whole Holy Bible says, for example:

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

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: 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Then, under the same breath they will quote, 1 Corinthians 15:50-58, as they are trying to prove the rapture is the second coming of Christ as if there’s a connection here with the two.

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall 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 shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

When you hear these kinds of teachings, you must ask yourself these questions, “If the rapture of the church age and the second coming of Christ was the same event at the end of the ‘Great Tribulation’ as some ministers have preached. Then what would be the point of the rapture to begin with, since Jesus Christ will be here on earth? Why are Christians going up to meet the Lord in the air, while Jesus Christ is coming down to earth from Heaven?”

The Point of The Second Advent of Christ

Not to take Christians out of this earth, Revelation 16:12-16 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And He gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

Revelation 19:11-21 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. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself.

And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in Heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

And the remnant were slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of His mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Revelation 20:1-4 And I saw an angel come down from Heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

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 Point of The Rapture

The rapture of the church age is to take the church out of this earth before the wrath of God is in full fruition. That’s our reward for being faithful to God and loving the Lord when it wasn’t “fashionable” or “popular”

Revelation 3:1-10 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept My word, and hast not denied My name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

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 “hour of temptation” that Jesus Christ ministers, is the “Great Tribulation” period. And if we are faithful servants of God, who love the Lord and keeps His commandments, He will keep us from that hour of temptation that will come upon all the earth; referring to the rapture!

Rapture: Latin word (Raptura) ‘Caught up; carry off: Abducted’ The rapture of the church age is where Jesus Christ will appear in the clouds, and He will send His angel’s to gather His elect.

Matthew 24:4-13 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

In Luke 21:28, Jesus Christ concludes this teaching by saying, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” And then,

This is why He instructs us to lift up our heads, for Jesus Christ is coming to take the church from this earth (the rapture), before the “Great Tribulation” begins.

At the rapture, Matthew 24:29-31 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: 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. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Notice, He does not step foot on earth here. But send His angels to gather His elect which concurs with 1 Thessalonians 3:13-17. The second advent of Christ is where He will appear in the clouds with great glory, and step foot on the Mount of Olives

Revelation 19:11-15 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. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God.

And the armies which were in Heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Jesus Christ in the His second advent will come down from Heaven and establish His kingdom, treading the earth. You don’t tread upon the earth in the air. Zechariah gives us a clearer detail of the second coming of Christ

Zechariah 14:1-6 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle. 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.

This next instruction of Zechariah 14:5 concurs with (Matthew 24:14-28/Revelation 12:6-16), and it’s specifically for the 144,000 Jews, that when they see the gospel being preached, the abomination of desolation occur, they are to flee into the caves of the mountains in the wilderness for three and a half years, before Armageddon takes place as mentioned in Zechariah 14:1-2

And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:

The Summation

This is the major difference between the rapture and the second coming of Jesus Christ. In the rapture, before the “Great Tribulation” period begins, the Lord Jesus does not set foot on earth. But rather, He send His angels to gather His elect while He is in the air. And takes/abducts His church who are ready, faithful, spotless and without blemish, for the duration of the “Great Tribulation” period.

The second coming of Christ is when He steps foot on earth after the “Great Tribulation” period ends, when He puts an end to Armageddon. He steps foot on the Mount of Olives and then, He establishes His reign and rule as King on the earth for a thousand years. And that’s the difference! There is more details found in the Holy Bible that answers this question much more deeply than we have covered here. In which we will explore in our next two studies. This concludes part 1 of a three part study

TO BE CONTINUED…