The Rapture Revelation: Our Blessed Hope, Part 2 :: By James Pannafino

• The Rapture will be secret and instantaneous (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).
• The Second Coming will be visible to all (*Revelation 1:7; *Matthew 24:29-30).

Revelation 1:7 “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 “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.”

• The Rapture is imminent; it could take place at any moment (Titus 2:13; Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-53).
• The Second Coming of Christ will not occur until after certain other end-times events take place (*2 Thess. 2:3-4; Matt. 24:15-30; Revelation chapters 6–18).

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 “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, 4 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.”

• In describing the tribulation period, Revelation chapters 4–19 nowhere mentions the church on the earth (but only in Heaven).
• During the tribulation, also called “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7), God will again turn His primary attention to Israel (cf. Romans 11:25-26).

Romans 11:25-26 “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. And so all Israel will be saved.”

Israel Is the Key to Understanding End-Time Prophecy

The 70th Week of Daniel Prophecy…

Daniel 9:24 “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy One.”

Zechariah 12:10-11 “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. In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem.”

Why is it so important to keep the Rapture and the Second Coming distinct and not conflate these two events?

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 He can return (Matthew 24:4-30).

• A convergence and ever-increasing ‘birth pangs’ of global events, including false prophets, rise of the Antichrist and his global kingdom, wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, persecution, lawlessness, etc.
• If the Rapture and the Second Coming are the same event, believers will have to go through the tribulation and experience the “wrath” of God which we are promised exemption from by God (1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 3:10).

Summary:

• The Rapture is… the return of Christ in the clouds to remove all believers from the earth before the time of God’s wrath.
• The Second Coming is… the return of Christ to the earth to bring the tribulation to an end, to defeat the Antichrist and his evil world empire, and inaugurate His Millennial Kingdom on earth.

At The Rapture:

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – Christ comes in the air (v.16). Christ comes for the saints (v. 15-17). Effects only believers (v. 16). Not visible to all (v. 16 cf 1 Cor. 15:52). Rescue from judgments (Rev. 6-18).

At The Second Coming:

Revelation 19:11-16 – Christ comes to earth (Zech. 14:4). Christ comes with the saints (v. 14). Effects all earth dwellers (v. 15). Visible to all (Matt. 24:27; Rev. 1:7). A time of great judgment (v. 15). Resurrection of believers (1 Cor. 15:51). No resurrection referenced. Imminent, with no preceding signs. Many signs precede-Israel is key!

Epilogue: A Prophecy of Concern for the church today…

2 Peter 3:3-5 “Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’ For this, they willfully forget…”

For more teaching on Bible Prophecy or how to bring a Bible Prophecy seminar to your church or organization, contact us at PerspectiveInProphecy.com or call/text Pastor James Pannafino @ (315) 395-6102.

If interested in our free daily devotional, An Encouraging Word…
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