The Rapture vs Jesus’ Second Coming

We are currently living in the church age when Christians are spreading the Gospel (the good news of Jesus Christ our Savior).  Those who follow Christ are awaiting His return.  What many do not realize is that His return will be in two phases.  First, Jesus will meet believers (resurrected and living) in the air and take us to heaven.  This event is called the rapture.  Those raptured (caught up) will be Christians who lived during the church age – from Pentecost (50 days after Christ’s resurrection) to the rapture.  At this time, Jesus will not come all the way to earth.   

The second phase happens after the 7 year tribulation (great trouble/suffering) when Jesus will return to earth with the church age believers and with His angels.  This is called Jesus’ second coming.  Then, Jesus’ feet will touch the ground and He will stand on the Mount of Olives, the place where He left this earth.

Listed below is the order of events that will take place in the End Times:

Church Age → Rapture → Tribulation → Jesus’ 2^nd Coming → Millennium → New Heavens & Earth   

The rapture is not a word you will find in the Bible.  Instead, “caught up” (taken up) is used to describe this event.  This mystery was only revealed to the Apostle Paul by Jesus after His resurrection.  Paul wrote about this coming event in the following verses.  Notice how the word we is used when referring to believers. 

The Rapture

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (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.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NKJV) 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. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Jesus’ Second Coming

Revelation 19:14 (NKJV) And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

Zechariah 14:4 (NKJV) 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.

Revelation 19:15 (AMP) From His mouth comes a sharp sword (His word) with which He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He will tread the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty [in judgment of the rebellious world].

Revelation 14:20 (AMP) And the grapes in the wine press were trampled and crushed outside the city, and blood poured from the wine press, reaching up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of sixteen hundred stadia.

The Rapture vs Jesus’ Second Coming.

Believers are not under God’s condemnation (punishment/wrath) and therefore will be removed before the tribulation begins.  Also, the church (body of believers) is the bride of Christ.  Christ (the Bridegroom) will come for His bride.  From that moment on, believers will always be with Him – safe and secure.

Romans 8:1 (AMP) Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior].

Revelation 3:10 (NKJV) Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

The Holy Spirit lives within believers – in each person’s born again spirit.  The Holy Spirit is the restrainer of evil. The Antichrist cannot be revealed until the church is removed from the earth.  Once the rapture happens, the Holy Spirit’s influence will be greatly diminished.  However, He will still have a presence on the earth as He is omnipresent (present everywhere).  The Holy Spirit will no longer convict the world of sin through believers.  Lawlessness will reach unprecedented levels during the tribulation, yet many will come to faith in Jesus during this time.  

2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 (NLT) And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.

The tribulation will result in the salvation of God’s “remnant of Israel”

The tribulation is a 7 year period of time when God will finish His discipline of Israel and finalize His judgment of the unbelieving world.  We know God will set up His Kingdom on earth after the tribulation, and Jesus will be King in the millennial Kingdom – ruling from Jerusalem.  Satan always counterfeits/mimics God.  So, Satan will set up his kingdom on earth with the Antichrist reigning from Jerusalem and the False Prophet forcing people to worship the Antichrist and Satan.  Many will be deceived and worship the unholy trinity – Satan, the Antichrist and the False Prophet. 

At the tribulation midpoint, Satan and his angels will be cast out of heaven for good.  This will happen after Satan and his angels fight against the Archangel Michael and his angels.  Satan will lose this battle and no longer have access to heaven.  He will realize God’s throne in heaven will never be attainable.  Satan will be furious, and he will use the Antichrist and the False Prophet to pour out his wrath on mankind, especially Israel.

Daniel 12:1 (NKJV) “At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book.

Revelation 12:9 (NKJV) So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 

All future events in the Bible must take place.  These are prophecies that will be fulfilled as prophesied by Jesus and other biblical prophets.  These events will take place whether we understand or believe them.  God is love, but He is also just.  He requires justice (punishment for sins).  With His perfect righteousness and justice, He cannot act unfairly or unjustly.  Knowing what is to come, this should be a great motivator to “get right” with Him and not suffer His wrath and judgment.

Proverbs 9:10 (NKJV) “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

When God looks at your spirit (heart), is He seeing a dead, dark and stony heart born of Adam in sin?  Or, is He seeing a perfect, righteous spirit born in Christ?  Have you placed your faith and trust in God’s Son Jesus?

Salvation begins with knowing we are all sinners in need of a Savior.  See how sin affects all of us by visiting SIN – Who Cares?  You can be a SIN Survivor, too, once you claim Jesus as your personal Savior.

For more understanding, visit What is the difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming?