God's Prophetic Timeline: The Pre-Trib Rapture vs The Second Advent

The Difference Between the Rapture and the Second Advent

I would say there are two types of churches out there. There are those churches that are watching for Christ to return, and then there are those churches that are not watching for Christ to return. So this evening we're gonna be looking at the difference between the rapture and the second coming, or the rapture and the second advent.

So I wanna define the terms and not just assume that everybody already knows all of this, or the people watching online already know the terminology. So I wanna give a definition and then talk about why this is important and the differences between the next event that we believe is going to take place in Bible prophecy, which is the rapture of the church.

And then seven years after that, we believe is the second advent. And you notice I'm using the terms rapture and second advent, not rapture and second coming. So I'll explain that in a moment, but why is this important?

I know some of you have heard this talked about a thousand times, right? You've heard a sermon or a lesson on this subject before, but why is it important? Well, it's important because a lot of churches aren't talking about it anymore.

This kind of reached its peak maybe in the 1980s, in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, all the churches were talking about the end times and Bible prophecy, the end of the world, right? There are people who made predictions about the end of the world.

So I think that peaked probably in 1988, where there was a false prediction about the end of the world. And then it just sort of trailed off to where now in 2023, a lot of churches don't even address this subject anymore.

So why is this important? Because this is what's gonna happen next. Most of what we read about in the Bible has already taken place, right? We talk about the Old Testament prophets and Moses and Noah's Ark.

We talk about Jesus and his death and resurrection, which obviously is paramount, but all of those things have already happened. This is something that we're still waiting for. And because it's in the Bible, that means God wants us to know about it.

So any generation could be the generation that sees these events take place. For maybe 1 ,000 years, 1 ,500 years throughout church history, once the Roman Catholic Church developed by the fifth century, sixth century, they really didn't talk about this much.

So for 1 ,000 years during what are called the Dark Ages, the Middle Ages, this subject of the end times, the return of Jesus, the end of the world just really wasn't discussed. It really wasn't until the 1800s where there was a revival of the Adventist movement and just a resurgence of interest in these topics.

Defining the Rapture and the Second Advent

So let's define the terms. What does the word rapture mean? If you had to give a definition, what does it mean?

Caught up.

Okay, caught up. So if somebody is raptured, they are caught up. Let's turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter four. That'll be the first passage that we look at. So the word rapture means to be caught up. And then second Advent means Jesus coming back second time to the earth.

Most people know that around Christmas, churches celebrate what?

Advent.

But they're celebrating the first coming of Jesus to the earth when he was born in Bethlehem's manger. But the second Advent is when Jesus comes back to the earth the second time. So that's why I'm talking about a difference in terminology.

Most people call the second Advent the second coming. Well, the problem with that is that the rapture is actually called the coming of the Lord. So if we look at the rapture as people being caught up in the air to meet Christ, and then the second Advent, Christ coming down to the earth, you see the arrows, the rapture, you go up, the second Advent, Christ comes down.

Hopefully this should help clear up any confusion. So let's read 1 Thessalonians 4, 13 through 18. And the first point that I want to make is to stress the difference between the rapture and the second Advent.

A lot of people out there, a lot of churches believe this is all the same event. And I'm gonna try to prove that it's not. All right, 1 Thessalonians 4, starting in verse 13. The apostle Paul writes, "'But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, "'concerning those who have fallen asleep, "'lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.'".

Now, who's he referring to about those who have fallen asleep? Are these people that, you know, the sermon just went on a little too long and they started dozing off?

No. No.

Right, it's the dead in Christ. People who believe in Jesus, but they've died physically. So in the Bible, sometimes this is referred to as sleep. "'So I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, "'concerning those who have fallen asleep, "'lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

"'For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, "'even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. "'For this, we say to you by the word of the Lord, "'that we who are alive and remain until what?

"'Okay, the coming of the Lord will by no means "'precede those who are asleep.'". Anyone who believes in the rapture of the church recognizes that 1 Thessalonians 4, 13 through 18, everyone recognizes this as the rapture passage.

And notice what Paul calls it. He calls it the coming of the Lord. Now, if Jesus came once 2 ,000 years ago at Bethlehem, and he's coming right here, what number coming is that? It's not one because he's already come.

It would have to be number two, but we don't identify this as the second coming. Okay, so I'm just hitting pause right here. I'm calling this the two phases of the second coming. Jesus is gonna come back for the church and catch the church up in the air, take Christians to be with him in heaven, where they go up, and then the second phase of the second coming is when he comes back down with his people to the earth.

So what are we talking about here in 1 Thessalonians 4? The rapture, okay. So verse 15 again, for this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout and with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. That is those who have fallen asleep, those who are dead in Christ, they rise first.

Then we who are alive and remain shall be what? Raptured, right? Caught up, 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.

So the dead in Christ, they rise first. They're resurrected, their bodies are resurrected, meet the Lord in the air. People that are alive at that time never die. They are caught up, hopefully we, we wanna be in that generation, but caught up in the air, raptured to meet the Lord in the air.

And he says, comfort one another with these words. So is this a blessed event or is this a frightening event that people are dreading? No, this is a blessed event. This is something that any believer who understands this and believes this, every Christian who understands is looking forward to this event.

Okay, so this is a positive thing. Do we agree with that? This is a good thing. Comfort one another with these words. Okay, let's turn to Revelation chapter 19. Because the first thing I'm trying to establish is the clear difference between the rapture and the second advent.

I think both could be called the second coming. That's typically not how it's phrased, but you saw that the rapture is called the coming of the Lord. So I'm choosing to use these terms, rapture and second advent.

All right, Revelation chapter 19. But we saw that the rapture is a positive thing. This is a good thing. This is something that Christians are looking forward to. Okay, the second advent is not something that people will be looking forward to.

Why?

Look at Revelation 19, starting in verse 11. This is when Jesus, yeah, he comes in the clouds, but he's coming back down to the earth. Says, now I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse. And he who sat on him was called faithful and true.

And in righteousness, he judges and makes war. Now, does this sound positive? It doesn't really sound positive, does it? So who's on the white horse? Yeah, Christ is on the white horse. His eyes were like a flame of fire and on his head were many crowns.

And he had a name written that no one knew except himself. And he was clothed with a robe dipped in blood and his name is called the word of God. So that's the apostle John's title that he gives to Christ.

And the armies in heaven clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. So think about it, the people of God are caught up in the rapture, they're in heaven. And then at the second advent, they come back down with Christ and he is judging and he is making war.

So just reading the details and how it's described, these definitely don't sound like the same event. You on board with that? Okay, let's turn to Matthew chapter 24. Matthew chapter 24. And I know that some people listening, you might say, well, I already, yeah.

I understand that there's a difference between the rapture and the second coming or rapture and the second advent. I'm aware that some of you are already convinced of that, but not everybody's convinced and not everybody has heard this.

And even if you do know, we all need a reminder. Even I need a reminder. So let's look at Matthew chapter 24, starting in verse, let's start in verse 21. It says for, this is Jesus speaking, for then there will be what?

Great tribulation.

Okay, there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. So what you see here, just look at this chart. Okay, we've talked about the rapture and the second advent.

In between is a time period of seven years known as the seven year tribulation. How does Jesus describe it? He says, for there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world.

Now, technically the great tribulation is the final three and a half years, but just so you see Jesus using the words, that's why we call it the tribulation. That's what Jesus calls it. Okay, so after the tribulation, what takes place?

Does the rapture take place after the tribulation? No, the second advent does. All right, look at verse 29. Because Jesus is responding to the apostles question about when will the end of the age be? Or depending on your translation, they ask, when are these things gonna happen?

When basically is the end of the world as they viewed it? Matthew 24, 29, Jesus says, immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light and 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 great power and great glory. Now you have Jesus coming in the clouds, the next verse says he gathers his people, his elect from the four winds, but notice that when this happens, the people of the earth, what do they do?

They mourn, right? You see that. Okay, so is this being described as a blessed event that we're just all looking forward to this? No, it's a dreadful event. The people of the earth mourn. So hopefully you can start to see a clear contrast between the rapture of the church, which believers are looking forward to.

It's a great thing. Comfort one another with these words. And then the second advent, which is Jesus coming back in judgment to make war. When they see him, the people of this earth will mourn.

Why?

Because this is, when he comes back, this is the event known as the battle of Armageddon. Just about everybody, there's been Hollywood movies made about this. Everyone is familiar with the term Armageddon and you think of it as like the end of the world.

It's technically not gonna be the end of the world, but it's the end of the world as we know it. So, okay.

Any questions?

If you're not sure about something, now's the time to ask it. But hopefully we see a clear difference between the rapture and the second advent.

Yes?

Okay.

So where are we right now? We are.

Church age.

Right.

We are here.

We are in the church age. Sometimes people call this the age of grace. So we're in the church age. The next event to happen is the rapture. If we were to spend more time, and maybe we'll get into it, looking at Matthew chapter 24, where Jesus is talking about his return, he mentions how there's going to be signs, right?

There's warfare. There's the abomination of desolation. There's signs in the heavens and the earth. But there's no signs for the rapture. Paul tells the church to just watch, be ready, because the rapture's the next thing to happen.

When will or when could the rapture happen? Yeah, it's believed that it's imminent, right? On Sunday morning, you're hearing me talk about repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and the coming of Christ is at hand.

Like it's right. You never really know when it's going to come, but Jesus could come back at any time. So we don't know. We don't know when the rapture is going to happen. There have been those groups that have talked about it and set dates.

Let's test your memory. Who set dates for the rapture or the return of Christ? Yeah, the Jehovah's Witnesses. The Jehovah's Witnesses, technically, I don't think we're looking for the rapture per se. I don't think they see the distinction between these events, but they were predicting the coming of Christ.

So the Jehovah's Witnesses set a date. It didn't happen. The Seventh-day Adventists, or the group that became the Seventh-day Adventists, they set a date for the return of Christ. Did it happen? Well, no, because history kind of continued on, and here we are living life as normal.

And there have been other people within evangelical Christianity. How many of you know Hal Lindsey? I think Hal Lindsey, during the 1970s, was the most famous Christian author. He wrote that book, The Late Great Planet Earth.

Now, I never heard Hal Lindsey myself. I never saw him or heard or read him predict the end of the world, but everything I've read, if he didn't say it, he pretty much came out and said that the world's gonna end by 1988.

So maybe he did that, or maybe he just hinted at it. I think he did it, but did that happen?

No.

Chuck Smith, you've seen this movie out in theaters, The Jesus Revolution, right? That's the name of it. Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel. A lot of people appreciate his Bible teaching, but he did set a date for the rapture in 1981, and it obviously didn't take place.

So, and then Harold Camping was the other one in 2012, 2013. The people never really seem to learn, but since we're in Matthew 24, let's look at the verse. Look at verse 36. So Jesus, in the context of his return, notice what Jesus says.

But of that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only. So according to Jesus Christ, nobody knows when he's gonna return, except one person, God the Father. So don't ever say, I know you're not gonna do this, but I mean, people do.

So they set dates. And if you ever hear me set a date for the rapture, you better start praying for me and probably vote me out of here because it's a dangerous thing because nobody knows, and that's what Jesus said.

Okay, so there's the church age. The next event on God's prophetic calendar, so to speak, is the rapture. After the rapture, you have the seven-year tribulation that comes from an interpretation of Daniel chapter nine, which we don't have time to get into unless you really want to.

We can, I'm willing to do it. But after the seven-year tribulation, you have the second advent. And then at the second advent, Jesus comes back, right? He fights. This is the battle of Armageddon. All of his enemies are put under his feet, and that's when the kingdom age is established.

That's right here. And the kingdom age, according to, let's turn to Revelation chapter 20, just so we all see it. Revelation chapter 20, this is when the kingdom of God is established on the earth. So again, going back to Sunday mornings about the kingdom of heaven being at hand, this is when the kingdom comes.

And the kingdom is going to be here, and it's going to be on the earth. All right, let's look at Revelation chapter 20, starting in verse one. So this is after Jesus returns to the earth. John writes, then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having a key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

And he laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old who is the devil and Satan. And he bound him for how long? A thousand years. And he cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal on him so that he should deceive the nations no more until the thousand years were finished.

But after these things, he must be released for a little while. Okay, so the devil today, the way the Bible describes him, he walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. All you have to do, I would argue, all you have to do is turn on the six o 'clock news, turn on cable news, and you can see very clearly the devil is alive and well in the world today.

Now, because the world is filled with evil and warfare and just trials and everything else. But during this kingdom age, when Jesus returns, there's going to be a thousand years of peace. You know, Jesus is called the Prince of Peace.

Look at verse four. When Satan is bound in the bottomless pit, not able to deceive the nations, it says, and I saw thrones and they sat on them. And judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded.

That's during the tribulation period. A lot of bad things happen. Those who have been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God who had not worshiped the beast or his image, nor received his mark on their foreheads or on their right hands.

And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. So all those people that have died in Christ up until this point, those who died during the tribulation period, everyone who is saved in Christ is resurrected.

They get to live with Christ on earth for a thousand years. You see that, right? I think that's the second occurrence of the term a thousand years. It says in verse six, blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection over such.

The second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years. Verse seven, now when the thousand years have expired. So the word, the term a thousand years is used six times in this chapter.

I realize there are people who say, well, the number 1 ,000 is just symbolic for a long time. Yeah, I acknowledge it could be symbolic, but when it's repeated six times, you know, you just get the idea that, well, I don't know, it's actually a thousand years because that's what it says.

But it says in verse seven, now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations, which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle whose number is of the sand of the sea.

And they went up on the breadth of the what?

The earth.

So all, my point is all of this is happening on the earth. So the rapture, the tribulation, second advent, kingdom age, which lasts for a thousand years. After this takes place, Satan's loose. There's one final rebellion, at which point you have the final judgment.

Satan and those who follow him are cast into the lake of fire. This is the final judgment. And after that, you just go on to what? The new heaven and the new earth. So that's here. On this side, call it eternity or the new heaven and the new earth.

So this is the timeline of events. This is what is coming. All right, any questions so far? What are some of the other viewpoints that are out there? This topic, the word is eschatology. Right, E-S-C-H-A-T-O-L-O-G-Y.

So eschatology is the study of what?

End times.

Yeah, the last things or the end times. What are some reasons why churches don't talk about this? I mean, I guess this is somewhat speculation, but what are some reasons?

Some people believe we are living in kingdom age.

Right, right, that's good. Some people believe that we are living in the kingdom right now. The term for this would be an amillennialist. When you, so we are what? Premillennialists, okay. Now we're getting into the terminology, right?

The millennium, mille means 1 ,000. So premillennial means that we believe Jesus comes back pre, that is Jesus comes back before the millennium. So Jesus comes back here and then you have the 1 ,000 years.

So Jesus comes back before the 1 ,000 years. We're premillennial. When you put an A in front of a word, it negates it. So an amillennialist believes that there is no kingdom, that there is no 1 ,000 years.

Now they actually do technically believe in a spiritual kingdom and they say that the kingdom of God is this, you're looking at it, take a look around. Look to your side and, no seriously, look around a little bit.

Work with me here. They say this is the kingdom of God. This is it. The church is the kingdom of God. Now I love you and I love this church and I love, but if this is the kingdom of God, I'm sorry, I'm a little disappointed.

That's because it's not how the Bible describes it at all. Maybe you could say the church is a foretaste of the kingdom. This is, the kingdom of God exists spiritually. The Christ is reigning in our heart.

He is Lord and King of the church. I mean, that's all, I get the point, but there is actually a kingdom that exists and it is coming when Jesus, and it's right in the Lord's prayer. We pray thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth because it's here on earth, the kingdom.

So if Jesus gives us the Lord's prayer and all Christians, whether it's Catholic, Protestant, Baptist, like all Christians pray the Lord's prayer, what are they praying? No, I just find this interesting and all millennialists will say there is no actual kingdom, but they're praying thy kingdom come.

So I don't really understand that. All right, so that's one reason people believe that the end times of sort of already here. And they actually, a lot of those people think that Jesus already came back spiritually in 70 AD.

So when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, that was Jesus coming back in judgment. And that's when Jerusalem and the temple was destroyed. And now we're in the kingdom, okay? So that's one reason why churches don't talk about it because they think to some degree it's already happened and we're sort of living in that time period.

I do not believe that is the case. What's another reason why churches don't talk about it? Linda.

Well, maybe not evangelical, but the other churches, they don't want to talk about hell.

Yep.

And people having to repent. And how, you know, there are people that will go to hell and you don't have.

Right.

So you don't want to talk about it. And if you start talking about, you know, Satan being put down with his demons, then you're going to have to talk about it.

You know, that's something I hadn't thought about, but yeah, when you get into these topics, yeah, the final judgment, obviously this is a topic some churches do avoid because it's not popular. People don't want to hear about it.

So you're right. I think some would avoid it for that reason. I think some people do avoid it because, you know, I mentioned these movements and these well-known pastors and churches that predicted the return of Christ.

They predicted the end of the world. So I think some people just have like eschatological fatigue. They've heard this for so long. They've heard all this talk and it's never really materialized. And they just, I don't know.

Maybe they think that, I don't know what they think, but it's just been overdone maybe. That's what some people think. I think there's people that don't actually believe this is going to take place. I think that's part of it.

The idea of Jesus rapturing the church. What would that mean? I mean, if the rapture happened tomorrow, what would that look like? Well, presumably every true believer on earth would be gone. They'd be taken up to heaven.

And, you know, I think that's just too, it would be a miraculous event. Maybe it's too incredible for people to think that that could never happen. I don't know, it's hard to get into people's mind, but there's got to be reasons why it's not talked about, Larry.

I heard recently that there are airlines that will not put two Christians as pilots. They'll make sure that one is and one isn't. Just for that fact, that if the rapture were to take place, the unbeliever could land the plane.

Well, I'd like to see documentation about that. I like the idea, but you never know, you never know. Okay, let's turn to Hebrews chapter nine. But, you know, whatever the reason is, and I'm not trying to be critical of other churches that don't talk about it, but it's in the Bible.

Yeah, Ray, right, it's in the Bible.

One of the other things,.

It's gonna go in the face of their, God is only a loving God, and it's not, that's got to be the question.

Do any harm to anyone.

Well, yeah, that's the thing about the end of days. Like, everybody knows that the end of days, there's a lot of bad things that take place. So yeah, I think that's part of, but it's in the Bible. So our attitude here is, if it's in the Bible, at some point, we're gonna cover it, we're gonna teach on it, and this is what it says.

I mean, there's plenty of things in the Bible, like the whole point of judgment, or some of these, the point is that you're not supposed to like it, right? It's supposed to be a warning, but. All right, where did I have you turn, Hebrews chapter nine?

Okay, so some of these terms, rapture, the word rapture, some of you know this, the word rapture is not in the Bible, right? But, yeah, the word Bible is not in the Bible, but we still have a Bible, right?

The word Trinity is not in the Bible, but we still believe in the Trinity. So because you don't find the word, that doesn't really mean much, but we saw in 1 Thessalonians four, the word caught up, to meet the Lord in the, that is in the Bible, and that's what rapture means.

Interestingly enough, the word second coming is not actually found in the Bible. But here's the closest thing we find. And from this, we can conclude that, yes, Jesus will come back a second time. Okay, Hebrews chapter nine, you're in Hebrews nine, look at 27 and 28, I believe Paul wrote Hebrews, but either way, the author writes, and it is appointed for men to die once, but after this, the judgment.

So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, to those who eagerly wait for him, he will do what? Yeah, to those who eagerly wait for him, he will appear a second time, apart from sin for salvation.

So Jesus, according to Hebrews nine, he will appear, he will be made visible a second time. So that's where you get the idea of a second coming. All right, let's turn to John chapter 14. It's trying to cover all of the major passages.

Christ Preparing a Place and the Ascension

John chapter 14, Jesus is coming back. And for Christians, that's good news. We're looking forward to him coming back because when he comes back, he will raise the dead and those who are alive, when he returns, he will be caught up and he'll take them to heaven.

And that's what Jesus is talking about here in John chapter 14. So this is argued that this is the first time the rapture is ever mentioned or alluded to in the Bible. John chapter 14, starting in verse one, Jesus speaking to his disciples, he says, "'Let not your heart be troubled.

You believe in God, believe also in me. 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. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am, there you may be also.'".

So Jesus tells them that he is going to prepare a place. So you remember Jesus died on the cross, he was buried on the third day, he rose again, and then he was on earth for how long? Before his ascension into heaven in Acts chapter one, how long was Jesus on the earth?

It's a well-known number that gets repeated a lot through the Bible, 40, right? Jesus was on earth for 40 days. At the end of the 40 days, he ascended into heaven. Actually, let's go there because that ties into the second coming as well, Acts chapter one, Acts chapter one.

It's always good to not give my opinion and hear me bloviating up here for 45 minutes. So we're getting it straight from the scripture. That's how you can have absolute confidence that this is what the Bible teaches because you're hearing it and seeing it straight from the Bible, okay.

Acts chapter one, so Jesus, he ascends into heaven, right? And when he ascended into heaven, he's been in heaven ever since, right? Now, there'll be some people who say they've seen Jesus or he's kind of like, don't, Jesus talked about that in Matthew 20.

Don't believe people. If they say here he is or he's on earth, do not believe them. Jesus has been in heaven and what's he doing in heaven? He told his disciples in John 14, he's going there to do what?

He's preparing a place. So you can look at it right now that he's preparing a place and he will take believers at the rapture, okay. Acts chapter one, let's see here. So look at verse eight. How many of you have a red letter Bible?

Okay, so if you have, if it's in red, then these are the words of Christ, but he says to the disciples, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.

Now, when he had spoken these things, while they watched, he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight. So it's almost like, we wouldn't call it a rapture because the rapture believers are taken up by God.

Jesus is God. So he's not raptured into heaven, he ascends. So Jesus ascends into heaven, a cloud received him out of their sight and look at verse 10. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, men who we would identify as angels.