Eschatology The Second Coming of Christ Part 3

Eschatology The Second Coming of Christ Part 3

Christ ascended in two Stages. In the first stage He ascended unseen as He had told Mary Magdalene. The first stage of the Second Coming will be Rapture which will also be unseen by unsaved people. The second stage of His ascension was very visible and witnessed by the apostles and possibly as many as five hundred witnesses (1 Corinthians 15: 6). The second stage of His coming will also be very visible to the inhabitants of the earth. (Rev. 1: 7)

15 Difference Between the Rapture and the Revelation Rapture Christ comes in the air for His own Rapture of all Christians taken to the Father’s house No judgment on earth Revelation Christ comes with His own to earth No one raptured Resurrected saints do not see Father’s house Christ judges the inhabitants of earth

Rapture Church taken to heaven Imminent – could happen at any moment No signs For believers only Time of Joy Before the “day of wrath” Revelation Christ sets up His kingdom on earth Could not happen for at least 7 years Many signs for Christ’s physical coming Affects all humanity Time of mourning Immediately after Tribulation (Matt. 24)

Rapture No mention of Satan Revelation Satan bound in abyss for 1000 years The judgement seat of No time or place for Christ judgment seat Marriage of the Lamb His bride descends with Him Only His own see Him Every eye will see Him Tribulation begins 1000 year kingdom of Christ begins

When Will Jesus Come? One of the difficulties with those sensationalize prophecy is the tendency to suggest dates for the Second Coming. It is true that the Revelation can be pinpointed as being seven years after the Rapture. The problem lies in human inability to anticipate the Rapture. This is by design. In His great dissertation on future events our Lord plainly stated that only God knows the date. (Mat. 24: 36)

James gave a sense of the timing in the Jerusalem council attended by Paul and Barnabas. (Acts 15: 14 -16) Taking out a people has reference to filling up the body of Christ, the church. When that has been accomplished Jesus will come for the church. Jesus also indicated at His ascension that the timing would not be revealed to men. (Acts 1: 7)

The Second Coming of Christ is consistently portrayed as the hope of the church. (Tit. 2: 13; Col. 1: 5; Gal. 5: 5; 1 Pet. 1; 13) It is not surprising that in days of duress and apostasy, the thinking of the church turns to the Second Coming. Paul understood the motivation. (2 Tim. 4: 7, 8)

The Second Coming in the Rapture is to be described as imminent; that is it could occur at any time. The effect of belief in the imminent return of Christ is expectation. This was the instruction of Christ. (Luke 12: 35 -40) The anticipation of Christ coming for the church helps believers to pace themselves in the race (Hebrews 12: 1). (Phi. 3: 20; Heb. 9: 28; Tit. 2: 1114; 1 John 3: 1 -3; 1 Th. 5: 6)

Reference to Christ coming quickly (Revelation 22: 7, 12, 20) is not a matter of timing but of suddenness. The Rapture will be unannounced; He will come as a thief (Revelation 16: 15).