|
Steps in Christ's
2nd Coming
|
The
rapture
and the
second coming
of Christ are often confused. Sometimes it is difficult to determine whether a scripture verse is referring to the rapture or the second coming. However, in studying end-times Bible prophecy, we realize that both (the rapture and the second coming) are part of the
same event.
Basically, it is a three phase sequence:
1. God puts people in a place that is safe (1st phase/rapture).
2. Then He starts to destroy the people destroying the earth (2nd
phase/Wrath of God).
3. Then Christ comes back to earth with the saints
and the millennium starts (3rd phase/2nd coming).
Look at these bible verses:
John 14:1-3 Do not let your hearts be troubled. Exercise faith in God, exercise faith also in me. In the house of my Father there are MANY ABODES. Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going my way to prepare a place for you. Also, if I go my way and prepare a place for you, I AM COMING AGAIN and will receive you home to myself, that where I am you also may be.
Luke 17:26-31
….just as it occurred in the days of Noah,
so it will be also in the days of the Son of man. They were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until that day when NOAH ENTERED INTO THE ARK and the flood arrived and DESTROYED THEM
ALL.
What happened during the time of Noah? It was also a 3 phase event:
1. Noah went into the ark.
2. God destroyed ALL the humans who did not enter the ark.
3. Noah came out of the ark to a renewed earth.
The people taken during the RAPTURE are flesh and blood, not spirits -- similar to Noah taken into the ark.
After the rapture, starts the WRATH OF GOD. At this time is when the earth is hit by many catastrophes that will decimate the inhabitants of the planet.
The SECOND COMING is when Jesus returns with the flesh and blood saints to defeat the Antichrist and establish His millennial kingdom. At this time, Jesus returns to stay on this earth.
Revelation 19:11-16
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped
in [a] blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
In conclusion, the rapture and the second coming are parts of the same event. However, it is crucially important to recognize the differences.
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 wrath of God to an end, to defeat the Antichrist and his evil world empire, to chain the Devil for 1000 years, and to start the millennial kingdom.
|
|
A little girl
had a vision of the rapture. She also saw angels protecting the people at
the time of their departure in a long car.
This little girl describes not just the rapture, but
what comes after, which is the wrath of God. She states that she will do all in
her power to be in the rapture because what comes after the rapture looks like hell on earth.
The new place that she is taken to is wonderful,
with lots of trees that have no damages,
animals playing and flowers
blooming.
Afterwards, she sees that God begins to destroy
the evil people who were left on the earth. This is similar to what
happened when He destroyed Sodom.
Angels did not destroy Sodom until Lot was taken out.
Lot pleaded with the angel to let him flee to the nearby city of Zoar
because he did not have the strength to go to the mountains.
Genesis 19:20-22
20 Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be saved!” 21 He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. 22 Escape there quickly, for
I can do nothing till you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called
Zoar.
Days of Lot
Luke 17:28-29 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot, people were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
God cannot destroy the evil people on this Earth until He takes
out His chosen ones first. If we are to
escape the destruction that is coming, God needs to take us out to a
place of safety. That is why the rapture is the first step for Christ's
second coming.
|
