The Rapture And Glorious Appearing Of Jesus Christ

Dr. Ed Hindson

Vice President

There's Hope!

Atlanta, Georgia

Distinguished Visiting Professor

Missouri Baptist College

St. Louis, Missouri

TheNew Testament clearly teaches that Jesus Christ will "come again" (John14:3) and "appear the second time" (Hebrews 9:38). At least ninebiblical terms are used in the New Testament to describe the return of Christ.[1]

1. Hoerchomenos. "The coming one," as in Hebrews 10:37, "For yet alittle while,

andhe that shall come will come."

2. Erchomai.The act of coming. Used often of Christ's return. Cf. Matthew

24:30;John 14:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:10; Jude 14; Revelation 1:7; 22:20.

3. Katabaino.To "come down" or descend, as in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, "For the

Lordhimself shall descend from heaven with a shout."

4. Heko.Result of one's coming, to have "arrived," as in Revelation 3:3,"I will

comeas a thief."

5. Parousia.Denotes arrival and presence (of a ruler), as in 1 Thessalonians 2:19,

"Forwhat is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not you in the presence ofour Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?"

6. Apokalupsis.Meaning to "unveil" or "uncover." Rendered"appearing"

(1Peter 1:7) or "coming" (1 Corinthians 1:7) or "revelation"(Revelation 1:1). Involves the unveiling of His divine glory.

7. Phaneroo.To "appear" (John 21:1) or be "manifest" (1 John 3:5). Asin

1John 3:2, "It is not yet made manifest what we shall be. but we know that,if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even ashe is."

8. Epiphaino.To "appear" in full light or visibility. Denotes the"brightness" of

Hiscoming (2 Thessalonians 2:8) and the glory of "that day... unto all themthat love his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8).

9. Horao.To "see with the eyes," or to "appear" visibly, as inHebrews 9:28, "and

untothem that look for him shall he appear the second time."

TheBible predicts the literal personal return of Jesus Christ to rapture Hischurch, to judge the world and to establish His Kingdom on earth. At times thisis described as one grand event. At other times it is clearly divided intoseparate phases.

1. Personal.The intensive pronoun "himself" means the Lord and no other, as in

1 Thessalonians 4:16, "For the Lord himselfshall descend from heaven."

2. Literal.He will return as He ascended literally. Acts 1:11 promises: "This same

Jesus,who is taken up from you, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him gointo heaven." Revelation 1:7 promises that "every eye shall see him."

3. Glorious.He will return in the glory of His deity. Matthew 16:27, "in the glory

of his Father." Matthew 25:31, "in hisglory." Matthew 24:30, "...great glory."

4. Powerful.Jesus will return in the "glory of his power" (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

Hewill employ angels of power (1:7) to establish His Kingdom on earth as He comeswith His angelic heavenly escort (Matthew 25:31).

Mostevangelicals agree as to the nature of Christ's return, but there issubstantial disagreement on the time of His coming. Notice these key aspects ofthe time of our Lord's return:

1. Future.The entire emphasis of the New Testament points to a future return of

Christ.He promised "I will come again" (John 14:3). The angels promised Hewould return (Acts 1:11). The apostles taught the certainty of His futurereturn (Philippians 3:20; Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 3:3-8; 1 John 3:2-3).

2. Progressive.The present tense of "cometh" in 1 Thessalonians 5:2 indicates that

Heis in the process of coming again, marking the steady, uninterrupted movementof time toward that certain day. Hebrews 10:37, "For yet a little while,and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry."

3. Imminent.The return of Christ is always described as potentially imminent or

"athand" (Revelation 1:3; 22:10). Every generation of believers is warned tobe ready for His coming. Luke 12:40, "be... ready also: for the Son of Mancomes at an hour you think not." Believers are constantly urged to lookfor the coming of the Lord (see Philippians 3:20; Hebrews 9:28; Titus 2:13; 1Thessalonians 5:6).

4. Distant.From God's perspective, Jesus is coming at any moment. But from the

humanperspective it has already been nearly 2,000 years. Jesus hinted at this in theOlivet Discourse in the illustration of the man who traveled into a "farcountry" (heaven) and was gone "a long time" (Matthew 25:19).Peter also implies this in his prediction that men will begin to scoff at thesecond coming after a long period of time (2 Peter 3:8-9).

5. Undated.While the Rapture is the next major event on the prophetic calendar,

itis undated as is the glorious appearing of Christ. Jesus said: "But ofthat day and hour knoweth no man, not even the angels of heaven" (Matthew24:36). Later he added: "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons"(Acts 1:7).

6. Unexpected.The mass of humanity will not be looking for Christ when He

returns(Matthew 24:50; Luke 21:35). They will be saying, "peace and safety,"when caught unprepared by His return. So unexpected will be His return that,"as a snare shall it come upon them that dwell on the whole face of theearth" (Luke 21:35).

7. Sudden.The Bible warns that Jesus will come "as a thief in the night (and) then

suddendestruction" will come upon the unbelieving world (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3).His return for the Bride will occur in a flash: "in a moment, in thetwinkling of an eye... for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead (believers)shall be raised incorruptible, and we (living believers) shall be changed"(1 Corinthians 15:52).

TheSecond Coming of Christ is a series of events fulfilling all end-timeprophecies. These include predictions of Christ's coming for His Church andwith His Church. Pretribulationalists generally divide the Second Coming intotwo main phases: the Rapture of the Church and the Glorious Appearing ofChrist.

TheRapture (or translation) of the Church is often paralleled to the"raptures" of Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:12) or theascension of Christ (Acts 1:9), all of whom were "taken up" intoheaven. The Bible clearly states: For the Lord himself will come down fromheaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with thetrumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we whoare still alive and are left will be caught up (Greek, harpazo) with them inthe clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lordforever" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, italics added).

Thehope of the Church is the Rapture. She awaits the Savior who is coming for Hisbride. The Church does not await the destruction of the world as unbelieversdo, she awaits a Person. Peter explains that the present world is"reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction ofungodly men (2 Peter 3:7, italics added). While the Church is warned to preparefor suffering and persecution throughout the Church Age, she is not as theobject of God's final wrath.

TheChurch is promised that the "coming of the Lord" will result in herbeing "gathered together" (Greek, episunagoges) into him" (2Thessalonians 2: 1).[2] It is thispromise of the Rapture, not the Wrath, that is in view in Revelation 3:10,"I will keep you from (Greek, ek "out of") the hour of trialthat is going to come upon the whole world." Notice that the Church is tobe kept from not through, the hour of tribulation. We are to wait for Jesus tocome from heaven to "deliver us form the wrath to come" (1Thessalonians 1:10).

TheRapture will take up those who have died in Christ over the centuries and thosebelievers who are alive when He returns. This will occur in the future. Jesussaid: "A time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear Hisvoice and come out" (John 5:28). Believers are pictured as being raised tolife (first resurrection) to reign with Christ a thousand years (Revelation20:4-5).

Therecan be no doubt that the Bible teaches a Rapture ("caught up," or"gathering together") of the Church. Amillennialists andPost-millennialists miss this point altogether. There will be a Rapture, or 1and 2 Thessalonians need to be removed from the New Testament! The only realquestion is when will it occur?

Bycombining John 14:13, I Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, TimLaHaye suggests the following sequence of events:[3]

1. Jesus Christdescends from heaven (John 14:1-3; I Thess. 4:16).

2. He comes to receiveus (church) unto Himself (John 14:13).

3. Hecomes in the "twinkling of an eye" (1 Cor. 15:52) with a shout andthe

trumpet call of God (1 Thess. 4:16).

4. He resurrects those believers whohave "fallen asleep" in death (1 Thess. 4:14- 15).

5. Thosewho are alive at that time will be "caught up" (Rapture) with theresurrected Church in the clouds (1 Thess. 4:17; 1 Cor. 15:51-53).

TheRapture will be followed by:

1. JudgmentSeat of Christ (Romans 14:20; 1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10) and

2. MarriageSupper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9).

Thesetwo events precede the return of Christ in power and glory at Armageddon (Rev.19:11-21).

RAPTURE GLORIOUSAPPEARING

1. Christ comes for His own (John 1. Christ comes with His own

14:3;IThess.14:17;2Thess.2:1). (1 Thess. 3:13; Jude 14; Rev.19:14).

2. He comes in the air(1 Thess. 4:17) 2. Hecomes to the earth

Zech.14:4; Acts1:11).

3. He claims His bride 3. He comes with His bride

(Rev.19:6-14).

4. Removal of believers(1 Thess 4:17). 4. Manifestation of Christ (Mal. 4:2).

5. Only His own seeHim 5. Every eye shall seeHim

(1 Thess. 4:13-18) (Rev. 1:7).

6. Tribulationbegins. 6. Millennial Kingdombegins.

7. Saved are deliveredfrom wrath 7. Unsaved experience thewrath of God

(1 Thess. 1:10; 5-9) (Rev. 6:12-17).

8. No signs precedeRapture 8. Signs precede gloriousappearing

(1 Thess. 5:1-3). (Luke 21:11, 15).

9. Focus: Lord andChurch 9. Focus: Israel and Kingdom

(1 Thess. 4:13-18). (Matthew 24:14).

10. World isdeceived. 10. Satan is bound

(2 Thess.2:3-12) (Rev. 20:1-2).

1. Christpromised to keep the Church from the Tribulation. In Revelation 3:10, the risen

Christsaid the Church would be kept from (Literally, "preserved" or"protected out of")

thehour of trial, or divine retribution, that is coming on the whole world.

2. Tribulationjudgments are the "wrath of the Lamb." Revelation 6:16 depicts the

cataclysmicjudgments of the end times as the wrath of Christ. Whereas, Revelation 19:7-9depicts the Church as the bride of the Lamb. She is not the object of His wrathwhich is poured out on an unbelieving world.

3. Jesustold his disciples to pray they would escape the Tribulation. In Luke 21:36 He

said:"Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all thatis about to happen. Remember, even Lot was given a chance to escape Sodombefore divine judgment fell.

4. Hiscoming in the clouds means the Church's deliverance has come. Jesus told His

disciples:"Lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near" (Luke21:28). The hope of the Church is not in surviving the judgment of Tribulation,but escaping it.

5. Godwill call His ambassadors home before declaring war on the world. In 2Corinthians

5:20,believers are called "Christ's Ambassadors" who appeal to the worldto be reconciled to God before it is too late.

6. Moralrestraint will disappear when the Church is taken home. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-11

warnsthat after the "coming of the Lord" and "our being gathered toHim," the "man of lawlessness" (Antichrist) will emerge on theworld scene. The Church's restraining ministry of "salt" and"light" will no longer hold back the tide of evil.

7. TheRapture will happen in the "twinkling of an eye." 1 Corinthians15:51-52 promises

that"in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye... the dead shall be raisedimperishable and we (living at the Rapture) will be changed." Thisinstantaneous disappearance will terminate the Church's earthly ministry.

8. TheRapture will take place in the air. Unlike the glorious appearing when Christ

descendsto earth, splits the Mount of Olives, overthrows Antichrist and binds Satan, theRapture will occur when we are "caught up together... to meet the Lord inthe air" (1 Thess. 4:17).

9. Womanwho suffers persecution during the Tribulation symbolizes Israel. This is avery

importantpoint. The woman who delivers the male child (Christ) represents the nation ofIsrael. Israel, not the Church, brought forth Christ, and He in turn, broughtforth the Church. He is the founder of the Church, not its descendant.Therefore, the persecuted "saints" of the Tribulation are Jewish - theremnant of the woman's seed (Revelation 12:1-2, 5-6, 17).

10. Marriage ofChrist (Lamb) and His Bride (Church) takes place before the Battle of

Armageddon.The Bible describes the fall of "Babylon" (Kingdom of Antichrist) inRevelation 17-18. But before it tells of Christ's return to conquer theAntichrist, it tells us "the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bridehas made herself ready" (Rev. 19:7-8). This clearly indicates the Bridehas been taken to heaven earlier and that she returns with Christ and the host ofthe "armies of heaven... dressed in fine linen, white and clean"(Rev. 19:8, 14).

[1] 1. See HermanA. Hoyt, The End Times (Chicago: Moody Press, 1969), pp. 63-65.

[2] A.T.Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1931

reprint), Vol. IV, p. 47. He notes that episcunagogesis a late word found only in 2 Maccabees 2:7; 2 Thessalonians 2:1; Hebrews10:25. It means "assembly" or "collection." Robertson notesthat it refers to the rapture in 2 Thess. 2:1.

[3] Tim LaHaye,No Fear of the Storm (Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 1992), pp. 28-31.