Which is Next –
the Rapture or the Second Coming?
Lesson 38
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The issue of readiness
found in these verses is beyond
controversy. The initial events
leading up to the appearing of the
son of Man will come as a surprise to
nominal Christians! Notice this
verse: “But you, brothers,
are not in darkness so that this day
should surprise you like a thief. You
are all sons of the light and sons of
the day. We do not belong to the
night or to the darkness. So then,
let us not be like others, who are
asleep, but let us be alert and
self-controlled.” (1
Thessalonians 5:4-6) These verses
reveal that there is no need to be
surprised about the fulfillment of
prophetic events if we are awake,
alert and prepared. Centuries ago the
prophet Amos wrote, Surely the
Sovereign Lord does nothing without
revealing his plan to his servants
the prophets.”(Amos 3:7) It
seems clear that if correctly
understand the apocalyptic prophecies
contained in Daniel and Revelation,
there is no need to be surprised.
Although we do not know the day or
hour of Christ’s return, we can
know the timing of events in relation
to God’s prophetic clock.
We should always be living as if
God’s Word is about to be
fulfilled.
An Overwhelming
Surprise
The overwhelming
surprise that Jesus continues to warn
us is not the Second Coming, but the
initiation of the sequence of events
leading up to His physical appearing.
How does the surprise occur? Jesus
offers this parallel: “As it
was in the days of Noah, so it will
be at the coming of the Son of Man.
for in the days before the flood,
people were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage, up
to the day Noah entered the ark; and
they knew nothing about what would
happen until the flood came and took
them all away. That is how it will be
at the coming of the son of Man. Two
men will be in the field; one will be
taken and the other left…”
(Matthew 24:37-39) In other
words, before the flood, life went on
as usual. People were not fasting or
praying for understanding. Instead,
they were eating and drinking,
planning weddings, and living as if
the end of the world was only a
fragment of someone’s
imagination. (See 2 Peter 3:5-7.) The
antediluvians were warned of
immediate disaster. For almost 120
years the work and message of
faithful Noah irritated the
antediluvians. (Genesis 6:3; Hebrews
11:7; 2 Peter 2:5) However, they were
busy with life’s activities;
going about their daily routines with
little concern. The antediluvians
were warned that the end was coming,
but none believed.
So, what did Jesus
mean when He said:”… and
they knew nothing about what would
happen until the flood came and took
them all away.” In their
wildest imagination, the
antediluvians did not conceive the
enormity or the process of what lay
ahead. In the busy and active
lifestyles that existed before the
flood, the antediluvians did not
intimately concern themselves with
Noah’s message or his
“crazy” activities. I am a
sure Noah’s peers considered him
a “kook.” Then one day,
without further notice or
announcement, Noah and his family
went inside the ark. When the animals
came in an orderly fashion to enter
the ark, few, if any, spectators were
present. Noah’s folly had been
there for more than a hundred years -
it was “a common sight.”
The Lord Himself closed the great
door while the rest of the world was
totally unaware of the significance
of what had just happened. (Genesis
7:16) Everyone outside the ark was
doomed and they did not know it!
Everyone inside the ark was
“sealed” in and they knew
it. The townsfolk did not notice that
the work outside the great boat had
stopped. The noisy hillside and
become quiet. Excess building
materials and other construction
items were lying around the perimeter
of the big boat, just as they had
been for years. Things looked pretty
much the same. No doubt, intoxicated
revelers went out to jeer or mock
Noah at times, but no one was
disturbed or worried that last night
on Earth. Jesus said, “They were
eating and drinking” and
planning for another day. What they
did not know was that there were no
more tomorrows.
Suddenly, a streak of
light streamed down from the sky
followed by calamitous heaves in the
Earth and ocean. These were followed
in quick succession by sonic booms
and catastrophic crashes. The grumble
of a great earthquake could be heard
from deep within the Earth. The
ground began to rise in places,
buildings began to fall and the air
was suddenly filled with hot moist
vapor. I believe the sky was
literally falling! A steady sequence
of horrific explosions was heard as
fiery meteors and asteroids impacted
planet Earth and the fountains of the
deep were broken apart. Although the
impacts were some distance away from
Noah, the sounds of doom were
everywhere. Every eye was wide open.
Every pulse was racing. Suddenly, as
if on cue, everyone remembered Noah!
“So this is how it will
happens,” they thought as they
grabbed as many precious items as
they could carry and fled their
shaking houses.
Sheets of lightening
illumined the ark, undisturbed and
motionless. The boat stood as a
monument for truth. The tall, smooth
sides of the ark prevented anyone
from climbing aboard. The size and
weight of the ark’s only door
was more that men could move. I can
imagine the sound of frantic pleading
– Noah! Noah! Noah!!! Let us in!
Please, let us in. Please!!!”
Within minutes of the meteoric
impacts, torrents of water converged
on the hillside where a crowd had
gathered. I surmise that a great
tsunami came rushing in from the
ocean and pushed inland, followed by
rivers of water pouring from the sky.
The foolish antediluvians were swept
to their deaths within minutes. They
knew nothing about the course of
events because they had refused to
listen.
Jesus makes it quite
clear: “As it was in the days
before the flood, so shall it also be
at the coming of the Son of
Man.” Noah and his family
did not escape the flood, but they
did escape destruction because of
their faith. (Hebrews 11:7) Likewise,
the saints will not escape the Great
Tribulation, but they do have the
assurance of salvation. They know
that Jesus has promised to be with
them until the very end. After
comparing Noah’s day with the
Second Coming, Jesus brings His
remarks into sharp focus. Two people
will be working side-by-side; one
will be saved; the other left behind.
Jesus was not alluding to a pre-trib
rapture. He was speaking about the
qualifying experience of faith. Faith
in God is not something that can be
developed within 30 minutes of
terror. Faith in God is something
that develops through testing and
trials. As Jesus reflected about the
time of His return, He saw many
parallels between Noah’s day and
ours. The Great Tribulation will
strike the world with violence unseen
since the days of Noah. Again, there
will be powerful earthquakes,
meteoric showers of burning hail and
two asteroid impacts. (The first four
trumpets consist of great physical
harm to this planet.) And yes, there
will be enormous terror and death. Of
course, the destruction caused by the
seven trumpet events will not be
total, as in Noah’s day, or no
one could live. Although 50% of the
Earth’s population will survive
these horrific manifestations of
God’s wrath, the time period of
the seven trumpets will be filled
with gloom, darkness and despair.
Little Has Changed
Little has changed. As
in Noah’s day, most of the world
still refuses to listen. Even devout,
religious people refuse to hear. They
have created sweet prophetic
concepts, counting themselves worthy
of escaping the Great Tribulation
that will soon occur. Many people are
deceived and an overwhelming
disappointment is approaching. Who is
to blame for all this misinformation?
Everyone – everyone who owns a
Bible. God has mercifully put a
translation of His Word in almost
every language of the world, making
sure that everyone who wants to know
the truth may have the opportunity.
If people were sincerely searching
for truth, having open discussions
and studies about the prophecies of
Daniel and Revelation Christians
would be much better prepared for
what is coming.
Like a Thief
The apostle Peter sums
up the approaching Tribulation
saying, “The Lord is not slow
in keeping his promise, as some
understand slowness. He is patient
with you, not wanting anyone to
perish, but everyone to come to
repentance. But the day of the Lord
will come like a thief. The heavens
will disappear with a roar; the
elements will be destroyed by fire,
and the earth and everything in it
will be laid bare…That day will
bring about the destruction of the
heavens by fire, and the elements
will melt in the heat.” (1
Peter 3:9-12) For most of
Earth’s inhabitants, the Great
Tribulation will begin without
knowledge or warning – just like
a thief! The Great Tribulation will
be 1,335 days in length. (Daniel
12:11,12) Even if the entire human
race were told, few would believe.
How sad! But you, brothers, are
not in darkness so that this day
should not surprise you like a thief.
You are all sons of the light and
sons of the day. We do not belong to
the night or the darkness. So then,
let us not be like others, who are
asleep, but let us be alert and
self-controlled.” (1
Thessalonians 5:4-6) This you can
count on! When the seven trumpets
begin, people who have made a habit
of studying God’s Word and daily
listening to His Spirit will be
ready. People who “played
church” will be left…left
wondering what went wrong.
Summary
If we harmonize all
that the Bible has to say about the
Second Coming, a comprehensive
picture begins to form. It will be a
most awe-filled day. John wrote, Look,
he is coming with the clouds, and
every eye will see him, even those
who pierced him; and all the peoples
of the earth will mourn because of
him. So shall it be! Amen.” (Revelation
1:7) The prophet Joel saw the great
day of the Lord, Before them [the
warriors of the Lord] the earth
shakes, the sky trembles, the sun and
moon are darkened, and the stars no
longer shine. The Lord thunders at
the head of his army; his forces are
beyond number, and mighty are those
who obey his command. The day of the
Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who
can endure it?” (Joel
2:10,11, insertion mine.) Given the
preponderance of evidence throughout
Scripture, we have to conclude there
is one gathering of the saints –
at the Second Coming.
Quiz:
1.
Is there a difference between the
rapture and the Second Coming of
Jesus?
2.
Is the righteous living at the end of
time going to precede the righteous
dead to heaven?
3.
When does the judgment occur?
4.
Are the seven churches that Jesus
spoke about in His day, the only
seven to get to the Kingdom of God?
5.
What is a testing doctrine that some
churches come up with? Does it have
anything to do with salvation?
6.
Do you see a parallel from the days
of the antediluvians and how they
acted towards truth and our day
today?
7.
Are you ready to challenge other
Bible readers about the difference of
the rapture and the Second Coming of
Jesus? Explain!
Notes:
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