Two-Edged Sword Ministries
This Bible study portrays the different scriptures pertaining to the gathering of believers to Christ, as well as those scriptures that relate to His Second Coming. A series of questions is asked in an attempt to highlight how different these two events are. For best results, please print this section.
For those who wish to follow this practically, you can use the table below or draw this table on a blank piece of paper, writing down the questions as they appear below. In the second column (grey shaded area) write the heading "The Rapture" and leave the third column (green shaded area) blank for now. Do not look at the solutions until you have answered all the questions ... A group of scriptures will follow after this table, complete the questions based on what these scriptures reveal.
For those who wish to follow this practically, you can use the table below or draw this table on a blank piece of paper, writing down the questions as they appear below. In the second column (grey shaded area) write the heading "The Rapture" and leave the third column (green shaded area) blank for now. Do not look at the solutions until you have answered all the questions ... A group of scriptures will follow after this table, complete the questions based on what these scriptures reveal.
Look up these scriptures and answer the questions above .... (Enter answers in grey shaded area)
Now, we are about to do the same thing for the scriptures that point to Jesus' visible return to all on the earth, in His second coming. For the following scriptures that relate to Jesus' return, answer the same questions laid out in the 1st column of the table above, under the section "The Rapture". Write the heading "2nd Coming" in the 3rd column (green shaded area) and write your answers to the questions in this column.
Look! He comes with the clouds of Heaven. And everyone will see him, even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the Earth will weep because of him. Yes! Amen! [REV 1:7 NLT]
Dan 7:13; Zech 12:10; Rev 19:11-20:6, provides the following regarding Jesus' return to Earth:
Jesus is described descending from Heaven. His purpose is stated as "to judge and wage war ". He has a sword to strike the nations and to bring forth Gods' wrath. Armies in Heaven follow him all in fine linen - white & pure. Birds are called to assemble to eat the flesh of man.
Mat 24:27-31:
As lighting comes from the East and shines to the West, so will be the coming of Jesus. Wherever there is a dead body, there will be eagles. After the sun is darkened, the moon does not give light and the stars fall from Heaven, the Son of Man will appear in Heaven. Jesus will come on the clouds of Heaven with power and glory. He will send his Angels to gather the elect from the Earth.
Luk 21:25-28:
Nations will be anxious, the seas will roar on the Earth, the Heavens will be shaken. They will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and much glory.
Dan 7:13; Zech 12:10; Rev 19:11-20:6, provides the following regarding Jesus' return to Earth:
Jesus is described descending from Heaven. His purpose is stated as "to judge and wage war ". He has a sword to strike the nations and to bring forth Gods' wrath. Armies in Heaven follow him all in fine linen - white & pure. Birds are called to assemble to eat the flesh of man.
Mat 24:27-31:
As lighting comes from the East and shines to the West, so will be the coming of Jesus. Wherever there is a dead body, there will be eagles. After the sun is darkened, the moon does not give light and the stars fall from Heaven, the Son of Man will appear in Heaven. Jesus will come on the clouds of Heaven with power and glory. He will send his Angels to gather the elect from the Earth.
Luk 21:25-28:
Nations will be anxious, the seas will roar on the Earth, the Heavens will be shaken. They will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and much glory.
If you have completed this exercise, you should see some interesting results when comparing the scriptures to one another. Obviously, not all scriptures can be attributed to a specific answer. Now that you are finished, your table should look something like this ....
{ The ticks are now used to indicate similarities whilst the crosses used to illustrate major differences. Note that these are not all the scriptures pertaining to both events.}
Now you answer the question ... Is there a difference between the Rapture and Second Coming of Christ?
Now you answer the question ... Is there a difference between the Rapture and Second Coming of Christ?
Two-Edged Sword Ministries - South Africa
Copyright © May 2003 [ T.E.S. Ministries ]
All rights reserved.
First revision, November 2006 [2.0]
Second Revision: March, 2009 [3.0]
All rights reserved.
First revision, November 2006 [2.0]
Second Revision: March, 2009 [3.0]
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189, United States of America. all rights reserved. [1]