THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST'S TWO ADVENTS
If you look at two mountain peaks from a distance, it may appear that there is only one mountain. From your vantage point, it may be difficult to distinguish that there are really two mountains with a valley in between. The Old Testament believer had difficulty distinguishing two separate comings of the Messiah. To him the coming of the Messiah looked like one mountain peak in the distance. He did not realize that there were actually two mountain peaks with a valley of about 2000 years in between.
THE MYSTERY OF THE TWO PHASES OF CHRIST'S SECOND ADVENT
There is something else that we need to carefully distinguish. The Second Coming of Christ is actually made up of two parts or two phases. The first phase of the second coming is called the RAPTURE. The second phase of the second coming takes place about seven years later. We may call this the Lord's second coming to earth. Consider the following diagram:
The facts that sixty-nine "weeks" of Daniel's seventy week prophecy ended with the Crucifixion of Christ (Dan. 9:24-26), that the Church Age began at Pentecost and will end with the Rapture (Acts 2:1-47; 1 Cor. 15:50-52; 1 Thes. 4:13-18), and that the Seventieth Week of Daniel will be the seven year Tribulation (Dan. 9:27; Mt. 24:3-29; Rev. 6 - 18), are mysteries that have been revealed to God's born again children. Praise God for our ability to understand because of the Holy Spirit within!
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