WHAT A DIFFERENCE SEVEN YEARS MAKE

SOME DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE RAPTURE AND THE SECOND COMING

 

WHEN: 

The Rapture is before the Tribulation (1 Thes. 1:10; 5:9; Rev. 3:10), while the Second Coming is immediately following the Tribulation (Mt. 24:29-30; Rev. 19:11-16).

 

DURATION:

The Rapture will happen "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" (1 Cor. 15:50-53), while the Second Coming will be slow enough for everyone to realize what is happening (Mt. 24:27-31; Rev. 1:7).

 

DATE:

The date of the Rapture is unknown (Mt. 25:1-13; 1 Thes. 4:13-18), while the date of the Second Coming will be 2520 days from the signing of the seven-year treaty between the Antichrist and Israel (Dan. 9:27; Mt. 24:15).

 

SIGNS:

There are no unfulfilled prophecies that need to occur before the Rapture, so there will be no warning signs for the timing of the Rapture.  The Apostle Paul expected the Rapture to occur at any moment during his ministry (1 Thes. 4:17).  The Second Coming, on the other hand, will be preceded by the treaty mentioned above, and the events that occur during the Tribulation (Mt. 24:3-30; Rev. 6 - 19).

 

VISIBILITY:

The Rapture will be seen by the Church (1 Thes. 4:17; 1 Jn. 3:2), while the Second Coming will be witnessed by the entire world (Mt. 24:24-27; Rev. 1:7).

 

LOCATION:

The Rapture will be the Church rising to meet Christ in the air (Jn. 14:3; 1 Thes. 4:17), while the Second Coming will be Christ returning to rule on this earth (Zech. 14:4; Acts 1:11; Rev. 20:1-7). 

 

JUDGMENT:

The Rapture will precede the Judgment Seat of Christ where born again believers receive rewards for faithful service to the Lord (1 Cor. 3:10-15; 2 Tim. 4:1-8; 1 Pet. 1:7), while the Second Coming will precede the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-15). 

 

Therefore, born again believers have nothing to fear.

The exact opposite is true for those who failed to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior!