Page 59 - Eschatology - Student Ebook

Believers will be caught up out from among Unbelievers (“tares”) will be gathered out first
unbelievers (1 Thess. 4.16-17) (Mt 13.41-43)
Satan will not be bound Satan will be bound (Rev 20.3)
The righteous will be removed (1 Thess. 4.17) The wicked will be removed (Mt 25.40-41)
No signs will be leading to the Rapture (1 Thess.
5.4) Signs will precede the return (Mt 24.24)

We dare not confuse these two very different prophetic events and the passages describing each one.

15. The location of the church of Jesus Christ is different in the description of the rapture contrasted to
the description of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 (NIV84)16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud
command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ
will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them
in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Revelation 19:11–16 (NIV84)11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white
horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes
are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one
knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.
14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen,
white and clean. 15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.
“He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God
Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF
LORDS.

The description of the Rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 reveals that Jesus will come down from heaven,
and His Bride will join Him in the clouds, in the air. But the description of the Second Coming in
Revelation 19:14 reveals that “armies of heaven” (which will include the church, His bride) are following
Jesus Christ on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, coming out from heaven. In order for
the church to follow Jesus from heaven, we must be in heaven. How can the bride of Christ meet Jesus
in the clouds, in the air, and then all of a sudden be found in heaven on white horses following Jesus to
the earth? These two events are obviously not the same event, but two separate events. The church
must be raptured and taken into heaven before it can return along with Jesus Christ from heaven to
earth at the second coming.

16. The Jewish wedding customs teach us that the church is waiting to be surprised at the rapture by
Jesus Christ.

John 14:1–6 (NIV84)1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my
Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to
prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to
be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me.

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