Do you realize that as New Testament saints, we will take part in the most spectacular event that the world will ever see? Nothing in the history or future of our planet is even remotely comparable to the astonishing sight of Jesus’ future return to the world in great glory and power.
Revelation 19 begins with thunderous praise for our Savior followed by our celebration with Him at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Then, “arrayed in fine linen, white and pure,” we will follow Jesus back to earth riding on white horses (Revelation 19:11-16) and reign with Him during His thousand-year rule over the nations (Revelation 20:1-10).
John’s vision of things to come in Revelation 20 brings to life what the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:24-28: “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.“
According to the above verses, Jesus must govern the affairs of humanity at a time when sin and death exist so that He might subject “all things” to Himself. It’s only after Jesus’ reign over the nations, which leads to the Great White Throne judgment recorded in Revelation 20:11-15, that death forever disappears and we have the conditions described in Revelation 21:4 when mourning, crying, and pain will no longer exist.
This scenario contradicts the teachings of our day that combine the Rapture with the Second Coming. These viewpoints not only negate the possibility of our thrilling return with Jesus at His return, but also contradict the words Paul penned in 1 Corinthians 15:24-28. Why do I make such a startling claim? Let me explain.
Placing the Rapture After a Literal Seven-Year Tribulation
Some Bible students combine the Rapture and Second Coming and yet claim to believe in a literal seven-year tribulation and thousand-year reign of Jesus. However, this teaching not only falls far short of adequately fulfilling the words of 1 Corinthians 15:24-28, but also negates significant elements of Jesus’ millennial reign, which they claim to believe.
First, combining the two events eliminates the possibility of sin during Jesus’ reign. How can the rebellion recorded in Revelation 20:7-10 happen if everyone enters the Millennium with incorruptible bodies incapable of sinning? Who would refuse to participate in the Feasts of Booths if such disobedience was impossible during this time (Zechariah 14:16-19)?
Second, placing the Rapture after the Tribulation negates the separation of Israel and the Church, a key component of modern-day Premillennialism (the belief in a literal thousand-year reign of Jesus). Many Old Testament passages promise a visible restored kingdom to the Jewish people. However, combining the Rapture and Second Coming makes Israel a part of the raptured church at the time of Jesus’ return rather than the separate entity that God’s Word teaches.
Third, what would be the purpose of Millennium if the words of the words of 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 reach fulfillment before Jesus returns? This passage necessitates that Jesus rule at a time when sin and death are possible, which can’t happen if one combines the Rapture and Second Coming because everyone would enter the kingdom with immortal bodies incapable of sinning. This viewpoint forces the fulfillment of these verses back to the church era, which is the position of those who deny that Jesus will reign for a thousand years.
The Church’s return to earth with Jesus is a necessity because combing the Second Coming with the Rapture doesn’t allow for sin and death in the Millennium nor does it fit with the restoration of a kingdom for Israel since the Jewish people would meet Jesus in the air along with all the other members of the New Testament Church.
Combining the Rapture With an End-of-the-Age Return of Jesus
Today’s most popular “post-Tribulation” teaching makes the Rapture and Second Coming a combined end-of-the-age event when Jesus returns to inaugurate the eternal state. Despite denying a literal futuristic tribulation and thousand-year reign of Jesus, many in this camp refer to themselves as “post-Tribulationists” while others completely dismiss the possibility of a Rapture.
This so-called “post-Tribulation” teaching is unbiblical because it rests upon imposing an end-times scenario upon the authors of Bible prophecy rather than allowing the words they penned under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to speak for themselves (2 Peter 1:19-21). It’s based on human insight rather than the wisdom that flows from the words on the pages of our Bibles.
Since they deny the Lord’s millennial rule, they must make the church age the time when He puts all things in subjection to Himself and forever destroys death (1 Corinthians 15:24-28). Do we see this happening in our day? No, the world is rapidly trending in precisely the opposite direction. Jesus is most certainly not bringing “all things in subjection under him” in our world during the current age.
Proponents of this teaching tell us that John abruptly switched from writing an allegory (Revelation 6:1 to 20:10) to providing an eyewitness account of future events (Revelation 20:11-22:5). They overlook the fact that the apostle wrote everything in Revelation chapters 19-22 as an eyewitness of future events (see also 22:8). The apostle goes out of his way to emphasize he’s writing as an eyewitness with the phase “then I saw” or “and I saw” as in the KJV (Revelation 19:11, 19; 20:1, 4, 11; 21:1, 2, 22).
It’s Biblically Impossible
There’s another factor that eliminates the combing the Rapture and Second Coming: It’s biblically impossible. What follows is a brief summary of why, based on the words of Scripture, we cannot combine these two events:
1. The timing of the Resurrection of the dead. When Jesus appears, He first raises all the “dead in Christ” (1 Thessalonians 4:16); it’s the first thing He does. At His return to the earth, He doesn’t resurrect the dead Tribulation saints until after a series of events (Revelation 19:17-20:4).
2. The participants of the Resurrection of the dead. At the time of the Rapture, Jesus raises all the “dead in Christ” to new life (1 Thessalonians 4:16). After Jesus returns to the earth, defeats the armies arrayed against Him, and sets up thrones, He raises just the Tribulation saints (Revelation 19:17-20:4). If they are the same event, why do we read that Jesus raises all the dead in Christ as in one, but only a subset of them in the other? The participants in the resurrection of the dead also make it impossible to combine the two events into one.
3. The meeting place. When Jesus comes for His Church, we will meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). After He returns to the earth, He sends out His angels to gather the “elect” (Matthew 24:31). If all the saints are already with Jesus as in the combined Rapture and Second Coming scenario, why is it necessary for Jesus to send out His angels to gather the elect to Himself after He arrives on the earth? Are they not already with Him?
4. The destination of believers. In all the accounts of the Second Coming, believers stay on the earth and meet the Savior after He arrives and gathers them to Himself (Matthew 24:31). When the Rapture happens, we all go to Heaven, to the place that Jesus is preparing for us (John 14:2-3. Colossians 3:4).
5. Sin and rebellion during the Millennium. As already mentioned, if all New Testament saints receive incorruptible and sinless bodies at the time of the Second Coming, then sin and death cannot exist during the Millennium. All those who combine the Rapture and Second overlook the many passages that tell us Jesus will reign at a time when sin is possible on the earth.
So What?
This is not a “so what?” exercise in dry theology; separating the Rapture and Second Coming confirms that our participation in the most spectacular event that the world will ever see (Revelation 19:11-16).
Already clothed “with fine linen, bright and pure,” at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, we will remain arrayed in such away as we ride with our Savior back to planet earth (Revelation 19:8,14). The Greek word for “bright” in 19:14 is lampros, from which we get our word “lamp.”
It will quite literally be our time to shine. Imagine the thrill we will feel as we follow our Lord back to the world.
What does all this have to do with our “blessed hope” (Titus 2:11-14)? It confirms that the Rapture must happen long before the end of the Tribulation for people to come to saving faith in Jesus during this time. Although most will perish during this time (Revelation 7:9-17), many will survive and populate the beginning of the Millennium in natural bodies. This must happen in order for sin and death to exist during Jesus’ reign.
The pre-Tribulation Rapture also preserves the nature of Daniel’s seventieth week as a time when God focuses on bringing Israel to repentance. Both “post-Tribulation” viewpoints confuse the separation of Israel and the Church as see in Daniel 9:24-27.
I’m very much looking forward to meeting Jesus in the air and attentively watch for His appearing. However, I also long for the time when mounted on a white horse, I will return with my Savior to the earth. There will be something uniquely satisfying in watching the once despised and rejected Jesus complete His destruction of Satan’s kingdom, set up His rule over the nations that once despised and rejected Him, and as King, receive the great glory He so very much deserves.
Yes, it will be a time for us to shine, but only because of the Lord’s grace and mercy by which He will allow us to share in His glorious moment.
