Will Christ’s Second Coming occur in two phases? The Bible’s teaching is crystal clear.
A popular bumper sticker confidently declares: “In Case of Rapture This Vehicle Will Be Unmanned.” Those who believe in the rapture are convinced that the most exhilarating experience of their lives could happen at any moment , without warning. They suppose that they, along with multitudes of people from all over the world, will suddenly disappear—be “translated”—to heaven when Christ returns invisibly and in secret to whisk away the church right before the world is plunged into the Great Tribulation that He foretold. Some include dead Christians brought back to life to be in this group. This momentous event, they believe, is only the first phase of Jesus Christ’s return.
During the Tribulation, according to this teaching, Christ and the saints remain in heaven (some say for 3½ years, others say for 7 years). Then, after the Tribulation, the second phase is implemented and Christ returns visibly , in power and glory, with the saints who were rescued or resurrected in the first phase. This time, the whole world will see Him return.
This is how the “rapture” is usually taught.
What about it? Are there two phases to the Second Coming of Christ—one in secret to snatch away His saints, followed by a second “public” return with His saints? What do you believe; or, more importantly, what should you believe? The truth is found in the Bible (John 17:17). Does the Bible speak of a secret rapture? Many thousands think it does. Let’s examine the Word of God and understand whether this widespread belief is true or not.
The Way of Escape
The word rapture is not found anywhere in the Bible, yet God does reveal that there is a way to escape the Great Tribulation that’s coming soon. Jesus said: “Watch ye therefore, and pray always,that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass …” (Luke 21:36). Notice that we must be “accounted worthy” to escape.
Jesus repeated this same promise to His true Church today in Revelation 3:10. Again, it is conditional: ”Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial [the Great Tribulation] which is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell upon the earth” (Revised Standard Version).
The surrounding verses of the scriptures quoted above shed even more light on exactly who will be “accounted worthy” to escape the horrors of the Great Tribulation. It is those who are not encumbered by the cares of this life and diligently paying attention to their spiritual condition (Luke 21:34-35)—praying continually—carefully obeying God’s Word and supporting His work—patiently enduring the trials, steadfast in all these things to the very end (Revelation 3:7-9). These are the ones who will escape the terrifying troubles about to be unleashed in the world.
But how and where will true Christians be protected? It’s not by way of a secret rapture to heaven!
The proof is found in chapter 12 of Revelation. To understand it, you need to realize that a “woman” is sometimes used as a symbol for a church (see 2 Corinthians 11:1-2 and Ephesians 5:23-32). In Revelation 12, the woman referred to is a symbol for God’s Church.
Notice how the true Church is protected from the coming Tribulation: “And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place , where she is nourished for a time [one year], and times [two years], and half a time [half a year—a total of 3½ years], from the face of the serpent [Satan]” (Revelation 12:14). So the Church is not taken to heaven but to a specific place in “the wilderness” here on Earth! “And the earth helped the woman …” (verse 16).
Scripture indicates that Christ’s true followers will be gathered in Judea just prior to the onset of the Great Tribulation (Amos 7:12; Matthew 24:16). Jesus plainly tells them that when the time comes, they will have to flee: “[P]ray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:20-21). Obviously, if there were to be a “secret rapture,” Christ’s followers would not have to be concerned about fleeing in winter or on the Sabbath!
Jesus never advocated the “rapturing” of His followers out of the world to protect them (see John 17:15). God’s true Church will be on Earth during the Great Tribulation—protected in a place of safety—not up in heaven as proponents of the rapture theory believe. Christ always promises His people protection here on Earth , never up in heaven.
A Final Warning
If you believe in the rapture, you are being deprived of the knowledge and understanding of how to escape the soon-coming Great Tribulation and the plagues of the Day of the Lord! If you think you can wait for the rapture to take you away, you will not have an opportunity to flee from the most horrendous suffering ever experienced on planet Earth—because the rapture will never come. Jesus warns that you will be caught suddenly and unexpectedly, like an animal entrapped by a snare (Luke 21:35). That is exactly what Satan wants to happen to you.
The devil knows that the true Church of God will be taken to a place of safety during the wrath to come, but he doesn’t want you to know this truth. That’s why the rapture teaching has been promulgated throughout protestantism. Millions of professing Christians around the world have accepted this false doctrine. Is it possible that when Jesus returns, many of them will think that He’s an alien invader or “the antichrist” because the rapture will not have occurred?
The idea of a secret rapture was unknown to any christian group before the 16th century! At that time, the basic rudimentary belief was first proposed by some Jesuit priests (see McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, article “Antichrist”). Later, around 1825, Samuel R. Maitland, the librarian to the archbishop of Canterbury, embraced the theory. Then, around1830, the belief began to take on its modern definition when it was espoused by J.N. Darby, founder of the Plymouth Brethren. It was popularized in the Scofield Reference Bible.
The first few advocates of the rapture theory fervently believed that they were living in the last 3½ years of Earth’s history. When that length of time was exceeded and Christ still had not “caught them away,” they were forced to alter their doctrine to a general expectancy that Christ mightreturn—unannounced—at any moment!
So we see that the false doctrine of the rapture is a relatively recent concoction of men. The early New Testament Church of God never heard of it, and it was obviously not a doctrine of the original Church that Jesus founded. It was never taught or believed by Jesus or His disciples.
Christ condemns t hose who adhere to the doctrine of men rather than the truth of God. He said, ”in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:7). How about you? Are you worshiping God in vain? Will you go on clinging to a false hope—blindly believing a tradition of men—or will you carefully prove the truth from your Bible? God expects you to prove all things (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Your very life is at stake.
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