We occasionally
encounter those who have interpreted Scripture to
say that the Rapture of the Church and the Second
Coming of Christ are concurrent events. Let's
investigate this by looking at two events which
are seldom explored together...the Ascension and
the Second Coming. "And I saw heaven
opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat
upon him was called Faithful and True, and in
righteousness he doth judge and make war." (
Revelation 19:11 KJV )
There is no
disagreement that the above verse is describing
the Second Coming of Christ at the end of the
Tribulation. What a glorious event it will be,
our Lord and Savior returning to earth astride a
beautiful white horse, ready to judge and make
war against those who have denied Him!
Now, read the
Scriptures describing the Ascension of Jesus to
Heaven:
"And
when he had spoken these things, while they
beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him
out of their sight. And while they looked
steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold,
two men stood by them in white apparel; Which
also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing
up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken
up from you into heaven, shall so come in like
manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."
( Acts 1:9-11 KJV )
One must take
instant notice that Jesus was taken up in the
air, into a cloud, and disappeared from the
disciples sight...plainly and simply, not on a
horse. Two men, angels most probably, appeared to
the disciples and stated Jesus would come again "in
like manner"...in the air, in a cloud. There is
one instance in the Bible that describes a return
of our Lord in this way:
"For
the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with
the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall
rise first: Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall
we ever be with the Lord." ( 1 Thessalonians
4:16-17 KJV )
The verses above
are describing the resurrection of deceased
Christians, the translation of living Christians,
and their meeting the Lord in the clouds, in the
air. When our Lord returns for His own at the
Rapture, He does not come on horseback ready to
make war as He does at the Second Coming. He
comes first as was told to the disciples at His
ascension...in the clouds, in the air.
So, when someone
attempts to argue that the Rapture and the Second
Coming are simultaneous events, tell them you
know differently, and you got it straight from
the horses mouth...or in this case, the lack
thereof.
Keith
01-27-2003
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