The Rapture: The Lord Jesus comes FOR His Church in the air and translates all believers dead or alive to heaven. (John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17).

The Second Coming: The Lord Jesus returns to earth WITH His Church to reign for 1000 years. (Colossians 3:4; Zechariah 14:5b; Jude 14, Revelation 19:14).

The Rapture: Believers are caught up with the Lord in the air, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

The Second Coming: Jesus’ feet touch the earth on Mount Olives. “And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east….” (Zechariah 14:4).

The Rapture: Is an imminent, i.e. any moment event. It can happen at any time without warning (Revelation 3:3; 1 Thessalonians 5: 4-6; Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32-33).

The Second Coming: Follows definite predicted signs including tribulation. Occurs at the end of the Seven years of Tribulation (Dan 9:24-27; Matthew 24:29-30; 2 Thessalonian 2:3-8).

The Rapture: Happens in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye- too fast for eyes to see. (1 Corinthians 15:52).

The Second Coming: Slow coming, as he will be riding on a white horse accompanied by his raptured saints who are also riding on horsebacks (Revelation 19:11; 20:4)

The Rapture: The purpose of the Rapture is for the Lord Jesus to present the Church [redeemed believers] to Himself and to the Father (John 14:3; Ephesians 5:27; Revelation 19:6-9).

The Second Coming: The purpose of the Second Coming is to execute judgment on earth and set up His Kingdom, (Isaiah 26:21; Zechariah 14:3-4; Jude 14-15; Revelation 19:11-21; 20:4).

The Rapture: Only Christians will see Him (1 John 3:2; 1 Corinthians 15:52).

The Second Coming: Every eye will see Him, (Revelation 1:7).

The Rapture: Jesus descends with a shout, (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

The Second Coming: From his mouth comes a sharp sword (Revelation 19:15).

The Rapture: Spirits of those dead in Christ return with Jesus to receive their resurrected bodies (1 Thessalonians 4:14).

The Second Coming: Christians return with Jesus in already resurrected bodies riding on white horses. (Revelation 19:14).

The Rapture: The Wedding of the Lamb in heaven follows the Rapture. (Revelation 19:7-8).

The Second Coming: The Wedding of the Lamb in heaven is followed by war on earth which the Lord Jesus Christ ends at his Second Coming.

The Rapture: Scarcely mentioned in the Old Testament, appearing only in Isaiah 26:19, Daniel 12:1-2 and in the feasts and festivals of the Lord in Leviticus 23-24. It remained a mystery until God made it clear to the Church of the New Testament through the apostle Paul. (1 Corinthians 15:51).

The Second Coming: Predicted often in the Old Testament.

The Rapture: The Lord Jesus descends from heaven in just the same way he ascended after his resurrection from the dead (Acts 1:11). We are not told that he descends riding a white horse.

The Second Coming: Jesus returns riding a white horse. (Revelation 19:11-14). Christians return with the Lord riding on their horses alongside the Lord. (Revelation 19:14).

The Rapture: Believers will not ascend to meet the Lord in the air on horsebacks. The entire event happens in a moment. (1 Corinthians 15:52).

The Second Coming: Believers return with the Lord on horsebacks (Revelation 19:14).

The Rapture: Initiates the Seven-year Tribulation period which sees the seven year reign of the Antichrist.

The Second Coming: Ends the Seven-year Tribulation period and initiates the Millennial reign of the Lord Jesus who kills the Antichrist and the False Prophet and the kings of the earth that gathered against Him. (2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 19:17-21).

The Rapture: No mention of Satan. He is not involved in anything at the Rapture.

The Second Coming: Satan is mentioned in connection with his being bound and cast into the bottomless pit for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:1-3).

The Rapture: A message of hope and comfort for all believers in Christ. A fulfilment of the blessed hope. (1 Thessalonians 4:18; Titus 2:13; 1 John 3:3).

The Second Coming: A message of war, the wrath of the Lamb and the wrath of God poured out in judgment against the nation of Israel for rejecting their Messiah and the ungodliness and unrighteousness of Gentile nations for rejecting the Saviour of the World. (Deuteronomy 32:35; Zephaniah 1:15; Malachi 4:5).

The Rapture: Brings the Church age to a close so that God could focus on Israel once again.

The Second Coming: Brings the 70^th Week prophesied by Daniel for the children of Israel (Daniel 9:24) to a close.

The Rapture: The Holy Spirit, the One who has been restraining the Antichrist from being revealed is taken out of the way. (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7).

The Second Coming: The Antichrist and his allies are taken out of the way. (2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 19:17-21).

The Rapture: Does not depend on anyone saying anything, neither Israel nor even the Church. It is entirely the Father’s privilege, at His discretion

The Second Coming: Will not happen until Israel as a nation looks up to the One whom they have pierced, until they cry out to Him to return. Hear what the Lord Jesus says about it himself; “See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see me until the time comes when you say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”” (Luke 13: 34-35; Matthew 23:37-39). And don’t worry about whether today’s backslidden Israel will say it or not. For they will. When the fierceness of the battle campaigns of Armageddon presses them to extinction, then, they will cry out to Him, to their Messiah.   It’s only then that they will find out that the Messiah they have so long awaited is the same One they rejected and pierced when He first came to them.

These contrasts make it clear that the rapture of the church is quite different in character and timing from the return of the Lord to establish His kingdom on earth. These differences between the rapture and the second coming also confirm the conclusion that the rapture takes place before the Seven-year Tribulation or as most believers say, it is a pre-Tribulation rapture.

For more on the Rapture of the Church, get the book ARE YOU READY FOR THE RAPTURE?