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I think many followers of Jesus avoid discussing the second coming of Jesus and the rapture. I know I have shied away from it.

Jesus does discuss it so it must be dealt with. It is something glorious to contemplate. I will get to see Jesus in the Power of God arrive as the King of God’s country.

Now that is some good news.

Second Coming – Foretold By Jesus the Messiah

The rapture and the second coming of the Messiah are often confused. Sometimes it is difficult to determine whether a scripture verse is referring to the rapture or the second coming. However, in studying end-times Bible prophecy, it is very important to differentiate between the two.

The rapture is when Jesus the Messiah returns to remove the church (all believers in the Messiah) from the earth. The rapture is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-54. Believers who have died will have their bodies resurrected and, along with believers who are still living, will meet the Master in the air. This will all occur in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye. The second coming is when Jesus returns to defeat the Antichrist, destroy evil, and establish His millennial kingdom. The second coming is described in Revelation 19:11-16.

  • Matthew 24:30  — “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.”
  • Matthew 16:27  — “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds.”
  • Matthew 25:31  — “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.”
  • Mark 14:62  — And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
  • Luke 12:40  — “You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”
  • John 14:3  — “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
  • John 14:28  — “You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.”

The second coming of Jesus the Messiah is the hope of believers that God is in control of all things, and is faithful to the promises and prophecies in His Word. In His first coming, Jesus the Messiah came to earth as a baby in a manger in Bethlehem, just as prophesied. Jesus fulfilled many of the prophecies of the Messiah during His birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection. However, there are some prophecies regarding the Messiah that Jesus has not yet fulfilled. The second coming of the Messiah will be the return of the Messiah to fulfill these remaining prophecies. In His first coming, Jesus was the suffering Servant. In His second coming, Jesus will be the conquering King. In His first coming, Jesus arrived in the most humble of circumstances. In His second coming, Jesus will arrive with the armies of heaven at His side.

Jesus the Messiah will return visibly and in glory at the end of history to raise the dead, judge the world, destroy all evil and opposition to God and consummate his kingdom. Believers are encouraged to be prepared for his return, waiting with eagerness and joy.