Are the Rapture and the Second Coming of Jesus two separate events?
Nowhere in Scripture can we find any evidence of Christ returning two separate times in the Last Days, but many Evangelical Christians believe that what Jesus describes in the Olivet Discourse is His Second Coming, and that what the Apostle Paul describes in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5 is the Rapture. So let’s read the two passages and compare them.
Let’s start with Jesus’ description in Matthew (emphasis supplied throughout):
“For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be…. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other…. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be…. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Matthew 24:27, 30–31, 36–39, 42–44
Now let’s compare that with what Paul wrote:
“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:15–18
“But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape…. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1–3, 6–7
A simple comparison of these two passages will show that they are the same event. First, both passages use the word “coming” in reference to the return of Christ. The same Greek word, parousia, is used in both passages to mean “return, advent, or coming.” Jesus is seen coming back in the clouds in both passages, and He is clearly and audibly heard at His return by everyone in both passages. Both say that the trumpet of God is sounded at Christ’s return, accompanied by His voice, which sounds like a shout.
Interestingly enough, many try to say that the saints are gathered at the Rapture and then come back with Christ to the earth at His Second Coming, but in both passages, the saints are gathered and caught up by the angels to Christ in the air. In fact, the Greek word for “caught up” in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 is harpazo, meaning “to seize, catch away, or take.” This is consistent with what we see the angels doing in Matthew 24:31 when they gather the elect.
In both passages, we see mention of days, hours, times, and seasons pertaining to the return of Christ. His coming is referenced as a thief in both passages, as is the destruction of the unrighteous wicked ones. And finally, in both passages, we are counseled to “watch.”
Take a look at this chart:
In conclusion, both Matthew 24 and 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5 are consistent with how we are told Christ will return in Acts 1:9–11. He will return the same way He left, so therefore, Jesus Christ will only return once to gather His people and take them to His Kingdom.