Rapture vs. Second Coming: What 2 Thessalonians 2 Reveals About the End of the Church Age

In 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2, the emphasis is changing from the operation of the Church Age to its ending.

Paul has been operating in his priesthood, which is part of the mystery of his and our own dispensation. It emphasizes the individual priesthood of the believer.

The end of the Church Age will occur when the body of Christ, the Church, is complete and taken into heaven. The church will then be fashioned into the bride of Christ. This remake of the Church into the Bride will be accomplished at the Judgment Seat of Christ. At this point, the Rapture, the resurrection of all Church Age believers, living and dead, will occur. This will mark the end of the Church Age and the seven-year resumption and completion of the age of Israel, called the Tribulation. Evangelism will shift back to Israel as the hub and 144,000 Jews, 12,000 from each tribe, will begin the evangelistic thrust for the last seven years of Daniel’s 70 weeks. These seven years will end with the battle of Armageddon and the Second Coming of Jesus to rule the earth.

The Thessalonians had become confused about the Rapture. They had it confused with the second advent. They could no longer tell the difference between the two and assumed they were in the Tribulation.

Differences Between The Rapture and The Second Advent

Rapture

1. Private affair (1 John 3:2).

2. In the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

3. The Church goes to heaven (John 14:3).

4. The Church is rewarded for works (2 Corinthians 5:10).

5. Believers are removed to heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

6. Every believer is changed (Philippians 3:21).

7. Jesus appears as Bridegroom to the Church.

8. Comfort for believers (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

9. It is a mystery in the Old Testament (1 Corinthians 15:51).

Second Advent or Second Coming

1. Public affair (Revelation 1:7).

2. On the earth (Zechariah 14:4).

3. The Church returns to earth with Jesus (1 Thessalonians 3:13).

4. Unbelievers judged (Matthew 3:11-12).

5. Unbelievers removed to hell (Matthew 25:41).

6. Earth is changed (Zechariah 14:9; Romans 8:19-21).

7. Jesus appears as Messiah to Israel.

8. Terror for unbelievers (Revelation 6:5-17).

9. It is known in the Old Testament (Zechariah 14:4).

The Church Will Not Go Through the Tribulation

1. The one who understands dispensations knows the difference between Israel and the Church. The Church and the biblical Israel cannot exist on earth at the same time. Each has a unique priesthood, result of salvation, spiritual gifts, and position in God’s kingdom. They are servants as opposed to God’s children.

2. The age of Israel is not completed. The Church Age we live in today is also not completed. The age of Israel stopped on the day of Pentecost and the Church Age began. The Church Age will end at the Rapture, the removal of the Church. Israel’s age will not begin completion until the Church Age has ended and the Church is removed. The dispensation of Israel will resume for seven more years and be completed at the end of the Tribulation.

3. Israel was responsible in its dispensation for world evangelism. Jesus said it would be taken from Israel and given to others, the Gentiles (Matthew 21:43). The Church, in its age, is now responsible for world evangelism (Mark 16:15).

A. The emphasis and responsibility will shift to Israel again after the Rapture when 144,000 Jewish evangelists begin world evangelism again.

B. Israel will complete the last seven years of their dispensation, Daniel’s seventieth week (Daniel 9:27).

4. When Israel failed in their observance of sabbatical years and later, in their national sins, they were disciplined in their own dispensation. Israel and the Church are both disciplined in their own dispensation for sins and failures.

5. Revelation 3:10 tells us that God will “guard us” from the hour of temptation. This is addressed to believers at the end of the Church Age.

6. The Rapture of the Church is a sovereign act of God that cannot be changed by our faith or unbelief, our good deeds or bad deeds. All unforgiven sins we committed as believers will be judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).

7. First Thessalonians 3:13 and Jude 14 says Jesus will return at the Second Advent with His saints. How are two sets of saints explained? The first set is Church Age saints returning after the Tribulation. The second set are the saints saved during the Tribulation (servants, virgins, stewards [Matthew 25:31-46]). Jesus will judge all earthly nations, then divide the saved (sheep) from the unsaved (goats) in the nation.

8. There is no scripture to be fulfilled before the Rapture occurs (Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 1:7; Colossians 3:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:1 [“look for” and “wait”]).This is not so with the second advent. All Tribulation saints will know the day when Jesus’ return will occur, seven years to the day the Tribulation began.

9. The whole church, from the Day of Pentecost to the Rapture, must appear at the Judgment Seat of Christ, leaving none on earth during the Tribulation (2 Corinthians 5:10:“We must all appear….” Romans 14:10:“…we shall all stand….”).

10. Until the Rapture of the Church occurs, the family of God will be divided. Some on earth and the rest in heaven. The Rapture is designed to bring the whole family together to go through the Judgment Seat of Christ. Presently, “For this reason I bow my knee to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named” (Ephesians 3:14-15).Then, all the family will be together in one place.

11. The whole church, from Pentecost to the Rapture, dead and living, will be changed and given a resurrection body (1 Corinthians 15:51: “…we shall all be changed”).

12. The church has not been “appointed to wrath” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11). The time of the Tribulation will be the greatest outpouring of both evangelism, revival, and God’s wrath on earth. Satan will step up his two greatest attacks on Israel during the Tribulation and the unregenerate world, with religion and revolution. Religion is designed to stop evangelism, the spreading of the message of salvation and the spiritual plan of God. Revolution is designed to disrupt and stop divine establishment, the systems of law and order.