The rapture and the
second coming of Christ 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 Christ returns to remove the church (all believers in Christ) 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 Lord 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.
To understand fully
the scriptures that deal with the rapture of the church, there will be two separate
Bible studies. In Part 1 we will study
and meditate on 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18; and in Part 2, we will be studying
and meditating on 1 Corinthians 15: 50-54.
