Rapture or Second Coming?

 

 Matthew 24 is often called by theologians the spine of Eschatology (End Times prophecy). Which essentially means it is used as the springboard to all other End Times Scriptures throughout the Bible. Similar passages are found in Mark and Luke, but Matthew 24 goes into more detail.

 

In verse 3, the Disciples asked Jesus 3 Questions:  Tell us, when will this take place, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?  Jesus then goes into a lengthy description of events that will occur slightly before the Tribulation, during the Tribulation, at the mid-point of the Tribulation and then all the way up to His Second Coming found here in verse 30

 

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and beat their breasts and lament in anguish, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 

 

Let's look at the word "coming" in this verse.  It's the Greek Word Erchomai   It means:  " to come from one place to another, and used both of persons arriving and of those returning; to appear, make one's appearance, come before the public

Then verse 31 describes how Jesus's angels will gather all the saints together. 

 

And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect, from the four winds, and from the one end of the heavens unto the other. 
  

Some people think this is the rapture, but notice He gathers the elect not only from the Earth but the Heavens as well. These are the people already in heaven and those of us who were earlier raptured. And I'll prove it to you below. 

 

Verse 32 is very interesting. It starts out with the Greek Word δέ 

It translates poorly into English as "Now, then, and" but if you look it up, it indicates a change of topic. 

 

The Greek word δέ (dé) primarily functions as a conjunction or conjunctive particle, and its most common English translations include but, and, then, or now. It can indicate a shift in thought, a continuation, or a contrast within a sentence or discourse,  marking the superaddition of a clause, whether in opposition or in continuation, to what has preceded. 

 

In other words, it can mean a complete shift in topic. It would be like saying "Now, let's talk about something else."

 

32: Now learn the parable of the fig tree: when her bough is yet tender, and it putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near.  

 

Jesus goes on to talk about the days of Noah and then he describes the rapture in verses 40-41

 

At that time two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the hand mill; one will be taken and one will be left.. 

 

Let me make a brief note about the words used here.  In both cases the word for Taken is the Greek Word paralambanō, which means to take to, to take with one's self, to join to one's self as an associate, a companion 

 

The Greek Word for Left is aphiēmi which means to forsake, send away as a husband divorcing a wife, to disregard, let go 

 

So, don't let anyone tell you that the people who leave in the rapture are the bad people, the sinners, the reprobates. And yes, I've heard some pastors preach that.  

 

Let me get to my main point: Before Jesus describes the rapture, He compares the end times to the Days of Noah

 

 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.  

 

Do you know what the Greek Word "coming" in this sentence means? It's a completely different word from the one used above when Jesus describes His Second Coming.  It is Parousia which means Presence, Arrival, being near. Whereas the one in the prior verse, erchomai, is more about the physical action of coming and going.  Honestly, they are both very close in meaning, but I found it fascinating that a different word was used in the verse about Noah and the rapture!

 

Greek words carry much more meaning than our English words. For example there are at least 4 distinct words in Greek that mean love, each one describing a different kind of love.

 

Here's another example relating to the rapture.  

 

. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. Revelation 12:4-5

 

You can find an indepth study of this verse in a post I made 8 years ago.

 

 The first child in the verse underlined is the Greek Word Teknon   Meaning: daughter, son, figuratively used as children of God

 

The second Child in bold is the Greek Word huios 
Meaning: son, kingshiip, Son of Man, Son of God, Son of David, my beloved Son.  This word stressed the quality and essence of one so resembling another that distinctions between the two are indiscernible 

 

The last child in red in the passage is back to the word Teknon. 

It's obvious that John was talking about 2 very different children here. One being the children of God and the other being the Son of God. Jesus was never caught up to the throne of God. Caught up is the Greek Word Harpazo. Meaning: to Snatch or catch away, take by force  

 

My point?  The Children of God are caught up to heaven as in raptured. Those that are taken are taken as companions and friends. That event is a different event from the second coming when Jesus places His feet on the Mount of Olives. I could list a dozen more Scriptural reasons why these two "comings" are very different events. But I'll stop for now. 

 

We got all of that just by studying the true Greek Meanings of the words!  

I love the Bible. It's so rich and amazing. We could never in this life discover all its treasures! 

 

We serve an amazing God!