QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS(PT 2)

Question 5: So are there other scriptures in the Bible that speaks of the ‘gathering’ (resurrection-rapture) of the church by the Lord?

Answer: Yes. As cited earlier, Apostle Paul wrote about the ‘gathering’ (resurrection and rapture) of the church by the Lord at his coming in his first letter to the Corinthians church.

“I tell you these brothers; flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised (resurrection) imperishable, and we shall be changed (also speaks of the rapture). For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality, and the mortal puts on immortality.” 1 Cor. 15:50-54

In the Corinthians letter cited above, Paul clearly speaks of the resurrection-rapture of the saints at the coming of the Lord but in 2 Thess. 2:1 he uses ‘gathering’ or ‘being gathered’ to refer to the two.

Mark also wrote, “And then he will send out the angels and gather (resurrection-rapture) his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.” Mark 13:27

Here again we read about the ‘gathering’ of the church (elect) by the Lord. In Titus 1:1 Paul refers to the church as the ‘elect.

Question 6: Did Apostle Paul view the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the ‘gathering’ (resurrection-rapture…refer to 2 Thess. 2:1) of the church as happening at the same period or different period?

 

Answer: Gerald B. Stanton in his 1956 book “Kept from the Hour” which has influenced the eschatological minds of many for over 50 years viewed the second coming and the gathering (resurrection-rapture) of the church as separate events or periods but Paul never saw it as separate events.

 

Stanton taught that the church would be raptured, then there will be a Tribulation, after which the Lord will return to the earth with the raptured saints. (I used to believe and teach that for 2 decades)

 

But Paul disagrees with him, Paul speaks of the second coming and the gathering (resurrection-rapture) of the church as a single event; carefully look at this scripture again

 

“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered (resurrection-rapture) together to him…” 2 Thess. 2:1 ESV

 

The Greek word used “Parousia” which is translated “Coming” in the cited text refers to the Second coming of our Lord Jesus. It doesn’t speak of any form of secret coming of the Lord to take the church from the earth before the Great Tribulation.

 

So it’s clear from the scripture cited that Paul tied the second coming and the gathering (resurrection-rapture) of the church as a single event. The Bible does not teach of Jesus Christ second coming in two phases or advents.

 

Question 7: Will the second coming of Jesus Christ be secret or visible?

 

Answer: There are fundamentalist who teach that Jesus second coming will be in two phases; i.e. a secret coming for the church and back to heaven and a visible coming with the church to the earth. But this teaching of Jesus coming back in two phases has no support in the scriptures.

 

Jesus second coming will be once (I am yet to read a single scripture that describes Jesus second coming in two phases) and it will not be a secret coming, it will be visible to all.

 

“For as the lightening comes from the east, and flashes to the west; so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matt. 24:27) Lightning is, above all things, visible! It cannot be easily concealed, even by clouds.

 

“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory” (Mk 13:26; Luke 21:27)

 

 “Behold, He is coming with clouds; and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him” (Rev. 1:7).

 

 “We know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1John 3:2)

 

The scriptures cited clearly shows that Jesus second coming will be visible;

 

But one may say, ‘oh no these scriptures refers to the second phase of the second coming, when Jesus is returning with the church from heaven’ But my response will be, ‘where are the scriptures that speaks of Jesus second coming in two phases? Where are the scriptures that speaks of He rapturing the saints and taken them into heaven?’

 

The Bible says we shall meet with the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:17), it did not say He will then take us back into heaven. Furthermore in 1 Thess. 4:16-17 Apostle Paul said the Lord will descend with a voice of an Archangel and with the trump of God, that is not a secret coming.

 

When the New Testament speaks about Jesus second coming, it uses one of these three Greek words: Parousia, epiphaneia, and apokalupsis. Each word carries the idea of Jesus Christ visible second coming.

 

Question 8: How about Jesus Himself; did He view the gathering (resurrection-rapture) of the church (elect) and His second coming as the same event of different?

 

Answer: Jesus also speaks of His second coming and the gathering of the church as one single event. Look at this scripture carefully;

 

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

 

 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, 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 loud trumpet call, and they will GATHER (resurrection-rapture) his elect (saints) from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Mathew 24:29-31

 

 in Titus 1:1 and Col. 3:12 Paul used the word ‘God’s elect’ to refer to the saints.

Jesus clearly speaks of His visible second coming and the gathering (resurrection-rapture) of the church as a single event and not at separate period as taught by Gerald B. Stanton.

 

 It is at his second coming that He will send His angels to gather His elect (saints) from the ends of the earth.

 

(Apostle Paul tells us that the  Lord will gather His saints at His second coming 2 Thess. 2:1 but Jesus Himself tells us that at His coming; He will send His angels to do the gathering, it is not an error for Paul not to know all the details)

 

Those who do not believe in the gathering (resurrection-rapture) of the church at the visible second coming of Jesus, would need to explain what kind of gathering Jesus was referring to in this passage and also differentiate Jesus' use of the word ‘gather’ at his second coming from Paul use of the words ‘Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him’ in 2 Thess. 2:1.

 

It is important to also state that the cited scripture in Mathew 24 never mentioned that Jesus at this time was gathering those who missed any first rapture.

 

 There is no reference in this scripture or anywhere that the elect mentioned in the passage missed any form of first gathering (resurrection-rapture) and now had to be gathered again.

 

The Bible doesn’t speak of two kinds of resurrection-rapture i.e. one before the Great Tribulation and one after; Jesus gathers His elect only at His second coming when all eyes shall see Him (Mathew 24:29-31).

 

Therefore the coming of the Lord and the gathering (resurrection-rapture) of the church is going to be one single event and not at different times.

 

 (I have examined all the scriptures argued by scholars that Jesus would rapture the saints in the clouds, return to heaven with them and come back after seven years, and those scriptures they put forward just don’t teach that).

 

Jesus second coming is going to be only once, it is at that time He will send His angels and resurrect the dead in Christ and rapture the saints who are alive 1 Thess. 4:16-17, Mathew 24:31)

 

Jesus also said, “And this the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

 

 And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:39-40 KJV

 

From the scripture cited above Jesus said he will raise all those the Father has given him at the Last Day. This agrees with Matt 24:31, Mark 13:27 when He will gather His elect at His second coming.

 

 Any resurrection that takes place seven years before His second coming cannot be said to be the Last Day. (The context in John 6:39-40 does not suggest the Last Day refers to a period of time).

To Be Continue.......