One Coming in Two Parts

Exploring Prophetic Mysteries

With Daniel Speck 6.26.15

One Second Coming in Two Parts

The Rapture is the Second Coming

Pre-Tribulation advocates teach that when Jesus returns to rapture the Church and resurrect the dead, this is not the Second Coming. The fact that the Rapture is indeed the Lord’s Coming is clearly stated in I Thessalonians as well as other Scriptures.

“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 not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air...” I Thessalonians 5:15-17.

“…with regard to THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST and our gathering together with Him…” II Thessalonians 1:1.

“Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at HIS COMING.” I John 2:28.

How can Jesus come the second time without it being His Second Coming? It’s a denial of the clear, straightforward proclamation of Scripture in order to prop up an erroneous rapture doctrine.

Most post-Tribulationists falsely believe the Second Coming is a single event

We don’t want to make the mistake of thinking that all post-Tribulation rapture teachings are alike. Most of those who teach that the Church will be here during the Tribulation also say that the return of the Lord will occur as one single event; that He will come on the clouds and immediately set up His Kingdom on earth. This is a false assumption. It fails to take into account the two fold purpose of the Second Coming: one is to gather the Church in the Resurrection/Rapture, and the other is to revive and restore the Jewish nation of Israel. There will certainly be two parts to the Second Coming of Christ.

Cloud Return and White Horse Return

The first is the Cloud Return to rapture the Church and the second is the White Horse Return to rescue Israel and destroy the armies of the Beast. These two parts of the Second Coming will happen within a few months or a few weeks of one another, but not as pre-Tribulationists teach, separated by seven years.

First the Coming of Christ on the clouds

“Behold He is coming with the clouds and every eye will see Him…” Revelation 1:7.

Then the return of Jesus on a white horse.

“Behold a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.” Revelation 19:11.

Two Scrolls tell of the two parts of the Second Comings

This two part Second Coming is reflected in the two scrolls of Revelation. The contents of the Seven Seal Scroll is revealed after the Lord Jesus opens all seven seals to finish the Mystery of God, which is Christ and the Church (Colossians 1:26-27). It is no longer a mystery because at the Seventh Trumpet every eye shall see Him and the rapture of the Church as He comes on the clouds.

There will be delay no longer, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel (the last trumpet of the seventh seal), when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets...So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he said to me, "Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey." Revelation 10:7,9.

The Little Open Scroll, which the Mighty Angel tells John to eat, are the prophecies to the nation of Israel that Jesus will also fulfill at His Coming. After the rapture of the Church, He will then return again on a white horse to fulfill these promises. Ezekiel explains the contents of the Little Open Scroll.

Then He said to me, "Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel." So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll. ...Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth.” Ezekiel 3:1-2.

Christ will descend to two mountains: the Mount of Olives and Mount Sinai

At the resurrection/rapture of the Church Jesus will descend to the Mount of Olives before returning to heaven with the Church.

“This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven. Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount called Olivet…” Acts 1:11-12.

“In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley.” Zechariah 14:4.

After the wedding of the Church in heaven, the Lord will then come back again after a few weeks or months for the full restoration of Israel and deliver the Jews from the armies of the Beast.

“Who is this who comes from Edom, with garments of glowing colors from Bozrah? …It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save…For the day of vengeance was in My heart, and My year of redemption has come.” Isaiah 63:1-6.

Mt Sinai is located in Edom (southern Jordan today) according to Moses.

“The Lord came from Sinai, and dawned on them from Seir (Edom); He shone forth from Mount Paran (Mt Sinai).” Deuteronomy 33:2.

This is where Israeli Jews will flee to after the Abomination of Desolation.

“Then the woman (Israel) fled into the wilderness (Sinai Desert) where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days (3 ½ years).” Revelation 12:6.

“Therefore when you see the Abomination of Desolation spoken of through Daniel …those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains (of southern Jordan).” Matthew 24:15.

Israel will believe after they see Jesus coming on the clouds and the resurrection/rapture

The whole Jewish nation will come to faith in the Lord Jesus when they see Him coming on the clouds and witness the resurrection/rapture.

“…and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him.” Revelation 1:7.

“For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery…that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved.” Romans 11:25.

The Lord will return first for His Bride and after the wedding in heaven, He will come back to rescue His kinsmen, the Jewish nation.

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” Revelation 19:7.

"I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD.” Ezekiel 39:27-29.

The day of Pentecost in 30 AD began the 2,000 year church age which will end some day after that in 2030 with the Second Coming of Christ and the Rapture. The White Horse Return is associated with the fall feasts of Israel. Sometime between Pentecost and the Feast of Trumpets are the three months of summer when the rapture will occur, no man knowing the day or hour.

“Behold the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they put forth leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is near” Luke 12:29-30.

One Second Coming in Two Parts

FIRST PART SECOND PART

On the clouds On a white horse

For the Church For Israel

Return to Mt of Olives Return to Mt Sinai

Briefly Permanent

Church is gathered Israel is gathered

The Seven Seals Scroll The Little Open Scroll

Comes for His Bride Comes for His kinsmen

After the Tribulation After the wrath of God

No judgment With judgment

End of Church Age Start of Messianic Age

Believers go to heaven Believers stay on earth

Souls of Saints return Bodies of Saints return

First Resurrection No resurrection

Wicked will mourn Wicked will be judged

Only believers expect Him Everyone expects Him

Rejoicing of the Church Rejoicing of Israel

Wedding in Heaven Wedding feast in Israel

Day of the Lord begins Day of the Lord continues

No battles Battle of Armageddon, etc

Every eye will see Him Israel will see Him

Gathered into heaven Marched into Jerusalem

Mystery of God is finished Israel’s judgment finished

Peaceful and beautiful Attack of Beast’s armies

Fulfills promises to Church Fulfills promises to Israel

Harvest of the Church Harvest of the wicked

Jesus splits Mount of Olives Jesus enters East Gate

Escape from God’s wrath Winepress of God’s wrath

Israel finally believes Israel is finally restored

Kingdom of Christ begins Kingdom of Israel begins

Rapture of the Church Reign of the Church

After Seventh Trumpet After Seventh Bowl

Church weds her Husband Israel crowns their King

Satan and Beast revealed Satan and Beast destroyed

Time of the Gentiles fulfilled All Israel is saved

Summary

The Coming of Jesus Christ on the clouds to rapture the Church is the Second Coming in spite of the denial of many of the most popular prophecy teachers. Verse after verse of Scripture calls His return to rapture the Church His “Coming,” so simple, honest logic requires that the Rapture can be none other than the Second Coming. Most post-Tribulation advocates have mistakenly understood the Second Coming to be just one single event, when in fact a careful study of the Scriptures distinguishes the Lord’s Second Coming as a two part event: the first part to rapture the Church into heaven, and the second part a few months or weeks later to rescue, redeem and gather the nation of Israel.