Is Matthew 24:30-31 a Rapture verse or second coming verse?
Dec 18, 2019 6:14 AM
S.S.
Matthew 24:30-31 is depicts Rapture and not second coming.
Rev 19:11-21 is without any doubt depicts second coming.
Now study the details of Rev 19:11-21.
Revelation:19.11
Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him [was] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.
Revelation:19.12
His eyes [were] like a flame of fire, and on His head [were] many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.
Revelation:19.13
He [was] clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
Revelation:19.14
And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.
Revelation:19.15
Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Revelation:19.16
And He has on [His] robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Revelation:19.17
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God,
Revelation:19.18
“that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all [people,] free and slave, both small and great.”
Revelation:19.19
And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.
Revelation:19.20
Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Revelation:19.21
And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
1. Lord Jesus Christ rides on white horse.( Rev 19:11).
2. He Judges and makes war. ( Rev 19:11,19)
3.Saints on white horse along with Lord Jesus Christ.( Rev 19:14, 1 Thess 3:13.
4. He strikes nations and treads the winepress of Wrath of God. ( Rev 19:15, Zech 14:3)
5.There is no trumpet and gathering of elect.
Matthew:24.30
“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, 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.
Matthew:24.31
“And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
The reasons why Matthew 24:30-31 doesn’t depicts second coming
1. No white horse – Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:30 comes on clouds of heaven and not on white horse.
Below are the Many Bible verses which depicts Lord Jesus Christ coming on the clouds of heaven
Matthew:26.64
Jesus said to him, “[It is as] you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Mark:13.26
“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
Mark:14.62
Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
Luke:21.27
“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Revelation:1.7
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
Revelation:14.14
Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat [One] like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.
2. No War – Matthew 24:30-31 depicts no war. We all know that Lord Jesus Christ will fight the Armageddon war with nations in His second coming ( Zech 14:3 , Rev 19:19)
3. No saints on white horse along Lord Jesus Christ– Matthew 24 :30-31 doesn’t depicts coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. ( 1 Thess 3:13)
1 Thessalonians:3.13
so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.
4. No treading of the winepress of the Wrath of God – This verse doesn’t depicts the Wrath of God on unbelievers. We know that in second coming, Lord Jesus Christ will punish unbelievers .( 2 Thess1:8-9)
2 Thessalonians:1.8
in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians:1.9
These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
The reasons why Matthew 24 :30-31 depicts Rapture
1 Sign of Son of Man appears – Lord Jesus Christ on the clouds ( Rev 14:14) will fix His seat in the air( 1 Thess 4:16) at such a distance from the Earth that every eye can see Him and all the tribes of the mourn.
We must know Lord Jesus Christ coming as thief in the night is depicted for Rapture as well as for Second Coming.
Lord Jesus comes as thief in the night for Rapture is depicted in following Bible verses.
1 Thessalonians:5.2
For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
Matthew:24.43
“But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
Matthew:24.44
“Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Lord Jesus Christ comes as thief in the night for Second Coming is depicted in the following Bible verses.
2 Peter:3.10
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
Revelation:16.15
“Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed [is] he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”
Revelation:16.16
And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.
Lord Jesus Christ comes as thief in the night doesn’t means that there will be invisible Rapture or invisible Second coming.
Lord Jesus Christ comes as thief in the night for Rapture means it will occur unexpectedly and will surprise the sleeping bride and unbelievers (1 Thess 5:4) when every eye see Him on the clouds of heaven.
Lord Jesus Christ comes as thief in the night for Second coming means it will occur unexpectedly to nations and will surprise the nations who have gathered to capture Jerusalem ( Zech 14:2) when they saw Him on the white horse.
2. Clouds- ‘Clouds’ are depicted in Matthew 24:30. Clouds is also depicted in Rapture in 1 Thess 4:16
1 Thessalonians:4.17
Then we who are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
3.Trumpet – Great sound of Trumpet is depicted in Matthew 24:31 .In 1 Thess 4:16, ‘ Trumpet’ is translated from Greek word ‘ salpingi’ which means ‘ sound of Trumpet’.
Thus Matthew 24:30-31 is Rapture verse.
Who will blow the Trumpet?
Many Christians says that Lord Jesus Himself will blow the trumpet and not angel.
They give Zech 9:14 as a proof.
We must study Zech 9:14 to know whether it is related to Rapture or not.
Zechariah:9.14
Then the LORD will be seen over them, And His arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord GOD will blow the trumpet, And go with whirlwinds from the south.
When I studied this Scripture , I got know that this verse used for Rapture is out of context.
Zech 9:13 depicts raising of sons of Zion for war against sons of Greece.
In Zech 9:14,
Lord will seen over them means that Lord will appear as cloud over Israel to encourage them for war ( Exodus 14:24)
And His arrow will go forth like lightening depicts that Lord will fought war for Israel and strike enemy with arrows( Psalm 18:14)
Lord GOD will blow the trumpet depicts that Lord is captain of their army (2 Chronicles 13:12).
And go with whirlwind from South
are most destructive as depicted in Isa 21:1 and Job 21:1. This whirlwind will cause great destruction to the enemies.
Zech 9:15 depicts Israel’s celebration over victory on his enemies.
Let us now study 1 Thess 4:16
1 Thessalonians:4.16
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Lord Jesus will descend from heaven with the Trumpet of God.
It doesn’t says Lord Jesus Christ Himself blows the Trumpet.
The Trumpet for Rapture will be blown by Seventh angel.
5. Gather together- ‘ Gather together’ in Matthew 24:31 depicts Rapture.
As in ‘ gathering together’ is used to depict Rapture in 2 Thess 2:1.
2 Thessalonians:2.1
Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,
5. Elect – Gathering together of elect by angels in Matthew 24: 31 depicts Rapture ( 2 Thess 2:1).
Who are Elect?
Christians are Elect as depicted in the following Bible verses
1 Peter:1.2
elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
2 Timothy:2.10
Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
2 John:1.1
THE ELDER, To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth,
Elect and Israel are differentiated in Romans 11:7
Romans:11.7
What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
6. From one end of heaven to the other – Lord Jesus Christ called Christians to be witnesses to Him to the end of the Earth.( Acts 1:8)
Acts:1.8
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Christians are called to preach gospel of the Kingdom in all the world.( Matthew 24:14).
Today Christians are present all over the world from one end of heaven to the other.
They will be gathered together to Him in Rapture. (2 Thess 2:1)
Matthew 25:30- 46 depicts Second coming.
Matthew:25.31
” When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
Matthew:25.32
“All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides [his] sheep from the goats.
Lord Jesus Christ is seated on His throne for Judgement in Matthew 25:30.
In Matthew 25: 31 , nations ( believers and unbelievers) are gathered whereas in Matthew 24:31 , elect ( believers) are gathered.
This is clear enough to show you that Matthew 24 : 30- 31 depicts Rapture and Matthew 25:30-46 depicts Second coming and Jugdement.
Summary of Matthew 24-25
1 Matthew 24:1-2 depicts destruction of the Jerusalem Temple.
2 Matthew 24:3-7 depicts birth pangs
3 Matthew 24:8-14 depicts Tribulation period ( 3.5 years)
4 Matthew 24:15 depicts Middle of the 7 years Tribulation period.
5 Matthew 24:16-29 depicts Great Tribulation period.
6 Matthew 24:30-31 depicts Rapture at the seventh Trumpet during Great Tribulation period.
7 Matthew 24: 32- 51 and Matthew 25 : 1- 30 depicts parables of Rapture and Jugdement.
8 Matthew 25:31 depicts Second coming
9 Matthew 25: 32- 46 depicts Judgement separating goats and sheeps.
Rapture will take place at seventh Trumpet. See link below
Know about false teaching of Pre Tribulation Rapture in link below
