Are you a Real Christian?

Differentiating between the first phase of Jesus second coming, otherwise known as the "Rapture," or gathering of the elect scriptures, and the actual second phase of Jesus second coming in Revelation chapter 19 scriptures, is an important thing to do. Confusing the two does no one any good, but dividing and separating them rightly, makes many things about Jesus second coming clearer and God knows we need clarity in these last days of the last days.

So lets go about this in as simple a fashion as possible, so even a child as young as twelve years old can understand it. For the bible was not only written for scholars or the intellectual, but for the very least among us, in fact, probably even more so for them.

"Rapture" scriptures which describe some or all of the events surrounding the first "great day of the Lord," which immediately follows the Rapture, have many things in common which each other, but yet they have differences from 2nd phase second coming scriptures which describe what happens in Revelation chapter 19. Some seek to make them all the same, but they are not. Others almost wish as if the "Rapture" scriptures were not included in the bible, but yet they are there none the less so then, we have to deal with them.

If one who could have escaped a fire, would find out later that there was a way out, but some who knew the way, refused to tell them, how angry do you think the person would be toward the one who knew better but refused to tell the truth?

Imagine just for a moment, two people. One says there is a catastrophe coming but you can escape it and here is the way. The other says you can't escape it and calls the one who says there is an escape a liar. Now ask yourself for one minute, who would you be more upset with if what they believed came true?  Would you be upset at the one who said catastrophe is coming, but it didn't come when they said, but instead came later.  Or would you be more upset at the one who said catastrophe isn't coming now, don't worry about it, then it did and you were not ready?

So now lets look at these passages more closely and see the important differences. First we will look at 2nd phase of the 2nd coming passages otherwise known as the battle of Armageddon.

Revelation chapter 19:11-19. These scriptures speak of Jesus on a white horse with the armies of heaven following him on white horses and coming out of heaven to destroy all who accepted the mark of the beast. Ezekiel 38&39, Zechariah 9:14-17 & 14:3-20, Zephaniah 1:14-18 and many more old testament passages all speak about this same day with other similar detail.

What's missing from this passage and other passages like it, which describe the last battle, but that Rapture scriptures contain, is angels and clouds. This is one of the more simple things to recognize. Matthew 24:29-31, which describes the Rapture event, includes Jesus coming with clouds and angels but with no army, or horses of any kind.

Also we see that Jesus in Matthew 24:31 isn't coming all the way to earth, but he stays up in the air and collects his ready followers into the air with the help of angels. It reads: "He will use a loud trumpet to send his angels all around the earth, and they will gather his chosen people from every part of the world".

So with Rapture scriptures he is coming to gather or collect something into the air, while in 2nd coming passages he is coming to bring back something, which is justice, punishment and judgment and to stay on the earth to set up his kingdom.

So one extremely easy to spot detail with Rapture scriptures is, there is no talk of war of any kind, but with 2nd coming passages there is.

With 2nd coming scriptures we also see that no one is crying out for mercy or to be saved, but at the Rapture verses in Matthew 24:30, Rev. 1:7, & Rev. 6:15-17 they are.

^{Rev 1:7} Look, Jesus is coming with the clouds, and everyone will see him, even those who stabbed him. And all peoples of the earth will cry loudly because of him. Yes, this will happen! Amen.

^{Rev 6:15-17:} Then the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the rich people, the powerful people, the slaves, and the free people hid themselves in caves and in the rocks on the mountains.¹⁶They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us. Hide us from the face of the One who sits on the throne and from the anger of the Lamb!¹⁷ The great day for their anger has come, and who can stand against it?"

^{Matt 24:30} "At that time, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the peoples of the world will cry. They will see the Son of Man coming on clouds in the sky with great power and glory".

With 2nd coming verses Jesus is not coming as a thief. Instead he is will return precisely 3-1/2 years after the Antichrist stops the daily sacrifice, desecrates the tribulation temple and sets up the "destroying terror" talked about in Daniel 12:11 and Matthew 24:15. The people will know they are going to fight against God and they will even look forward to it, thinking the Antichrist will be able to defeat God, because of the miracles he was given the power to perform.

With 2nd coming scriptures, there is no one to return for, as all the tribulation saints who refused the mark of the beast are dead, and the only ones left are the wicked who accepted the mark and a very small number of Jews who were protected in the desert.

With 2nd coming scriptures there is no talk of anyone escaping God's wrath, as in the Rapture scriptures of Rev. 3:10, Luke 21:28&36 and 1Thess. 4:16-18 & 5:1-4. All these passages speak of some who will escape God's coming wrath and in none of the Rapture scriptures, is there any talk of war whatsoever.

^{Rev. 3:10} "You have obeyed my teaching about not giving up your faith. So I will keep you from the time of trouble that will come to the whole world to test those who live on earth".

^{Luke 21:28} "When these things begin to happen, look up and hold your heads high, because the time when God will free you is near!

Rapture scriptures also show that everyone will see him.

³⁶ "So be ready all the time. Pray that you will be strong enough to escape all these things that will happen and that you will be able to stand before the Son of Man.

Rev. 1:7, Matt 24:30, Rev.6:15-17, Luke 21:27. 2nd coming scriptures we do not see the same language.

^{Luke 21:27} "Then people will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory".

^{1 thes 4:16-18} "The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. And those who have died believing in Christ will rise first.¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive will be gathered up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with the Lord forever.¹⁸ So encourage each other with these words".

Rapture scripture shows a translation or transition of some people into heavenly bodies such as: 1 Cor.15:52. With 2nd coming passages there is no translation.⁵² "It will take only a second—as quickly as an eye blinks—when the last trumpet sounds. The trumpet will sound, and those who have died will be raised to live forever, and we will all be changed".

Rapture scriptures say the day Jesus is coming will be as unexpectedly as a thief. 2 Peter 3:10, 1 Thess 5:2, 2nd coming scriptures do not.

^{2 pet 3:10} "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The skies will disappear with a loud noise. Everything in them will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be exposed".

^{1 thes 5:2} "You know very well that the day the Lord comes again will be a surprise, like a thief that comes in the night".

2nd coming scripture there is no normal life going on as there is with Rapture verses such as Luke 17:24-35. At the 2nd coming everything is already destroyed. At the Rapture some are still marrying, building, planting, buying and selling while one is taken and the other left. At the 2nd coming of Revelation chapter 19, there is nothing left to buy or sell and there is no one left for Jesus to come and gather into the clouds.