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Enoch
Jun 27, 2010 - 4:16PM
Rapture and 2nd Coming

The Rapture (Catching Up) is Clearly found at the end of 1 Thes 4. Here it is in Greek:

16 ὅτι αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος ἐν κελεύσματι, ἐν φωνῇ ἀρχαγγέλου καὶ ἐν σάλπιγγι θεοῦ, καταβήσεται ἀπ᾿ οὐρανοῦ καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ ἐν Χριστῷ ἀναστήσονται πρῶτον, 17 ἔπειτα ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες οἱ περιλειπόμενοι ἅμα σὺν αὐτοῖς ἁρπαγησόμεθα ἐν νεφέλαις εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ κυρίου εἰς ἀέρα· καὶ οὕτως πάντοτε σὺν κυρίῳ ἐσόμεθα. 18 Ὥστε παρακαλεῖτε ἀλλήλους ἐν τοῖς λόγοις τούτοις.

So far as I know, there is in the Bible but one direct reference to the Rapture ("the catching up of the saints) and that is in 1 Thes 4:17. Since John 14 and 1 Cor 15 refer to other things that accompany the Rapture, in a broader sense those passages are included in a study of the Rapture.

Likewise, so far as I know, there is but one passage where there is a 2nd Appearing of Christ mentioned in the Bible and never any "2nd coming," using the words "2nd" and "coming." That one place is in Hebrews 9 near the end of the chapter:

""but now once at the end of the ages he has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And inasmuch as it is appointed to men once to die, and after this comes judgment; 28 so Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, shall appear [be seen] a second time, apart from sin, to them who wait for him, to salvation."

Since the "second being seen" of 9:28 contrasts with the "has been manifested" of 9:26, and since the "has been manifested" means "manifested on earth," I take the "second being seen" as "second being seen on earth." It is obvious that Christ has been seen other times, as for example to Stephen in Acts 7, to Paul in Acts 13, and to John in Rev 4-6. Therefore, in a strict sense, the "second appearing" on Heb 9:28 is not Christ's 2nd appearing in an absolute sense. I can't see it any other way than as his 2nd appearing on earth relative to his first appearing to die for our sins (neglecting any appearances of Christ as the Malach YHWH in the OT.)

John 14 speaks of coming again, but the coming is not there enumerated with the designation "second." And strictly speaking, "again" does not mean "second time."

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