David Jeremiah: The Rapture vs. The Second Coming: What’s the Difference?

What Happens at the Rapture? | How and When Jesus Will Return for His Church

What is the Rapture? When will it happen? And how should Christians live in anticipation of it? In this powerful message, you’ll discover what the Bible teaches about the Rapture of the Church—the moment when Jesus Christ returns in the clouds to gather all believers, both living and dead, to be with Him forever (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).

This teaching explores the timeline of end-times events, the difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming, and how prophecy gives us both hope and direction for living holy, faithful lives in a world that’s running out of time.

What You’ll Learn

• What happens to believers at the moment of the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18)

• Why the Rapture is imminent—the next event on God’s prophetic calendar

• The difference between Christ coming for His saints and coming with His saints

• Why no one knows the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36)

• What Jesus meant by “As it was in the days of Noah” (Matthew 24:37)

• Why prophecy matters for your daily walk (John 14:1–3)

• What will happen during the Tribulation (Revelation 13:16–17)

• How to live Rapture-ready and free from sin (Romans 13:14)

Key Scriptures

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
John 14:1–3
Matthew 24:36–37
Revelation 19:11–16
Romans 13:14

Takeaway

The Rapture isn’t meant to cause fear—it’s meant to inspire faith, purity, and readiness. Jesus could return at any moment. Are you ready to meet Him?

The Rapture vs. The Second Coming: What’s the Difference?

What Happens at the Rapture?

The Rapture is a time in the future when the Lord Jesus Christ will return — not to the earth, but to the heavens — to receive to Himself every single person who has put their trust in Him for eternal life. Before He receives those who are alive on earth, all who have died in Christ will be resurrected. The Bible says we will meet the Lord in the air. Bodies will be reunited with spirits and souls. Christians who have died will be reunited with Christians who are alive, and finally, all of us will be reunited with the Lord Jesus Christ — the great reunion. Amen.

The Rapture: An Imminent Event on God’s Calendar

The next event on God’s prophetic calendar is the Rapture of Jesus Christ. The Bible says it is an imminent event, which means nothing has to happen before it occurs. After the Rapture comes the Tribulation, the darkest time the world has ever known — seven years of judgment and chaos.

At the end of the Tribulation, the Lord Jesus Christ will return not for His saints, but with His saints. We will have been in heaven with Him for seven years. The Bible says He comes back with His saints and His angels, forming the great army that returns to the Battle of Armageddon.

We won’t have to fight, because the Bible says Jesus will destroy His enemies “with the breath of His mouth.” We’ll be clothed in white — and you don’t go to war in white. We are not the fighters; we are witnesses to His victory.

No One Knows the Day or Hour of Christ’s Return

“No man knows the day nor the hour.” Listen to this: the angels don’t know, and when Jesus was on the earth, even He didn’t know. The Son of God, while in His humanity, did not know when He would return. He knows now, seated at the right hand of the Father.

So it’s serious when people claim to know the date. When authors write books predicting, “It will happen in 1988,” or “It will happen in the new millennium,” all they do is confuse people and make a mockery of the study of prophecy. We should never do that.

As It Was in the Days of Noah: Signs of the End Times

“As it was in the days of Noah, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
In other words, Jesus said, If you want to know what it will be like before I come back, study what it was like before the flood.

Prophecy’s Practical Application for Daily Life

Many people say prophecy doesn’t have a practical application. If you’ve ever said that, stop saying it — because that reveals biblical ignorance. The Bible is filled with prophecy, and almost every prophetic passage contains marching orders — things we’re supposed to do.

For example, in John 14, Jesus encourages His disciples:

“In My Father’s house are many mansions…”

But before that, He said,

“Let not your heart be troubled.”

In other words, if you know what God is doing, you don’t have to stay up at night worrying about tomorrow. God’s got this. He is in complete control. Amen.

The Tribulation: The Darkest Time in Human History

There isn’t one positive word in Scripture about the Tribulation, except for the fact that it lasts only seven years. It will be the most awful period the world has ever seen.

During the rule of the Antichrist, people will be forced to take his mark — without it, they won’t be able to buy or sell. Countless people will starve to death because they refuse the mark. Many Christians will be martyred for their faith. It will be an unspeakably cruel and tragic time.

Living Rapture Ready: Don’t Give Sin a Foothold

We are commanded to make no provision for the flesh. That means we’re not to give ourselves any opportunity to gratify sinful desires. Don’t place yourself in situations where you’ll be tempted.

Be ruthless in putting old habits to death — do it pointedly, do it piously, and do it permanently. Do not plan for sin. Don’t give it a welcome or an opportunity. Kick sin off your doorstep, and it won’t get into your house.

Amen.

Be encouraged to live Rapture-ready — trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ and walking in holiness until He comes.