Jimmy Evans: The Rapture vs. The Second Coming | Tipping Point | End Times Teaching

On today’s episode of Tipping Point, Jimmy Evans unpacks the critical differences between the Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming of Jesus. These are two distinct prophetic events that every believer should understand.

• What the Bible says about the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4, Luke 17, Revelation 4)
• Why the Church is raptured before the Tribulation
• The role of the Antichrist during the Tribulation (Revelation 13, Daniel 8, 11, 20)
• The promises of protection for believers (1 Thessalonians 1 & 5, Luke 21, 2 Thessalonians 2)
• Key differences between the Rapture and the Second Coming
• Israel, Iran, and breaking end-times news

Discover why the Rapture is a moment of comfort and hope for believers, while the Second Coming is a public event of judgment and glory.

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The Rapture vs. The Second Coming – End Times Teaching

On today’s show, I’m talking about the difference between the rapture of the church and the second coming of Jesus—two separate events that are very important to understand. I’m also talking about—according to Israel’s defense minister—how Iran is 10 weeks away from having nuclear capability, and Israel is ready to attack them militarily. Huge issue in the news. And I’ll be answering your questions. I’m Jimmy Evans. Welcome to the Tipping Point show.

Welcome to Tipping Point. I’m so glad that you joined me today. In the last program, I talked about the rapture of the church and how I believe—according to First Thessalonians 4, Luke 17, and Revelation chapter 4—that Jesus comes for His church, His bride, to take us to be with Him. It’s an instantaneous act that happens at the beginning of the tribulation. Very comforting teaching when you understand it.

But there’s another teaching that goes around that talks about the second coming—that Christians will not be raptured before the tribulation but at the end of the tribulation, at the second coming of Jesus. Those who teach that say that Jesus will return and rapture His church then.

Some teachers who teach that say, “Well, if you’re going to be here in the tribulation, you’re probably going to die.” You will see that not only are believers not protected during the tribulation—there are a few judgments during the tribulation that believers are protected from—but most of them we’re not. There’s going to be an Antichrist, the most evil man in the history of the world, and Christians will be martyred en masse by the Antichrist. So not only are you not protected during the tribulation—you’re specifically targeted by the Antichrist, and many people will be martyred.

There are people who teach that we will go through the tribulation—that we’re not going to be raptured at the beginning of the tribulation. I’m going to talk in this message about the difference between the rapture and the second coming, and I’m going to show you that we are going to be raptured before the tribulation. The second coming is a separate event, and we’re a part of it in a different way. But there are Bible teachers who teach that we will go through the tribulation and that God is going to supernaturally protect us. I know many people who teach that.

Well, I want to show you in the Scriptures—and I get no joy out of this. If we were going to go through the tribulation and the Lord was going to protect us, that’s great with me. It’s not my business anyway. I’m a Bible teacher, and what matters to me is not my opinion or somebody else’s opinion. What matters to me is what the Bible says. The Bible should define our belief system, especially as believers.

So, Revelation chapter 13: if believers are protected during the tribulation, this is what Revelation 13 says:

“And he was given”—this is talking about the Antichrist—“a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for 42 months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.
It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.”

It was given to him to make war with the saints—that would be the believers alive during the tribulation—and to overcome them. And he was given authority over the whole world. You can’t base your belief off that Scripture if you think Christians are protected.

Some people would say—and I’ve heard teachers say this—“That’s Israel. When it talks about the saints there, that the Antichrist is going to overcome the Jews, but the Christians will be protected.” Okay, well let’s go to Revelation chapter 20:

“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”

They were beheaded because they wouldn’t worship the Antichrist and because of their testimony of Jesus. Those are Christians. Those are not just Jewish people—those are Christians. Some of them may be Jews who accepted Christ. The Antichrist is going to specifically target people who believe in Jesus and people who will not worship him. The world by and large will worship the Antichrist during the tribulation, but many believers won’t, and when they won’t, he’s going to behead them. This has got to be the worst form of death possible—to intimidate and put fear into people in the world.

If you’re here—I’m not going to be here, okay? I’m just saying, I’m not going to be here; I hope a lot of you agree with me. But believers who are here during the tribulation are not protected. In fact, they’re specifically targeted by the Antichrist. You have more of a chance of dying if you’re a Christian, not less.

This is Daniel chapter 11, talking about the Antichrist again:

“Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt”—that’s the Antichrist—“with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits.
And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering.
Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue.
And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.”

The Antichrist is killing Christians. They’re dying. He’s persecuting them and killing them.

This is Daniel 8:

“In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their fullness, a king shall arise, having fierce features, who understands sinister schemes”—that’s the Antichrist.
“His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; he shall destroy fearfully, and shall prosper and thrive; he shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.”

So there are four references that I’ve given you in the Scriptures that show that the Antichrist overcomes the righteous—the saints, the Christians, the holy people—any way you want to say it. He has authority over the earth.

For people who believe in Jesus today, there’s a massive blessing. The massive blessing is, number one, you know Jesus today; and number two, you’re going to be raptured and taken to the marriage supper of the Lamb, and you’re going to be spared the horrific, unbelievable tribulation that’s coming with all the judgment. Somewhere between two-thirds and three-fourths of the world’s population will be dead by the end of the tribulation. Not only are there the judgments that will come upon the earth, but there’s also the Antichrist killing Christians en masse.

Here are some Scriptures. If a Bible teacher is telling you Christians are going to be supernaturally protected, I think I just shot that down scripturally. I hope those Scriptures are clear. But let me show you where Christians are protected from the tribulation—if you believe in Jesus now. This is the big deal about knowing Jesus right now: you’re going to be protected.

First Thessalonians chapter 1:

“For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

Jesus delivers us from the wrath—not through the wrath. We’re waiting for Jesus. Jesus is going to come and deliver us from it.

First Thessalonians chapter 5:

“God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.”

I want to tell you right now that every time you watch this program, I’m going to comfort you. These are the end times. When you see the things that are happening in the world right now—Jesus said, “When you see these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your head; your redemption is drawing near.” I’m telling you, your redemption is drawing near. You’re not headed for seven years of wrath. You’re headed for a seven-year marriage supper of the Lamb. We are going to marry Jesus, and the rapture of the church is Him coming to receive us unto Himself, to go to the Father’s house to marry Him, and then we will return with Him during the second coming.

This is Luke 21—Jesus talking about the end times:

“Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.
For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.
Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Jesus says there—speaking of all the things of the end times—pray that you may be worthy to escape all those things. The word “escape” there is a Greek word, ekpheugo, and it means to get out of a place, to flee out of a place. Jesus says, pray that you may be counted worthy to flee out of this place and to stand before the Son of Man. That’s the rapture. We’re not going through the tribulation. I’m comforting you by telling you we’re not going through the tribulation. The things happening in the world right now are bad, but this is a Sunday school picnic compared to what’s about to happen during the tribulation—and we will not be here for that, because Jesus is coming for us.

Second Thessalonians chapter 2:

“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,
we ask you not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the Day of Christ had come.
Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed”—that’s the Antichrist—“the son of perdition,
who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?
And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.
Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.”

Let me go back into that text, because this is very important. The apostle Paul had written First Thessalonians to the church at Thessalonica. After he wrote that letter, a rumor went around that Jesus had come and they had been left behind. That would be very troubling, as you can understand. So just weeks later—or a couple of months later—after First Thessalonians was written, Paul wrote Second Thessalonians to clarify, to comfort them, to let them know: Jesus has not come, and you haven’t been left behind.

He begins by saying, “Don’t be troubled, don’t be bothered,” because that Day isn’t going to come until the “falling away” comes first. The term “falling away” is one Greek word, apostasia—where we get our word “apostasy.” It can be translated as a falling away from truth; it can also be translated “departure.” In the first seven translations of the Bible into English, that was translated “departure”—in other words, rapture. “That Day” isn’t going to come until the rapture comes, and then the lawless one will be revealed.

He says it again: “Only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. Then the lawless one will be revealed.” The Restrainer in the world today is the Holy Spirit in the church. Remember, the church was born on the Day of Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit fell upon people—the 120 in the upper room—and the church began. The church began with the baptism in the Holy Spirit. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit—that’s what the Bible tells us—and the Holy Spirit in the church is what’s restraining sin in the earth right now.

Paul says, “You know what’s restraining,” during this period of time, “and He’s going to restrain until He is taken out of the way.” I believe that the rapture happens—the departure happens—then the lawless one will be revealed. I don’t believe that we as Christians will know who the Antichrist is. I’ve got some guesses—there are some “wonderful” candidates in the world right now, and I’m not going to name names—but I’m telling you: the church will leave, then the Antichrist will be revealed. That’s what Paul just said.

All the Scriptures I just showed you are very comforting. God has not destined us for wrath—He told us that. Pray that we may be worthy to escape all these things and to stand before the Son of Man. And the departure would happen first, then the Antichrist would be revealed. We are going before—in the rapture of the church.

There is a rapture at the beginning of the tribulation; then there is a second coming. I want to show you a chart here that may help. This is a timeline of the end times. It begins with the present church age on the left-hand side. The next major prophetic event that happens in the world, I believe, is the rapture of the church. Then the world goes into a seven-year tribulation period. By the way, we’re at the marriage supper of the Lamb for seven years in heaven while the world is going through a seven-year tribulation, broken into two halves. The first three and a half years is the beginning of sorrows—it’s a horrible time, but it’s nothing compared to the second half. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 24 this will be the worst time in the history of the world—the Great Tribulation—three and a half years long. Then there will be the return of Jesus. This is the second coming of Jesus. The rapture of the church is seven years before the return of Jesus. We come with Jesus—we return with Him here. Then comes the thousand-year rule of Christ—the millennial rule of Christ—and then the eternal state.

Let me tell you the difference between the rapture of the church and the second coming of Jesus, because there are a lot of differences. First, the rapture is a private event between Jesus and the church, and the second coming is a public event where every eye will see Jesus. One is private; one couldn’t be more public.

First Thessalonians chapter 4:

“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 by no means precede those who are asleep.
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.
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air”—notice where the rapture happens: in the air—“and thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

The rapture happens up in the sky.

This is what Jesus said in Luke 17—He’s talking about the rapture:

“I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left.
Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left.
Two men will be in the field: the one taken and the other left.”
And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?” So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”

This is the rapture. Jesus is talking about a selective rapture—one taken, the other left behind. They asked, “Where are they taken?” He said, “Up there, where the eagles fly”—very, very high. He’s talking about an event that’s going to take place in the air. Luke 17 is all about the end times and the return of Jesus Christ. We know from Scripture that the rapture happens up in the sky. It’s private—between Jesus and the church.

But the second coming begins in the sky, ends at the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, and every eye will see Him. By the way, the rapture is a thrilling event—you couldn’t be more excited—while the second coming is a horrific event.

Matthew 24:

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
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.
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 rapture happens instantaneously—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. The second coming happens in real time—the whole earth will watch Jesus come out of the sky, and they will mourn and be terrified as Jesus comes back to the earth.

Revelation 19 (a longer passage, but stay with me):

“And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, ‘Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!
Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.’
And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Then he said to me, ‘Write: “Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!”’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true sayings of God.’
And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’
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.
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.
He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.
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.
And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
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,
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.’
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.
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.
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.”

That’s the second coming. It couldn’t be a more different scenario. The rapture is a wonderful event where Jesus raptures us up to be with Him. At the second coming, He comes with fierceness and wrath—with a rod of iron. He slays the false prophet and the Antichrist—throws them alive into the lake of fire—and throws Satan into the pit for a thousand years. This is a completely different event than the rapture of the church.

Here’s Zechariah 14, a parallel of Revelation 19:

“Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst.
For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished.
Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle.
And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east.
And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south.
Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, for the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah.
Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with You.”

Notice that in both passages—Revelation 19 and Zechariah 14—we return with Jesus. “Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with You.” The bride of Christ—the wife of Jesus—after the marriage supper of the Lamb, He will return, and we will return with Jesus to rule and reign with Him for a thousand years.

So, one is a private event; one is a public event. Here are some other differences between the rapture and the second coming, very quickly:

• The rapture gives seven years for the marriage supper of the Lamb. When we are raptured, we have seven years for the marriage supper and the judgment seat of Christ. But for those who believe we stay through the tribulation and are raptured at the second coming—when do we marry Jesus? Do we go up and come right back down? What happens?
• The rapture is for believers only; it only affects believers. The second coming affects all of humanity.
• The rapture is a time of joy—a time of great joy that we look forward to. The second coming is a time of mourning—you just saw it in the Scriptures. The world is terrified.
• The rapture is a time of reward. Jesus said in Revelation 22, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me.” The second coming is a time of judgment for the nations of the world.
• The rapture is imminent—it could happen at any moment. The second coming can’t happen for seven years once the tribulation begins; there’s nothing imminent about it.

Once the rapture happens, the tribulation begins. Once the second coming happens, the millennial rule of Christ begins.

Back to the chart from the beginning: we’re ready for this right here—the rapture of the church. We will be a part of the second coming when Jesus returns; we will be His bride, His wife, His army, and we will return with Him. But for seven years, while the world is going through tribulation, we’ll be at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

The greatest question I could ask you is: Are you ready? Are you ready for Jesus to come? I hope you’re excited for Jesus to come. I hope this is something that you pray about—something that you live your life for. If you’re not ready, this is the time to get ready, because the rapture can happen at any moment, and when it happens, it happens instantaneously.

Right now we’re going to the subscriber-only portion of the show. I’ll be talking about Israel in the news and the very, very serious things that are happening between Israel and Iran. I’ll also be answering questions from subscribers. If you’re not a subscriber, go to EndTimes.com—it’s seven dollars a month, seventy-seven dollars a year. We would love to have you as a subscriber, and I’ll tell you, it’s worth the money. We have articles that come out all the time—breaking news, end-times issues, things that are affecting people everywhere right now. It’s worth the money—seven dollars a month, seventy-seven dollars a year. We would love to have you as a subscriber.

Right now, if you’re a subscriber, stay tuned. We’re going to talk about Israel and answer questions.