The Rapture: Enough Speculation… What are the Facts?

 

If you have been following me, my writings have been all over the place regarding the rapture. For a short time in my studies, I had placed the rapture at the beginning of the tribulation period, then…Mid tribulation…and last week, I wrote about this even happening at the end of the tribulation period.

My writing always includes constant prayer before and during my studies and writings, so this was certainly confusing for me.

After spending considerable time praying last night, I had a strong feeling that “No man knows the hour or the day of His coming.” Is this for a reason? Are we not to know when the Rapture will occur? I believe that it is. But why is this?

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”
— Matthew 24:36 (KJV)

This is echoed in Mark 13:32, where Jesus adds that even the Son doesn’t know — only the Father.

Why did Jesus say this?

There are a few layers of meaning:

It Keeps Us Spiritually Awake and Watching

Jesus’ return is imminent — meaning it could happen at any time. By not revealing the exact time, we’re urged to:

• Stay alert,
• Live righteously,
• Keep our lamps burning (Matthew 25:1–13, the parable of the ten virgins).

If people knew the exact hour, human nature might lead many to procrastinate repentance and faithfulness until the last moment. This uncertainty is meant to inspire a constant readiness.

It Emphasizes God’s Sovereignty

This teaching reminds us that God is in control, not man, not angels, not even the Son (in His earthly ministry). His plan unfolds exactly when He wills, not when we try to predict or force it.

We don’t set dates, but we watch the signs (Matthew 24, Luke 21). Jesus gave us plenty of prophetic markers — wars, earthquakes, deception, lawlessness, and the gospel reaching all nations — to keep us aware.

But the specific day and hour? That remains hidden, so we stay ready always.

“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
— Matthew 24:44

That being said, I would like to first explain the Rapture to those who might be unfamiliar with the event. Is the Rapture the same thing as the Second Coming of Christ?

The Rapture is a separate event from the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. It is a term used by many Christians to describe a future event when believers in Jesus Christ will be caught up to meet Him in the air. While the word “rapture” itself does not appear in the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, the concept is based primarily on several key passages, the most well-known being:

🔹 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (KJV)

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

“Caught up” is the phrase translated from the Greek word harpazō, which means to snatch or seize suddenly. In Latin, it was translated as rapturo—which is where the term rapture comes from.

🔹 Other Key Rapture-Related Scriptures (KJV)

🔸 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound,
and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

This passage highlights the transformation of believers at the moment of the rapture—both the living and the dead in Christ will be given glorified, immortal bodies.

🔸 John 14:2-3

“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Jesus promised to come again and receive His followers to Himself, a statement many view as pointing to the rapture.

Luke 17:34-36 (KJV):

“I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”

This passage is often associated with discussions about the rapture, though interpretations vary. Some see “taken” as being taken to safety or glory, while others interpret it as taken in judgment. The context of Luke 17 (and Matthew 24) is Jesus explaining what the end times will be like, comparing it to the days of Noah and Lot.

The rapture, according to KJV believers, is the moment when Jesus will return in the clouds, and all those who are truly His—dead or alive—will be instantly transformed and taken up to be with Him during the tribulation, depending on one’s interpretation (pre-, mid-, or post-tribulation view).

The idea that the rapture and the second coming of Christ are two separate events comes from comparing Scriptures that describe each one—and noticing the significant differences in tone, location, purpose, and audience.

Let’s break this down using KJV Scriptures, side by side:

1. Christ Comes For His Saints vs. Christ Comes With His Saints

Rapture – Christ comes FOR His Church:

• 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (KJV):
  “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air…”

Believers are taken up to meet Him in the air.

Second Coming – Christ comes WITH His Church:

• Revelation 19:14 (KJV):
  “And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses…”

Jesus returns to earth with the saints already in heaven.

2. The Rapture Is a Mystery vs. The Second Coming Is Prophesied

Rapture – A revealed mystery (new truth):

• 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (KJV):
  “Behold, I shew you a mystery… we shall all be changed… in the twinkling of an eye…”

Second Coming – Foretold repeatedly in the Old Testament and New:

• Zechariah 14:4 (KJV):
  “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives…”
• Matthew 24:30 (KJV):
  “They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

3. Rapture Brings Rescue vs. Second Coming Brings Judgment

Rapture – Deliverance from wrath:

• 1 Thessalonians 1:10 (KJV):
  “Jesus… delivered us from the wrath to come.”

Second Coming – Christ brings wrath and judgment:

• Revelation 19:15 (KJV):
  “Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations…”

4. Rapture Is Private & Sudden vs. Second Coming Is Public & Seen

Rapture – In a moment, unseen by the world:

• 1 Corinthians 15:52 (KJV):
  “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye…”

Second Coming – Visible to all:

• Revelation 1:7 (KJV):
  “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him…”

5. No Signs Precede the Rapture vs. Second Coming Follows Clear Signs

Rapture – Imminent, no signs required:

• Titus 2:13 (KJV):
  “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”

Second Coming – Follows signs and tribulation:

• Matthew 24:29-30 (KJV):
  “Immediately after the tribulation… shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven…”

6. The Rapture Involves the Church vs. The Second Coming Involves Israel and the Nations

Rapture – Focus is on the Church (believers in Christ):

• 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (KJV):
  “…so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

Second Coming – Focus is on Israel and judging the nations:

• Zechariah 12:10 (KJV):
  “They shall look upon me whom they have pierced…”
• Matthew 25:31-32 (KJV):
  “Before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another…”

Conclusion: Key Differences

Event	Rapture	Second Coming
Christ appears in the air	Yes	No, He returns to earth
For or with saints?	Comes for His saints	Returns with His saints
Timing	Before wrath	After tribulation
Visibility	Private, sudden	Visible to all
Judgment?	No	Yes
Focus	Church	Israel & Nations

Back to the scripture that no man knows the day, nor the hour:

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”
— Matthew 24:36 (KJV)

Most interpret this scripture relating it specifically to the “Second Coming” of the Savior, yet there is so much information that details the timing of our Lord’s return.

Jesus Christ will return at the end of the Tribulation period—this is often referred to as His Second Coming. Here are some key KJV scriptures that support the Second Coming of Christ at the end of the Tribulation:

1. Matthew 24:29-31 (KJV)

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

🔹 “Immediately after the tribulation” makes it crystal clear that this coming of Jesus is post-tribulation…The end of the 7 years.

2. Revelation 19:11-16 (KJV) – The Glorious Return of Christ

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns…
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
…And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

🔹 This is Jesus returning in power and glory, to judge and make war, at the climax of the Tribulation.

3. Zechariah 14:1-4 (KJV) – The Lord’s Feet on the Mount of Olives

“Behold, the day of the Lord cometh…
Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives…”

🔹 This Old Testament prophecy matches the moment when Jesus physically returns to earth at the end of the Great Tribulation.

We know, which I have previously discussed and written of, that the tribulation period will last seven years. We also know WHEN the tribulation period begins, which is when the 7-Year peace treaty is signed with Israel. So, the Second Coming of Christ can be simply placed on a specific year, and perhaps month, but not the day not the hour.

The Rapture on the other hand is more illusive regarding the timing. So instead of narrowing it down to an exact time, let’s first explore the purpose of the Rapture. What are our Heavenly Fathers thoughts in implementing this?

The purpose of the rapture, according to the King James Version (KJV) and traditional biblical interpretation, is to gather the true followers of Jesus Christ—those who are “in Christ”—to meet Him in the air and be rescued or removed from a time of judgment and wrath coming upon the earth. This event is often viewed as a key moment in God’s prophetic timeline leading into or during the Tribulation period.

1. To Rescue Believers from Wrath

1 Thessalonians 1:10 (KJV)

“And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”

• This suggests that Jesus will deliver His people from the coming wrath—commonly interpreted as the Great Tribulation, a period of God’s judgment on the earth.
• We know through reading the book of Revelation that God intends to pour out His 7 bowls of wrath onto those who have taken the mark of the beast. This wrath is not for the believers, and He plans on “delivering us from the wrath”.

2. To Gather Believers to Be with Jesus

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (KJV)

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

• This is the foundational rapture passage. The purpose is to reunite the living and dead believers with Christ forever. It’s a gathering of the faithful.

3. To Remove the Restrainer Before Judgment Falls

2 Thessalonians 2:7 (KJV)

“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.”

• Many interpret “he who now letteth” (restrains) as the Holy Spirit working through the church. Once the church is removed (through the rapture), the Antichrist will rise and lawlessness will increase.

4. To Give Believers New, Glorified Bodies

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (KJV)

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

• This describes the transformation of believers. At the rapture, they will be changed into immortal, incorruptible beings, fit for eternal life with Christ.

5. To Begin the Day of the Lord / The Tribulation

The rapture is seen by many as the trigger point that begins the events of the Day of the Lord (a time of judgment and upheaval) and the rise of the Antichrist.

God’s wrath will not begin to be poured out until midway through the Tribulation period. Remember, this Tribulation period of time starts with a “false peace.” There is nothing to be rescued from at the beginning of this Tribulation period.

Midway through the Tribulation, the Antichrist is revealed for who he truly is and demands worship from the people living upon the earth by requiring them to take his mark. It is at this point in time that those of us still on the earth will need to be rescued. God is planning, and will be releasing, His wrath.

I said that I was not going to pinpoint the exact time of the Rapture, but to me, it certainly fits at this moment in time. (Sometimes I just can’t help myself!) 😊

So to you, my friend, I ask that you understand these two events as being separate from one another. We know that He will come first to gather His people (the Rapture), and a second time with His people to wage war against evil during the Battle of Armageddon (the Second Coming).

I invite you, as always, to pray about these things so that you too can know the truth. By doing this, you will once again see the love that God has for His children by protecting and watching over those who have dedicated their lives to Him.

Just like parting the Red Sea, allowing Noah to escape the flood on the ark, keeping Daniel safe within the lions’ den, and leading Lot out of Sodom before its destruction—as well as many other examples of God protecting His followers—He too will be with us in these end times. We will be raptured away before He punishes those who refuse to accept Him and His Son.

There is peace in knowing His gospel and the things He has planned for us. I pray that you too can feel this peace as we strap ourselves in for an awesome ride through the unfolding end-times history.

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