Many confuse the two distinct phases of Christ’s return: the Rapture (coming for His saints) and the Glorious Second Coming (coming with His saints). This chart highlights the differences to stress the urgency and uniqueness of the “Blessed Hope.”
| Aspect | The Rapture (Coming for His Saints) | The Second Coming (Coming with His Saints) |
| Prophetic Timing | Imminent (No sign must precede it) | Occurs after the Great Tribulation (Following clear signs). |
| Visibility | Invisible to the World (Only the saints are caught away). | Visible to All the World (Every eye shall see Him). |
| Earth’s Condition | Status Quo (Life continues until the moment it happens). | A World in Total Crisis and War (Armageddon). |
| Scripture Focus (KJV) | 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (Meeting the Lord in the air). | Revelation 19:11-16 (Riding down to Earth on a white horse). |
| Purpose | To Remove the Church from the Earth to Heaven. | To Return with the Church to the Earth to Judge and Rule. |