Table of Contents
Date: SUN 11:30am 15th February 2026
Preacher: Rev. David McLaughlin
Bible Reference: 1 Thessalonians 4:17
Podcast
The Rapture and the Return of Jesus Christ: A Reformed Exposition
Introduction: Christ’s Coming and the Confusion of the Age
Few doctrines in modern Christianity have generated more confusion than the subject of Christ’s return. In countless pulpits and popular books, believers have been taught to expect two future comings of the Lord: an invisible, secret rapture of the Church to heaven, followed seven years later by a visible return of Christ in power and judgement. This system, often associated with dispensational theology, divides what Scripture presents as one unified event into two separate phases.
Yet such a division, while emotionally comforting to some, cannot be substantiated from the Bible. The early church, the Reformers, and the Puritans all taught a single climactic coming of the Lord Jesus Christ – bodily, visibly, and gloriously. The Apostle Paul did not speak of two second comings, but of one return in which the dead are raised, the living are transformed, and all the saints are gathered to Christ in triumph.
This exposition, drawing upon 1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:8, considers the biblical teaching under three headings:
- The rapture is a scriptural event.
- The rapture is a singular event.
- The rapture is a supernatural event.
Through these three truths we shall see that the rapture, properly understood, is not an escapist hope but the consummation of redemption – an event both glorious and cosmic, when Christ shall return to reign in righteousness and gather his people unto himself.
1. The Rapture as a Scriptural Event
a. Comfort for a Grieving Church
When Paul wrote to the Thessalonian believers, their chief concern was not prophetic charts or secret timetables. They were anxious about their departed brethren. Some feared that those who had died in Christ would somehow miss the blessings of his return. Paul therefore writes to comfort their sorrow:
“I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13)
He declares that because Jesus died and rose again, those who sleep in him will also rise in triumph. The same resurrection power that raised Christ from the dead guarantees the resurrection of all who are his.
b. “Caught Up” – The Biblical Basis of the Rapture
The language of verse 17 is unmistakable:
“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.”
The phrase “caught up” comes from the Greek harpazo, meaning to seize, snatch, or take by force. The Latin translation of this word, rapiemur, gives us the term rapture. Thus, the event is not a modern invention but a biblical reality.
However, while the rapture is scriptural, it is not separate from the Second Coming – it is part of it. The living saints will be caught up at Christ’s return, not years before. There is no biblical evidence of an invisible removal of the Church prior to tribulation. The Apostle speaks instead of a mighty, public, divine act—Christ descending, the trumpet sounding, the dead rising, and the living transformed.
2. The Rapture as a Singular Event
a. The Problem of Two Comings
The most popular dispensational teaching claims that Christ will come secretly for his Church, removing believers before a seven‑year period of tribulation, after which he will come publicly with his saints in judgement. Yet this two‑phase system stands upon speculative inference rather than clear scriptural declaration.
The question must always be: Does the Bible teach two future comings of Christ? The consistent answer across the New Testament is No.
b. The Greek Vocabulary of the Second Advent
The New Testament employs three principal Greek words describing Christ’s return: Parousia, Epiphaneia, and Apokalypsis. All three refer to the same event viewed from different angles – presence, appearing, and revelation – and none suggest multiple comings.
(i) Parousia – “Coming” or “Presence”
This term denotes the arrival and continuing presence of a royal or divine person. Used in 1 Thessalonians 4:15, it signifies the visible, celebrated advent of a king. In the ancient world, a parousia was public, not secret. Heralds announced it with trumpet blasts and acclamation: “Behold, the king comes!”
The same word appears in Matthew 24:27, where Jesus declares:
“As the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming (parousia) of the Son of man be.”
Lightning is neither silent nor hidden. Christ’s coming will be universal and unmistakable—not a covert removal of the faithful but a world‑shaking manifestation of his glory.
In 1 Corinthians 15:23, Paul declares that those who belong to Christ will rise “at his coming”. There is no mention of two resurrections separated by years. The parousia corresponds with the general resurrection and the final judgement.
(ii) Epiphaneia – “Appearing”
The second key term, epiphaneia, means a shining forth or manifestation. It appears in 2 Timothy 4:8, where Paul anticipates a “crown of righteousness” to all “that love his appearing.” Again, the event is radiant and open, not secret.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:8, Paul speaks of Christ destroying the man of sin “with the brightness (epiphaneia) of his coming (parousia).” Here both words are joined deliberately, describing a single event of irresistible brilliance. The apostle never distinguishes them into separate stages; they belong together as facets of the same glorious manifestation.
(iii) Apokalypsis – “Revelation”
Finally, 2 Thessalonians 1:7 promises relief “when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed (apokalypsis) from heaven with his mighty angels.” The term means unveiling or disclosure. The imagery is public and triumphant, indicating that all will see him. Revelation, appearing, and coming are interchangeable expressions of one truth.
c. Scriptural Harmony in the Order of Events
Matthew 24:29–31 provides the clear order:
- After the tribulation the sun is darkened and the stars fall.
- The sign of the Son of Man appears in heaven.
- All tribes of the earth see him coming with power and great glory.
- The angels gather his elect with a great trumpet sound.
This sequence mirrors 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 precisely:
the shout, the voice of the archangel, the trumpet of God, the resurrection of the dead, and the catching up of living saints. The correspondence is too exact to represent different events.
d. The Meaning of “To Meet”
Paul’s expression “to meet the Lord in the air” employs the Greek apantēsis. In the ancient world, this described a delegation going out of a city to welcome a dignitary and accompany him back in triumph. The same usage occurs in Matthew 25:6 (the virgins going to meet the bridegroom) and Acts 28:15 (Christians meeting Paul and accompanying him to Rome).
Therefore, believers do not meet Christ to depart elsewhere for years but to escort their King in royal procession as he descends to establish his kingdom in visible splendour. The meeting is part of his arrival, not a departure from it.
3. The Rapture as a Supernatural Event
a. The Divine Voice and the Last Trumpet
Paul’s words are filled with awe:
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
No secret event fits such language. The “shout” (command cry) announces the royal arrival; the “voice of the archangel” heralds victory; the “trump of God” summons the resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 15:52, Paul calls it “the last trump.” There is no biblical trumpet before this; it marks the consummation of history.
b. The Resurrection and Transformation
Paul assures the Church that “the dead in Christ shall rise first.” The same resurrection is described in John 5:28‑29 and Revelation 20:11‑13, when all that are in the graves hear Christ’s voice and come forth. The living shall be changed “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” Mortality will clothe immortality, and corruption incorruption.
This resurrection at his coming leaves no room for a seven‑year interval before a second phase. The continuity of Scripture binds the rapture and the resurrection together in one supernatural act of divine power.
c. Cosmic Upheaval and Universal Revelation
The coming of Christ will be accompanied by cosmic signs: the darkening of sun and moon, the falling of stars, and the shaking of heaven and earth (Matthew 24:29; Luke 21:25‑26). The universe itself will convulse as the Creator reclaims his dominion.
Revelation 1:7 summarises the scene:
“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him.”
Every nation, believer and unbeliever alike, will witness his unveiling. The glory that was veiled at his ascension will blaze forth in uncreated light. None will doubt his reality; every knee shall bow.
d. The Eternal Reunion
Paul ends with a note of unending joy:
“And so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17)
The rapture is not a temporary escape but the beginning of an everlasting communion. Saints of every age—resurrected and transformed—will dwell with Christ for all eternity. The emphasis is not on fleeing tribulation but on fellowship with the Redeemer.
4. The Historical Context and Theological Implications
a. The Rise of the Pre‑Tribulation Theory
The idea of a secret, pre‑tribulation rapture is a comparatively recent innovation. It originated in the early nineteenth century with John Nelson Darby, leader of the Plymouth Brethren, and gained widespread attention through the Scofield Reference Bible (first published 1909).
This teaching divides human history into dispensations and posits separate divine programmes for Israel and the Church. Consequently, it requires two second comings: one for the Church before the tribulation, and one with Israel after it. Yet before Darby, no theologian—Patristic, Medieval, Reformation, or Puritan—taught such a doctrine.
Historic Christianity confessed one future, visible coming of Christ, a resurrection of the dead, and a final judgement. As the Westminster Confession (1646) states:
“At the last day, such as are found alive shall not die, but be changed; and all the dead shall be raised up.”
b. The Danger of System‑Driven Theology
While many dispensationalists are sincere believers, their system often places interpretation above text. Scripture warns against adding human frameworks to divine revelation. The apostolic exhortation remains: “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
The entire weight of biblical testimony—Old and New Testament alike—points to one great consummation. The Church’s hope is not divided, and her eyes are fixed on the same horizon: the bodily, glorious return of the crucified and risen Lord.
5. The Pastoral Application: Hope, Holiness, and Perseverance
Paul closes his teaching with these words: “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18)
The doctrine of Christ’s return is not meant to provoke argument but to inspire endurance and holiness.
a. Comfort in Bereavement
Believers may grieve the loss of loved ones, but not as those without hope. The resurrection assures reunion. The same Jesus who conquered death will reunite his people never to part again.
b. A Call to Watchfulness and Sobriety
Immediately after his teaching on the rapture, Paul urges the Church: “Let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” (1 Thessalonians 5:6)
The nearness of Christ’s return demands moral vigilance. We are to live as “children of light,” putting on “the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.”
c. Confidence Amid Tribulation
Nowhere does Scripture promise exemption from suffering. Indeed, Jesus said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation.” The believer’s security lies not in escape from hardship but in union with the risen Christ. The rapture is not an evacuation plan but a coronation procession—the moment when the Church, purified through affliction, meets her King.
d. The Ultimate Hope
At death or at Christ’s coming, all who trust in him shall awake to behold his face. The Christian hope, therefore, is intensely personal: “So shall we ever be with the Lord.” That phrase contains the essence of heaven itself—unbroken fellowship with the Saviour.
Conclusion: The Glory of the One Coming King
The rapture is not a secret departure but the grand culmination of redemption. The second coming of Christ will be visible, audible, irresistible, and final. It will involve:
- The descent of the Lord himself.
- The shout of command and the trumpet of triumph.
- The resurrection of the dead and transformation of the living.
- The gathering of the saints to meet the King.
- The renewal of creation and the establishment of his everlasting reign.
There are not two second comings, no hidden removal years before judgement, but one magnificent revelation of Jesus Christ in power and glory. On that day every deception will end, every wrong will be judged, and the redeemed will rise to share his dominion.
To every believer the message stands: be ready, be steadfast, and be comforted. The King is coming, and his reward is with him. When the trumpet shall sound and Christ appears, the dead in Christ shall rise first; then the living shall be caught up to meet him, and together they shall reign with him for evermore.
