Introduction
Two fundamentally different viewpoints exist concerning the Second Coming of King Jesus at the end of time. One is the Rapture, the catching away of believers upon His return to meet Him in the air to take them to Heaven with Him. The other is the Parousia, translated as the “coming”, “arrival”, or “appearing” of Jesus. Believers dead and alive will go out to meet Him in the air and escort Him to His throne in Jerusalem. This post explores the differences of Rapture vs. Parousia. Which will it be?
Rapture
This word comes from the Latin raptura and raptus, which mean “seizure” and “carry off”. A bird of prey, a raptor, is one that seizes and carries off its prey for eating. The word later came to mean being carried away by ecstasy/ delight. In the late 1700s, “rapture” described the snatching away of believers at the second coming of Jesus.
Truly, the Rapture is expected to be an emotionally rapturous event. It will be followed by another return for the millennial reign of King Jesus on Earth. That will be followed by the final conflict with the Enemy and the coming of the New Heaven and New Earth.
Scriptures
- Zechariah 14:5 Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.
- Matthew 24:27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
- Matthew 24:30 And then all the peoples of the Earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.
- Revelation 1:7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds”
- Revelation 19:11-14 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.
- Revelation 20:1-6 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge… They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Criticisms
Many believers see this perspective as escapist. Those who follow it believe the world will go to Hell under the reign of the Antichrist. During the Great Tribulation, believers will be persecuted until the faithful are snatched away, rescued from obliteration by the return of Jesus.
This is contrary to the perspective of believers ruling on Earth and bringing the Kingdom into all of society.
Parousia
This word comes from the ancient Greek for “presence”, “arrival”, or “being beside”. They used the word for the arrival of a king or emperor to a city and the citizens going out to meet and escort him in. Writers of New Testament letters used this word to describe the expected return of Jesus, God’s Anointed King (Messiah), to take up His throne in Jerusalem.
Various prophets predicted this.
How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news…
who say to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”
Isaiah 52:7
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
Revelation 20:4-6 (See above).
Culmination of Ever-increasing Kingdom
Isaiah 9:6-7 says
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given…
Of the greatness (increase) of his government and peace
there will be no end.
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said that He will build His ecclesia, His governing assembly of Heaven’s citizens. They will influence the Seven Mountains of society.
Spiritual warfare will increase as the approach of the Anointed presses the principalities and powers out of the heavens. These will be pushed to the Earth for His ecclesia to deal with. Jesus will then come again to reign on the Earth with His ecclesia.
Choice of What to Believe
You can believe in the ever- increasing persecution of believers by the forces of evil, especially the Antichrist. You can hold out for a last- minute rescue from obliteration. You can believe you have no authority to reign on the Earth with King Jesus and have no power of the Spirit to overcome the forces of evil in society.
Or you can believe in the ever- increasing reign of God’s Anointed through His people in ecclesia, His governing body of believers on the Earth. This, by the wisdom and power of Holy Spirit in all the Seven Mountains of society. This reign will continue after His return to take up His throne in Jerusalem.