The day of Christ is the Rapture of the church — the gathering of believers unto Him — while the day of the Lord is the broader period of tribulation, Second Coming, and the millennial kingdom.
Les Feldick teaches that the day of Christ refers to the calling out of the body of Christ, when we meet the Lord in the air. The day of the Lord, on the other hand, begins with the onset of the tribulation and goes all the way through the seven years as well as the thousand-year kingdom.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 — Paul directly contrasts the day of Christ with the coming tribulation and ties it to the falling away.
Scripture speaks of the day of Christ as a gathering of believers unto the Lord. In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, Paul writes, "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." The day of the Lord is described in the Scriptures as a time of judgment and cosmic upheaval. Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:10, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." Jesus also speaks of His coming in glory in Luke 21:27-28, "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."
Les Feldick teaches that the day of Christ is the Rapture of the church — the gathering of the body of Christ unto Him. This event is distinct from the Second Coming. He emphasizes that at the Rapture, Christ comes only to the air, while at the Second Coming He stands on the Mount of Olives. Les also stresses that the Rapture was a secret revealed only through the Apostle Paul; the rest of the Bible spoke of the Second Coming. The day of the Lord, Les explains, is a broader term. It begins with the onset of the tribulation, continues through the seven years, and includes the Second Coming and the millennial kingdom. It is also called the day of Jehovah and the day of God. During this time, God resumes His dealings with Israel under the law. Because law and grace cannot mix, grace must be removed before Israel's program resumes. The Thessalonians, under pressure and persecution, feared the day of Christ had already come and they had missed the Rapture. Paul reassured them that the day of Christ would not come until there was first a falling away. Les identifies this falling away as apostasy — a turning from the revealed truth of God's Word.
The day of Christ is the gathering of the body of Christ unto the Lord. At the Rapture, believers are caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Les contrasts this with the Second Coming, when Christ will stand on the Mount of Olives. The day of Christ is a secret event revealed only to and through the Apostle Paul.
The day of the Lord is a broader period that includes the tribulation, the Second Coming, and the millennial kingdom. Les teaches that it begins with the onset of the tribulation and continues through the thousand-year reign of Christ. It is a time of God's judgment and dealing with Israel.
The Thessalonians were under persecution and pressure, and they thought the Lord had already come and the tribulation had begun. Paul wrote to reassure them not to be shaken or troubled, because the day of Christ could not come until the falling away and the revelation of the man of sin.
Les teaches that law and grace cannot mix. The church age ends with the Rapture (the day of Christ), and then God resumes His Old Testament program with Israel. Israel goes back under the law during the seven-year tribulation, and so grace must be removed before that can happen.
Grace Removed Before Israel's Program Resumes
Les teaches that law and grace cannot mix, so grace must be removed before Israel goes back under the law in the seven-year tribulation.
Order: Rapture, Tribulation, Second Coming
Les explains the sequence: the church is caught up to meet the Lord in the air, then the seven-year tribulation for Israel begins, ending with Christ standing on the Mount of Olives.
Day of the Lord Spans Tribulation Through Millennium
The day of the Lord begins with the tribulation and continues through the seven years and the thousand-year kingdom.
Rapture Was a Secret Revealed to Paul
The Rapture of the church was unknown to the rest of the Bible; it was revealed only by and to the Apostle Paul.
Thessalonians' Fear and the Falling Away
The Thessalonians feared they had missed the Rapture, but Paul said the day of Christ would not come until the falling away and the man of sin are revealed.
Pre-Trib vs. Amillennialism: What the Bible Really Says
And so we speak of a pre-tribulation rapture of the church, but then we speak in the next term of the second coming of Christ actually coming to the Mount of Olives as being pre-millennial. Now that just simply means that He's going to return before this thousand year kingdom on earth is established. Now the opposing view to all this are referred to as amillennial.
Revelation 18 & Daniel 2: The Fall of Babylon Explained
And then verse 27, Oh after all of these cataclysmic signs, all of the devastation of earthquakes and volcanoes and meteorites and famine and floods, you name it. After all of this, then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, look up, lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh.
Rapture vs. Second Coming Contrast
At the Rapture, Christ meets the church in the air; at the Second Coming, His feet stand on the Mount of Olives.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3: Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Distinguishes the day of Christ as a gathering unto Him, and places the falling away before it.
1 Thessalonians 4:17: 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.
Describes the Rapture as meeting the Lord in the air, not on the earth.
Zechariah 14:4: And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
Shows the Second Coming as Christ standing on the Mount of Olives, contrasting with the Rapture in the air.
2 Peter 3:10: But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Describes the day of the Lord as a day of judgment and cosmic destruction.
Luke 21:27-28: And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
Jesus speaks of His Second Coming to Israel, which Les distinguishes from the Rapture.
No. The day of Christ refers to the Rapture of the church, when believers are gathered to meet the Lord in the air. The day of the Lord is a broader period that begins with the tribulation and continues through the Second Coming and the millennial kingdom.
Les Feldick teaches that the day of the Lord begins with the onset of the tribulation and goes all the way through the seven years as well as the thousand-year kingdom.
Because of persecution and pressure, they feared the Lord had already come and they had missed the Rapture. Paul wrote to reassure them that the day of Christ would not come until the falling away and the man of sin were revealed.
Les teaches that the falling away is apostasy — a turning away from the revealed truth of the Word of God. It must come before the day of Christ.
Law and grace cannot mix. The church age ends with the Rapture, and then God resumes His program with Israel under the law during the seven-year tribulation. Therefore grace must be removed before the day of the Lord's judgments on Israel.
Watch the Teaching: Who Holds Back the Antichrist? The Restrainer Removed.