No — the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ are two separate events, not the same return of Christ.
Les Feldick teaches that the Rapture is the silent, secret removal of believers caught up to meet the Lord in the air, which happens before the Tribulation. The Second Coming, by contrast, follows the Tribulation and is preceded by cataclysmic signs, when Christ returns visibly to the Mount of Olives. The Rapture was a mystery revealed only to the Apostle Paul, while the Second Coming is the public event to which the Old Testament and Gospel accounts point.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 — Describes believers being caught up together to meet the Lord in the air, the event Les identifies as the Rapture.
Matthew 24:29-30 — Describes cosmic signs and the visible coming of the Son of Man after the Tribulation, which Les connects to the Second Coming.
2 Thessalonians 2:1 — Paul links the coming of the Lord with 'our gathering together unto him,' a phrase Les uses to distinguish the Rapture from the Second Coming.
The New Testament speaks of two distinct prophetic moments. First, 1 Thessalonians 4:17 says, '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.' In 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, this change takes place 'in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump,' when the dead are raised incorruptible. Matthew 24:29-30 describes a different scene: '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.' Luke 21:27-28 likewise places the Son of Man coming in a cloud after cataclysmic signs. Paul also refers to 'the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him' in 2 Thessalonians 2:1, which highlights a gathering of believers to Christ that is set apart from His public coming.
Les Feldick teaches that the Rapture is a silent, unknown event. It will be instantaneous, the world will not know believers have been removed, and there is no prophetic sign to indicate when it will happen. The Rapture was a secret revealed only to and by the Apostle Paul, and it is the act of Christ gathering His own to Himself. By contrast, the Second Coming is public and cataclysmic. It follows the Tribulation, is preceded by earthquakes, volcanoes, meteorites, famine, flood, and darkness, and ends with all tribes seeing the Son of Man coming with power and great glory. Jesus' Gospel accounts of end-time events are directed to Israel and refer to the Second Coming, when Christ will stand on the Mount of Olives. Les also clarifies that the Rapture takes place seven years before the Second Coming and just before the Tribulation. The 'fullness of the Gentiles' ends at the Rapture, while the 'times of the Gentiles' ends at the Second Coming.
Les describes the Rapture as a silent, unknown event. It will be instantaneous and silent, and the world will not know that believers are gone. There is no prophetic sign and nothing to indicate the day or year. It is the 'gathering together unto him' of 2 Thessalonians 2:1, in which Christ gathers His own to Himself. The Rapture was a secret revealed only to the Apostle Paul; the rest of the Bible knew nothing about it. It takes place before the seven-year Tribulation and seven years before the Second Coming.
The Second Coming follows the Tribulation and is preceded by horrible cataclysmic events: the sun darkened, the moon not giving light, stars falling, and the powers of the heavens shaken. Then all the tribes of the earth mourn and see the Son of Man coming with power and great glory. Les says Jesus' end-time words are directed to Israel and refer to His Second Coming, not the Rapture. At the Second Coming, Christ will stand on the Mount of Olives, and there will be prophetic events leading up to it so there is no doubt as to when He is coming.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:1, Paul writes 'by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him.' Les explains that this phrase sets the Rapture completely apart from the Second Coming. At the Second Coming, Christ will not be gathering people unto Himself; He is coming. But here Paul refers to an act of Christ where He gathers His own to Himself, and that is the Rapture. Paul wrote this to reassure believers that they had not missed it.
Yes. Les teaches that the Rapture takes place seven years before the Second Coming, just before the Tribulation. The 'fullness of the Gentiles' will end at the Rapture, while the 'times of the Gentiles,' during which Jerusalem is under Gentile control, will end at the Second Coming.
The Rapture vs. The Second Coming — What's the Difference?
Hello and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick.
Two Events Contrasted
Les reminds viewers that the Rapture is when living believers are caught up to meet the Lord in the air, followed by the seven-year Tribulation; the Tribulation ends with Christ standing on the Mount of Olives at the Second Coming.
Silent Rapture vs. Cataclysmic Return
Les shows the graphic difference: the Rapture will be silent and unknown to the world, while the Second Coming follows sun-darkening, star-falling cosmic signs that the survivors will see.
Rapture Was a Secret Revealed to Paul
Les teaches that the meeting in the air was unknown to the rest of Scripture and was only revealed to and by the Apostle Paul; all other end-time references point to the Second Coming.
The Gathering Together Unto Him
Les uses 2 Thessalonians 2:1 to show Paul distinguishing the Rapture as Christ gathering His own to Himself, unlike the Second Coming when Christ comes publicly.
Jesus' Jewish End-Time Teaching
Les explains that when Jesus speaks of cataclysmic signs and the Son of Man coming in a cloud, He is speaking to Israel about the Second Coming, not the Rapture.
No Sign Before the Rapture
Les says the Rapture has no prophetic sign and no way to predict the day or year, unlike the Second Coming which has prophetic events leading up to it; the event happens in a moment at the last trump.
Seven-Year Gap
Les teaches the Rapture takes place just before the Tribulation, seven years before the Second Coming; the fullness of the Gentiles ends at the Rapture, while the times of the Gentiles ends at the Second Coming.
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.
This is the gathering of believers to meet Christ in the air, the event Les calls the Rapture.
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.
Paul describes the sudden change of believers at the Rapture, emphasizing its instantaneous nature.
Matthew 24:29-30: 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.
This passage describes the visible, cataclysmic return of Christ after the Tribulation, which Les identifies as the Second Coming.
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 the Son of Man coming in a cloud after cataclysmic signs, a Second Coming reference Les applies to Israel.
2 Thessalonians 2:1: Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
This phrase links Christ's coming with a gathering of believers to Himself, which Les presents as distinct from the Second Coming.
Romans 16:25: Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
This verse supports Les's teaching that the Rapture was a secret mystery revealed through Paul.
No. Les Feldick teaches that they are two totally separate events. The Rapture is the silent, secret removal of believers before the Tribulation, and the Second Coming is Christ's visible, cataclysmic return to the Mount of Olives after the Tribulation.
Yes. Les points to Matthew 24:30, where all the tribes of the earth mourn and see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. This is the visible Second Coming, not the secret Rapture.
Les teaches that the Rapture takes place seven years before the Second Coming, just before the Tribulation begins.
Les teaches that the Rapture was a secret revealed only to the Apostle Paul. The rest of the Bible knew nothing about this meeting in the air, so it is often overlooked by readers who focus only on Second Coming passages.
Watch the Teaching: The Rapture vs. The Second Coming — What's the Difference?