Rapture vs Second Coming: 7 Differences You Can’t Ignore in Scripture
Excerpted from They Lied to You About the Rapture.
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 (1 Corinthians 15:51-52 KJV).
When we talk about the “last trump” in 1 Corinthians 15, there’s often a leap to connect it to the Seventh Trumpet in Revelation 11, as though Paul had this in mind while writing to the Corinthians.
But here’s the problem with that: Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthians around AD 53, while John received the Revelation of the Seven Trumpets roughly 40 years later, during his exile on the island of Patmos in AD 95.
Imagine if someone in 2025 is watching an old Monty Python skit about SPAM and thinks they’re referring to spam emails. We all know that back in 1980, SPAM had nothing to do with the junk cluttering our inboxes, it was just salty, delicious canned meat. This is the mistake people are making by retroactively applying the Seventh Trumpet to Paul’s earlier reference.
Paul wasn’t talking about John’s trumpet because it would have been impossible for him to do so. That would be like hearing someone in a video from 1980 mention “The Cloud” thinking they meant a data storage method instead of a fluffy thing in the sky. The same applies to terms like virus, stream, or tablet. These words carry different meanings today, and trying to apply a modern revelation to an old conversation just doesn’t work.
So what could the “last trump” refer to? The context points us in a different direction. It’s very likely tied to Jewish traditions because Paul expects them to know exactly what he’s talking about. Some suggest that this is specifically referring to the Feast of Trumpets, known as Rosh Hashanah. During this feast, the shofar is blown a total of 100 times. The final blast, called the Tekiah Gedolah or Great Blast, is known as the last trump. It’s the culmination of a series of trumpet calls intended to awaken and gather God’s people, symbolizing the completion of God’s plan and heralding the coming of the Messiah.
The shofar is blown throughout the Rosh Hashanah service in four segments:
30 Blasts after the Torah Reading: These represent a call to repentance and reflection, as the people of God align themselves with His Word.
30 Blasts during the Musaf Service: Symbolizing the additional offerings given during the Holy Days, they represent an extra measure of devotion, going beyond the norm to seek God’s face.
30 Blasts at the End of the Musaf: These blasts symbolize spiritual breakthrough and God’s intervention in the lives of His people.
The Final 10 Blasts (Tekiah Gedolah): The culmination of the entire series, this final trumpet sound is seen as the “last trump,” signaling the ultimate arrival of the Messiah.
The last trump in Jewish tradition signifies an ending and a beginning. It’s a divine wake-up call, a final proclamation that God’s purposes are reaching their ultimate fulfillment. When Paul references “the last trump” in 1 Corinthians 15:52, it could be that he was pointing to this idea of the culmination of believers being gathered and transformed. The Church is being called home, and the last trump is the heavenly signal for that glorious event.
Ken Johnson, a respected scholar in the study of the Feasts of God, notes in his book The Rapture, that Pentecost was historically referred to as the Feast of the First Trumpet, whereas Rosh Hashanah was known as the Feast of the Last Trumpet.9 This distinction offers deep prophetic significance, connecting the biblical feasts with God’s redemptive timeline and helping us understand why Paul referred to the last trump in 1 Corinthians 15:52.
They Lied to You About the Rapture
Alan DiDio
Others suggest that the last trump could be a reference to Numbers 10:1-3, where two silver trumpets were used to call the people together, signaling an assembly or a warning for war. In other places including Joel 2:1 and Jeremiah 4:5-6, the blowing of the trumpet also had the dual purpose to gather God’s people and to sound an alarm. In this context, the last trump can be seen as God calling His people to gather, while signaling a final spiritual battle.
Whatever the last trump is, it is certain that it’s not the Seventh Trumpet of Revelation. The thought that Paul was referring to a prophetic detail yet to be revealed to John decades later just doesn’t align. Rather, this trumpet is most likely deeply tied to the Jewish understanding of culmination and divine gathering, a truth that resonates not only with ancient prophecy but with our blessed hope in Christ’s imminent return and the Rapture of His Church.
The last trump is a call to readiness, a call to victory, and ultimately, a call to be in the presence of our Lord forever. So whether we hear that final blast today or tomorrow, one thing is certain: it will be a sound unlike any other, and it will be a sound of completion, a sound of hope, and a sound that will change everything.
Are There Two Second Comings?
It seems like every decade or so, attacking the concept of the Rapture becomes a trendy hobby for critics. It’s like a fad that comes in waves of popularity. When these attacks surface, one of the go-to arguments is to flippantly say, “There aren’t going to be two second comings of Jesus.” Statements like these get applause, laughter, and everyone nodding in agreement, but nobody ever stops to actually examine whether this clever quip holds any truth. So, let’s take a closer look.
First, is anyone really claiming that there are two second comings? I don’t know of any teacher or preacher who advocates for that. This is what you call a “straw man fallacy,” which is a rhetorical tactic where someone misrepresents their opponent’s argument just to easily knock it down. No one is teaching there are two “second advents.” What we’re saying is that the Bible teaches one Second Coming, but it happens in phases, almost like bookends.
When I hear someone make that claim, I often like to ask them, “How many first advents were there?” Usually, they seem caught off guard that anyone’s actually questioning their bold statement. They stammer, “Just one.” And that’s when I respond, “Really? Are you sure about that? When exactly did that first advent occur? Was it when Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb? Was it when He was born in Bethlehem? Or maybe it was when He amazed the teachers in the temple at age 12? Or perhaps it was at His baptism in the Jordan River when the heavens opened and the Father spoke?”
The point is, we never think of these separate moments as “multiple advents.”They were all parts of His one First Coming, unfolding in stages.
Take the moment with Mary Magdalene after Jesus’s resurrection: He told her not to touch Him because He hadn’t yet ascended to the Father. Later, He invited Thomas to touch Him. So, did Jesus ascend and return between those moments? Of course He did.Was that His second coming or were there two first comings? These seem like silly questions because they are. We know that this was one advent that happened in phases. He revealed Himself first to Mary and then to a remnant before being made known to the masses.
There is one Second Coming that will unfold in phases. First, He comes for His Church, His remnant, and then to the masses. There’s no contradiction here, just the unfolding plan of the God who operates beyond our simple timelines.
We must tread carefully when it comes to this particular argument and way of thinking because it resembles, almost eerily, the misconceptions many Jews hold about the Messiah. The reason many Jews rejected Jesus as Messiah is that they say, “There aren’t going to be two comings of the Messiah.” They can’t fathom how the Old Testament prophecies could refer to two separate advents. In their minds, all these messianic prophecies would happen in one fell swoop and honestly, you can’t blame them for thinking that way. Look at Isaiah 61:1-2 (KJV), which says:
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn.
Jesus quoted this exact passage during His first sermon, recorded in Luke 4:18-21 (KJV):
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book….
Did you notice that Jesus closed the book in the middle of the prophecy? Isaiah continues by saying, “To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God” (Isaiah 61:2 KJV). Jesus stopped short, leaving out the part about the “day of vengeance,” which points to His Second Coming and the judgment that will come with it.
Think about how there is zero indication in that verse that a 2,000- year gap would exist between these two events. It flows directly from “…the acceptable year of the Lord…” into “…the day of vengeance…” as if they happen back-to-back. It seems that a veil has existed over proph- ecies like this that keeps people from recognizing that these were two completely separate events wrapped up in one prophecy. With the benefit of hindsight, we see the distinction clearly, but sometimes it’s difficult to see the forest for the trees when you’re standing in it. Could the same thing be happening now with people who mock the idea of the Rapture and the Second Coming being separate phases of one glorious event?
When you start to unfold the details of the Second Coming, some stark differences become evident:
In the Rapture, Jesus comes for His saints; whereas, at the Second Coming, He returns with His saints (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 versus Revelation 19:14).
The Rapture is a meeting in the air: believers are caught up to meet the Lord in the clouds. In contrast, the Second Coming involves Jesus’s feet physically touching the Mount of Olives, split- ting it in two (Zechariah 14:4).
At the Rapture, the event is described as sudden, “like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2 NIV). The Second Coming, how- ever, is an event that happens over time and “every eye shall see” (Revelation 1:7 KJV).
At the Rapture, Jesus gathers His own (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) while at the Second Coming, angels gather the elect (Matthew 24:31).
Paul called the Rapture a mystery (1 Corinthians 15:51), not revealed in the Old Testament, while the Second Coming and resurrection of God’s people is predicted in the Old Testament.
During the Rapture, Jesus takes believers to be with Him in Heaven (John 14:2-3). In the Second Coming, He returns to rule and reign on earth (Revelation 20:4).
The Rapture is a rescue mission for the Church, delivering believers from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10). The Second Coming is a judgment mission, bringing wrath and vengeance upon those who oppose God (Revelation 19:15).
These differences are significant, which should cause us to be cautious about dismissing them, especially since history has already shown that misunderstanding the timing and sequence of God’s plans can lead to monumental errors, like missing the Messiah altogether.
Decode the Rapture. Discern the Signs. Embrace Your End-Time Assignment.
Are you confused, frightened, or indifferent toward end times teachings about the rapture?
You're not alone.
The end-time teaching of the rapture has sparked controversy, misunderstandings, and debates among Christians. Some misrepresent it as an excuse to disengage from worldly affairs and await heavenly rescue. Others mock it as escapist theology, reject it outright, or live blissfully ignorant of the glory and crisis that will unfold on earth in the last days.
Alan DiDio, pastor, influential podcaster, and seasoned end times teacher, exposes false teachings and misinterpretations about the rapture, reconnecting you to a life of purpose, meaning, and Kingdom impact in these last days.
Through clear teachings and profound truths, you’ll discover how to:
Discern prophetic signs of the times pointing to the coming rapture.
Live every day fueled by a clear sense of purpose and meaning.
Avoid being caught off guard by prophecies being fulfilled around you.
“Occupy” your sphere of influence by living as a representative of the Kingdom until Jesus returns.
The world may be caught off guard by the return of Jesus, but you are called to discern the times and seasons. Open your eyes to the reality of Jesus’ imminent return and live every single day filled with a sense of divine purpose and Kingdom assignment!
