Rapture and the Second Coming are TWO Separate Events – KJV Comparison Chart. Do You Know When the Rapture Will Likely Happen? You Will After Reading This.

Posted May 17, 2025 | End Times Watch

One of the uncertainties that many end times watchers have, has to do with the timing of the Rapture. Let’s take a moment and try to understand the Rapture in greater detail. Through prayerful study, you will see the relevance of what I am writing to you today.

Let’s start by asking, “What is the purpose that GOD would rapture His children from the Earth?” Understanding this purpose is key in determining the timing of the Rapture.

The answer – To Deliver Believers from God’s Wrath During the Tribulation Period.

One of the clearest purposes of the Rapture is to rescue true believers from the coming wrath of God during the Great Tribulation. Notice here that God doesn’t mention or indicate that He is rescuing His children form trials that will come in the midst of the 7-year Tribulation, but His intent is specifically to protect us from the wrath that HE is intending to pour out onto the wicked living upon the earth.

• 1 Thessalonians 1:10 (KJV)
  “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”
• 1 Thessalonians 5:9 (KJV)
  “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This shows God’s mercy toward His people, sparing them from the judgments that HE will pour out on a rebellious world. Remember, His fight is not with His children that follow Jesus Christ, it is with satan and his followers. God has BIG plans to punish and destroy this group, but wants to remove us from all of this destruction.

When He mentions His WRATH, He is specifically speaking about the 7 bowls of wrath that He plans on pouring out onto the earth.

The Seven Bowls of Wrath (also called the Seven Vials of Wrath) are described in the Book of Revelation, chapter 16, King James Version (KJV). These are God’s final and complete judgments poured out on the earth during the Tribulation.

Here are the scriptures for each of the seven bowls from Revelation 16 (KJV):

1st Bowl – Grievous Sores

Revelation 16:2

“And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.”

2nd Bowl – Sea Becomes Blood

Revelation 16:3

“And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.”

3rd Bowl – Rivers and Fountains Become Blood

Revelation 16:4-7

“And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.

For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.”

4th Bowl – Scorching Sun

Revelation 16:8-9

“And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.

And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.”

5th Bowl – Darkness on the Beast’s Kingdom

Revelation 16:10-11

“And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.”

6th Bowl – Euphrates Dries Up & Armageddon Prepared

Revelation 16:12-16

“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.”

7th Bowl – Earthquake and Hail

Revelation 16:17-21

“And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.”

Are you following what I’m saying? Does this information offer some clarity in relation to Gods PURPOSE for the Rapture? Can you logically see that we are not His intended target of this wrath, and the reasoning that He has to remove us from the earth prior to this happening?

So, when does God intend to pour out His wrath? Knowing this will give us an idea of when the Rapture will occur.

According to a careful reading of the King James Version (KJV) and common interpretations of Bible prophecy—especially from a premillennial, pre-wrath or mid-tribulation perspective—God’s wrath is poured out in the latter part of the 7-year Tribulation, not at the very beginning. Here’s how that breaks down scripturally:

Here is an overview of the 7-Year Tribulation Period, which includes the timing of God’s wrath, (KJV-Based View).

1. First Half (3.5 years) – The Beginning of Sorrows

• Matthew 24:8: “All these are the beginning of sorrows.”
• Revelation 6 (Seals 1–5) describes:
  • The rise of the Antichrist (white horse),
  • War (red horse),
  • Famine (black horse),
  • Death (pale horse),
  • Persecution of saints.
• These are allowed by God but are not yet the full expression of His wrath.

This is tribulation caused by man and Satan—not yet God’s direct wrath.

2. Midpoint – The Abomination of Desolation, Starting at the 3.5 year into the 7-year Tribulation

• Matthew 24:15 and Daniel 9:27 point to the Antichrist desecrating the temple.
• This event marks the beginning of the Great Tribulation (second half). The Great Tribulation is different from the 7-Year Tribulation. The Great Tribulation starts 3.5 years into the 7-Year Tribulation Period.
• Matthew 24:21: “For then shall be great tribulation…”

3. Sixth Seal (Revelation 6:12–17) – Wrath Announced but Not Yet Poured Out

• People cry out:

“For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:17)

• This is a key verse: the wrath is just about to begin—it hasn’t been fully poured out yet.

4. God’s Wrath Begins After the Rapture of the Saints

• Revelation 7: A multitude appears in heaven—many believe this represents the raptured Church.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:9 (KJV): “For God hath not appointed us to wrath…”
• Therefore, God’s wrath begins after the saints are removed.

5. Wrath Poured Out – Trumpets and Bowls

• Revelation 8–9 (Trumpets) and Revelation 16 (Vials/Bowls) show devastating judgments:
  • Hail and fire, poisoned waters, demonic torment, darkness, great heat, Armageddon.
• These are unmistakably acts of God’s wrath on the unbelieving world.

So, When Is God’s Wrath Poured Out?

God’s wrath begins in the second half of the Tribulation, likely shortly after the Sixth Seal is opened, and is executed through the Trumpet and Bowl judgments.

This aligns most closely with the Mid-Tribulation Rapture view:

• Tribulation caused by men and satan begins at the start.
• God’s wrath begins mid-to-late Tribulation, after the saints are taken.
• Wrath culminates in Christ’s return at Armageddon.

There are some who do not believe in a rapture at all. I invite you to prayerfully study the following information so that God can tell you what is true. Let’s let the scriptures of the KJV speak regarding how the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ are TWO very distinct events.

This chart compares the biblical teachings of the Rapture and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, using only the King James Version (KJV) scriptures. Though they are separate events, both call for urgent spiritual preparation.

Topic	The Rapture	The Second Coming
Purpose	Christ comes for His Church (to rescue believers)	Christ comes with His saints (to judge the world and establish His kingdom)
Audience	Believers only (the Church)	The whole world will see Him
Visibility	Secret and sudden – not visible to the world	Every eye shall see Him (Revelation 1:7)
Meeting Place	Believers meet Christ in the air	Christ returns to the earth, to the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4)
Timing	Midway through the 7-year Tribulation Period	At the end of the Tribulation
Associated Scriptures	1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 John 14:2-3 1 Thessalonians 1:10	Matthew 24:29-30 Revelation 19:11-14 Zechariah 14:4 Jude 1:14-15
Judgment or Rescue?	A time of rescue and reunion for the Church	A time of judgment and wrath on the wicked
Imminent?	Yes – can happen at any moment	No – preceded by clear signs and Tribulation events
Warning Signs?	No specific signs required; believers are told to always be ready (Matthew 25:13)	Accompanied by signs in the heavens, Antichrist, persecution, etc. (Luke 21:25-27, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)
End Result	Church is taken to Heaven (John 14:3)	Christ reigns on earth for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4-6)

Conclusion: Be Ready for Both

“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” – Matthew 24:44.

I give all praise to God for what He has shared with us concerning the events of the 7-year tribulation period. They offer great insight for us to know of His love for His followers.

Just as you recall from the people fleeing Egypt and being pursued by it’s army’s with the intent to annihilate them, God chose to “Rapture/Rescue” them by parting the Red Sea, allowing them to escape the danger directed towards them, (Exodus 1–14).

There are many additional stories in the bible that show such a rescue:

 Noah and the Ark (Genesis 6–9)
God saved Noah and his family from the global flood by instructing him to build an ark.

 Daniel in the Lion’s Den (Daniel 6)
God shut the mouths of lions and protected Daniel when he was thrown into the den for praying to Him.

 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3)
God rescued these three men from a fiery furnace when they refused to worship a golden idol.

 David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17)
God gave David the victory over the giant Goliath, saving Israel from defeat.

 Jehoshaphat’s Battle (2 Chronicles 20)
God told King Jehoshaphat to stand still and watch as He defeated the enemy armies without Israel fighting.

 Peter Freed from Prison (Acts 12:1–19)
An angel of the Lord miraculously freed Peter from prison the night before his execution.

God loves, and protects His people, and most certainly, He intends to protect us prior to pouring out His wrath. His wrath will cover the entire earth. Where could we go to be protected from this?…”In the clouds” that’s where, and that is the intended plan of the rapture.

It is my belief that the rapture date is certainly more elusive that the actual date of the second coming of Christ. We know that it could occur at any moment from today on, but likely will not occur until midway through the 7-year tribulation period. That is a 3.5 year span of time.

So, does a person need to run outside when the rapture begins, to ensure that they will be taken up?

No, a person does not need to go outside to be taken in the rapture according to the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible.

The Bible does not specify where someone must be physically located to be caught up in the rapture. What matters is spiritual readiness, not geographical position.

This verse — 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (KJV) describes the event — believers being “caught up” (the Greek word “harpazo”) to meet Christ in the air — but it says nothing about having to be outside, awake, or even aware at the moment.

Supporting Points:

• God is sovereign: He can gather His people from anywhere — whether they’re indoors, outdoors, asleep, or even underground.
• Luke 17:34–36 (KJV) gives a picture of people being taken unexpectedly:

“I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”

This shows people going about their everyday activities — some indoors, some outdoors — and yet the rapture happens right where they are.

No, you don’t need to be outside. What’s important is that you are in Christ — saved by grace through faith — and living in readiness for His coming (Titus 2:13, 1 Thessalonians 5:6).

I invite you to all share this word with the “believers” who are in your circle. We need to rejoice in knowing that God is aware of His people, and has every intention to keep us from His wrath. You do NOT need to believe in the rapture to be a part of this miraculous event, however, you MUST believe and follow Jesus Christ to be taken up.

I invite you all to continue walking out of the darkness that this world has become. Run to Christ. Study about Him each day…Don’t just let life happen. There is tremendous benefit in increasing your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Do something each day to increase this commitment.

And lastly, I’m guessing that most, if not all of you, are facing challenges in your life right now. These are “Warm Up Practices” for you to demonstrate your faith and trust in God. They are intended to exercise your faith and trust. Use them as they are intended. Pray to God that He will see you through these challenges that you are facing, and then have the faith and trust to know that He will. Practice walking with Him through difficulties!!!!!

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May you Trust God to be with you today, and always. Much Love and Prayers headed your way.

River Wilde