There is a teaching I have recently encountered that makes learning about the End Times very simple. I give credit to this author later in my teaching. It’s just the essence of one chapter in a 30+ chapter book. I think this teaching is too important to be held up in a book that you need to pay for, so I am giving it here for free. (I don’t think he will mind: He loves the truth too.)
The essence of this teaching is that once you know what you want to study, identify the word in Greek and read all the passages that have that word or clearly relate to that word. By the title of this teaching, you know it’s parousia which means coming or presence. Typically it’s the presence of someone important and anticipated, not chance. Matthew, Paul and Peter all use this word in key places. So, let’s look at them all and when you go through them look at the surrounding text to help give context.
Also, if what you read isn’t clear, read it in a different translation. Biblehub.com and blueletterbible.org are both good websites for reviewing different translations together. I tend to use Bible Hub most since I discovered it first and find it really easy to use, being able to see 20+ translations on one page for a verse or easily flip over to interlinear that puts the Greek or Hebrew right above the closest transliterated English word. And for that Greek or Hebrew word, click on the number above the word and it takes you to the Strong’s concordance definition. Scroll down from that and you will see all the verses in the Bible that use that word.
(After reading all these scriptures, the order of events should just “pop out” at you.)
1 Corinthians 15:22-23 (verses 51-53 specifically also relate)
1 Thessalonians 2:19
1 Thessalonians 3:13
1 Thessalonians 4:15
1 Thessalonians 5:23
2 Thessalonians 2:1
2 Thessalonians 2:9
Matthew 24: 3, 27, 37, 39
2 Peter 3: 4, 12
In addition to these scriptures I’m going to add a couple that Luke contributes to the discussion. Even though Luke doesn’t use the word parousia, he uses the word apokalupto (revealed) and given what he is describing, it appears he is talking about the same event. Again, read the surrounding text.
Luke 21:27 ( 5-end )
Luke 17:24 (20-end)
1 Cor 1:7 (7-8)
2 Thes 1:7 (5-10)
1 Peter 1:7 (3-9)
1 Peter 4:13 (12-19)
To complete the corner pieces of the puzzle we need to bring in Mark’s account. Chapter 13 of Mark reads much like Matthew 24 in terms of its scope and sequence: When you read it you will undoubtedly see it as the same discourse given by Jesus on the Mount of Olives as retold by Peter for whom Mark serves as a scribe. Mark does not use the same word that Matthew or Luke. Mark uses the Greek word erchomai which is a word for just a generic coming. Therefore it is used in a myriad of other places in scripture and does not help us focus on Jesus’ coming. Having said that, with the exception of Mark 13, I believe keeping to parousia and apokalupto are sufficient for the pieces of the rapture puzzle to be put together.
Mark 13:26 (Read whole chapter)
Almost as important as the parousia containing sections of scripture are sections of the Books of Romans and Ephesians. They also provide us clarity, but specifically to the question of “who’s who” in the whole parousia story. I have committed all of section #5 for fleshing out those crucial scriptures.
Section #4 will act as an index for where I refer to the scriptures I use in the whole teaching.
You have your assignment. Go and digest these parousia and apokalupto scriptures.
I have intentionally held off on adding my comment on these texts until section #3 of the study so you can start putting some puzzle pieces together on your own.