Episode Details

Welcome to the Hope Bible School verse-by-verse Bible study of 1 John. This is Jeff M Newman. Get a new lesson every other week on Mondays at 12:00 PM Pacific.

In Lesson 68, we are going to study the second part of 1 John 2:28.

Let’s read the verse.

1 John 2:28…So that when He appears…

Let’s define the words.

So that (2443. hina) — means in order that.

When (1437. ean) — means in case that or provided that.

He appears (5319. phaneroó) — means manifested, revealed, or made evident.

In the previous lesson, we learned twelve practical ways to abide in Christ.

John urges us to abide in Christ because Jesus could appear at any moment.

In this lesson, we will study what Scripture says about His appearing.

One truth is beyond dispute: Jesus will appear again.

What is debated is whether 1 John 2:28 points to the Rapture or the Second Coming, and how these events relate in time.

The Rapture is an event where believers are caught up to meet Christ in the air. They will be transformed and receive glorified bodies. The emphasis is on Christ coming for His people and gathering them to Himself.

The Second Coming is the visible return of Christ to earth in power and glory. He will defeat His enemies, judge the nations, and establish His kingdom. The focus is on Christ coming with His people for final judgment and renewal.

People have differing views on the timing of these events.

Let’s go through some of the most popular views together.

Pre-Tribulation Rapture

This view holds that the Rapture will happen before the seven-year Great Tribulation. This is a time when God pours out His wrath upon a rebellious and sinful world. The Rapture could happen at any moment without warning, and no prophetic events must occur beforehand. The Second Coming happens at the end of the tribulation when Christ returns with His people to judge the nations and establish His kingdom.

Mid-Tribulation Rapture

Some believe the Rapture will occur in the middle of the seven-year tribulation period. Believers are caught up just before God’s final judgments are poured out. The key thought here is that believers are kept safe from the very worst part of God's wrath, but they are present on earth for the first half of the tribulation. The Second Coming follows at the end of the Tribulation, when Christ returns visibly with His people to establish His kingdom.

Post-Tribulation Rapture

Some believe the Rapture and the Second Coming will happen together at the end of the tribulation. Believers rise to meet Christ and immediately return with Him to earth. In this view, there is no separate "rapture" event years before Christ's return. Instead, all believers will go through the tribulation period, and then Jesus will come to defeat evil and establish His kingdom.

No matter what view you hold, John’s message is clear: we are called to be ready for Christ’s return. We are ready when we abide in Him and live faithfully, so that we may stand before Him with confidence, not shame.

Let’s review some verses that speak about Christ’s appearing, what will happen when He appears, and the importance of being ready.

In John 14:1-3, we read that Je