A basic understanding (with which I grew up) of the common pre-trib view is that Christ's return will be in two phases.  As it is normally expressed, the first phase will be His sudden and unexpected return as a "thief" for the rapture of the Church and the resurrection.  The second phase will be His return as the "King of kings, and Lord of lords" for the Battle of Armageddon and His Millennial Reign.  This second phase of His return is referred to simply as His Second Coming or Second Advent.

     While I still see things very similarly, I would like to call attention to something that has greatly affected my understanding, something that Jesus said that seems to have been missed, or even dismissed, by scholarship.  In harmony with other things that have been revealed to us in Scripture, this that Jesus said supports that His Second Advent will be preceded by a sign appearance that He will make.  What I am referring to is shown in bold in the following portion of His Olivet Discourse, from Matthew 24:

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 29  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:

 30  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.

 31  And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

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     Because there are major differences of opinion concerning the correct interpretation of this passage, we will be studying it well beyond this present proposition.  To simplify things, any time I speak of our focal passage, it will be the above three verses that I am referring to.  As we begin, remember some things.  One, it is Jesus who is using the words "the sign" concerning this event.  Two, just like after the opening of the 6th Seal, something happens that affects the appearance of the sun and the moon at this time.  And three, whether it be a sign appearance that He will make or His Second Advent, whether it be the raptured Church, the 144,000 sealed Jews, many eyes, or every eye, the next time Jesus is seen by anyone, He will be seen "with power and great glory"!

     Looking closer, just before Jesus began His Olivet Discourse, the disciples had asked Him, "Tell us, when shall these things be?  and what shall be THE SIGN OF THY COMING, and of the end of the world?" (Matt. 24:3).  By this, they were as much as asking Him, "What shall be THE SIGN OF THY SECOND COMING?"  In reply, He reveals to them many things, but the only time He uses the definite article the with the singular word sign is in verse 30 of our focal passage.  Based upon this and other evidences, Jesus is indicating that before His Second Coming (or Second Advent), He is going to make a sign appearance.  Moreover, at this sign appearance, He is coming to get something before He returns later to stay.  And, what is that?  Look closer at the last verse of our focal passage:

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 31  And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall GATHER TOGETHER HIS ELECT from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

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     I wish I was talking to the reader in person right now, because I would like to ask you in your presence what it sounds like that Jesus is here speaking about.  Why?  Because many pre-trib scholars are interpreting this to be a reference to something besides the rapture.  Knowing the reasons for this, to me, there are much better reasons to interpret this as a rapture passage than anything else.  A prime example is what Paul said to the Thessalonians (in an accepted rapture passage) to quench rumors that Christ's Second Advent was about to happen.  Remaining mindful of the preceding verse (vs. 31), consider afresh, from II Thessalonians 2 (with my clarifying notes in parentheses):

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  1   Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (for the rapture), and by OUR GATHERING TOGETHER unto Him (during the rapture),

  2   That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the Day of Christ (His Second Advent) is at hand.

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     As can be seen, if Paul's words and Jesus' words were puzzle pieces, they would fit right together and without any forcing.  Nevertheless, the fit of these pieces of Scripture seems to be largely, if not altogether, overlooked.

     To be sure, there are other things we must look at and we will.  But, for now, I would like to call your attention to the verses of Jesus' discourse that our focal passage is sandwiched within (its immediate context) and how these support my present proposition.  First of all, in the three verses just before our focal passage (the top part of the sandwich), Jesus spoke these words:

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 26  Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert;  go not forth:  behold, He is in the secret chambers;  believe it not.

 27  For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west;  SO SHALL ALSO THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN BE.

 28  For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

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     Everyone accepts what Jesus says in verse 27 to be of His Second Advent.  But, is this the same event of which He speaks three verses later, in our focal passage?  There He says, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven" (vs. 30).  These differing statements do not sound like different angles on the same event.  The word sign denotes something far different than the substance of His coming for every eye to see as depicted in the above verses.

     My point is, why would Jesus use the word sign in connection with His Second Advent, when His substance will be right before everyone?  However, the word sign, which can even mean something on the order of a glimpse, will easily fit the event of the rapture, especially with this happening so quickly and the likelihood (as we shall see) that He will make this appearance in the sky over Israel, for those in that hemisphere to witness.  Said another way, Jesus' differing words in verses 27 and 30 are not different angles on the same event, but rather, different accounts of different events.

     From another angle, if what Jesus reveals in our focal passage is of His Second Advent, how would signs relating to the sun, the moon, and the stars at this time even rate an honorable mention?  With His Second Advent being "as the lightning" and what John sees in Revelation 19:11-16, whatever else might be happening skyward would seem to pale into utter insignificance.  Really, what relevance would any kind of sign have in the face of Christ's Second Advent?  But, when understood to be connected with a sign appearance that He will make (and the rapture!), such makes perfect sense.

     Moving forward, in the three verses just after our focal passage (the bottom part of the sandwich), Jesus spoke these words:

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 32  Now learn a parable of the fig tree;  When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

 33  So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it (His Second Advent) is near, even at the doors.

 34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

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     In the context of our focal passage, Jesus uses characteristics of the fig tree to illustrate just how near His Second Advent will be after the "sign" appearance that He will make---again reinforcing the truth of separate events.  He had just spoken of things that will happen that Last Days' Israelites should keep in mind.  And, what He says concerning "all these things" in verse 33 would have to also include the appearance of "the sign of the Son of man in heaven" (not to mention the other signs), of which He had just finished speaking.  Pause and read our focal passage together with the above verses to capture the true flow.

     This is also the tenor of Mark and Luke's corresponding accounts.  But, from Luke's account, we find something more that Jesus said before giving His parable of the fig tree.  Pay close attention to what I have here emphasized, from Luke 21:

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 25  And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars;  and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;  the sea and the waves roaring;

 26  Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:  for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

 27  And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

 28  And when THESE THINGS BEGIN TO COME TO PASS, then look up, and lift up your heads;  FOR YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWETH NIGH.

 29  And He spake to them a parable;  Behold the fig tree...

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     If what Luke records in verses 25-27 is interpreted to be of Christ's Second Advent, verse 28 does not fit.  Do you see it?  When someone is present, their return is not pending, or "nigh."  Verse 28 will only fit if verses 25-27 are understood to be of a preceding event, or the appearance of "the Sign of the Son of man in heaven," which is what Jesus refers to this as in Matthew's account.  When the different accounts of Jesus' discourse are compared and factored together, everything comes into better focus, as should be expected.

     In reflection upon this and other things we have looked at (especially back in PROPOSITION K), if in His Olivet Discourse Jesus purposed to provide information for both Church Age Christians and Last Days' Israelites concerning His future return, is it not reasonable that He would speak concerning a preceding event, if indeed there is going to be one?  As it turns out, the evidence of His speaking of two events---His Second Advent and a preceding "sign" appearance---is there, right in the middle of His discourse.  In tune with this, I often use the phrase "Sign Appearance" to differentiate between this and His Second Advent.  I hope those of all persuasions, especially the common pre-trib persuasion, will not be too quick to dismiss this understanding.

     Before moving on, the difference between Christ's Sign Appearance and His Second Advent is kind of like what many have experienced at a big concert.  Imagine if you are at a concert, in the vicinity of the tour bus, and you get a glimpse of the star going in or out of it.  That appearance of the star would be a sure sign that the concert is still on as planned.  And, you will know that before the night is done, every eye (including yours!) is going to get to see the star on the stage.  Suffice it to say, as all the stars in our night time sky bunched together would pale in glory compared to the sun, so is it going to be with THE SON compared with all the human "stars" of our present world.  Just a little side bar:  At Christ's Sign Appearance, the Church gets a backstage pass!

     While the foregoing hardly settles every question we are faced with relating to our focal passage, we are getting closer.  Next, let us move beyond its immediate context and study the paragraph itself and how it interlocks with other scriptures, especially John's account of the 6th Seal.​

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