18 The Second Coming 21.09.20 .pdf

An in-depth study of the Christian's greatest
hope: the triumphant return of the Savior to put
an end to evil.
Federico Salvador Wadsworth
Coming

The Second Coming Federico Salvador Wadsworth Page 2 of 27
0. Content
0. Content.............................................................................................................................................. 2
1. General Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 3
2. Structure of the Theological Treatise.................................................................................................3
3. General Treatise Map....................................................................................................................... 5
4. Treatise Map .....................................................................................................................................6
5. Purpose of the Treatise ..................................................................................................................... 7
6. Development of the theme ................................................................................................................ 7
6.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 7
6.2. Hope for all............................................................................................................................. 7
6.3. The Purpose......................................................................................................................... 11
6.4. An irreproducible event ........................................................................................................ 13
6.5. Preparation for that time....................................................................................................... 15
7. Complementary material ................................................................................................................. 18
7.1. The secret rapture................................................................................................................ 18
7.2. A false second coming......................................................................................................... 22
7.3. The Heresy of the 6,000 Years ............................................................................................ 24
7.4. Orion .................................................................................................................................... 26
7.5. Silence for about half an hour .............................................................................................. 27

1. General Introduction
The search for God´s knowledge and his purpose for man constitutes the most exciting of all the adventures
that the human mind can propose. The challenge of finding in the Holy Book the golden thread of the plan of
salvation will reward the scholar, who will be able to understand the majesty of the effort of the One who “who did
not spare His own Son” (Romans 8: 32).
The set of Bible tracts, of which you have in your hands one of the studies, has been prepared to provide
the lay member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church with the knowledge required to teach others about how to
grow “in grace and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3: 18) as well as for “be ready always
to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason of the hope in you” (1 Peter 3: 15).
The author is a regular member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church since 1977, a church elder since 1979,
a husband, father, and grandfather, with the joy of having his entire family in “the faith once delivered to the saints”
(Jude 1: 3) and a full subscriber to the 28 official doctrines of the church.
I reiterate that these tracts have been prepared for the church
member, so he must graduate the dose of knowledge that he must
transmit to those who are interested in knowing Jesus, whom the
prophet calls the “Desire of all nations” (Haggai 2: 7).
That is why, at the same time, we also wanted to include
supplementary material to the Bible study that we hope will allow you to
expand your current knowledge, as well as to be prepared to deepen
on “things the angels desire to look into” (1 Peter 1: 12). Your ability to
introduce these subthemes in harmony with the central concepts is key
to the transfer of knowledge that you and I intend to pursue.
Since the knowledge of our God and His purposes will, by the
work and grace of the Holy Spirit, always be in full swing, you will be
able to find regular updates of each treatise (see the date yy.mm.dd that
accompanies the name of the file). These updates, of course, will also
correct some of the human flaws that may have gone unnoticed by the
author. On the other hand, your well-meaning intention to help us
improve these issues will always be welcome. These treatises were
originally written in Spanish, my mother language, but translated to
English by the author to reach more people, as the latter is considered
worldwide as the commercial and technical language.
2. Structure of the Theological Treatise
At the beginning of each treatise, we will present the general structure of the set of these using a numbered
block diagram, called the General Treatise Map. This chart (shown on one of the following pages) will allow you to
see where the tract you have in your hands fits concerning the other topics. To make it easier to locate, in addition
to the numbering, it will be marked in a different color than the others. Collect the topics, update them, and arrange
them in this sequence if you find them useful to your knowledge development.
The numbers in each block simultaneously establish the order of creation of these treatises and the logical
dependence between them as well. The blocks from number 70 onwards represent, in turn, a set of special treatises.
I have grouped them into 6 major themes:
a. Comparative Religions Series 70.nn
b. Chronologies Series 75.nn
c. Gospel Harmonies Series 80.nn
d. Genealogies Series 85.nn
e. Bible biographies Series 90.nn
The reading of these topics will give you the frame of reference to understand the most thematic treatises.
These other topics have their own structure that will be related to the one mentioned here.
After the diagram of the whole, you will find a block diagram of the study itself, called the Treatise Map,
where you will be able to notice the following:
a. Each block of the diagram indicates the reference verse(s) at the bottom and a short phrase that corresponds
to the logic of its inclusion in the topic.
b. You will notice that there are some blocks, with different colored verses, which refer to parables that help to
understand the central theme.

c. Other blocks, which do not contain verses, expose issues that you might touch on when presenting the
study; issues that have historical, geographical, scientific, technical, and other backgrounds. You will find in
this study some information that will help you expose these concepts.
d. These two types of blocks are not necessarily included in all studies.
e. The arrows indicate the logical sequence in which the author thinks these topics should be presented. The
sequence is set from left to right and from top to bottom. However, your initiative and the knowledge about
your listeners' needs may point you in a different direction. Let yourself be guided in prayer by the One who
cannot err.
At the end of this graphic phase, you will find the study in detail, which will follow, as far as possible, the
structure of the block diagram. Some complementary materials to the study will be included at the end. I recommend
that you read them in advance to find the exact moment to include them in your presentation.
To the extent possible, I have presented the source of some of these topics so that you can extend your
understanding by reviewing them. I do not pretend to know everything these sources deal with, so I encourage you
to go deeper and tell me how to improve this content. I have included some images found on the Internet to make
your reading more enjoyable, I hope you like them.
The written phase of the study will contain:
a. Headings for the main subtopics.
b. Bible quotes (in red).
c. Quotations from the Spirit of Prophecy (in green).
d. Quotations from books or articles by various authors, aimed at expanding your knowledge on the subject (in
blue).
e. Comments on the quotations mentioned; in some cases, these will be presented before the quotation, as an
anticipation of the statement, while in others they will be placed after it as a confirmation of the concept
being held (in black).
f. Maps, chronograms, genealogies, and other diagrams where appropriate to the subject matter.
g. Complementary material grouped in a section that helps to understand some of the aspects that could arise
when dealing with the central theme with other people. Not all topics necessarily contain this material.
Unless otherwise indicated, the quotes from the Holy Bible are from the King James Modern Version, my
favorite in English. Sometimes I will include other versions to compare or expand the understanding of a text.
When you develop a Bible study on this subject with non-church people, I recommend that you use the
section corresponding to the study (with the verses included in the block diagram) without presenting the statements
of the Spirit of Prophecy. Discuss the accompanying materials as they come up in the exposition, as well as in the
question-and-answer phase.
I have also prepared a file that includes all the block diagrams from the tracts so that they will be helpful to
your memory when presenting the topic. I have also created a file with a copy of all the contents of the treatises so
that you can review them without opening each of the documents in case you are looking for a specific subtopic.
Allow me, as I have done so far, to address you personally during the study. I believe that this is how our
Savior spoke to those He loved and wanted to save. Surely you will do the same with those who listen to you for
this purpose.
This is a free material that has surely come to you from someone who appreciates you and wants you to
know even more about Jesus and His wonderful plan of salvation. Spread the word in the same way, as you “have
received freely, freely give” (Matthew 10: 8).

3. General Treatise Map
02
The Godhead
03
The Father
04
The Son
05
The Holy Spirit
01
Holy Bible
15
The Incarnation
13
The Angel
of Jehovah
06
The Law of God
07
The Sabbath
09
The Sin
08
The origin
of sin
10
The Death
34
The Redemption
36
Justification
by faith
37
Sanctification
35
The Conversion
12
The Prayer
38
The Baptism
39
The Church
44
Tithes &
Offerings
26
The Angels
17
The Resurrection
14
The Love
11
The creation
20
The flood
18
The Second
Coming
19
Signs of the
Second Coming
32
The Gift of
Prophecy
27
Spiritism
28
Demon
possession
21
The Heavenly
Sancturay
23
The ceremonial
law
45
The Marriage
47
The statue of
Nebuchadnezzar
48
The 4 Beasts
43
Ecclesiastical
Discipline
53
The little horn
57
The investigative
judgment
56
The 70 weeks
58
The books of
heaven
30
The spiritua
gifts
31
The gift of
tongues
49
The ram
and the goat
59
The sealing
62
The millennium
55
The Antichrist
33
Messianic
prophecies
60
The Final
Apostasy
63
The new land
46
Christian
Lifestyle
54
The 1260 years
42
Church
Organization
50
The 7 Churches
51
The 7 seals
52
The 7 trumpets
22
Our High
Priest
61
The Time
of Anguish
40
The Great
Commission
29
The Apocryphal
books
16
Vicarious
Death
75
Chronology
85
Genealogy
80
Harmony of the
Gospels
41
HistorY of the
SDA Church
70
Comparative
Religions
90
Biblical
Biographies
24
The Worship
25
The Lord s
Supper
95
History

4. Treatise Map
I am going to
prepare a place
Joh 14: 1-3
In the
same way
Act 1: 11
Blessed
hope
Tit 2: 13
East to West
Mat 24: 27
We have been
waiting for it
Isa 25: 8, 9
Strange
operation
Isa 28: 21
To save
Heb 9: 28
No delay
2 Ped 3: 9, 10
Coming
in glory
Rev 19: 11-13
To do
justice
Rev 14: 14
Keep watch
Mat 24: 42-44
Every eye
will see it
Rev 1: 7
To hide
Rev 6: 15-17
Destroying
the wicked
2 Tes 2: 8
Late regrets
Mat 24: 30
To reward
Rev 22: 7, 12, 20
Gathering
the saints
Mat 24: 31
Resurrection
1 Tes 4: 16, 17
Transformed
1 Cor 15: 51, 52
Will not
be silent
Psa 50: 3-5
Since Enoch
Jud 1: 14, 15
He will
come with
His angels
Mat 25: 31
Not in
secret
Mat 24: 23
Let's accept
Him today
2 Cor 6: 2
A specific
time
Act 3: 20, 21
We don't
know when
Mat 24: 36
The secret
rapture
6,000-year
heresy
Orion
Silence
in heaven
A false
Second Coming

5. Purpose of the Treatise
The purpose of the treatise is as follows:
a. Present the Second Coming of Jesus as the most awaited event in the universe.
b. Establish the purpose of His coming.
c. Define the characteristics of His coming.
d. Anticipate the dangers of some of the satanic deceptions of these last days.
6. Development of the theme
6.1. Introduction
One of the most important and relevant doctrines for our time is the one that deals with the Second
Coming of Christ. This event is mentioned more than a thousand times in the Holy Scriptures and constitutes
one of the central aspects of what we would call the present truth.
Saying this, at the time when this event, unique in the life of the planet, will occur is extremely near,
and one can verify by the signs that God has left for us in His Book. Although the signs that will precede the
second coming will be dealt with in the following study, it is good to highlight the importance that this event
has for those of us who live in the end times. It is also important because this event is indivisibly linked to
the closing of the door of grace, for the Lord will come to gather His own, and the window of opportunity for
salvation will then be closed.
This event we said, key for the planet, since we are protagonists of an ancestral conflict between
good and evil, will also be key for the universe that will approach the total eradication of evil and the
restoration of a perfect cosmos.
One would expect, due to the importance of this occasion, that the world would be in expectation of
its occurrence and that newspapers and magazines, as well as television and social networks, would be
saturated with a call for worldwide preparation to meet their God. But, just as when Jesus first came, those
who wait for Him will be few and many will mock their hope... The world is moving towards its final destruction
and we messengers must raise our voices so that many more will join the remnant that awaits the Savior.
The cares of this world, hedonism, the lust for riches, and even sports, are taking over the attention of the
unprepared masses and keep them in the dark about what is to come.
6.2. Hope for all
The most important thing for me, when
studying this promise of the Lord, is just what is
implied, that it is a promise and as it was made
by my Savior, who never fails, then I can be
sure that it will be fulfilled.
I remember some years ago, many
more than I would like to accept, we were
invited to a private Bible meeting where a prior
of a very well-known convent in my country
would be present. When we were talking with
him about our supposed mutual hope for the
coming of Jesus, he told me: "yes, but that will
happen in a million years". I could not be more
surprised to hear that, and respectfully let him
know so. He shrugged his shoulders and said
that was his understanding.
Of course, if I do not want something to
happen, I hope it is as late as possible. This so-
called minister does not agree with the Bible,
which devotes over a thousand verses to speak of this event, for us today imminent, with an urgency that
this man did not seem to understand. The world, now fond of the catastrophism that some movies create,
speaks more of apocalyptic events (a term that in popular wisdom is related to massive destruction) than of
the happiness of seeing our Savior return, as promised.
Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house
are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I

go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, so that where I am, you
may be also.
John 14: 1-3
The promise is truly clear: "I will come again", and
He wants his faithful to dwell with Him. Jesus asks us to
be calm, that He is gone but will return. He knows that the
latest events will cause us worry and uneasiness, but He
wants us to know that He has planned everything to be
with us.
In the meantime, He is preparing a place for each
one of us and assures us that He will come. He desires to
be with us, He desires our company for eternity. I find in
these words a place for hope in the face of the difficult
moments in which life puts us. Come, Lord Jesus!
Mansions are prepared for all who have subjected
themselves in obedience to the divine law. And in order
that the human family might have no excuse because of
Satan’s temptations, Christ became one with them. The
only Being who was one with God lived the law in
humanity, descended to the lowly life of a common laborer,
and toiled at the carpenter’s bench with His earthly parent.
He lived the life which He requires of all who claim to be
His children. Thus, was cut off the powerful argument of
Satan that God required of humanity a self-denial and
subjection that He would not Himself render...
Jesus asks no more of men than that they shall
follow in His footsteps. He was the Majesty of heaven, the
King of glory, but for our sakes, He became poor that we through His poverty might be made rich.
Almost His last words to us are, “let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in
me”. In the place of being sorrowful, your hearts troubled, you should rejoice. I came into the world
for your sakes. My time here is now accomplished. I shall henceforth be in heaven. For your sakes,
I have been an interested worker in the world. In the future, I shall be engaged just as devotedly in a
more important work in your behalf. I came into the world to redeem you. I go to prepare an abiding
place for you in My Father’s kingdom.
Ellen G. White, That I may know Him, 363
Jesus does not want this to seem like a vain
promise, to excite children, for He says that "if it were not
so, I would have told you".
In telling us how my Lord would come, the angels,
who appeared as men during Jesus' ascension into
heaven, said this to the surprised (and surely dismayed)
disciples:
who also said, Men of Galilee, why do you
stand gazing up into the heaven? This same
Jesus who is taken up from you into Heaven, will
come in the way you have seen Him going into
Heaven.
Acts 1: 11
When angels say "in the way" they mean very
concrete things:
a. Jesus would come in visible form, just as He was
leaving in visible form. This eliminates the
possibility of a hidden coming as our brothers the
Jehovah's Witnesses maintain, who say that in
1914 Jesus already came in secret.
b. "This same Jesus" implies that He will be seen
maintaining his present form (which He has since
the resurrection) human (therefore and consequently visible) evidently with a divine-human
combination which I dare not describe or even analyze.

c. In the clouds, his appearance would be the reverse of his ascension, he would come in the clouds,
being, once again, visible at a distance. If he appeared in some specific place a few would be able
to see Him.
Paul calls this coming "the blessed hope, and the appearance of the glory" that we are to wait as we
fulfill Christ's assignment for His church. I do not know if I knew that someone was coming to my house to
solve all the problems I have, that he promised that from now on I would be extraordinarily happy, that
nothing would be lacking for me and mine, I think I would be waiting for him at the door. I would have already
arranged my house (with the help of my wife, otherwise it would probably not even be moderately arranged)
and prepared everything to enjoy that moment without anyone spoiling it. What Jesus offers is much more
than that, it requires much more preparation, and the consequences are eternal. That is why Paul calls it
that.
Such an event is awaited with great expectation, but also with very conscientious individual
preparation. If my eternal destiny, together with that of the whole world today, is in the balance, there must
be nothing more important than preparing to meet our God.
looking for the blessed hope, and the appearance of the glory of our great God and Savior
Jesus Christ,
Titus 2: 13
One of the most solemn
and yet most glorious truths
revealed in the Bible is that of
Christ’s second coming, to
complete the great work of
redemption. To God’s pilgrim
people, so long left to sojourn in
“the region and shadow of death”,
a precious, joy-inspiring hope is
given in the promise of His
appearing, who is “the
resurrection and the life”, to “bring
home again His banished”. The
doctrine of the second advent is
the very key-note of the Sacred
Scriptures. From the day when
the first pair turned their
sorrowing steps from Eden, the
children of faith have waited the
coming of the Promised One to
break the destroyer’s power and
bring them again to the lost Paradise... Enoch, only the seventh in descent from them that dwelt in
Eden, he who for three centuries on earth walked with his God, was permitted to behold from afar
the coming of the Deliverer. “Behold”, he declared, “the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
to execute judgment upon all”. The patriarch Job in the night of his affliction exclaimed with unshaken
trust: “I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth... in my
flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another”.
Ellen G. White, Maranatha, 13
I would like you to notice that Job maintains that in his flesh he will see God, he does not say that it
will be with spiritual eyes, but that he will see Him for himself. It speaks of a physical coming, visible, open
to all, and not of a matter that some have tried to make appear as secret.
Furthermore, it is said that when he comes it will be "in His glory" and with "all the holy angels". I
imagine this will be a splendid spectacle. You know, some in the Bible saw angels in his glory and they could
hardly resist his glory and light and fell down as if dead. What will the glory of all the angels, of millions of
angels, be like? What will it be like to add to that the glory of the Son? Some artists have tried to capture
this on canvas, and I think their attempts are beautiful, but the reality will surpass anything we can imagine.
Neither the pen nor the brush can attempt to present us with a reality that surpasses their prized art.
But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He shall
sit on the throne of His glory.
Matthew 25: 31
I like the quote below. It says that the coming will be “as the lightning comes out of the east and
shines even to the west". I once wondered why from the east to the west and not from the north to the south.
Then I meditated on this... If I could walk southward, let us say indefinitely, at some point when I pass the

south pole I will start walking northward. The same will happen if I go northward. But when I walk westward
(it also happens in the opposite direction) I never reach the west. It is always beyond, and beyond... The
Bible is trying to say that it would be like an infinite flash of lightning, visible from every point of view. It will
not be hidden from anyone. Everyone will be able to see it, no one has to tell us about it.
For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even to the west, so also will be the
coming of the Son of Man.
Matthew 24: 27
Like you, I would like to be among those
who, when the Lord comes, whether I am alive or
rise from the grave, can utter these words: “lo,
this is our God. We have waited for Him, and He
will save us. This is Jehovah; we have waited for
Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation".
It will be a wonderful, stellar moment not only for
this earth but for the whole universe and the
inhabitants of heaven. The moment when God
will put an end to this wicked system of things
when death will be bound to afflict the children of
God no more. It will also be the time to remove
“from all the earth the rebuke of His people" still
submitted to the effects of being bound,
unwillingly, to the prince of this world. Soon the
Lord will wipe away "tears from all faces". I can
hardly wait for that instant!
He will swallow up death in victory;
and the Lord Jehovah will wipe away tears
from all faces. And He shall take away
from all the earth the rebuke of His people.
For Jehovah has spoken. And one shall
say in that day, lo, this is our God. We
have waited for Him, and He will save us.
This is Jehovah; we have waited for Him;
we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.
Isaiah 25: 8, 9
Blessed hope!... The psalmist says that
when our God comes "He is no silent" so that the
theme of the secret rapture (we will comment on
it later) that some teach, or the coming in silence
that others preach, is not possible. He also
maintains that He is coming to execute judgment and asks that His saints be gathered to Him.
Our God comes, and He is not silent; a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very stormy
all around Him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, so that He may judge His
people. Gather My saints to Me; and those who cut My covenant by sacrifice.
Psalms 50: 3-5
This event will be so obvious that it is not possible not to know that it is happening. No one can tell
us that it is happening in secret. We are forewarned not to believe those who will try to deceive us by
presenting Christ in the chambers, occultly. This will not be the only attempt of the king of darkness to
confuse the world. The clear message that the Lord has left in His Word will be disfigured by human doctrines
and spurious visions.
Then if any man shall say to you, lo, here is Christ! or, There! Do not believe it.
Matthew 24: 23
After the truth has been proclaimed as a witness to all nations, every conceivable power of evil will
be set in operation, and minds will be confused by many voices crying. “Lo, here is Christ; lo, He is there.
This is the truth, I have the message from God, He has sent me with great light”. Then there will be a
removing of the landmarks, and an attempt to tear down the pillars of our faith. A more decided effort will be
made to exalt the false sabbath, and to cast contempt upon God Himself by supplanting the day He has
blessed and sanctified. This false sabbath is to be enforced by an oppressive law.
In the future, deception of every kind is to arise, and we want solid ground for our feet. We want solid
pillars for the building. Not one pin is to be removed from that which the Lord has established. The enemy
will bring in false theories, such as the doctrine that there is no sanctuary. This is one of the points on which

there will be a departing from the faith.
There will be false dreams and false visions, which have some truth but lead away from the original
faith. The Lord has given men a rule by which to detect them: “to the law and to the testimony: if they speak
not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8: 20).
As we near the end of time, falsehood will be so mingled with truth that only those who have the
guidance of the Holy Spirit will be able to distinguish truth from error. We need to make every effort to keep
the way of the Lord. We must in no case turn from His guidance to put our trust in man. The Lord’s angels
are appointed to keep strict watch over those who put their faith in the Lord, and these angels are to be our
special help in every time of need. Every day we are to come to the Lord with full assurance of faith and to
look to Him for wisdom... Those who are guided by the Word of the Lord will discern with certainty between
falsehood and truth, between sin and righteousness.
6.3. The Purpose
The coming of the Lord will be "to save those who wait for Him";
it is the glorious culmination of the plan of salvation. Christ returns for
us to save us, to reunite the saved with Him forever. All the effort made
by heaven is about to culminate. When He comes all destinies will be
sealed forever.
Let me expand on the phrase: "to save those who wait for Him".
The waiting that is spoken of here is not to let time pass knowing that
He will come, those who wait for Him are people who actively work to
develop (with the help of the Holy Spirit) their characters, dedicate time
to prayer, to the study of the Word of God and witnessing.
It is not an idle wait; it is a preparation for the most extraordinary
event the world (and the universe) has ever seen or can ever see. He
is awaited by those who have surrendered their lives to the Lord, those
who have struggled with temptation and with God's help have overcome
it, those who have patterned their lives after God's Holy Law. There is
not second chance, as some wrongly preach, to be ready.
so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many. And to those
who look for Him He shall appear the second time without sin to
salvation.
Hebrews 9: 28
God's mercy is still at work in us sinners, not that it is slow in coming but that He wants more people
to repent and turn to Him. It is announced to us that that day "will come as a thief in the night" and will
surprise those who are not forewarned. God has given signs to His people so that that day will not overtake
us. For that day will come with destruction for the wicked, the earth will be on fire and all that exists today
will cease to be.
The Lord is not slow concerning His promise, as some count slowness, but is long-suffering
toward us, not purposing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day
of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a rushing noise,
and the elements will melt with fervent heat. And the earth and the works in it will be burned up.
2 Peter 3: 9, 10
When Jesus comes, He will come in all His glory, He will not come again as the humble babe of
Bethlehem. Now He comes in the magnificence of His power, with the glory of His angels, displaying the
crown of the King of the universe. But He appears as when He first came to this earth, as "the Word of God".
This is how John sees Him in one of the visions he had about the second coming.
And I saw Heaven opened. And behold, a white horse! And He sitting on him was called
Faithful and True. And in righteousness He judges and makes war. And His eyes were like a flame
of fire, and on His head many crowns. And He had a name written, one that no one knew except
Himself. And He had been clothed in a garment dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word
of God.
Revelation 19: 11-13
When the time comes Jesus comes to reap what he has sown. It is time to separate the wheat (the
good for God's barn) from the grapes (the bad for God's winepress of wrath). The Lord comes prepared for
the harvest. An important aspect to note here (which we will later study extensively in another treatise on

the investigative judgment) is that it is evident that, if God comes to reward the faithful and punish the wicked,
it is that the judgment must already be over when He comes. Undoubtedly those who have died have already
been judged and their final destiny has been defined, but it is also certain that the living must be judged and
at some point, this judgment will end so that Christ can come, and the door of grace must have already
closed at that time.
And I looked, and behold, a white cloud. And on the cloud sat One like the Son of man, having
a golden crown on His head, and a sharp sickle in His hand.
Revelation 14: 14
When the work of the investigative judgment closes, the destiny of all will have been decided
for life or death. Probation is ended a short time before the appearing of the Lord in the clouds of
heaven.
Scoffers pointed to the things of nature -to the unvarying succession of the seasons, to the
blue skies that had never poured out rain, to the green fields refreshed by the soft dews of night- and
they cried out: “doth he not speak parables?” In contempt they declared the preacher of
righteousness to be a wild enthusiast; and they went on, more eager in their pursuit of pleasure, more
intent upon their evil ways, than before. But their unbelief did not hinder the predicted event. God
bore long with their wickedness, giving them ample opportunity for repentance; but at the appointed
time His judgments were visited upon the rejecters of His mercy.
Christ declares that there will exist similar unbelief concerning His second coming. As the
people of Noah’s day “knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so”, in the words of our
Saviour, “shall also the coming of the Son of man be”. Matthew 24: 39. When the professed people
of God are uniting with the world, living as they live, and joining with them in forbidden pleasures;
when the luxury of the world becomes the luxury of the church; when the marriage bells are chiming,
and all are looking forward to many years of worldly prosperity -then, suddenly as the lightning flashes
from the heavens, will come the end of their bright visions and delusive hopes.
The events connected with the close of probation and the work of preparation for the time of
trouble are clearly presented. But multitudes have no more understanding of these important truths
than if they had never been revealed. Satan watches to catch away every impression that would
make them wise unto salvation, and the time of trouble will find them unready.
I would like you to note that
when the flood occurred there was not
second chance. Those who believed
in the Lord went into the ark, the rest
were destroyed. They had time to
make their decision, but there was not
second chance to decide for the Lord.
Let us read something from
the last book of the Bible. Apokalupsis
(Greek word meaning revelation,
drawing aside the veil) shows us that
the judgment has begun and that the
patience (jupomoné in Greek,
patience, constancy, perseverance)
of the saints consists in obeying God,
keeping His commandments, while
others are headed for destruction...
The narration of the
destruction of the wicked in the
winepress of God (read the following
texts) has always impressed and
frightened me (literally). It says that the winepress would be 1,600 stadia (Greek stádion) let us say in
diameter. Each stadium according to scholars measured 189 meters. So, imagine a winepress that is a little
over 300 km in diameter.
It is said that the height of the blood would reach "up to the horses' brakes", say 1.50 m for a typical
horse. Using the spherical cap formula (assuming the maximum height is at the center of the winepress) the
volume would be 5.4 x 1013
liters. Assuming that an average person of say 60 kilograms (considering men,
women, and children) displaces about 60 liters (in reality the density of the human body is slightly less than
that of water, so it would displace a little more) there would fit 138 times the world population... I had already

told you that I like mathematics... The figures are frightening. I find it difficult to understand the mortality rate
like the one mentioned here. I have always thought that, as in the case of the flood, there will be few who
will be saved (I should say that we will be saved, we must remain optimistic) from the final destruction. In
the flood, barely 8 people, out of a population that easily exceeded 2 billion (see the treatise on The Flood),
were saved. It is not as people often assume that we are almost all good and there are few bad guys. It is
not like that...
saying with a great voice, Fear God and give glory to Him! For the hour of His judgment has
come. And worship Him who made the heaven and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains of
waters.
Here is the patience of the saints. Here are the ones who keep the commandments of God
and the faith of Jesus.
And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even
to the bridles of the horses, for the space of a thousand, six hundred stadia.
Revelation 14: 7, 12, 20
It is terrible, is it not it, but for the saved, heaven is the chosen destination. God will send his angels,
and they will "gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other". Let us think of those
whom we love and wish to deliver from this hecatomb. Let us think of all the people who do not know the
truth and who will perish that day without having known their Savior. There is a task to be done... Note once
again that the angels gather the elect, so the judgment to define who makes up this privileged group must
be over by then.
And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather His elect
from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
Matthew 24: 31
While there is one work of destruction and death, there is another of life and vindication; both depend
on the decision of each one... When the Lord will come the saints, who sleep in the dust, those who have
died in the blessed hope, return to life. They emerge from their graves with the strength and freshness of
perfect youth, their faces reflecting the happiness of salvation and the encounter with their Savior. The sea
brings back its dead, and from the deepest recesses, the saints return to life, never to die again. What a
wonderful scene for the angels and the unfallen worlds! We who have lost our loved ones who rest in the
Lord will see them return to our arms never to part us again. They will return from the grave transformed,
without the traces of old age, sickness, or pain with which they descended into the grave. We will "be
changed" and go together to meet the Lord in the air.
For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel
and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall ever
be with the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4: 16, 17
The angels receive us with exultation, we are caught up to be reunited and "thus we shall always be
with the Lord". It seems like a dream, but in reality, for those who rested in Jesus it is the end of the sleep
of death and for those of us who are alive it is the end of the nightmare that the final events generated.
Behold, I speak a mystery to you; we shall not all fall asleep, but we shall all be changed; in
a moment, in a glance of an eye, at the last trumpet. For a trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall
be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed.
1 Corinthians 15: 51, 52
With transformed bodies, which will never be corrupted, the saints ascend to meet Jesus and embark
on the journey to heaven. It will be great to meet those who were torn from our arms by death, to meet those
who gave us the message or to whom we gave it, our family and friends in blessed hope... it will be embrace
after embrace to celebrate the triumph over death. I want to be there... now!
6.4. An irreproducible event
The event of the second coming will be unique and unrepeatable, no one will be able to imitate it,
although as we will see the enemy will try to confuse us. But we must know that when the Lord comes "every
eye will see Him". It is a global event, not a local one.
Today's communications, with the advance of science, allow us to be "present" in every place,
sometimes within minutes of an important event: an earthquake, the assumption of a president, a
spectacular accident, or a football game. But to see the second coming we do not need modern

communications; we will all see it with our eyes looking at the sky. I will leave a part of this verse that we
have commented on in the treatise on the resurrection.
Behold, He comes with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, and those who pierced Him
will see Him, and all the kindreds of the earth will wail because of Him. Even so, amen.
Revelation 1: 7
No human language can portray
the scenes of the second coming of the
Son of man in the clouds of heaven. He is
to come with His own glory, and with the
glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
He will come clad in the robe of light, which
He has worn from the days of eternity.
Angels will accompany Him. Ten thousand
times ten thousand will escort Him on His
way. The sound of the trumpet will be
heard, calling the sleeping dead from the
grave. The voice of Christ will penetrate
the tomb, and pierce the ears of the dead,
“and all that are in the graves ...shall come
forth”.
The wicked, those who have not
waited for the return of their Lord and have
lived with their backs to God will see the
coming differently than the saints. Let me
clarify this term. The word saint in the Bible has the concept of "set apart for a sacred use, consecrated"
rather than "perfect or faultless, sinless" with which people usually associate it. We are saints, not because
we are sinless, but because we have decided to consecrate ourselves to the Lord, we have accepted Him
as our personal Savior and He has initiated in us the transformation through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Turning to the wicked (those who are not saints, there is no third option); these will ask the rocks to
fall on them, for they cannot resist the sight of Jesus coming in the clouds. They know that the time of
retribution has come and there is nothing they can do to avoid it. The time of grace, which they miserably
wasted, without thinking of God's merciful calls, is over. What a terrible disconsolation of those who had the
opportunity and threw it away!
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich, and the chief captains, and the
mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of
the mountains. And they said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of Him
sitting on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of His wrath has come, and
who will be able to stand?
Revelation 6: 15-17
All those who have opposed God, those
who have resisted the work of the Holy Spirit, who
have kept their parishioners in error, hiding the
truth from them, will have to face the Lord. What
argument will those who refused to obey His law,
who changed it, who replaced the Sabbath with
Sunday, present before God? Will they now argue
with God that abortion is a personal decision; will
they tell the Lord that they can do with their body
as they please? No, no one will be able to stand
firm, except those who have been saved by grace.
And then the lawless one will be
revealed, whom the Lord shall consume
with the breath of His mouth and shall
destroy with the brightness of His coming,
2 Thessalonians 2: 8
When Jesus Christ comes all those who have not heeded his merciful call will mourn, they will know
that they have missed the opportunity, they will know that they have ignored the pleas of those agents of
salvation who knocked at their doors, who warned them of the future, who prayed for their conversion. The
Lord will come in "power and great glory" to put an end to this system of things, to put an end to sin and

restore harmony with the unfallen universe.
And then the sign of the Son of Man shall appear in the heavens. And then all the tribes of
the earth shall mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of the heaven with
power and great glory.
Matthew 24: 30
For a creator and loving God, who delights in giving life to His creatures, to destroy is a strange thing.
Isaiah says that God "shall rise", “He shall be angry” to “do His work, His strange work; and bring to pass
His act, His strange act". The time has come for justice, retribution, to give to each according to his works.
But it is strange for God to destroy, but he must do it because God is not only merciful but also just.
Sometimes, as parents, we are loving but weak, because we do not correct the evil, and then it becomes
more and more difficult to uproot. As parents, we must admonish our children in the Lord, correct them and
sometimes punish them so that they understand the concept of obedience and the limits of freedom. God
does the same, His Word admonishes us and calls us to repentance and seeks in every way for us to accept
Him as our personal Savior, but if we do not, we will have to face His justice. God has the perfect balance
of justice and mercy, of love and discipline. Let us listen to him and follow him.
For Jehovah shall rise up as in Mount Perazim; He shall be angry as in the valley of Gibeon,
so that He may do His work, His strange work; and bring to pass His act, His strange act.
Isaiah 28: 21
With unerring accuracy, the Infinite One still keeps an account with all nations. While His
mercy is tendered, with calls to repentance, this account will remain open; but when the figures reach
a certain amount which God has fixed, the ministry of His wrath commences. The account is closed.
Divine patience ceases. There is no more pleading of mercy in their behalf.
The prophet, looking down the ages, had this time presented before his vision. The nations
of this age have been the recipients of unprecedented mercies... But increased pride, covetousness,
idolatry, contempt of God, and base ingratitude are written against them. They are fast closing up
their account with God...
The crisis is approaching fast. The rapidly swelling figures show that the time for God’s
visitation has about come.
To our merciful God, the act of punishment is a strange act. “As I live, saith the Lord God, I
have no pleasure in the death of the wicked”. Ezekiel 33: 11... Yet He will “by no means clear the
guilty”. “The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked”. Exodus
34: 6, 7; Nahum 1: 3. By terrible things in righteousness, He will vindicate the authority of His
downtrodden law. The severity of the retribution awaiting the transgressor may be judged by the
Lord’s reluctance to execute justice. The nation with which He bears long, and which He will not smite
until it has filled up the measure of its iniquity in God’s account, will finally drink the cup of wrath
unmixed with mercy.
Ellen G. White, The Faith I live by, 338
Remember the case of Sodom and Gomorrah and the other three cities of the plain. They
accumulated sin until God had to act. But first, there was a last call through Lot when informed by the angels
of the impending destruction he tried to save his family. Again, very few escaped...
6.5. Preparation for that time
When the Lord comes, the work of judgment, in its investigative stage, will be finished. He comes to
reward with eternal life those who have been faithful and to pronounce final judgment against those who
despised their salvation. He also comes to vindicate His own, to recognize them as His children, as those
who desired to do His will. Despite being sinners, they also sought forgiveness through the blood of Jesus,
they allowed the Holy Spirit to shape their lives, and they were concerned about giving the message to
others.
But not all who profess to be Christians are true disciples. Before the final reward is given, it
must be decided who are fitted to share the inheritance of the righteous. This decision must be made
prior to the second coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven; for when He comes, His reward is with
Him, “to give every man according as his work shall be”. Before His coming, then, the character of
every man’s work will have been determined, and to every one of Christ’s followers, the reward will
have been apportioned according to his deeds.
It is while men are still dwelling upon the earth that the work of investigative judgment takes
place in the courts of heaven. The lives of all His professed followers pass in review before God. All
are examined according to the record of the books of heaven, and according to his deeds, the destiny

of each is forever fixed.
Ellen G. White, Lift Him Up, 344
It is now therefore the time of preparation. That hour that the Lord calls us to repentance, as
well as to preach to others the present truth. The Lord is coming soon, get ready!
This message about the coming of the Lord arises from the time of Enoch, the patriarch who
went to heaven without knowing death. It was not at that time the actual message, the present truth,
but already Enoch would know that the Lord would come to end the evil in the world, that judgment
would have to be executed.
And Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also prophesied to these, saying, behold, the Lord came
with myriads of His saints, to do judgment against all, and to rebuke all the ungodly of them
concerning all their ungodly works which they ungodly did, and concerning all the hard things ungodly
sinners spoke against Him.
Jude 1: 14, 15
Enoch was a representative of
Christ as surely as the beloved disciple
John. Enoch walked with God and was
found no more, for God took him with
Him. To him was entrusted the
message of the second coming of
Christ. Of whom also Enoch, the
seventh from Adam, prophesied,
saying, "behold, the Lord is come with
His holy thousands". The power of
Christ, the Savior crucified to give
eternal life, must be presented to the
people. We must show them that the
Old Testament is as certainly the
gospel in shadows and figures, as the
New Testament is in its developed
power. The New Testament does not
present a new religion; the Old
Testament does not present a religion
to be superseded by the New. The New Testament is only the progress and development of the Old.
Abel believed in Christ and was as surely saved by His power, as were Peter and Paul. Enoch was
as surely a representative of Christ as was the beloved disciple John.
Ellen G. White, Selected Testimonies, Volume IV, 397 (translated by the author)
Jesus compares the second coming in its stealth to a thief "visiting" a house. This speaks to us of
surprise, of an unexpected event. That is why we are asked to be watchful, to keep awake and alert, lest the
things of this world, the cares of this life envelop us in such a way that we forget the Lord's message and
sleep in confidence. He asks us to be prepared, ready to undertake the return home to our Father.
Therefore watch; for you do not know what hour your Lord comes. But know this, that if the
steward of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched and
would not have allowed his house to be dug through. Therefore you also be ready, for in that hour
you think not, the Son of Man comes.
Matthew 24: 42-44
Because we know not the exact time of His coming, we are commanded to watch. “Blessed
are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching”. Luke 12: 37. Those who
watch for the Lord’s coming are not waiting in idle expectancy. The expectation of Christ’s coming is
to make men fear the Lord and fear His judgments upon transgression. It is to awaken them to the
great sin of rejecting His offers of mercy. Those who are watching for the Lord are purifying their
souls by obedience to the truth. With vigilant watching, they combine earnest working. Because they
know that the Lord is at the door, their zeal is quickened to co-operate with the divine intelligences in
working for the salvation of souls. These are the faithful and wise servants who give to the Lord’s
household “their portion of food in due season”. Luke 12: 42. They are declaring the truth that is now
specially applicable. As Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Moses each declared the truth for his time, so
will Christ’s servants now give the special warning for their generation.
I hope you have noticed what is said about the special truth for each one's time. Today, as
we are rapidly approaching the coming of the Lord, this is one of the key truths of the time in which
we live. All must be admonished and called to decide. Some tend to postpone their decision to follow
the Lord, they think that they must first finish something important: a business, get married, a career,

buy a house, progress in a company, a goal... whatever it may be. They do not know that they are
falling into the enemy's trap. Today is the time to accept. Today you have to make decisions of eternal
character. Do not let the things of this world keep your Savior waiting.
For He says, "in an acceptable time I heard you, and in a day of salvation, I helped you";
behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
2 Corinthians 6: 2
An understanding of the hope of Christ’s second coming is the key that unlocks all the history
that follows and explains all the future lessons.
The voice of the true watchman needs now to be heard all along the line, “the morning cometh,
and also the night”. The trumpet must give a certain sound, for we are in the great day of the Lord’s
preparation.
The truths of prophecy are bound up together, and as we study them, they form a beautiful
cluster of practical Christian truth. All the discourses that we give are plainly to reveal that we are
waiting, working, and praying for the coming of the Son of God. His coming is our hope. This hope is
to be bound up with all our words and works, with all our associations and relationships...
The second coming of the Son of man is to be the wonderful theme kept before the people.
Here is a subject that should not be left out of our discourses. Eternal realities must be kept before
the mind’s eye, and the attractions of the world will appear as they are, altogether profitless as vanity.
What are we to do with the world’s vanities, its praises, its riches, its honors, or its enjoyments?
We are pilgrims and strangers who are waiting, hoping, and praying for that blessed hope,
the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. If we believe this and bring it into our
practical life, what vigorous action would this faith and hope inspire; what fervent love one for another;
what careful holy living for the glory of God; and in our respect for the recompense of the reward,
what distinct lines of demarcation would be evidenced between us and the world...
The truth that Christ is coming should be kept before every mind.
God has announced this event throughout history, from Adam until today through His
prophets, Scripture, and the message of the church. This message has been announced to us in
advance so that we can be prepared and prepare others.
The Lord has been calling the attention of His people to health reform. This is one of the great
branches of the work of preparation for the coming of the Son of man. John the Baptist went forth in
the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the way of the Lord...
John separated himself from friends and from the luxuries of life. The simplicity of his dress,
a garment woven of camel’s hair, was a standing rebuke to the extravagance and display of the
Jewish priests, and of the people generally. His diet, purely vegetable, of locusts and wild honey,
was a rebuke to the indulgence of appetite and the gluttony that prevailed everywhere... Those who
are to prepare the way for the second coming of Christ are represented by faithful Elijah, as John
came in the spirit of Elijah to prepare the way for Christ’s first advent. The great subject of reform is
to be agitated... Temperance in all things is to be connected with the message, to turn the people of
God from their idolatry, their gluttony, and their extravagance in dress and other things.
The self-denial, humility, and temperance required of the righteous, whom God especially
leads and blesses, is to be presented to the people in contrast to the extravagant, health-destroying
habits of those who live in this degenerate age... There is nowhere to be found so great a cause of
physical and moral degeneracy as a neglect of this important subject. Those who indulge appetite
and passion and close their eyes to the light for fear they will see sinful indulgences which they are
unwilling to forsake, are guilty before God. Whoever turns from the light in one instance hardens his
heart to disregard the light upon other matters. Whoever violates moral obligations in the matter of
eating and dressing prepares the way to violate the claims of God in regard to eternal interests. Our
bodies are not our own. God has claims upon us to take care of the habitation He has given us, that
we may present our bodies to Him a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable.
Ellen G. White, Conflict and Courage, 273
Some ask for dates, but God has been wise not to set a date for his second coming. Knowing
us as a father knows his children, he knows that we would probably wait for the last moments to give
ourselves to Him. God has reserved the date, and many have mistakenly tried to set it. Let us not
make the mistake, nor encourage others to set dates or to try to find in the Bible or the Spirit of
Prophecy arguments to establish them.

Many who have called themselves Adventists have been time-setters. Time after time has
been set for Christ to come, but repeated failures have been the result. The definite time of our Lord’s
coming is declared to be beyond the ken of mortals. Even the angels, who minister unto those who
shall be heirs of salvation, know not the day nor the hour. “But of that day and hour knoweth no man,
no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only” …
We are not to know the definite time either for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit or for the
coming of Christ... Why has not God given us this knowledge? -Because we would not make a right
use of it if He did. A
condition of things would
result from this knowledge
among our people that
would greatly retard the
work of God in preparing a
people to stand in the great
day that is to come. We are
not to live upon time
excitement...
You will not be able
to say that He will come in
one, two, or five years,
neither are you to put off His
coming by stating that it may
not be for ten or twenty
years…
We are nearing the
great day of God. The signs
are fulfilling. And yet we
have no message to tell us
of the day and hour of
Christ’s appearing. The Lord has wisely concealed this from us that we may always be in a state of
expectancy and preparation for the second appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds of
heaven…
The exact time of the second coming of the Son of man is God’s mystery.
Ellen G. White, Last Day Events, 32, 33
But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not the angels of Heaven, but only My Father.
Matthew 24: 36
The exact time of Christ’s second coming is not revealed. Jesus said, No man knoweth the
day nor the hour. But He also gave signs of His coming, and said, “when ye shall see all these things,
know that it is near, even at the doors”. He bade them, as the signs of His coming should appear,
“look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh”. And in view of these things the
apostle wrote: “ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are
all the children of light and the children of the day”. Since we know not the hour of Christ’s coming,
we must live soberly and godly in this present world, “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious
appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ”. ...
Ellen G. White, Reflecting Christ, 258
7. Complementary material
7.1. The secret rapture
The secret rapture is a doctrine, taught by several Protestant churches that follow the
dispensationalist thought, a doctrine that must be analyzed to understand that it does not fit at all with the
Bible's description of the second coming. The logic of this doctrine is not compatible with the clear description
of the events that accompany the second coming. We will try to dismantle some of the arguments of this
doctrine without going into details about the error but showing the truth.
According to this view, the coming of Jesus will be in two separate events. First, He will come
secretly to take the church to heaven, and then, seven years later, He will come in an open

demonstration of power and glory. In
between those two events, the Antichrist is
supposed to come into power and the great
tribulation period takes place.
But the truth is that the Bible nowhere
speaks of these two separate comings of
Jesus. There is no second stage of His
coming that occurs seven years after the so-
called "rapture". By the way, the word
"rapture" is also an invention of theologians.
It cannot be found in the Bible in even a
single instance. It is a word coined for the
second advent of Jesus.
Now here is what we find in the
Scriptures: Christ's coming, the resurrection,
and catching up of the saints to meet Jesus
in the air, all take place at the same time, at
the end of the world. This is why Jesus said,
"lo, I am with you always, even unto the end
of the world". Matthew 28: 20. Now, why
would Jesus promise to be with the church
until the end of the world if He intended to
come seven years before the end to take
them out of the world? The promise would
have no meaning.
Joe Crews,
What the Bible says about
the secret rapture, 1
On the other hand, it is not possible
to adequately reconcile the clear statements
of Scripture linking the second coming of
Jesus with the destruction of this world,
including the Antichrist by the way, and those who hold these events to be separated by the time of the
Antichrist's dominion.
The dispensationalists teach that the two separate stages of Christ's coming are indicated "in
the Greek". They argue that there will first be the rapture (parousia), a secret coming; then seven
years later will be the revelation (apokalupsis), His coming in power and glory. But, actually, instead
of teaching two separate events, the Greek terms are used interchangeably in the Bible. They give
no indication of a seven-year interval.
For example, Paul uses the word "parousia" in the famous rapture chapter of 1
Thessalonians 4 in speaking of the coming of our Lord and our gathering together unto Him. He
then goes right on to show that this "parousia" will destroy the man of sin. Speaking of the Antichrist,
Paul says, "whom the Lord shall... destroy with the brightness of his coming [parousia]". 2
Thessalonians 2: 8. These texts clearly describe the coming (parousia) of Christ as taking place
after the reign of the man of sin, not as an escape rapture before the reign of the Antichrist begins.
The other Greek word "apokalupsis" (revelation) is used in a way that indicates it is not a
separate coming from the time the believers are gathered up. Peter said to "be sober, and hope to
the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation [apokalupsis] of Jesus Christ".
1 Peter 1: 13. Why would Christians be exhorted to keep hoping to the very end of the world for the
grace brought through the revelation of Christ if their real hope were a secret rapture seven years
before the revelation?
Now, look at some verses which prove beyond a doubt that the two words "parousia" and
"apokalupsis" refer to the same event. In Matthew 24: 37 we read, "but as the days of Noah were,
so shall also the coming [parousia] of the Son of man be". Luke's account of the same passage says,
"as it was in the days of Noah... Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed
[apokalupsis]". Luke 17: 26, 30. This shows that the coming (parousia) of Christ and the revelation
(apokalupsis) of Christ are the same event. There is absolutely no basis for placing seven years in
between.
Many dispensationalist teachers actually claim that the rapture is not really the "coming" of
Jesus at all. They say His coming is when Christ returns in power seven years after the rapture. But

what a contradictory, confusing explanation that is! The fact is that there are many Scriptures which
admonish Christians to wait and watch for the coming of the Lord. For example, James 5: 7 says,
"be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord". But why should Christians need to be
patient unto the coming of the Lord if there is to be a secret rapture to take them to heaven seven
years before His coming?
Joe Crews, What the Bible says about the secret rapture, 3, 4
The doctrine of the secret rapture also contradicts Christ's explanation of the parable of the tares
(darnel) and the wheat, when he said that both would grow together until the end of the world. Both in the
presentation of the parable and its subsequent explanation, it is clear that the separation of the righteous to
go to heaven will be at the end of time at the same time as the destruction of the wicked. There is no possible
evidence in this parable for a second chance for the tares.
He put out another parable to them, saying, the kingdom of heaven is compared to a man
who sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel among
the wheat and went his way. But when the blade had sprung up and had produced fruit, then the
darnel also appeared. So the servants of the householder came and said to him, Sir, did you not sow
good seed in your field? Then where have the darnel come from? He said to them, an enemy has
done this. The servants said to him, then do you want us to go and gather them up? But he said, no,
lest while you gather up the darnel you also root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until
the harvest. And in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, first gather together the darnel and
bind them in bundles to burn them but gather the wheat into my granary.
Matthew 13: 24-30
Then sending the crowds away, Jesus went into the house. And His disciples came to Him,
saying, explain to us the parable of the darnel of the field. He answered and said to them, He who
sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seed are the sons of the
kingdom; but the darnel are the sons of the evil one. The enemy who sowed them is the Devil; the
harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the darnel are gathered
and burned in the fire, so it shall be in the end of this world. The Son of Man shall send out His angels,
and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who do iniquity, and shall
cast them into a furnace of fire. There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous
shall shine out like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Matthew 13: 36-43
Note also that when Jesus speaks of the faithful one, who "believes in Him", He says that He will
resurrect him "on the last day". It does not sound very logical that he speaks of the last day if this occurs
seven years before His coming, where there could be (under the denied assumption of those who sustain
the rapture) others saved at the end of these seven years.
And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes on Him
should have everlasting life. And I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6: 40
We have also read, when we quote Paul speaking of the resurrection of the righteous (1
Thessalonians 4: 16, 17), that the resurrected are caught up together with the living saints to meet the Lord
in the air. How could a rapture be secret where fathers, mothers, children, grandparents, friends disappear
and where millions of dead come out of their graves? How could this be the last day if there would be another
7 years later? How could it be the final trumpet?
The favorite quote of those who sustain the secret rapture, in all cases ignoring the great evidence
that denies it, is the following:
But as the days of Noah were, so shall be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in the days
before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah
entered into the ark. And they did not know until the flood came and took them all away. So also will
be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other
left. Two shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Matthew 24: 37-41
These theologians maintain that by saying that some would be taken, and others left this implies a
separation of the good from the bad and consequently a rapture. I would like you to notice that these verses
do not speak of anything secret. It does not say that those who remained were not aware of it.
On the other hand, Jesus is comparing this to the flood in Noah's time. Those who were left behind
perished in the flood. They did not have a second chance. Ah... Herein lies, as we have already anticipated,
the purpose of the deception. The enemy maintains that there will be a second chance, that after the rapture
occurs there will still be a chance for those who live these seven years with the Antichrist. If this were so,

those who died before would not have that second chance while the living would. God would be an unjust
god by not allowing all to have an equal chance of being saved. What is evident is that they wish to convey
the idea that there will be a second chance, that after all if you are not ready you will later have time to do
so... Leave your decision for later, there is time... that is the message of the enemy of God.
On the other hand, some hold that the "taken" are the saved while the "left" are the lost. Others think
exactly the other way around. The following chained quotes from the Spirit of Prophecy will be enlightening:
The Lord is coming in power and great glory. It will then be His work to make a complete
separation between the righteous and the wicked. But then the oil cannot be transferred to the
vessels of those who have it not. Then shall be fulfilled the words of Christ: “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”. The righteous and the wicked are to be associated together in the
work of life. But the Lord reads the character; He discerns who are obedient children, who respect
and love His commandments.
Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 234
Those who have been obedient to God’s commandments will unite with the company of the
saints in light; they shall enter in through the gates into the city and have right to the tree of life. The
one shall be taken. His name shall stand in the book of life, while those with whom he associated
shall have the mark of eternal separation from God.
Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 234, 235
Those who are “do-nothings” now will have the superscription upon them, “thou art weighed
in the balances, and art found wanting”. They knew their Master’s will, but it did not. They had the
light of truth, they had every advantage but chose their own selfish interests, and they will be left with
those whom they did not try to save. “But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord
delayeth His coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the
drunken; the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for Him, and in an hour
that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites:
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth”.
Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 237
It is noticeably clear that those "taken" are the saved. In a parallel passage in the Gospel according
to Luke, Jesus responds to a question from His disciples about what will happen to those who will be left,
their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the air. Wow, it is better not to be left!
I tell you, in that night there shall be two in one bed, the one shall be taken, and the other
shall be left. Two shall be grinding together, one will be taken, and the other left. Two shall be in the
field, one will be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said to Him, where Lord? And He
said to them, wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
Luke 17: 34-37
The promoters of the doctrine of the secret
rapture like to think of some texts in the Word of God
where it is held that the Lord will come as a thief in
the night (we have quoted some in our study), texts
that supposedly support this doctrine.
They say that this, the entrance of a thief, is
a secret event that could indicate that what is
happening is hidden from others (such as the
inhabitants of the house), that this supports their
interpretation of the last events, but they forget that
there are biblical quotations such as the following:
But the day of the Lord will come as a
thief in the night, in which the heavens will
pass away with a rushing noise, and the
elements will melt with fervent heat. And the
earth and the works in it will be burned up.
2 Peter 3: 10
There Peter claims that "the Lord will come
as a thief" but then he narrates events that cannot
go unnoticed by anyone: when “the heavens will
pass away with a rushing noise, and the elements
will melt with fervent heat. And the earth and the

works in it will be burned up". There is no way to keep something like this a secret. The destruction of all
that is in the earth, all the works that constitute the glory of this depraved generation are consumed. I repeat,
there is no way for these events to go unnoticed, for there will be no human being left alive on earth when
this happens.
There is also no way to demonstrate biblically the existence of those 7 years under the dominion of
the Antichrist. We will not go into this now. When we study the prophecy of the 70 weeks of Daniel, we will
see something more on this interesting subject.
7.2. A false second coming
A warning from Scripture is that Satan will try to confuse us regarding the coming of the Lord. When
the event is about to occur Satan will attempt by lying miracles to confuse those who are waiting for the
Lord. Knowledge of the Scriptures and our daily consecration will enable us to identify the error. Nothing
replaces in preparation for the knowledge of the truth, the godly practice of Christian virtues, and prayer to
understand God's purposes.
Then if any man shall say to you, lo, here is Christ! or, there! Do not believe it. For false Christs
and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders; so much so that, if it were possible,
they would deceive even the elect.
Matthew 24: 23, 24
The time is coming when Satan will work miracles right in your sight, claiming that he is Christ;
and if your feet are not firmly established upon the truth of God, then you will be led away from your
foundation. The only safety for you is to search for the truth as for hid treasures. Dig for the truth as
you would for treasures in the earth, and
present the Word of God, the Bible, before
your heavenly Father, and say, enlighten me;
teach me what is truth. And when His Holy
Spirit shall come into your hearts, to impress
the truth into your souls, you will not let it go
easily. You have gained such an experience in
searching the Scriptures that every point is
established.
Without the enlightenment of the Spirit
of God, we shall not be able to discern truth
from error and shall fall under the masterful
temptations and deceptions that Satan will
bring upon the world. We are near the close of
the controversy between the Prince of light and
the prince of darkness, and soon the delusions
of the enemy will try our faith, of what sort it is.
If ever there was a time when we
needed faith and spiritual enlightenment, it is
now. Those who are watching unto prayer and
are searching the Scriptures daily with an
earnest desire to know and do the will of God,
will not be led astray by any of the deceptions
of Satan... We want the truth on every point.
We want it unadulterated with error and
unpolluted by the maxims, customs, and
opinions of the world. We want the truth with
all its inconvenience. The acceptance of truth
ever involves a cross. But Jesus gave His life
as a sacrifice for us, and shall we not give Him our best affections, our holiest aspirations, our fullest
service?
Ellen G. White, In Heavenly Places, 350
We cannot be deceived if we have put our trust in God. He will not allow those who wait for him
trusting in his Word to be dragged into error. Let us be alert, pray, and study.
The enemy is preparing to deceive the whole world by his miracle-working power. He will
assume to personate the angels of light, to personate Jesus Christ.
So far as his power extends, he will perform actual miracles. Says the Scripture: “he...
deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do”,

not merely those which he pretends to do. Something more than mere impostures is brought to view
in this scripture. But there is a limit beyond which Satan cannot go, and here he calls deception to
his aid and counterfeits the work which he has not power actually to perform. In the last days, he will
appear in such a manner as to make men believe him to be Christ come the second time into the
world. He will indeed transform himself into an angel of light.
He will come personating Jesus Christ, working mighty miracles; and men will fall down and
worship him as Jesus Christ. We shall be commanded to worship this being, whom the world will
glorify as Christ.
Just before us is “the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that
dwell upon the earth”. Revelation 3: 10. All whose faith is not firmly established upon the word of
God will be deceived and overcome. Satan works “with all deceivableness of unrighteousness” to
gain control of the children of men, and
his deceptions will continually
increase. But he can gain his object
only as men voluntarily yield to his
temptations. Those who are earnestly
seeking a knowledge of the truth and
are striving to purify their souls through
obedience, thus doing what they can
to prepare for the conflict, will find, in
the God of truth, a sure defense.
“Because thou hast kept the word of
my patience, I also will keep thee”
(verse 10), is the Saviour’s promise.
He would sooner send every angel out
of heaven to protect His people than
leave one soul that trusts in Him to be
overcome by Satan.
Ellen G. White,
Maranatha, 207
The enemy's crowning attempt
is when he will try to simulate the
second coming of Jesus, but God will
not allow him to perform anything that
in any way resembles it.
Although Satan is immensely
powerful and can perform marvelous
miracles before our eyes, he cannot
imitate the magnificence of the second
coming... but he will try to do
everything he can to confuse us.
Did not even Satan
marvelously transform himself into an
angel of light?
2 Corinthians 11: 14
As the second appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ draws near, satanic agencies are moved
from beneath. Satan will not only appear as a human being, but he will personate Jesus Christ; and
the world who has rejected the truth will receive him as the Lord of lords and King of kings.
The wrath of Satan increases as his time grows short, and his work of deceit and destruction
will reach its culmination in the time of trouble...
As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The
church has long professed to look to the Saviour’s advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now
the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will
manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description
of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. Revelation 1: 13-15. The glory that surrounds
him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out
upon the air: “Christ has come! Christ has come!” The people prostrate themselves in adoration
before him, while he lifts up his hands and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed His
disciples when He was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle,
compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Saviour

uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims
to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed.
He declares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name by
refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light and truth. This is the strong, almost
overmastering delusion. Like the Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the multitudes,
from the least to the greatest, give heed to these sorceries, saying: This is “the great power of God”.
Acts 8: 10.
But the people of God will not be misled. The teachings of this false Christ are not in
accordance with the Scriptures.
See the importance of knowing the truth, the doctrine, in order not to be deceived by appearances.
The Servant of the Lord says that this deception is “almost overmastering". We must take refuge in the Word
of God, in what has been revealed to us about this difficult time. God promises to remind us of those
messages so that we can stand firm, but each person must resist the deception on his or her own, do not
rely on what the pastor, or your spouse, or your small group director knows. Be prepared now personally to
confront error and distinguish it. Remember Paul's advice:
But even if we or an angel from Heaven preach a gospel to you beside what we preached to
you, let him be accursed.
Galatians 1: 8
7.3. The Heresy of the 6,000 Years
Some Adventists concerned about the imminence of the Lord's second coming have fallen into the
error of trying to set a date for the expected return. They have disregarded the clear warnings of the Lord
presented in His Word as well as in the Spirit of Prophecy.
They have assumed, based on a very ancient concept, that each day of creation represents a
millennium in the life of the earth since creation, and that the seventh day, the Sabbath, is equivalent to the
millennium in which the whole earth rests. Consequently, they think, Jesus should come at the end of the
six thousand years, so that it would be enough to know the relative date of the creation of this world to know
when Jesus would return. Although this association of ideas may seem interesting, it is an attempt to do just
what God says should not be done. On the other hand, the association day = millennium cannot be
supported in the Bible as has been done with the
association day = year, proven by the fulfillment of
prophecies based on historical events.
According to the ancient chronology of
Archbishop James Usher (17th century), Adam was
created in 4004 BC, so the 6,000 years must have
ended in 1997. As you and I would surely agree, Jesus
did not return on that date. But this theory is still in vogue
in a small sector of the SDA church, but highly active in
creating confusion.
Those who sustain this theory say that Ellen G.
White repeatedly speaks of 6,000 years of sin and that
she induces to think of a theory like this when in reality
she never sustains it or even suggests it.
We will show some of the quotations of the Spirit
of Prophecy to analyze this matter:
God endowed man with so great vital
force that he has withstood the accumulation of
disease brought upon the race in consequence
of perverted habits and has continued for six
thousand years. This fact of itself is enough to
evidence to us the strength and electrical energy that God gave to man at his creation...
Ellen G. White, Conflict and Courage, 21
Let us note that in her time she already spoke of 6,000 years of subsistence of the human race, and
she does so, as is logical, as a round number with which we can also agree today.
The great controversy between Christ and Satan, which has been carried forward for nearly
six thousand years, is soon to close; and the wicked one redoubles his efforts to defeat the work of

Christ in man’s behalf and to fasten souls in his snares. To hold the people in darkness and
impenitence till the Saviour’s mediation is ended, and there is no longer a sacrifice for sin, is the
object which he seeks to accomplish.
Here she uses the term “for nearly six thousand years" which really explains what she meant, stating
in round numbers what those of us who believe in a young earth hold, that this planet has about 6,000 years
of life. This is the merit of Usher and the scholars who have now created probable chronologies based on
the lives of the patriarchs, the exodus, the chronology of judges and kings that allow us to place creation
some 6,000 years in the past, something that of course evolutionary and uniformitarian geologists ignore.
The continual transgression of man for six thousand years has brought sickness, pain, and
death as its fruits. And as we near the close of time, Satan’s temptation to indulge appetite will be
more powerful and more difficult to overcome.
In this quotation, she speaks of the degeneration caused by sin during the same period.
Infidel geologists claim that the world is very much older than the Bible record makes it. They
reject the Bible record, because of those things which are to them evidences from the earth itself,
that the world has existed tens of thousands of years. And many who profess to believe the Bible
record are at a loss to account for wonderful things which are found in the earth, with the view that
Creation week was only seven literal days, and the world is now only about 6000 years old...
Ellen G. White, Lift Him Up, 52
Once again, she reiterates that this figure is to prove a young earth and not to pinpoint an exact time.
During all this time there has been a conflict in good and evil, between the fallen angel and his minions and
our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
“A noise shall come even to the
ends of the earth; for the Lord hath a
controversy with the nations, He will plead
with all flesh; He will give them that are
wicked to the sword”. Jeremiah 25: 31. For
six thousand years the great controversy
has been in progress; the Son of God and
His heavenly messengers have been in
conflict with the power of the evil one, to
warn, enlighten, and save the children of
men. Now all have made their decisions;
the wicked have fully united with Satan in
his warfare against God. The time has
come for God to vindicate the authority of
His downtrodden law. Now the controversy
is not alone with Satan, but with men. “The
Lord hath a controversy with the nations”;
“He will give them that are wicked to the
sword”.
Ellen G. White,
The Great Controversy, 656
Perhaps the favorite quote of those who
hold this heretical position is the following:
Satan’s work of ruin is forever
ended. For six thousand years he has
wrought his will, filling the earth with woe
and causing grief throughout the universe.
The whole creation has groaned and
travailed together in pain. Now God’s creatures are forever delivered from his presence and
temptations. “The whole earth is at rest and is quiet: they [the righteous] break forth into singing”.
Isaiah 14: 7. And a shout of praise and triumph ascends from the whole loyal universe. “The voice
of a great multitude”, “as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings”, is heard,
saying: “alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth”. Revelation 19: 6.
Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, 673
It is evident here, as in the approximately 37 quotations in Ellen G. White's published writings on
this subject, that she is not speaking of an exact period, but of a round number. There is no biblical support

for such a theory, much less with the repeated exposition in her writings that we should not look for dates,
much less announce them. What is clear is that the Lord told us that "of that day and hour no one knows,
no".
But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not the angels of Heaven, but only My Father.
Matthew 24: 36
7.4. Orion
Let me make a brief reference to a concept that appears a few times in the writings of the Spirit of
Prophecy and is really little more than a curiosity. It is obviously not a deep or significant doctrinal topic, but
it has a certain appeal to me. It is about the
relationship between the Orion nebula and the
second coming of Christ.
The Orion nebula, also known as
Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976, is a diffuse
nebula located south of Orion's Belt. It is one
of the brightest nebulae in existence and
can be seen with the naked eye in the night
sky.
It is located 1,270 ± 76 light-years
from Earth and has a diameter of
approximately 24 light-years. Some
documents refer to it as the Great Orion
Nebula, and the oldest texts call it Ensis, a
Latin word meaning "sword", a name also
given to the star Eta Orionis, which from
Earth is observed close to the nebula.
The Orion nebula is one of the most photographed, examined, and investigated astronomical
objects. It has provided crucial information about the formation of stars and planets from colliding
clouds of dust and gas. Astronomers have observed protoplanetary disks, brown dwarfs, strong
turbulence in the motion of gas particles, and photoionizing effects near very massive stars close to
the nebula.
Wikipedia, Orion Nebula (translated by the author)
The Servant of the Lord maintains that from the
open space of Orion “from which the voice of God came
forth" and that from there the New Jerusalem will descend.
It thrills me to think that from that beautiful constellation the
Lord will come. Evidently, I am not the only one who thinks
so since some artists have already expressed this idea.
Dark, dense clouds came over and clashed
against each other. The atmosphere split, rolling
backward, and then we could see in Orion an open
space from which the voice of God came forth.
Through that open space, the holy city of God will
descend.
Ellen G. White, Selected Testimonies,
Volume I, 109
(translated by the author)
It is interesting to note that NASA in its research
speaks of a "cavity" in the interior of Orion, which allows us
to see the stars found in the heart of the nebula.
Let me conjecture:
a. Orion is an entrance to the third heaven (the abode
of God).
b. There in the open space of Orion is the throne of God, and therefore heaven.
c. There functions God's factory (allow me the license) that is creating the New Jerusalem.
I think that based on the scarcity of information one could ask these or other similar questions. What
should not be done is to attempt, as some enthusiasts have done, to study the astronomical positions of the

main stars of Orion and try to locate the throne of God, the stellar clock, the four horsemen, the location of
the 24 elders, and other such things that escape what is perceptible by the sacred record or by information
provided by Ellen G. White. Let us take care that our enthusiasm to know does not lead us to conjectures
in search of something sensationalistic, but extraordinarily little sustained.
7.5. Silence for about half an hour
Although it is a subject that in general, we will deal with when we speak prophetically of the second
coming and the events that will occur immediately before, we will analyze a verse that appears in Revelation
within the prophecy of the 7 trumpets.
And when He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in Heaven for about half an hour.
Revelation 8: 1
In heaven, the songs of the angels permanently praise God, there is always music and joy. However,
when the second coming began, there was "silence in Heaven for about half an hour". If we apply the day
for year principle used in biblical prophecies, we could say that a prophetic day is equal to 360 days,
consequently, one hour would be 15 days, and half an hour would be like 7 days.
When the Servant of the Lord speaks of the return trip to heaven, after the second coming, she
speaks of a 7-day trip.
We all entered the cloud together and were seven days ascending to the sea of glass, when
Jesus brought the crowns, and with His own right hand placed them on our heads. He gave us harps
of gold and palms of victory. Here on the sea of glass, the 144,000 stood in a perfect square. Some
of them had very bright crowns, others not so bright. Some crowns appeared heavy with stars, while
others had but few. All were perfectly satisfied with their crowns. And they were all clothed with a
glorious white mantle from their shoulders to their feet. Angels were all about us as we marched over
the sea of glass to the gate of the city. Jesus raised His mighty, glorious arm, laid hold of the pearly
gate, swung it back on its glittering hinges, and said to us, “you have washed your robes in My blood,
stood stiffly for My truth, enter in”. We all marched in and felt that we had a perfect right in the city.
Ellen G. White, Early Writings, 16, 17
I understand that Jesus will also have used the same time to come at the end of the time of grace.
So, it is possible to suppose that the time of trouble will also last 7 days. Well... take it as a preview...
God bless you.

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18 The Second Coming 21.09.20 .pdf