Dr. Couch Is Hebrews 9:28 about Christ appearing a second time
discussing the rapture of the church or His coming to reign? I am having
trouble with this passage.
First of all many confuse what the message of Hebrews is all about, and
too, who the audience is. Without question the letter was sent to a
group of Christians, but the purpose was to use the letter as a polemic
or an apologetic document for the Jews who knew of Christ but had not
accepted Him as their Messiah and Savior. There is no way the book was
written to keep wayward Jews from falling back! This won’t fly. Why do
you think the early church called the book "The Letter to the Hebrews!"?
And why do you think it was accepted late in the canon? Because the
early church could not figure the book out. They tried to make it a
normal letter like those of Paul and Peter.
Hebrew 9:28 reads: "So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the
sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation without
reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him."
The "second time" is related to the "first time." The first coming was
literal, actual, physical, and historical. The second appearance will
have the same qualities: literal, actual, physical, and historical. In
the rapture His feet do not touch the earth. The church is caught up to
Him (1 Thess. 4:17). "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
thus we shall always be with the Lord."
The rapture is not the SECOND
COMING! He does not appear on earth!
The word "appear" in 9:28 is the Greek word horao and it is in the Fut.
Pass. Ind. verb form, translated: "He in the future will be made
visible." Interestingly, the Greek simply says "He in the future will be
made visible OF THE SECOND." The Jews reading this knew He had come THE
FIRST.
Conclusion: This is not the rapture! And, the rapture would have nothing
to do with these unsaved Jews. Besides, the rapture of the church is
never called "the second coming" or THE SECOND! But the author of
Hebrews had thoroughly documented His first coming, and its meaning,
i.e., He came to save! They completely understood that His second coming
was to reign!
Thanks for asking.
Dr. Mal Couch
