Many people assume that Jesus will only return once at the end of the age. This leads some to conclude that a pretribulation rapture of the church is impossible, since it would require two separate comings of Christ. However, this objection overlooks some important biblical and historical considerations.
The Jewish Expectation of Messiah’s Coming
Interestingly, this objection parallels a mistake made by many Jews in Jesus’ day. They expected the Messiah to come only once as a conquering king to establish his kingdom. When Jesus arrived as the suffering servant, many rejected him because he didn’t fit their preconceived notion of a one-time Messianic appearance.
The Jews based their expectations on Old Testament prophecies of Messiah’s glorious reign. They failed to recognize other prophecies that pointed to his first coming in humility to suffer and die. Their rigid view of a single Messianic advent caused them to miss the Messiah when he came.
The Rapture vs. The Second Coming
The pretribulation view distinguishes between the rapture of the church and the second coming of Christ at the end of the tribulation. While both involve Jesus returning from heaven, they are separate events with distinct purposes:
The Rapture:
- Jesus comes for his saints (1 Thess. 4:16-17)
- Believers are caught up to meet Christ in the air
- Occurs before the tribulation
- A mystery not revealed in the Old Testament
The Second Coming:
- Jesus comes with his saints (Rev. 19:14)
- Christ returns to the earth to defeat his enemies
- Occurs at the end of the tribulation
- Prophesied extensively in the Old Testament
Biblical Support for Two Distinct Events
Several passages indicate these are separate events:
- John 14:1-3 – Jesus promises to come again to receive believers to himself, with no mention of judgment on the world.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – Describes the rapture as a “catching up” of believers to meet Christ in the air.
- Revelation 19:11-21 – Portrays Christ returning to earth with armies of heaven to defeat his enemies.
- Matthew 24:29-31 – Places Christ’s coming after the tribulation, in contrast to the imminent rapture.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8 – Indicates the day of the Lord cannot begin until after the rapture occurs.
The Imminent Return of Christ
A key distinction is that the rapture is presented as an imminent event that could occur at any moment, while specific signs and events precede the second coming during the tribulation.
As Dr. Thomas Ice notes:
“The combination of a Babelesque mentality of collective man defining his own existence coupled with the mechanism of funding science by politically controlled governments conspires to weaken the scientific enterprise that made modern civilization possible.”
This imminent expectation is seen in passages like:
- 1 Corinthians 1:7 – “as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed”
- Philippians 3:20 – “we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ”
- James 5:8-9 – “the Lord’s coming is near…the Judge is standing at the door!”
Conclusion
While it’s understandable to assume Jesus will only return once, a careful study of Scripture reveals a more nuanced picture. Just as the Jews missed Messiah’s first coming due to faulty assumptions, we must be careful not to overlook the biblical teaching on Christ’s coming for his church before the tribulation.
The pretribulation rapture view harmonizes the Bible’s teaching on Christ’s imminent return for believers with the prophesied events of his second coming in judgment. Rather than contradicting Scripture, it provides a coherent framework for understanding end-times prophecy.
As we await Christ’s return, may we heed his words to “keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Matthew 24:42).
