How many Comings of the Lord?

The doctrine of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, while popular in some Christian circles, presents a fragmented view of Christ's return that is not only unsupportable by Scripture but also introduces unnecessary confusion into the biblical narrative. One key passage often cited by Pre-Tribulationists is 1 Corinthians 15:22-26, which they argue points to a Rapture before the Tribulation, followed by a distinct Second Coming after the Tribulation. However, a deeper examination of Scripture reveals that the Bible consistently teaches a unified event: the Rapture, resurrection, and Second Coming are all part of a singular moment at Christ's return. Furthermore, the suggestion of multiple comings of Christ is not only biblically inaccurate, but it also leads to a theological absurdity that Christians should outright reject. The idea that we are to expect a "third" or even a "fourth" coming of Christ is a distortion of the Christian hope in Christ's return. I do think however that not all Pre-Trubulationists agree with this exact messaging, so this strain of Pre Tribulation thought I call "Divided Advent Theology." But for sake of limiting confusion, I will still refer to them as Pre-Trubulationists.

The Pre-Tribulationist Argument: 1 Corinthians 15:22-26

Pre-Tribulationists often cite 1 Corinthians 15:22-26 to defend the idea that Christ will come secretly for His Church before the Tribulation, followed by a more public return afterward. The passage reads:

"For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death."

Pre-Tribulation proponents argue that "at his coming those who belong to Christ" refers to a distinct Rapture event before the Tribulation, while "then comes the end" refers to Christ's visible return at the end of the age. This interpretation effectively separates the Rapture from the Second Coming, suggesting two comings or phases of Christ's return. However, this reading adds unnecessary complexity to a passage that describes a much simpler sequence: Christ is the first to be resurrected, followed by the resurrection of believers at His coming, and then the final defeat of death and all opposing powers. There is no hint here of a pre-Tribulation Rapture. Instead, the passage speaks of one coming of Christ and the final consummation of God's kingdom.

The Absurdity of Multiple Comings

Are we seriously arguing about whether there is more than a Second Coming of Christ now? This notion is not only unsupported by Scripture but also introduces an absurd theological construct that has no place in Christian eschatology. The very term "Second Coming" implies finality and singularity. Christ came once in His incarnation, and the next time He comes, it will be the Second Coming—the climactic return to gather His Church, defeat His enemies, and establish His kingdom. The idea that there could be a "third" or perhaps a "fourth" coming of Christ is utterly absurd. Yet, that is exactly what Pre-Tribulation theology demands us to believe.

If we allow for a separate coming of Christ to rapture the Church before the Tribulation, followed by another coming to establish His kingdom after the Tribulation, we are forced to consider the possibility of even more "comings" in the future. Where does this end? Are we now to expect a series of Christ's returns, each with a different purpose? Do we start labeling them as the third, fourth, and fifth comings? The sheer absurdity of this idea should make it clear that something is wrong with the Pre-Tribulation framework.

  1. Theological Incoherence: The introduction of multiple comings of Christ fractures the coherence of biblical eschatology. The early Church, the apostles, and the Church Fathers consistently taught that Christians are to await the next coming of Christ—the Second Coming. Nowhere in Scripture or Church history is there a suggestion that Christ would come multiple times beyond His first and second comings. To argue for a series of comings, whether two, three, or more, undermines the simplicity and unity of the biblical narrative.

  2. A Third Coming? A Fourth?: If Pre-Tribulationists claim that Christ comes secretly for the Church in the Rapture and then returns again after the Tribulation, they are effectively promoting the idea of a third coming of Christ. But why stop there? If Christ can return twice after His ascension, what prevents Him from returning a third or fourth time? This opens the door to endless speculation about the purpose and number of future "comings." The more we indulge this line of thinking, the more it erodes the very foundation of Christian eschatology.

  3. The Christian Hope is in the Second Coming, Not a Series of Comings: The entire Christian tradition rests on the hope of the Second Coming of Christ—the singular event when Jesus will return in glory to judge the living and the dead, resurrect the believers, and establish His eternal kingdom. To suggest that Christians should now start looking forward to a "third" or "fourth" coming is a distortion of this hope. Are we seriously supposed to believe that the apostles, the early Church, and millions of Christians throughout history were wrong in their anticipation of one final, climactic return of Christ?

The Bible consistently presents the return of Christ as a singular, decisive event. Any suggestion of multiple comings fractures the unity of this message and introduces a level of complexity that simply does not exist in Scripture. As Christians, we should reject any theology that promotes such an absurd and unbiblical idea.

Only Ever the Next Coming of the Lord

Scripture is clear: there is only ever the next coming of the Lord, which we traditionally call the Second Coming. There is no third, fourth, or fifth coming of Christ. The Bible presents a simple, unified picture of what is to come: Christ came once in His incarnation, and He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. This is the heart of Christian eschatology, and it is what the Church has proclaimed for centuries. Any suggestion that there are multiple comings beyond the Second Coming is not only unfounded, but it also distorts the very hope we hold as believers.

The Bible speaks with clarity on this matter:

  1. Hebrews 9:28:
    "So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him."

Notice the language here: "a second time." The Bible explicitly teaches that Christ will return a second time, not a third or fourth time. This second coming is not divided into multiple stages or phases; it is one unified event where Christ will return to save His people.

  1. Acts 1:11:
    "This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

The angels made it clear that Jesus would return the same way He ascended. There is no mention of multiple future returns. The next time Christ returns, it will be in power and glory, not as a secret, invisible event.

  1. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4:
    "Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God."

This passage directly links the "coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" with "our being gathered together to him." There is no suggestion of two separate events. The return of Christ and the gathering of believers (the Rapture) are described as one event, not two. Furthermore, Paul makes it clear that this event will not happen until after the Antichrist (the man of lawlessness) is revealed. This clearly contradicts the Pre-Tribulation claim that the Rapture happens before the Tribulation. The Bible explicitly teaches that the Rapture and the return of Christ are part of a unified event after key Tribulation events have unfolded.

The Christian hope has always been in the Second Coming of Christ, not in a series of comings. To suggest otherwise is to misunderstand the biblical narrative and to distort the message of the Gospel.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 and the Timing of the Resurrection

Pre-Tribulationists frequently overlook the clear connection between the resurrection of believers and the "last trumpet" in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52. Paul writes:

"Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed."

Here, Paul describes the resurrection and transformation of believers happening at the last trumpet. The word last is crucial because it signals the final, climactic moment in God's redemptive plan. This is the same trumpet mentioned in Matthew 24:31 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, which occurs after the Tribulation, not before. The "last trumpet" signals the end of the age, not the beginning of a secret Rapture.

  • Matthew 24:29-31:
    "Immediately after the tribulation of those days... they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

  • 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17:
    "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord."

In both passages, the trumpet is sounded at Christ's return, after the Tribulation, signaling the resurrection and gathering of believers. There is no separate Rapture event before the Tribulation. The resurrection, Rapture, and Second Coming are all part of one event, which occurs at the next coming of Christ—the Second Coming.

Conclusion: The Rapture and the Second Coming are One Event

The idea of multiple comings of Christ—whether two, three, or more—is not only unbiblical, but it also introduces an absurdity into Christian eschatology that undermines the simplicity of the Gospel. Scripture clearly teaches that there is only ever the next coming of Christ, which we know as the Second Coming. This is the event that Christians throughout history have anticipated with hope and expectation. The Rapture, resurrection, and Second Coming all happen together as part of this singular, climactic event.

Pre-Tribulation theology, with its insistence on a separate Rapture before the Tribulation, leads to an untenable position that must be rejected. Christians are not awaiting a third, fourth, or fifth coming of Christ—just the next and final return of our Lord in glory. Let us remain faithful to the biblical truth that the Second Coming is the final act in God's redemptive plan, and let us reject any theology that seeks to distort this glorious hope. 

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