Will Christians be raptured before the tribulation? Or will we rise to meet the Lord only at his final coming? Advent is a season for waiting. Of course, we are not waiting for the birth of Christ any longer. But we are awaiting the second advent of Christ, his return to earth. Those two advents are not far removed from one another, nor should they be. Christmas is a very fitting time to dwell on the return of Christ. But will Christ return in the future once or twice? It’s a good question from a listener named Nick. “Pastor John, I know this is a huge debate, but I would love your thoughts. How many times is Jesus coming back? Is he coming back in the rapture (according to 1 Thessalonians 4:16 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; –17) and then returning a second time to defeat Satan (according to Revelation 19:11 11 And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon called Faithful and True; and in righteous he doth judge and make war. –21)? Is Christ returning one more time, or two more times?” Episode 1292: https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/what-is-the-rapture Related Resources: “How Soon Is Christ’s Return?” https://youtu.be/P0xIewwuJcY “Will We Meet Jesus as Soon as We Die?” https://youtu.be/AvnGL1FCAWY “Will Some Saints Be Happier in Heaven?” https://youtu.be/3vC_CgHZ4Ko “How Will Christ ‘Reconcile’ Unbelievers to Himself?” https://youtu.be/QA-YUSLp3Xo Ask Pastor John Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKvMOJ1T8T4&list=PLFF7F6AE365DA3564 Find other recent and popular Ask Pastor John episodes, http://desiringgod.org/ask-pastor-john