There is no scripture that says Jesus only appears once at the end time. This is a false premise by which some interpret scripture. Let scripture speak for itself. The three appearances of Christ in Revelation do not represent the same event repeated throughout the book. There are no examples of individual prophetic visions in the Bible that make use of such flashback/flash-forward styles found in modern cinema. Daniel, who received multiple visions throughout his lengthy life gave more detail in each of his visions, yet he always gave the revelations in chronological order. The order usually concerned aspects of the four kingdoms Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Jesus appeared multiple times after His resurrection. He is in charge of the end times and has clear reason for his multiple appearances at the end time.
First Appearance – Jesus appears at the rapture at an hour least expected, Matthew 24:44. People will be going about their work as usual. If it were at the end of the Great Tribulation, it would be expected rather than unexpected. This event could be timed at seven years after the events beginning in Revelation 11.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
We do not get caught up (raptured) from work in the field, Matthew 24:40, meet the Lord in the clouds, and then immediately get dropped onto horses to become part of his army riding for battle at Armageddon. The rapture is at the beginning of the Great Tribulation to keep the church from pointing out the identity of the Antichrist and interfering with his plans.
The Sixth Seal – Revelation 6:16 and they *said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
This wrath in Revelation 6 is not a pre-vision of the Battle of Armageddon but the devastation of falling stars (meteors). A view of heaven is clearly seen including the one sitting on the throne of God and the Lamb. Jesus does not come down to earth here as He will at Armageddon.
Similar devastation continues in Revelation 8. The parenthesis to heaven in Revelation 7 is not a significant break in time. Chapter 8, The Seventh Seal, just continues the devastation from heaven begun during seal 6 which was simply for the purpose of the “harpazo,” catching up to heaven.
Revelation 7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;
The throne and the Lamb, here in chapter 7, were just witnessed by the unbelievers on earth at the rapture in Revelation 6:12-17. The Bible says, “and every eye shall see Him,” Revelation 1:7.
Second Appearance – Jesus appears in Revelation 14 to take the 144,000 Jewish witnesses to heaven. They were sealed on their foreheads for protection in Revelation 7:1-13 from the events they were to endure in Revelation 9, which includes the stinging locust. This is therefore not a glimpse of Armageddon. They will be caught up in Revelation 14 once their mission is done. This leads one to assume that those in heaven from every tribe, tongue, and nation in Revelation 7:9-14 are also not a pre-vision of those at Armageddon any more than the 144,000 were. Rather they are the church safely out of harm’s way from the disaster unfolding through seal seven.
Revelation 14:1 Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.
Revelation 14:6 These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.
This is a group distinct from those in Revelation 7:9-14 who are from the entire earth. Jesus actually touches down on earth, but this is not for Armageddon. It’s a second rapture, actually a third if you count those Jesus led on High at his resurrection.
Third Appearance – Finally, Jesus appears with His armies confronting the armies Gathered against Him at Armageddon in Revelation 19. This is the marriage supper of the Lamb. The Antichrist is defeated. He and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire. There is no mention of the catching up, “rapture,” at this event. Those who became Christians during this period who were martyred will be resurrected to rule during the millennium. Those who were not martyred will populate the millennium. Everyone is now accounted for.