What is the difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming?

The rapture and the second coming of Christ are often confused.
Sometimes it is difficult to determine whether a scripture verse is
referring to the rapture or the second coming. However, in studying
end-times Bible prophecy, it is very important to differentiate
between the two.

The rapture is when Jesus Christ returns to remove the church (all
believers in Christ) from the earth. The rapture is described in 1
Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-54. Believers who have
died will have their bodies resurrected and, along with believers who
are still living, will meet the Lord in the air. This will all occur
in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye. The second coming is when Jesus
returns to defeat the Antichrist, destroy evil, and establish His
millennial kingdom. The second coming is described in Revelation
19:11-16.

The important differences between the rapture and second coming are as follows:

1) At the rapture, believers meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians
4:17). At the second coming, believers return with the Lord to the
earth (Revelation 19:14).

2) The second coming occurs after the great and terrible tribulation
(Revelation chapters 6–19). The rapture occurs before the tribulation
(1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 3:10).

3) The rapture is the removal of believers from the earth as an act of
deliverance (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, 5:9). The second coming includes
the removal of unbelievers as an act of judgment (Matthew 24:40-41).

4) The rapture will be secret and instant (1 Corinthians 15:50-54).
The second coming will be visible to all (Revelation 1:7; Matthew
24:29-30).

5) The second coming of Christ will not occur until after certain
other end-times events take place (2 Thessalonians 2:4; Matthew
24:15-30; Revelation chapters 6–18). The rapture is imminent; it could
take place at any moment (Titus 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1
Corinthians 15:50-54).