It is not possible for the earth to be peopled only by persons who have received the mark of the beast. They are doomed to the lake of fire. The millennial kingdom on the other hand appears to have within it a number who are followers of the Lord.
Therefore, the return for the rapture and the return to touchdown on Mt Olive MUST be different events.
14:9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."
20:3 and he cast him to the abyss, and did shut him up, and put a seal upon him, that he may not lead astray the nations any more, till the thousand years may be finished; and after these it behoveth him to be loosed a little time. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them, and the souls of those who have been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus, and because of the word of God, and who did not bow before the beast, nor his image, and did not receive the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand, and they did live and reign with Christ the thousand years; 5 and the rest of the dead did not live again till the thousand years may be finished; this [is] the first rising again. 6 Happy and holy [is] he who is having part in the first rising again; over these the second death hath not authority, but they shall be priests of God and of the Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 7 And when the thousand years may be finished, the Adversary shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 and he shall go forth to lead the nations astray, that are in the four corners of the earth -- Gog and Magog -- to gather them together to war, of whom the number [is] as the sand of the sea; 9 and they did go up over the breadth of the land, and did surround the camp of the saints, and the beloved city, and there came down fire from God out of the heaven, and devoured them;
Who are the saints and with what body?
Where are the raptured and with what body?
These who did not bow before the beast, nor his image, and did not receive the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand appear to be part of the first resurrection....which includes the raptured under a small exception clause, "we who are alive and remain will be caught up...."
Who are the 144,000 and with what body?
Who are those who are deceived by Satan after he is released, and with what body?
"Who are those who are deceived by Satan after he is released, and with what body"
Perhaps, like the Children of Israel repopulating the families during the 40 year migration, these are children of those "Left Behind". Remember, there is 1000 years and a whole lot of fooling around going on.
Strangely enough, I agree. The problem is not in Scripture or in my position, however, but in how we think of the Second Coming.
When you speak of the Second Coming, people tend to think of Yeshua simply appearing in the sky, touching down, and destroying the Antichrist's armies all in about five minutes of time. However, the Lord's First Coming encompased His birth, growing up, His baptism, His 3+ year ministry, His crucifixion, burial, Resurrection, and numerous "comings" and goings over forty days before His final departure into Heaven. Why should the Second Coming be any less complex?
I would define the Second Coming as starting with the Lord's visible appearance on the clouds of the sky after the Great Tribulation (Mt. 24:29-31), at which point the Church is Raptured (cf. 1 Th. 4:16-5:2), continuing through the Day of the Lord, when the wrath of the Lamb is poured out, and including the "coming" for Israel at which the Mt. of Olives will be split, the final "coming" at the Last Battle, and continuing right through the Millennium and beyond.