You might also like to see the Outline of End-time Events
Contents
A. Definition of Imminent:
1.Impending, apt to happen at any moment, no prophesied events to take place before the rapture, could happen at any moment.
2.Not to be confused with "soon".
B. Argument of Imminence from Paul.
1.Paul knew about a number of future events: 2Thes 2:1-10
a. The coming Antichrist,
b. The tribulation period,
c. The rebuilding of the Jewish temple
d. Antichrist's seizure and desecration of that temple
e. Jesus Christ's second coming after these events to destroy Antichrist and to establish His Own Kingdom.
2.Paul knew that all these events had not happened and warned people not to be tricked into thinking they had actually occurred. 2Thes 2: 1,2
a. In other words, Paul was very aware of and believed in the literal events of Daniel's 70th Week (The 7 Year Tribulation Period -Dan 9:24-27).
b. Yet Paul believed these events had not yet happened or were happening.
3.But Paul uniformly believed that Christ would come for him and other believers during his lifetime and believers are to be ready at any moment.
a. 1 Thes 4:17 Then we who
are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air.
b. 1 Thes 1:9,10 They turned
to God from idols to serve and to "wait expectantly or eagerly" for
His Son
c. 1 Co 1:7 "Eagerly awaiting" for the apocalypse (revelation or disclosure) of our Lord Jesus Christ cp same word in Pp3 :20
d. Ti 2:11-13 "Looking for "that blessed hope and glorious appearing...
(1) Notice several other uses of this word: Mk 15:43 Lk 2:25 Lk 2:38 Lk 15:2 Lk 12:36 Ac 23:21
(2)Are these looking with expectancy-you decide?
4.The argument is simple:
a. Since Paul believed that the rapture coming of Christ was imminent,
b. But Paul knew that Christ's second coming is after the tribulation period with all its events,
c. Therefore we conclude:
(1)that Paul believed in two comings,
(2)that Paul believed that the rapture coming of Christ for His saints was before the tribulation period, and
(3)that Paul believed the coming to destroy antichrist and establish the kingdom was after the tribulation.
5.An argument against imminence is:
a. Question: Doesn't Paul mention in
2Ti4:6 that the time of his departure is at hand? This doesn't sound like he
believes in an imminent coming of Christ at that moment.
b. Answer: True, but this is just before his death. Notice in the same passage how significant an expectant looking for Christ is to a believer's eternal reward. vs 8
C. John Also Seemed to Believe in an Imminent Coming of Christ 1Jn3:2-3
1.John's Point: We live pure because he shall appear
2.The Argument: If we knew the coming was 7 years away, why would we be strongly motivated by this thought.
3.John even ends the book of the Revelation with the words, even so come, Lord Jesus!
D. Practical Points about Imminence
1.The rapture is imminent from our standpoint not God's Ac 15: 18
2.There are apparent benefits for us in believing in the imminent return of Christ to "catch up" His church.
A. The argument stated: There must be time between the going up in the rapture and the coming back with Christ to establish His kingdom.
B. The argument explained:
1.Key Verse: 1 Cor 15:51-52 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 incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
b. Problem: Mt 25:31-46 tells us that when Christ comes to earth some believers will have to be separated like sheep from goats and they will go into the kingdom in their unchanged bodies.
c. Dilemma to Other Positions: Why weren't these sheep "all" changed? Where did these sheep come from?
d. Conclusion: They must have been saved after the rapture. Savingenough saints to populate the kingdom would require some time. Could I suggest at least 7 years?
2.This argument spells trouble for those who see only "one" coming of Christ, during the end time events.
a. The Dilemma: How do any saints enter the kingdom in their natural bodies if the rapture occurs as Christ returns to establish His kingdom?
b. The Facts: There are natural bodied saints who can reproduce and die during the millennium. Is 65:17-20 & 23
A. The Argument Explained:
If we can show that the Elders in Rev 4&5 are in heaven, after the church age, before the tribulation and that these are church age elders who already have glorified bodies and also have already been rewarded. By implication we must then conclude that the rapture must already have taken place and that it was before the tribulation.
B. The Argument Unfolded
1.The Outline of Revelation is given in 1:19
a. Things past to John -things which thou hast seen Chp 1
b. Things present in John's day --the church age -things which are Chps 2,3
c. Things which are about to happen -- things which shall be hereafter. Chps 4-19
2.The first 3 chps fit the outline
a. Chp 1 Are things that were past to John -- things he had seen.
b. Chp 2&3 Are letters written to the churches --things which are the church age. Chp 4:1b things necessary to happen after these things. Compare this with 1:19c things about to happen after these things -- the Greek reads exactly the same except must vs about to.
(1)Rev 4:1 clearly begins the future part of the Book as outlined in 1:19 but before the tribulation of Chps 6-19..
(2)Rev 4:1,2 is symbolic of the rapture
(a) These vss come after the church age --represented by chps 2,3
(b) John is a church age saint who is experiencing the events of ch 4:1
(c) He sees a door standing open in heaven
(d) He hears a trumpet sound (1 Cor 15:52 and 1 Thes 4:16)
(e) He hears the words, come up thither-- words that evoke the thought of 1 Th 4:16 "caught up..."
(f)4:2 uses the word, immediately and I was in the spirit --evoking the thought of the immediate change that will take place at the moment of the rapture. 1 Cor 15:51
3.The elders are clearly in heaven because:
a. God's throne is there 4:2,3
b. They are seated around God's throne 4:4
4.These elders are not angels because;
a. They are seated in 4:4 and angels are never seated but are ministers He 1:7
b. The elders are distinguished from angels in Rev 5:11.
5.The elders are church age saints (not Jews from Israel or OT saints) as shown by three arguments:
a. Argument 1-They were redeemed by Christ to God from every nation: redeemed us to God out of every nation...Rev 5:9
(1)Notice all (25) but one Greek manuscript has "us".
(2)Notice that "them" of vs 10 is similar to the pronoun change in the Song of Redemption of Ex 15, which certainly does not involve a change of antecedent.
b. Argument 2--Rev 4:4 They have crowns of the type promised to church age saints --"stephanos" or victor's crowns, not regal crowns. This is the type of crown Paul said faithful church age believers would receive "on that day". 2Ti4:8
(1)1 Co3:13 and 2Co5:10 indicate that Christians will be rewarded at the judgment seat.
(2)Although the Bible does not say that the judgment seat will be at the rapture, most accept this from 2Ti4:8, 1 Co 3.13, etc.
(3)Therefore if the crowns were given after the rapture at the judgment seat of Christ -the timing is perfect for these elders to be raptured church age saints in heaven before the tribulation.
c. Argument 3-- The word elder has a "church age" connotation 1 Pe5:1-3, etc.
6.These elders have glorified bodies because they have thrones and crowns. Rev 4:4
a. The thrones and crowns imply that they have already stood before God in resurrected bodies and have been evaluated.
b. Contrast this with the tribulation martyrs who are told to wait and be patient until their number was complete. Justice would come to them. Rev6:9-11
c. But the 24 elders are already seated, crowned, rewarded.
7. Conclusion:
a. These 24 elders are church age saints, in heaven, before the tribulation period, with resurrected glorified bodies, who have already received their rewards at the judgment seat of Christ
b. Therefore we conclude that the rapture has already occurred by Rev 4:4 but the tribulation does not begin until Rev 6. The rapture of the church must occur before the tribulation period begins.
A.1 Th 5:3 refers clears to tribulation wrath, yet 1 Th5:9 in his context says that believers are not appointed to this wrath.
B. Rev 3:10 "...I will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon all the earth to try them that dwell on the earth."
A. This is an argument from silence, but a very good and loud one.
B. Church or churches are mentioned 20 times in Revelation, a book with 22 chps.
1. Of these 20 references to church or churches, 19 are found in chps 1-3
2. One is found in Rev 22:16 and refers back to the churches of chps 1-3.
3. No references are found to church or churches in chps 6-19, which are chapters detailing the coming tribulation period.
C. The church is the major emphasis of the NT after the early chps of the gospels It is the major theme of Rev 1-3 Is it conceivable that God should say nothing about it for 14 chps in the heart of Revelation?
1.In chps 6-19 the nation of Israel, the 12 Tribes of Israel, Antichrist, Jerusalem, Angels, Nations, Plagues, Wars, Armageddon, The Temple, Armies, Merchants, Luxuries, and many other themes are constantly mentioned. But the church is not mentioned one time.
a. Why?
b. Answer: The church is not on the earth during that time, but in heaven. The rapture is symbolized by the allusions of Rev 4:1-2 which happens before the tribulation begins.
2.ILL. Imagine taking a trip to Washington D.C, visiting all the sights for one or two days. In the midst you had the opportunity to visit with the President for 15 minutes Back home you are given 60 minutes to tell about your trip. Could it be conceivable that you would make no mention at all of your visit with the President?
D. Doctrine of the Pre-tribulation rapture is more a doctrine of the church (ecclesiology) than a doctrine of future events (eschatology).
A. Ep 3:1-11 reveals that the church was a mystery, not revealed in the OT.
B. The first mentions in the NT of the Church and the Church age come after Mt 12 in which Israel in effect commits the unpardonable sin. Immediately after this Jesus begins to talk in parables about the mystery form of the kingdom that would come before the actual kingdom would be realized. This perplexed the disciples and they asked him why He was speaking in parables Mt 13:9ff.
C. In response to Israel's rejection of the kingdom, which was the first emphasis of Christ's preaching (Mt 4:17, Mk 1:14), God postponed their kingdom and worked in the mystery plan about the mystery body (Ep 3:1-11).
D. Likewise, the mystery rapture (1Co 15:51) was never mentioned in the OT.
1.Is it far fetched to believe that a mystery body and mystery rapture are complimentary church doctrines?
2.The rapture is always spoken of as ending the church age, never as preceding the tribulation period --because the church age was a mystery
3.God will callout His mystery body, the church, before He again begins to work with Israel.
4.Ro 11 :25-27 it was a mystery, but blindness would happen to Israel until, the fulness of the Gentile be come in. When God is done with the church age, then he begins to deal again with Israel.
E. Re 1-3 is all about the church. Rev 6-19 is all about Israel. God finishes His program with the church on the earth, then turns again to bring about His promises to Israel. Behold the days are coming... Jer 23:5,31:27,31:31,33:14, Amos 9:13-14, etc.