Is the Rapture Imminent?

There are two fundamental questions on the issue of imminency. First, did the New Testament saints believe in it? And second, what does imminence really mean? The first question should be easy to answer. If the New Testament believers were waiting expectantly for the Lord to return, surely it would say so in the epistles. And of course they do, in profusion. For example:

Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus… (1 Cor. 1:7).

For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till He come (1 Cor. 11:26).

For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:20).

…Ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven… (1 Thess. 1:9- 10).

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not [precede] them which are asleep (1 Thess. 4:15).

And…I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 5:23).

For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry (Heb. 10:37).

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord…Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh (Jas. 5:7-8).

And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming (1 Jn. 2:28).

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John (Rev. 1:1).

Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown…Behold, I come quickly… And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be…He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come [quickly], Lord Jesus (Rev. 3:11; 22:7, 12, 20).

This sampling should clearly and convincingly indicate the spirit of expectancy in the hearts of the Christians at the dawn of Church history.

But, say some, we have some other verses to quote. What about Jesus’ prophesying the destruction of the temple? And what about Peter being told how he would die? And all those signs that had to come to pass? And what about the historical sketch of the Church age given in the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3? Obviously they couldn’t believe in an “anymoment” return of Christ before all these events came to pass, could they?

This is the reason why Question 2 is so important. The imminent return of Christ does NOT mean that He could return at any time. The Lord Jesus Himself told us that the Father has a specific time in mind when He will send His Son back to receive His people (Mt. 24:36; Mk. 13:32). God has a specific moment on His calendar set for the return of Christ.

When we speak of the imminent return of Christ we mean that as far as we are concerned He could come at any time. But because the Father knows the exact time, He is of course free to reveal—through His Son, His Spirit, or His servants who wrote the Scriptures— events such as were mentioned in the previous paragraph. But that does not abrogate imminency for us.

When the Lord Jesus said that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt. 4:17), or that “the time is at hand” (Rev. 22:10), what did He mean? Is a period of 2000 years “at hand”? Perhaps, if we use the explanation given in 2 Peter 3:8, making the interval only two days in length. Rather, I think the meaning is this: If I have a glass of water “at hand” I do not necessarily pick it up immediately, but there is nothing to stop me from doing it. So there is no fulfillment of prophecy, no event, no good reason, to keep the Lord from returning for His Church EXCEPT the longsuffering grace of God who is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).