One thing the bible makes very clear is that Jesus Christ is going to return to earth and set up His kingdom out of Jerusalem, Israel. I believe we are living in the last of the last days before He returns. The signs are everywhere, as biblical prophecy is being fulfilled at an accelerated rate. The Word of God refers to His coming 1,845 times--1,527 in the Tenach (Old Testament) and 318 times in the New Testament. His Second Coming is mentioned eight times more than His First Coming. Jesus' return is mentioned in 23 of the 27 books of the New Testament. Over 50 times the bible tells us to be ready for His return. Examples: Luke 12:35-40; Romans 13:11-14. So we know, according to scripture, that He is returning. But when? At any moment? That is what the "imminent return" of Jesus Christ means. That He could come for His church at any moment, and that nothing biblical has to be fulfilled for that to happen. I have heard this teaching most of my life, and today many preachers are proclaiming this as absolute truth. But is it biblical? We will let the scriptures speak for themselves as we evaluate this popular doctrine.
CAN JESUS RETURN TODAY?
The first thing we have to do is find out where the doctrine of Jesus' imminent return began to be taught. If the "imminent return of Jesus Christ" doctrine is true, then it would have had to have been taught by the early church, after Jesus' ascension into heaven, and the early church leaders, as well as Paul the apostle, would have emphasized it in their teachings. Remember, they had two primary things to go on in teaching and preaching the truth. One, they had the Tenach (Old Testament) due to the fact that the New Testament had not yet been written. Secondly, they had Jesus' teachings and instructions. So if "the imminent return of Jesus" was true then Jesus Himself would have made it very clear. So let us examine this doctrine and see what we find out.
First, if the "imminent return of Jesus Christ" doctrine is true, then it would seem that the disciples would have remained in Jerusalem, waiting for His return. But they could not have believed such a doctrine to be true because Jesus had just given them a commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel. That takes time. The Gentiles had to hear the gospel before Jesus' return, which has taken around 2,000 years so far. There had to be inventions of airplanes, radio, television, satellite, the internet, etc. in order for the gospel to go forth over the centuries, and especially in these last days, to reach the world. Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19, 20 to "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
Secondly, the New Testament had to be written, which took at least until AD 90 to 95 when John wrote the book of Revelation, thus completing the 27 books of the New Testament. We also remember that the apostle Paul wrote his epistles over a period of decades. He most definitely did not believe in the "imminent return of Jesus Christ," as we will show from the scriptures that he wrote. He was also commissioned by Jesus Christ Himself to take the gospel to the Gentiles, which took time.
THE GREAT APOSTASY
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. II Thessalonians 2:1-3. KJV
As we examine the biblical text, we find two things that must transpire before Jesus returns for His church and it is taken out, or raptured. First, there must come the great apostasy, or falling away of many who have professed Christ as their Savior. These will be people who have been saved, but, for one reason or another, reject serving Christ Jesus any longer and go back into the world. We see this happening today as multitudes are leaving the church, being caught up in New Age doctrines, Far Eastern religions, the things of the world, etc. According to Webster's Dictionary, apostasy means "an abandoning of what one has believed in, as a faith, cause, principles, etc." That is why we are to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. Jesus told us in Matthew 24:9,10, Amplified Bible
Then they will hand you over to suffer affliction and tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended and repelled and will begin to distrust and desert (Him Whom they ought to trust and obey) and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred.
The apostle Paul says in I Timothy 4:1:
"Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and dorcrines of devils;"
This apostasy is both "moral" and "theological." Not only are people turning away from Christ Jesus today, but heretical theology is being taught in churches and seminaries, even denying the virgin birth, resurrection and return of the Lord Jesus. Both the moral and theological apostasy are going to increase at an accelerated rate in these last days before Jesus returns, but the great apostasy is yet to come. Jesus also emphasized two things that would be prevelant before He returned. Lawlessness and deception. We are seeing this happening today in every facet of society.
THE UNVEILING OF THE ANTICHRIST
The second thing that has to happen before the church is raptured is the unveiling of the Antichrist. II Thessalonians 2:7,8 says
"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth (restrains) will let (restrain), until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked (Antichrist) be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming":
The popular teaching today says that the church is the restraining force, and when the church is raptured then the Antichrist is revealed. That is not what the biblical text says. It is very clear that the Antichrist will be revealed before the church is raptured. We do not yet know what the restraining force is, but it is not the church.
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. II Thessalonians 2:1-3. KJV
Verse 3 in the Amplified Bible says, "Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day (the rapture) will not come except the apostasy comes first (unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come) and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom (of perdition)..." Emphasis mine.
The apostle Paul is very clear in the above scriptures, that the church will not be taken out (raptured) before the great apostasy, and the Antichrist is revealed. You cannot have it both ways, in that the restraining force in II Thessalonians 2:7 is the church, and that when the church is raptured, then the Antichrist is revealed. That is not what the biblical text says. It is very clear that the Antichrist will be revealed before the church is raptured. We do not know what the restraining force is, but it is not the church. Now let us go to the book of Revelation for further insight.
THE MARTYRED SAINTS
According to the scriptures, there will be two future resurrections. The resurrection of the saints, and the resurrection of the damned--those who rejected Christ in their life before they died. The resurrection of the saints takes place when the voice of the archangel shouts, the trumpet of God sounds, and Jesus returns in the air to take His church home. Those saints who have died will come out of their graves and be caught up together with those saints who are still alive at His return. This is not His Second Coming to earth, when He returns to set up His kingdom in Jerusalem, Israel. This coming in the air is to give His saints glorified bodies, and to take them to Heaven.
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep (who have died) in Jesus will God bring with him. 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 prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. I Thessalonians 4:13-18. Emphasis Mine.
This is called the "first resurrection." But when is the "first resurrection?" Is it before the tribulation period begins, and could it happen at "any moment?" Let us look at Revelation 20, verses 4 through 6.
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands: and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead (those who rejected Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord when they lived on earth) lived not again until the thousand years were finished: this is "the first resurrection." Blessed and holy is he that hath part in "the first resurrection": on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
In the above scriptures it tells us that saints who will not worship the beast, or his image, and will not receive his mark will be beheaded. If we understand the scriptures correctly, then this is during the Tribulation Period. But these scriptures also tell us that these martyred saints are part of the "first resurrection." What does that mean? It means that the church will be here during some of the Tribulation Period. There is only one "first resurrection", and that is for the church. The living and the dead in Christ. You cannot have it both ways. You cannot have the church taken out in the rapture at the "first resurrection" and not include these martyrs during the Tribulation Period. They are part of the "first resurrection" also. And since the church is still here during some of the Tribulation Period, then the "imminent return of Jesus Christ" cannot be true, because the Tribulation Period has not yet begun because the Mark of the Beast has not yet been issued.
So! If the "imminent return of Jesus Christ" is not true, then when is the rapture? We know that it cannot be pre-tribulation because the "great apostasy," and the "unveiling of the Antichrist" has not yet taken place, as Paul states in II Thessalonians 2:1-3. Nor has the Mark of the Beast been issued and saints martyred because they will not receive the Mark. One thing we do know is that there will be a rapture. If we must be martyred for the sake of Christ, so be it. We know that every saint will not be martyred because there are those who will be alive at the coming of the Lord to meet Him in the air. We must prepare for tribulation, but without fear, knowing that God is faithful. And whether we live or die, we will live together forever with Christ Jesus.
