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177
“Imminency and the Pre-Tribulation Rapture”
by Art Sadlier   
May 1st, 2006

Sound the Trumpet! Joel 2:1

In regard to the rapture, imminency means the rapture could take place at any moment. No event must occur first. Charles Ryrie says: "An imminent event is one that is hanging over one's head, ready to take place." The rapture is and always has been an imminent event. That means that the rapture is a signless event, an event that could always happen at any moment.

IN CONTRAST The Second Coming of Christ can only occur after all of the many signs given have taken place. The Second Coming will take place exactly 7 years (2520 days) after the Peace Treaty is signed between Anti-Christ and Israel. It will occur 3 1/2 years, (1260 days) after the Abomination of Desolation has taken place - it will not be a surprise event, and it is not an imminent event.

IMMINENCY IS TAUGHT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

  • 1 Cor. 1:7 - Implies eager anticipation
  • 1 Cor. 16:22 - Maranatha = MAR" Lord "ANA" = Our "THA" = Come - Our Lord Come. This was a common greeting in the Early Church.
  • 1 Pet. 1:13 - Fix your hope completely on the Coming of Christ.
  • Jude 1:21 - Look for the Coming of Christ
  • Rev. 3:11 - "Quickly" = suddenly (implies "Be Ready")
  • Rev. 22:7, 20 - "Quickly:" = "Behold I Come Suddenly"

IMMINENCY demands a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church and cannot possibly refer to the Second Coming.

Dr Donald Grey Barnhouse loved to sing the old hymn:

"Is It The Crowning Day?"

Jesus may come today,

And I should see my friend;

Dangers and troubles would end

If Jesus should come today.

Is it the crowning day?

I'll live for today, nor anxious be,

Jesus, my Lord, I soon shall see;

Glad day! Glad day! Is it the crowning day?

Dr. Barnhouse wrote a verse for Mid and Post-Tribbers

Jesus can't come today,

Sad day! Sad day!

And I won't see my friend;

Dangers and troubles won't end

Because Jesus can't come today.

Sad day! Sad day!

Today's not the crowning day!

I won't live for today,

and anxious I'll be,

The Beast and the False Prophet

I soon shall see,

Sad day! Sad day!

Today's not the crowning day!

Only the Pre-tribulation interpretation fits with IMMINENCY so clearly taught in the Scripture.

MID-TRIBULATION RAPTURE? The main argument in support of a mid-tribulation rapture is in equating the last trumpet of 1 Cor. 15:52, with the trumpet of Rev. 11:15. The suggestion is that the last trumpet of 1 Cor. 15:52, which signifies the Rapture, is the same as the 7th trumpet of Rev. 11:15 which occurs somewhere in the mid-point of the Tribulation Period. This implies that the rapture will take place at that time.

However, these two trumpets are unrelated, the last trumpet of 1 Cor. 15:52 is the last trumpet of the Age of Grace, the Church Age, and the 7th trumpet of Rev. 11:15 is the last trumpet in a series of judgments.

Mid-Tribulationism takes away IMMINENCY which is clearly taught in scripture.

A UNIQUE GENERATION The NT scriptures teach us that there will come a generation of believers who will see the signs of the approaching Day of the Lord (DOL-Tribulation Period) and know that the rapture is near, because, it will precede the Day of the Lord by seven years.

PAUL TAUGHT THAT in 1 Thess. 5:4 He taught that there would come a generation who would recognize the signs of the approaching DOL He said, "But ye brethren are not in darkness, that That day should overtake you as a thief."

THE WRITER TO THE HEBREWS TAUGHT THE SAME THING in Heb.10:25. He said, "as ye see the Day approaching". When you see the DOL approaching, this is what you ought to do, be faithful in assembling together, and exhort one another. That clearly implies a specific generation.

JESUS TAUGHT THE SAME CONCEPT after He gave the signs of events that will take place in the Tribulation Period (Mt.24). He says in verse 33 “There will come a generation of His followers, who will "know” that the rapture is near, even at the doors." That is the rapture, which is confirmed in Lu.21:28 "begin to come to pass" implies not the Second Coming, at which time the signs will be completed, but it implies the rapture at which time the signs will have just begun to come to pass. Also Rev. 3:10 which promises the church to be kept from the Tribulation Period. (The promise of Christ)

FULFILLED PROPHECY TODAY confirms that we are that generation! The signs of the soon coming Tribulation Period are multiplying all around us. Dr. John Walvoord has stated what an ever-growing number of pastors and Bible teachers believe. He stated, "Never before in history have all the factors been present for the fulfillment of prophecy relating to the End Time Event. Only in our generation have the combined revival of Israel, the formation of a World Church, the increasing power of Islam, the rise of Occult, the Worldwide spread of Atheistic Philosophy, all been present as a dramatic setting for the fulfillment of Prophecy.

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