Sudden, Any Moment, As a Thief: The Imminency of the Rapture and Then Gloom

The coming of the Bridegroom for His Bride will occur without warning or any prelude event.

Pastor Joseph Chambers / Paw Creek Ministries

Nothing will occur to enable anyone to prepare who is living carelessly and lukewarm. You must look for Him and even hasten for Him or you will be left behind.

The Pre-Tribulation Rapture is the one and single doctrine that clearly fixes the Bible model of this glorious moment. Every other teaching that our generation of lukewarm believers have adopted puts this event down the road yet untraveled. Let’s review this wonderful Bible lesson which leaves no doubt of the sudden time that will occur any moment. At the conclusion of this lesson, I will show you that only those looking, expecting, and living without spot and blameless will be raptured before hell covers this earth.

Imminancy of His coming is one of the Bible’s most beautiful mysteries.The Holy Ghost used one writer after another to declare this unmistakable truth. Let’s first consider the four primary attacks against the Pre-Tribulation Rapture.

First is the Mid-Tribulation View. This false doctrine has the Bride of Christ on earth for the first three and one-half years. Their main support is their misunderstanding of the rapture of the Tribulation saints. They totally deny the perfect outline that the Book of Revelation gave us. When John was caught up to Heaven in Chapter four of this masterpiece, he saw the saints now called elders around the throne. These raptured saints have on their robes of spotless purity and crowns on their heads. They are seen as a multitude in Chapter five before the Tribulation period even begins.

Second is the Pre-Wrath view. This places the primary rapture at the sounding of the last judgment trumpet which paved the way for the Seven Vials of Wrath. This suggests that the rapture will occur approximately five years and three months into the Seven Years of the Great Tribulation. This puts God’s most blessed saints on earth for some of the darkest times in human history. This view came from a man by the name of Marvin Rosenthal. I call this the results of human imagination.

Then we have the view of the Post-Tribulation doctrine. There is clearly a company of saints that are tormented and killed after the tribulation saints in Chapter seven. This doctrine believes this occurs at the end of the seven years and is seen in Revelation Chapter 20 (Revelation 20:4-6). These saints were left behind at the Pre-Tribulation and had not repented before the Tribulation saints were caught up in Chapter seven. These are indeed the last of the First Resurrection which occurs in Seven orders.

The last primary view puts the rapture at the end of the One Thousand Years of the Millennial Reign. Some say there is a rapture and this great company is caught up but immediately return with Christ to begin eternity. Others simply believe Jesus come to resurrect the earth and eternity begins. There are too many connecting views to fully explain this false idea.

The only great truth for our exciting future that allows for a little truth in some of these ideas, but settles the Imminancy question, is the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. Bible teachers are very adept at conjuring up human speculation that misses the picture of our “Great Hope” that floods the Bible. Jesus said, “Only the Father knows the hour” of our sudden triumph. “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” (Matthew 24:36)

What a glorious moment that awaits us. Look now at the absolute proof of His sudden and unannounced coming. The Imminancy is so radically true that nothing of warnings can preclude His coming. We often speak of sudden things as “out of the blue.” This is really true because He comes in the clouds and they are always lined with “Carolina Blue.” (That’s just a little pitch for my state of North Carolina.)

Apostle Peter declared in his second epistle that he was reminding the saints about this future time of judgment preceding His coming. He wrote,“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (II Peter 3:10) What a beautiful way to show how sudden this time will occur. A thief must depend on surprise to even have a slight chance of success. He does not text you to say “I’m coming.”

The Son of God explained this coming Marriage Supper and His sudden appearance to get His Bride as completely unannounced. “While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.” (Matthew 25:5-9) It is foolish to surmise that those foolish virgins were not perfectly surprised. There were “virgins” ready in every way except the fire had gone out of their excitement for Him. They were too busy with earthly things.

Jesus spoke again in a different message to show His saints the truth of His sudden return for them. He wanted them to have a constant joy in Him and stay ready for His return. He would absolutely accept no other level of love. “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (Luke 21:34-36) Careless Christians are going to be disappointed.

Another way Jesus shows us His sudden return is His warning about the same problem Noah’s generation suffered. “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” (Matthew 24:37-42) He named nothing that was a sin in its truest form. Much of the multitudes who miss the rapture will be good people that failed to listen to the truth and live a fiery devotion to Jesus Christ.

Apostle Paul never missed teaching the great truth of His Imminent Return.This apostle called it “a mystery,” which I spoke of at the beginning of this article. A mystery from the Bible is understood by “Divine Inspiration.” This is the reason so much darkness fills the prophecy streams. Listen to his wisdom that came by the Holy Ghost. “Behold, I shew 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (I Corinthians 15:51-52)What a powerful warning, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”

Apostle Paul further wrote to the church at Thessalonica, “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.” (I Thessalonians 4: 15-17) Do not doubt that these words are by the Spirit and cannot be altered or changed. He will be here right on time, and you will be glad you were ready.

Looking for Him to come is an absolute command. Many are saying “I am watching for the antichrist” and they may indeed live to see him. You will never find in your Bible a command to look for the “man of sin,” and if you see him it will not be a happy sight. O, but looking for Jesus is the greatest joy in the world. Looking for Jesus is joy while you wait.

The Holy Ghost said, “…unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” (Hebrews 9:28b) Apostle Peter made this even more exciting, he said “Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” (II Peter 3:12) We do not speak of looking up in the clouds but living a life of total surrender and breathtaking expectancy. The word looking means “anticipation and expectation.” It carries the thought of “joyous expectation.” The word “hasting” suggests someone that is rushing toward the marvelous hour of His return. We actually want Him to come more than we want our necessary needs of life.

Simply speaking, He wants our love for Him to be a consuming part of our life. Nothing must be more exciting than to hear the trumpet sound and be gone with Him to the Marriage. If you love anything else better, you should pray until the love of Christ rises in you to a consuming level. He is coming for those that love him.

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“Two in the Field, One Taken and One Left”