Hi Folks,

I’ve said that I would say no more about imminence but I have to say a little more. Did you know that Charles Spurgeon, J. C. Ryle, and George Mueller, believed in imminence? I’m not saying that they believed that the Rapture was imminent, although I think that they may indeed have believed that (The Second Coming of Christ: Encouragement to Watch and Be Ready for Our Lord’s Return [Updated and Annotated] by Dwight L. Moody , Harriet B. Stowe, et al.) These were men, and one woman, who took the Scriptures literally, including prophecy. They absolutely believed that the Second Coming was imminent and they based this belief on verses like these:

Matthew 24:27 NKJV

For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Matthew 24:36 NKJV

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.

Matthew 24:42 ,44,50 NKJV

[42] Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.

[44] Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

[50] the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of,

Matthew 25:6,13 NKJV

[6] “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’

[13] “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

Now, it certainly seems to me that the Rapture is not mentioned in the synoptic gospels. But imminence certainly is mentioned. What should we make of that?

These saints - Spurgeon, Ryle, Mueller, and others too - didn’t say be ready for the coming of the Lord at any time after the Tribulation. They just said be ready, the Lord could come at any time. That is imminence!

Now, exactly what does all this mean? I’m not certain. But I am certain of this: these saints believed that the Lord could return at any moment, although not necessarily soon, and they did not know when. That’s imminence. And they rejoiced in this. That has to mean something. These folks were looking for the blessed hope! Just read what they wrote. You can find it in the book that I just referenced.

So much for imminence. At least for now.

Now, does the Rapture happen before the Tribulation? Absolutely! Why? Here are a few reasons. It’s not an exhaustive list.

* The Rapture must occur in order for the Antichrist to be revealed.

* 2 Thessalonians 2:7–8 “7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;”

* Therefore the Rapture must occur in order for the Tribulation to start.

* Therefore the Rapture must occur in order for the Time of Jacob’s Trouble to start, which is the second half of the Tribulation, called the great Tribulation by Yeshua. See Matthew 24:15 and 24:21 .

* Therefore the Rapture must occur in order for the Jewish people, in their extreme desperation, to call for their Messiah and to mourn for Him as one mourns for an only Son (Zechariah 12:10 ).

* Therefore the Rapture must occur for the Lord Jesus to return a second time.

* Therefore the Rapture must occur for the Messianic Kingdom to be set up.

Also:

* The Rapture must occur before the Tribulation in order for the Apostle Paul to say, when describing the Rapture: Comfort one another with these words. If these believers were going to go through the Tribulation, Paul would not have said this.

* The Church is not mentioned in Revelation 6-18. Why? These chapters deal with the Tribulation. The Church is not in the Tribulation because it has been raptured to heaven.

I’ll leave it at that for now. The Rapture is important and it is pretribulational.

So, Folks, that’s it on the rapture for now. It’s been my pleasure and privilege to talk with you all about these things. Please, if you agree or disagree, or if any of this is new or useful to you, or if you think that it is woefully wrong, let me know by leaving a comment on Substack. Thank you, and God bless you all.

This is Art Wolinsky.

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