The New Testament presents the coming of the Lord Jesus as the hope, comfort, and encouragement of the Christian. Our hope does not rest in reforming the world, in politics, science, medical advances, technology, or education. We are waiting: “for His Son from heaven” (1 Thess 1:10). “For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20).
The Church, consisting of all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ in this age, is instructed from the Bible to watch and wait for His return. The expectation of His return encourages us to live holy lives (1 Jn. 3:2-3). This hope, properly held in the heart, spurs us on to labor and witness for our Lord (1 Thess. 5:6-7). The knowledge of that great reunion is a source of comfort as we, in this life, are separated from those who have died “in the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:13-18).
While the Saviour Himself emphatically declared, “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father” (Mk. 13:32), the Bible does not leave us in doubt as to the general timing of the Lord’s return.
The next event to occur on God’s timetable is the Rapture of the Church (Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Thess. 4:13-18). The Lord Jesus will return to the air and “catch up” from the earth living believers whose bodies will be transformed and equipped to live in heaven. Those believers who have died in the Lord will at that time be raised and meet the Lord in the air with the living saints. When will this great event take place?
The Lord’s return is premillennial. There are three major views held concerning the return of the Lord in relation to the establishing of His kingdom. All three use the word “millennial,” the Latin for 1,000:
1) Amillennial. This view teaches that there is no literal kingdom, no future for Israel. A general judgment will occur after the Lord’s return. It relies heavily on the “spiritualizing” method of interpretation.
2) Postmillennial. The Lord comes after the kingdom is brought in. The millennium is ushered in by the preaching of the gospel (or by social/political reform). This view has been revived today under the title of “Christian Reconstructionism.”
3) Premillennial. The Lord comes before the 1,000-year reign. It implies belief in a literal kingdom reign on earth by the Lord Jesus. He comes in power and glory to set up His kingdom. There is a literal 1,000-year reign of Christ (see Rev. 20:1-7). The promises to Israel will be literally fulfilled.
Why such a divergence of views? A person’s approach to interpreting the Bible will determine their eschatology, that is, their doctrine of last things. The premillennial view is arrived at by the application of a consistent literal interpretation of Scripture (see Dan. 2:35, 45; Isaiah 7:14; 11:6-8; Lk. 1:32-33). While most who believe in the Bible as God’s Word interpret the Bible literally, many abandon this approach when interpreting the prophetic portions of God’s Word.
For example, when Zechariah 14:4 states that His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives, the premillennialist interprets that to mean that His feet shall stand in that day on the Mount of Olives. When Luke 1:31-32 says, “Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest,” all would agree that this was literally fulfilled at the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Where the interpretive roads part is on the remaining portion of the verse which states, “…and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end” (Lk. 1:31-33).
One either has to spiritualize this part, ascribing to it some other meaning than what it says, or else consistently, literally interpret the entire verse.
The Lord’s return is also pretribulational. One question which faces students of Bible prophecy: whether or not the Church will go through any or part of the time of tribulation that the Bible declares is yet to come. Though volumes have been written on this subject, here are four reasons from the Bible that show that the Church will not go through the Tribulation.
The Nature of the Tribulation
The Tribulation is a period designed specifically for the nation of Israel. This is not to say that it will not affect Gentile nations or that they will not be involved. But note in the following verses the references to “Jacob,” “Israel,” “thy people,” referring to the Jews.
“These are the words that the Lord spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah…Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it…Therefore fear thou not, O My servant Jacob, saith the Lord; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid” (Jer 30:4, 7, 10). (See also Dan. 9:24-27; Mt. 24:15-24). The Tribulation is not a period of time that involves the Church.
The Nature of the Church
a) A Mystery: The Church which is His body did not exist in the Old Testament. It could not come into existence until the death of Christ, His resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Spirit of God to form the Church. Though the Church was in the eternal plan of God, it was not revealed and could not be known until the Lord chose to make it known by divine revelation as the following verses show:
“Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel: and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ” (Eph 3:5, 6, 9).
Because the Church is a New Testament entity not seen by the prophets of the Old Testament, the Church is not the subject of Old Testament prophecy. The Tribulation is the subject of Old Testament prophecy.
b) A “Parenthesis”: This age has been likened to a “great parenthesis” (see chart above). The age in which we are living is a period of time not seen in the Old Testament. The parenthesis began with the birthday of the Church at Pentecost. Something must close this parenthesis. That event will be the Rapture. The Church Age will end and God’s dealings with His Old Testament people will resume.
As the diagram seeks to illustrate, the Tribulation is a definite period of time mentioned in the Old Testament. The Church is not mentioned in that period of time. The age in which we are living is an indefinite period. Something must close the great parenthesis so that God’s prophetic time clock will once again begin to tick. Since the primary activity of God in this age is the calling out of the Church, and since this age began by the formation of the Church, it seems reasonable to conclude that the event ending this period of God’s dealings will be the removal of the Church.
c) The Absence of the Church in the Tribulation Passages of the Book of Revelation: The Church is not mentioned in the book of Revelation from 4:1 until chapter 19. Although there are “saints” seen, these are not to be confused with the Church.
d) The Stated Teaching of the New Testament: Compare Revelation 3:10 with 1 Thessalonians 5:9 and Revelation 6:17.
While space will not permit at this point a complete exegesis of these passages, a simple reading of these verses reveals that the Church has not been appointed to experience that time of tribulation.
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 express the hope and confidence of the Church: “…and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”
The Lord’s return is imminent–“any moment”: This term expresses the fact that there are no intervening signs which we are to look for, no great event to be fulfilled before the Lord’s return at the Rapture. This is not true concerning the Revelation of the Lord in power (see Mt. 24). The doctrine of His imminent return stresses the fact that He may come at any moment, that the time of His arrival is uncertain (as far as we are concerned–the Father knows the exact time of His Son’s return), and that no prophesied event stands between the believer and that hour. This produces in the believer a constant state of expectancy and an incentive for service and holy living.
As the coming of the Lord draws near, may we be reminded of the Bible’s closing words, “He which testifies these things says, Surely I come quickly.” May our hearts respond as did John’s that day, “Amen. Even so, come [quickly], Lord Jesus.”