Ankerberg: Absolutely.
Second question, okay?
We've done this series on Revelation, and you fellows have talked about the rapture
could happen any moment.
People want to know, how do you know that it could happen any moment?
And what does this word mean that you've used a couple times, called imminent?
Where do you have a Bible basis for talking about the rapture could happen at any time?
Hindson: Well, in Paul's letter to the Corinthians he talks about this and says in a moment,
in a flash, in a twinkling of an eye.
So something related to the coming of Christ has to happen quickly, suddenly, instantly.
And throughout the book of Revelation seven times you have that phrase, "I'll come
quickly," "I'll come quickly."
It says, though, He comes and snatches away the church, and that could potentially happen
at any moment.
Hitchcock: Well, when we use the word imminent, we're not meaning that it's immediate
necessarily.
What we're saying is there's nothing else that has to happen before the rapture takes
place.
So, the rapture is an event that is certain to take place, but it's uncertain when it
will happen.
It's kind of like "the big one" that everyone's waiting for out in California;
you know, this big earthquake that's going to come.
Everybody knows it's coming, but no one knows when it's going to happen.
So it's an imminent event, it's an event that can take place at any time.
And this is really born out in the Scriptures in 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10.
Paul is writing to the church at Thessalonica.
He says, "You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait
for his Son from heaven… who delivers us from the wrath to come."
And the word that's used there, to wait, literally means to wait up for.
We're to wait up for His Son from heaven.
And if you're waiting up for someone, then the idea is that they could come at any point
in time.
And it says there too that He's coming to deliver us from this coming wrath, from this
time of wrath that's coming in the tribulation.
So this also supports the idea that His coming will be before this time of wrath that's
coming on the earth.
Ankerberg: Yes.
Rhodes: I think also in Revelation 3:10 it talks about how the church will be delivered
from the hour of trial that is to come.
Now, I want you to understand that it's the time period that we are to be delivered
from, not just tribulation.
It's not as if God is going to sustain us through a period of tribulation, but rather
the Church will be kept out of the period of tribulation.
It's the Greek word "ek," which means "out of".
So the Church will be kept out of the period of tribulation.
And, John, this is distinct from general tribulation.
All of us as Christians experience general tribulation.
Life is tough sometimes.
But that's distinct from this period of tribulation that is coming on the earth.
And all the verses that deal with the rapture talk about how we're going to be delivered
from that time before it even begins.3.
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