Imminence
Imminence is what
we are talking about. It means that
something can happen without warning at any time. And we are looking at the most prominent
feature of Matthew’s recollection of Jesus’ words to His disciples the evening
before the last supper.
Recapitulation
In this discussion, called the Olivet Discourse, Jesus
presented some future events that concern Jerusalem, Judea, and the rest of the
world. We first looked at the
interadvent age in which there are only two specifically predicted events along
with eight general characteristics that will grab a lot of attention and some
might falsely believe to be omens that Jesus is about to return. But, there are NO such omens telling us that
Jesus is about to return. He can come at
any moment.
The Telos
But when the period of the End (the Telos) comes, it is kicked off with a powerful world leader
(probably from Europe) initiating a seven-year peace treaty that includes
Israel and many other world powers. (Many
people long for such a treaty today!) 3½ years into the treaty, this leader
breaks His promise and demands that Israel and the rest of the world worship
him as he takes his seat in Israel’s holy temple that has been rebuilt. Jesus
and Daniel both called this event the “abomination of desolation.” He warned those living in Jerusalem and Judea
to run for their lives when this happens.
Jesus pointed to the details as laid out in Daniel chapter 9 (and later clarified
by Paul the apostle in 2 Thessalonians 2).
Daniel and the Interadvent Age
Daniel’s prophecy also tells us that the current interadvent
age began when Christ came to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Two other predicted events happen in this age: the Messiah is killed and then Jerusalem and
the temple are destroyed by the nation from which the future world ruler comes
from.
Note: This nation was the Roman Empire whose mantle today has
been inherited by the European Community. Although many former colonies such as
the US, the British Commonwealth, and other former European colonies may have
cultural ties to Europe they are not at all controlled by Europe today although
they do have trade and defense treaties with it. But a treaty guaranteeing the security of
Israel, if led by Europe, would also likely be signed by these former colonies.
This interadvent age, then, is the period we now live
in. There are no more signs until the End
comes and the world ruler is revealed.
About seven years later the Messiah comes to Jerusalem the second time. So, the appearance of this world ruler is the
beginning of the end and the opening sign for the seven-year countdown to
Jesus’ return.
Why no mention of the Rapture?
We noticed that Jesus does not discuss the rapture here because
it concerns the disposition of His followers living in the interadvent age. These followers are called the Church which
is made up of believing Jews and Gentiles from all over the world. Here He is discussing the specific concerns
the disciples had for the future of the nation of Israel and Jerusalem. It is
Paul (who helped scatter the seed from which the Church sprang up) who
discusses the rapture in 1 Corinthians 15, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Paul calls it our gathering together with
Christ to meet Him in the air as we join other resurrected believers in getting
new immortal, imperishable resurrection bodies.
Paul points out that, like the 2nd coming, there are no signs
preceding the rapture. It will happen
with no warning. We know, from Paul,
that it does not happen during the
seven-year period of the End called the tribulation or the Day of the
Lord. We also know it happens before the world leader is revealed by
initiating the seven-year peace treaty with Israel. It is not necessarily immediately preceding
the revelation of this leader either.
There could be the lapse of some time but it does precede his revelation
to the world.
Signs Within the Telos
But here on the Mount of Olives, Jesus talks about those who
come to believe during this Telos
about the importance of being awake, alert, and ready once you see the signs – especially the abomination of desolation. This
happens in the middle of the Telos. Many people will die during this period but
those who make it to the end of the tribulation period have the lesson of the
fig tree to remind them of His coming soon.
The Parable of the Fig Tree and the Sign of the Return
of Jesus
Jesus used an example from nature—the seasonal budding of
the fig tree—to illustrate how we should go on high alert once we see the prophetic
buds begin to break open (so to speak).
Those who are alive and know their Bible will understand that there are approximately 3½ years from the time
the temple offerings stop until the world leader is judged (Gabriel told Daniel
that the desolation would occur in
the “middle” of the tribulation). Later,
in Daniel 12, Gabriel adds that there are 1290 days of desolation but you are
blessed if you make it to day number 1335 (6½ weeks later!) Somewhere
in that period of 6½ weeks Jesus will come back. But He goes on to say, no one –not even the
Son—knows the day or the hour. (Notice
then that, technically speaking, this saying refers not to the rapture but to
the Second Coming! However, there are no signs for the rapture either!) So,
like we know that summer is coming when we see fig leaves, so also, we should
know that the return of Christ is about to come when we see the tribulation
period and the signs associated with that period. (Thank God, Paul says, it won’t be those of
us who believe in Jesus in the interadvent age we are in now.)
Be Ready
This theme of being awake, alert, and ready permeates all of
Jesus’ sermon. Paul, too, uses this
language to refer to the rapture as well (1 Thessalonians 5:6-7). In either case, everyone is on notice—it is
part of the good news—that Jesus’ coming is imminent. It could happen at any time. Whether the rapture—which is the next
unheralded event on God’s prophetic calendar—or His second coming in
Judgment—which happens at the end of the terrible seven-year tribulation period
that follows the rapture—all peoples, no matter what period you are in, must be
awake, ready, and alert.
Two Destinies
There are only two destinies for those who die. For those who follow Jesus, they go to be
with him while absent from their bodies (2 Corinthians 5:8). For those who are not His followers, they go
to await a future judgment spoken of in Revelation 20. When the rapture occurs, Paul assures us in 1
Corinthians 15 that those who are already with Jesus without their bodies will
be resurrected at the rapture and will gain new resurrection bodies that are
immortal and imperishable—just like those other believers will do who are still
alive on that day.
Window of Opportunity Called “Today”
The time for us to be alert is during that unknown window of
time called the days of our lives.
That’s our opportunity to follow Him and believe in Him. For those who are alive when the rapture
occurs, if they are believers, they will instantly get the new resurrection
body and join the previously dead but now resurrected believers in meeting
Jesus in the air to be with Him forever.
Unbelievers who live through the rapture may have another opportunity to follow Jesus but there is a great
likelihood that their belief will cost them their life. And if they reject Christ before the rapture what makes them
think they will change their mind after
the rapture with so much persecution? Although
with God all things are possible, Hebrews 3 warns us of the possibility of the
hardening of the heart that can take place when we continue to reject Christ.
All who believe during
the tribulation after the rapture and are martyred will wait in heaven for
their future resurrection at the second coming (Revelation 7:9-17). After their resurrection, they reign with
Christ for a thousand years in the kingdom age—the millennium (Revelation 20). But what about those who make it all the way
to the end of the tribulation and are still alive? All those believers who endure to the end of
the tribulation will be rescued and will enter the kingdom to repopulate the
world under the rule of righteousness.
The wicked who are still living are executed. This is not yet the great
white throne judgment of Revelation 20 in which the wicked dead are resurrected
to face judgment.
So, all this talk about being ready, alert, and awake really
applies to more than just those who are still alive when Jesus comes to
Jerusalem again. It applies to every human
being. Not one person has any idea how
long it will be before their life is over and their opportunity to follow Jesus
is gone.
So, Jesus’ primary point relates to those who wish to enter
the kingdom when it comes to earth. It
is the natural finish to His gospel of the kingdom. But the gospel we preach today is not about
entering an earthly kingdom to live for a thousand years – although it is
coming. We preach the gospel about God’s
eternal kingdom in which He rules the universe.
Those who would enter, do not know how long they have to trust in Him
and follow Him here before He gathers them to follow Him forever.
And why should that matter about following Him here—as long
as we just believe in Him? Because He
rewards our service in this life after we arrive in the next. Yes, believing only takes a moment, but
following takes a lifetime. This is why
Jesus talks about the faithful and wise servant as well as the evil servant in
verses 45-51. The principle of imminence
applies to both the second coming and the rapture. What will you have to show Jesus when he
appears?
This principle of serving in readiness is also illustrated
by the parable of the talents. We are
all given resources that could be used to serve God. Everyone will have to give an account of what
they did with those resources when the Master returns.
© 2018 Eric Thimell
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