Part 1
“Watch therefore, for you do not
know when the master of the house is coming–in the evening, at midnight, at the
crowing of the rooster, or in the morning– lest, coming suddenly, he find you
sleeping.” – Mark 13:35-36.
Imminence
means “impending” or “about to occur.” We say when the storm clouds grow dark,
that the rain is imminent. This word is often confused with two other words that
sound similar but have entirely different meanings: immanence and
eminence.[1]
In Christianity, imminence is a fancy term that refers to the fact that
the Lord can return soon, or at any time. As we will show in this article
series, the idea of the soon return of the Lord was central to the thinking and
living of all those in the New Testament, and it should still be the attitude of
the true believer today. The imminence of the Lord’s return was not only part of
the doctrine taught by Jesus and the apostles, as contained in the New
Testament, it was a real part of the apostles’ lives. They genuinely expected
the Lord’s return at any moment.
The longer the Lord
delays His coming, however, the more some of us tend to feel that He is not
going to come soon. Peter predicted:
Knowing this
first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own
lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers
fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.
(2Peter 3:3-4
Sadly, this kind of
worldly thinking has infected modern Christians. Think about it: Statistically,
the longer He delays, the closer we are to His return. So here we are, 2,000
years closer than Peter was. Paul confirms this when he says “Do this,
knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our
salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11).
Does that mean that
the apostles were mistaken and that the Lord’s return is only close to us, but
it was not close for them? Not at all. For example, it has been 20 years since
the last big earthquake here in Los Angeles.[2] For 20 years we
have heard “the next big one is imminent – it could happen at any moment – be
prepared.” That was true 20 years ago, and it is even truer today. We do not
know when the next big earthquake will happen, just that it will happen.
It is literally around the corner at any moment.
Because believers
have not known when God has planned the Rapture of the church (Matthew 24:36),
His return was imminent then and is still imminent now. Just like the next big
earthquake, He could come for His saints even before I complete this paper.
Jesus’
Teaching on Imminence
But of that day
and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as
the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in
the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in
marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the
flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two
women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch
therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this,
that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he
would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you
also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
– Matthew 24:36-44.
Let your waist be
girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their
master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they
may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he
comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and
have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he should come
in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are
those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what
hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be
broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an
hour you do not expect.
–
Luke 12:35-40.
The plain meaning of
Jesus’ message is clear – you don’t need some fancy seminary degree, nor do you
need to learn Greek or Hebrew to understand what He says: He is coming at a time
you do not expect, therefore be ready at all times. Any attempt to interpret
these texts to mean anything except what they clearly say and mean is a
deception.
The simple truth is
that if something is unexpected, then there are no warning signs, nor a
schedule, which predicts exactly when it will occur. Some have tried to set an
exact date, which has caused much trouble for Christians over the centuries. By
its very definition, “unexpected” requires surprise with no forewarning.
Therefore, those who believe that Jesus cannot return for His church today
because certain events need to be fulfilled first are in blatant contradiction
to the clear words of Jesus. It is really quite simple.
In Luke 12:42-48
Jesus tells a parable that teaches that there will be Christian leaders who,
because He delays His coming, will begin to abuse their fellow Christians and
begin to live immorally. That is exactly what has happened, and is still
happening today. Many Christian leaders have lost sight of His imminent return
and have begun to live as though He is never coming back. In the process they
also remove the idea of imminence from their theology. This seems to be done in
order to salve their, and their disciples’, consciences. Jesus warned that when
He returns He will judge such men.
The book of Revelation
closes with the words of the Lord Jesus: “Surely I am coming quickly. Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20). His words are truth, and the
lies of man cannot, and will not, change the facts: He is coming soon, without
delay and without warning. Therefore we must be prepared. Are you ready?