Jesus wants his faithful servant to always be “dressed and ready”, eagerly and patiently waiting for his coming to take us away to be with him for eternity. (1 Cor. 15:51-52, Phil. 3:20, 1 Thess. 1:10, 1 Tim. 6:14, James 5:8) The servants being “taken away” (“rapture”, only found in the Latin Septuagint) at the last of the seven trumpets is the next occurrence in the church’s calendar. (The first six trumpets are for the world. See https://stephenricker.com/novels/the_believers_future.htm) The seventh trumpet is when Jesus will appear in the heavens before touching the earth (Acts 1:9-11) and his angels reaping the harvest of believers (1 Thess. 4:13-18). We shall be changed and see him with our own eyes (Psalm 17:19, 1 John 3:2). We will then descend with him to earth.
Jesus taught his servants in many parables like this one to “keep watch” for his sure coming. (Matt. 13:30, 21:34, 24:32, 25:13, 19, Mark 4:29, 12:2, 13:35) The word “imminence” meaning, “something is about to happen” is not in any English translation of the Bible. Yet, Jesus’ servants have always looked to his coming to take them away. Habakkuk 2:2-3 states, “Then the LORD replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it lingers, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” What then does Jesus mean by telling us to “keep watch”? Does “keep watching” imply imminence? Many who call themselves Christians believe in imminence, that is, that Jesus can return at any time since his ascension. Is this in line with Jesus’ parables like this one? And what of the claim that the gospel must be preached in the whole world before he came again which did not happen until recent years? Below is a quote from “The Church and the Tribulation” by Robert H. Gundry in chapter 3 under the heading “Expectation and Imminence”.
“If the second coming could not have been imminent for those originally commanded to watch at the time they were so commanded, then the commanded expectancy could not have implied imminence of the event looked for. It then becomes unnecessary for us to regard Jesus’ coming as imminent, for we have received no further and no different exhortations. In other words, if a delay in the Parousia of at least several years was compatible with expectancy in apostolic times, a delay for the several years of the tribulation is compatible with expectancy in current times. Jesus clearly indicates to the early disciples that His coming will be delayed for some time. The express purpose of the parable concerning the nobleman who went to a “far country” is that the disciples should not think “the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately” (Luke 19: 11-27). “While the bridegroom was delaying” also intimates delay (Matt. 25:5). In the parable of the talents, Jesus likens His return to the lord who “after a long time” came back from a far country (Matt. 25:19).
More in tomorrow’s BDBD.
