Dr. Bradford Reaves
Crossway Christian Fellowship
Hagerstown, MD
www.mycrossway.org
This evening we are going to Revelation 22 and we are on the next to last study of this marvelous book. I am going to warn you, that tonight is not the complete study of verses 6-9, but just the examination of what is known as the Doctrine of Imminency, meaning the scriptural truth that the return of Christ and these events that are associated with his physical return to earth will happen quickly and suddenly. This is a fundamental doctrine of the Church that has tragically been set aside by many. Nevertheless, it is critical. Next Sunday, I am going to preach this text again.
I am doing this because God is burning something inside of me that the Church needs to hear. And this isn’t anything new, but it has been largely forgotten or overlooked by Christians today. It’s been tossed aside by well-meaning but cynical or uninformed believers who are more interested in drawing crowds, entertainment, and worldly thinking instead of the whole counsel of God found in this book. And I’m not any more superior to anyone else, but the Spirit of God is gnawing on my heart and I believe part of the reason why is because so few pastors and churches are listening.
And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true”; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His slaves the things which must soon take place. 7 “And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” 8 I, John, am the one who was hearing and seeing these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9 But he said to me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow slave with you and your brothers the prophets and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!” (Revelation 22:6–9)
The New Testament is consistent in its anticipation that the return of Christ might occur at any moment. That pervading perspective of imminence prompts three questions. The first question pertains to whether the Tribulation will precede Christ’s coming for the church. The answer to that question is that it will not be because the church is never asked to look forward to the tribulation, but they are asked to look forward to Christ’s coming. The second question revolves around how the return of Christ could have been imminent in the early church. The answer here is that no one but the Father knows when the coming will occur so Christians including the early church must always be ready. The third question asks why Christ’s imminent return is so important. This answer relates to the motivation it supplies for believers to purify their lives and thereby progress toward the goal of sanctification and Christlikeness. The threefold call of the imminence doctrine is to wake up and obey right now, to throw off the works of darkness, and to put on the garments of holy living. (Article by John MacArthur)
From the very earliest days of the Church, the return of Christ was known to happen imminently and suddenly. When Christ said, behold I am coming quickly, that word, is ta???? (tacheos), where we get our word tachometer. It means more than just speed, but it also means suddenly, without delay. There are over 22 verses in the New Testament that clearly speak of the imminency of the end times and Christ’s return. Three times in Chapter 22, does Jesus use this word to describe his return. (Revelation 22:7, 12, 20).
When his disciples asked about his return, Jesus said, Mark 13:32-33
“But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 33 “See to it, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. (Mark 13:32–33)
“You too, be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.” (Luke 12:40)
So we are instructed repeatedly throughout the New Testament to be watchful and ready for Christ’s return, not knowing the exact time, but aware of the signs, and remaining steadfastly ready for when it does happen.
For the anxious longing of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we eagerly wait for it. (Romans 8:19–25)
so that you are not lacking in any gift, eagerly awaiting the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, (1 Corinthians 1:7)
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, (Philippians 3:20)
Let your considerate spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. (Philippians 4:5)
looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, (Titus 2:13)
so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be awake and sober. (1 Thessalonians 5:6)
You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. (James 5:8)
Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it, for the time is near. (Revelation 1:3)
The command to “be ready” implies imminence. What we are imminently awaiting is the rapture that is the event that will occur at an unknown moment. Obviously, with the signs during the tribulation, the Second Coming can be calculated and nearly known. The second coming of Christ, when He defeats His enemies and sets up His kingdom, will not occur until after certain other end-times events take place, including the tribulation (Matthew 24:15-30; Revelation chapters 6–18). Therefore, the second coming is not imminent in terms of sudden or without warning.
Now, some will question the literal imminence of Christ’s return because almost 2000 millennia has passed since Jesus spoke these words to John. Perhaps his imminence isn’t related to the Church Age, but rather only to the timeframe of the Tribulation. Do the angel’s words in Rev 22:6 “to show [God’s] servants what must soon come” get undercut by our perceived delay in Christ’s return?
Richard D. Phillips presents three possible options for our interpretation. First, the prophetic events of Revelation are soon in the sense that they are the next events to occur on the prophetic timeline.
A second approach takes Jesus as promising to come soon in the form of help for the 7 Churches under persecution (Revelation 2:16, 3:10-11).
The most literal way to take Jesus’s promise is that in the eternal perspective, rather than man’s finite understanding, soon is an imperative based on God’s prophetic timeline. Peter reminds us:
But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some consider slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:8–9)
God wants to keep all generations expectant, watching, and ready for His return. We are not rushing towards a distant brink of the consummation of all things; we are running parallel along the edge of that brink, and have been since the time of the apostles. “Thus the time has always been at hand. The tension of imminence is endemic to that span of redemptive history lying between the cross and the parousia.” (Mounce)
So why is the imminence of Christ’s return important for us to understand? Next Sunday, I am going to expound on how the believer should live in light of the imminence of Christ’s return. Tonight, I’m going to close with a few points of why the imminence of Christ’s return is important.
Jesus’ Imminence is Important Because It’s Timing Aligns with the Pretribulation Rapture
The pretribulation rapture is the only view that allows for the rapture to be imminent in its timing. All the other views require a number of prophetic occurrences to take place before the rapture can be declared imminent. To be looking for the imminent return of Christ, you have to believe in a pre-trib rapture. Apart from his imminent return, the Rapture is incompatible to be suddenly the next event on the prophetic time clock.
No clearly prophesied event must transpire prior to the Rapture, for this might date the time of His coming. If the return of Christ for His Church is imminent, then obviously it will be before the coming period of Tribulation with its clearly predicted signs and judgments.
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:52)
Jesus’ Imminence is Important Because Even He Does Not Know the Exact Time
Jesus repeatedly said that His return to the Church would be a surprise. The Lord even went beyond that by saying He would return “as a thief” when believers generally won’t be expecting Him to come for them.
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. (Matthew 24:36)
“Therefore stay awake, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 “For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. 45 “Who then is the faithful and prudent slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. (Matthew 24:42–46)
“Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. 32 “But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. (Mark 13:30–32)
If Jesus were prevented from coming until after the battle of Magog, the rise of Antichrist, and the Mark of the Beast, we would have no need to watch for Him before the tribulation. If the Church were required to go through the seven-year tribulation, you would expect the New Testament writers to have warned us to be prepared for trying times. On the contrary, the New Testament writers repeatedly tell the Church to be comforted by the “coming of the Lord” (1 Thes 4:18). The word “comfort” alone strongly implies the rapture will take place before the tribulation.
The early church used the word “Maranatha” frequently. Maranatha consists of three Aramaic words: “Mar” (“Lord”), “ana” (“our”), and “tha” (“come”). “Our Lord Come” The interesting thing about Maranatha is that it comes in the form of a petition. When a Christian in the early Church would make this statement, he was actually petitioning the Lord to come. The life of the church today could only be improved if “Maranatha” were to return as a sincere greeting on the lips of an expectant people, not only in word, but in deed
Imminency, Although Clearly Articulated in the Bible is Renounced by Those Who Argue that the Church Must God Through the Great Tribulation
Imminency Repudiates Apostasy. The apostle Paul was stressing the urgency of this commandment in his day, two thousand years ago. He believed the coming of Christ was near—and getting nearer by the moment. Perhaps Paul had seen signs of spiritual lethargy or dullness among the believers at Rome when he was writing the letter to the Romans
And do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. 12 The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. (Romans 13:11–12)
The church today is in a worse state of spiritual drowsiness. There is a tremendous amount of indifference concerning the Lord’s return. We are much more concerned about entertainment. Like Jonah, we are asleep in the storm as the ship is literally preparing to sink.
?For this reason, it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.” 15 Therefore look carefully how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:14–16)
What the Church must remember is that not only is the coming of Christ imminent, but it is also certain. This morning, Noah was slow getting his clothes on to leave the house. As Andrea was going upstairs to get herself dressed, she said, “Noah, I’m going to get myself dressed. When I come back down you will be dressed too, or face the consequences.”
Noah immediately jumped up, “When, are you coming back down?”
“As soon as I’m ready. I’m coming back down quickly, so you be ready too,” was Andrea’s reply. Noah got dressed promptly.
