Grace Bible Church

4000 E. Collins Rd. P.O. Box #3762 Gillette, WY 82717 (307) 686-1516

“Preaching the Living Word through the Written Word (2Tim 4:2)”

THE DOCTRINE OF IMMINENCY

( THE IMMINENT RETURN OF CHRIST)

1Th 1:10 (3/13/11)

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

I. THE PRINCIPLE OF IMMINENCY IS SCRIPTURAL (1Th 1:10a)

A. Imminency refers to the return of Christ and the believer’s ever-present expectation. Imminent denotes something that is ready to happen in an instant. Such is the case for Christ’s return for His church.

B. Only the doctrinal view Pre-Tribulation Rapture (1Th 4:16-17) consistently holds to the imminency of Christ. All other views expect something else to happen before the return of Christ.

C. The epistle to the Thessalonians teaches the imminent return of Christ.

1. Here in 1Th 1:10, Paul said that the model believers in Thessalonica were presently waiting for the return of Christ. If there was some other event to happen before Christ’s return, then they would have been waiting for that event first.

a) In addition, Paul says that these model believers were waiting with present expectancy. The word for “wait” is a present infinitive of anaménō (emphatically to wait expectantly), which means that they were continuously waiting in the present (cp. Job 7:2; Isa 59:11).

b) This was not a religious cliché but rather a heart attitude that was looking for an actual event in which they had every reason to believe that the Lord could return in their lifetime.

2. Furthermore, the Thessalonians were to comfort one another with the expectation of Christ’s return (1Th 4:18). There would be no comfort if Christ’s return might not happen in their lifetime.

D. Imminency is a theme in numerous epistles and proves that the authors of those epistles were waiting expectantly for the return of Christ in their day.

1. Jesus told His disciples to live in the light of His imminent return (Joh 14:2-3).

2. Paul wrote to the Philippians that as citizens of heaven, they were presently and continually to wait (present middle indicative - apedéchomai - eagerly look for and welcome) for the Savior (Phi 3:20).

3. Titus, along with all believers were admonished to continuously look (present middle participle - prosdechómai - looking with a sense of expectancy) for the Blessed Hope, namely the return of the Lord (Tit 2:13).

4. John writes to believers as though he expected Christ’s return (1Jo 2:28).

5. Jude exhorts believers to keep themselves in the love of God, while continually waiting (same word and usage as Tit 2:13) for the Lord (Jud 1:21).

6. The apostles believed that the Lord’s return was near. In light of their view of the imminent return of Christ, “near” (perfect active indicative - eggízō cp. Rom 13:12) would indicate time (cp. Luk 22:1), being translated, “has been and continues to be near.”

a) Paul - Rom 13:12; Phi 4:5

b) James - Jam 5:8

c) Peter - 1Pe 4:7

d) John - Rev 1:3

E. Imminency was held by the early church fathers.

a) Clement of Rome (1st century) writes, …of a truth, soon and suddenly shall His will be accomplished, as the Scripture also bears witness, saying, Speedily will He come, and will not tarry; and, The Lord shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Holy One, for whom ye look.

b) The Didache (120 A.D.) records, …be watchful for your life; let your lamps not be quenched and your loins not ungirdled, but be ye ready; for ye know not the hour the hour in which our Lord cometh (Didache 16:1).

c) Philip Schaff the church historian writes, [the hope of Christ's imminent return] "through the whole age of persecution, was a copious fountain of encouragement and comfort under the pains of that martyrdom which sowed in blood the seed of a bountiful harvest for the church.

II. THE PERSON OF IMMINENCY IS CHRIST (1Th 1:10b)

A. In 1Th 1:10b, Paul explains who the key figure in imminency is. It is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.

B. He is the One coming from heaven, or literally “out of” (ek) heaven. He is coming from heaven because heaven is where Christ ascended after His crucifixion in order to sit at the right hand of God (Mat 26:64). Believers are to wait for Christ from heaven because that is where He is performing His current ministries.

1. Christ’s current ministry is carried out from His position as Lord (Eph 1:20-23).

2. Christ’s current ministry is the intercession for the saints (Rom 8:34).

3. Christ’s current ministry is being the believer’s high priest (Heb 2:17; 4:15).

C. He was at the right hand of God because He was raised from (ek - lit. “out of”) the dead. Christ’s resurrection is the all-encompassing proof of His person and work.

1. The resurrection proved that He was the Son of God (Rom 1:4).

2. The resurrection proved that He offered a blameless and perfect atonement on the cross (Heb 9:12; 10:10).

D. Paul identifies Christ by His human name “Jesus” which implies that God the Son took on humanity in His incarnation (Joh 1:14; Rom 1:3).

1. Christ took on humanity so that He could be the mediator between God and man (1Ti 2:5).

2. Jesus (Iêsous - transliterated from Jehoshua - Jehovah saves, Mt 1:21) took on humanity so that He could be Savior (Act 4:12).

III. THE PURPOSE OF IMMINENCY IS DELIVERANCE (1Th 1:10c)

A. 1Th 1:10c explains the purpose of the imminent return of Christ. The purpose is to rescue the believer from the wrath of God.

B. It is Christ who is the “One who is rescuing” (present middle participle - ruómai - to deliver out of severe danger) believers from the wrath that is coming.

C. God’s wrath (orgế) refers to His unbridled indignation against sin. However, it can refer to God’s eternal wrath (Joh 3:36; Rom 1:18; 2:5; 5:9) or God’s temporal wrath poured out during the Tribulation (Rev 6:16-17; 11:18; 14:10, 19; 15:7; 16:1, 19; 19:15).

D. If the “wrath that is coming” is God’s eternal wrath, then it is referring to Christ’s redemption that will rescue us from wrath and condemnation (Rom 8:1; 1Th 5:9). If however the “wrath that is coming” is God’s temporal wrath, then it is referring to Christ’s coming for His church to rescue them from the Tribulation (Rev 3:10).

E. Some have suggested that because the context is election and salvation, it refers to God’s eternal wrath (cp. 1Th 5:9). However, this clause appears to be eschatological (concerning future things), referring to Christ’s particular coming. Therefore, the “wrath that is coming” appears to be referring to God’s temporal wrath (Tribulation). Either way, believers will be saved from both.

IV. OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

A. Imminency means that we cannot predict dates for Christ’s return.

1. Because Christ’s return can happen at any time, it would not have to happen in our lifetime.

2. This does not mean that He is not coming or that He is not faithful to His promise, it means that any attempt to predict a date is futile and ignorance of the Scriptures.

B. Imminency means that the believer should live in excitement and holiness.

1. Because Christ’s return can happen at any time, we must live in the light that it could happen today.

2. What a thought! Imagine if at the end of the day, we could be in the presence of our Savior. This prompts us to have joy, service, and holiness.

C. Imminency means that there is an urgency to reach the lost.

1. Because Christ’s return can happen at any time, there is an urgency to get the gospel out to the lost.

2. If Christ were to come today, think about those who have not accepted Christ as their Savior, who will experience God’s temporal and eternal wrath.