My friend Chris sent me an email with a link to an interview between an author and a CBS Mornings host. The title of the book being discussed was Imminent: The Pentagon’s Hunt for UFOs.
The word “imminent” naturally piqued my friend’s tendency to link the urgency integral to that word’s meaning to the same word’s urgency as related to the Rapture. And he knew it would garner my interest, too.
The Rapture is an imminent event; that is, it can happen at any moment, without warning. Our purpose here is to urge our audience, if saved by belief in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross at Calvary, to be “Rapture ready” by being in God’s will when that great event occurs. We urge our readers who aren’t yet saved to accept Christ now, this moment. Jesus is the only Way to be transported into the clouds of Glory and onward into Heaven. All others will be, as the title of the series by my friends Dr. Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins puts it: Left Behind.
The Rapture, of course, is that moment (in the “twinkling of an eye”) when millions will vanish from the earth when Jesus calls them (1 Thessalonians 4:16—18). I say “is” that moment, rather than “will be” that moment, because that calling is as good as already done in God’s omniscient, omnipresent view of things. Nothing can change that scheduled time when Jesus shouts, “Come up here!” as He did in calling John into Heaven to witness things to come following the Church Age (Revelation 4:1).
And, again, that calling is imminent. That is, the Rapture can take place at any moment. There is no sign or signal that is to precede that great event.
If one is to be Rapture ready, one must be so at all times. There will be no time to get ready. The time is now—right this moment—to be prepared, in the salvation sense, for that (twinkling-of-an-eye) instant when Jesus calls.
And that is the gloriously wonderful thing about the matter of the imminent Rapture. If you have accepted Christ, you will go to Him when He calls. No believer—no child of God—will be left behind to suffer the judgment and wrath that will, following that call, begin to descend upon the world of left-behind earth dwellers.
I take it that the author’s book, Imminent: The Pentagon’s Hunt for UFOs, involves the belief that UFOs, or as they are called now by the government, UAP (unidentified aerial phenomena), are threatening us. According to the brief interview I heard, I presume the book warns that visitors from other worlds are on the verge of invading our planet.
In that regard, I think all we have to do is to glance around our society, culture, and every other aspect of the human condition to know that indeed there is an invasion from another world: the interlopers from the other dimension Paul described:
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)
Bible prophecy scholars like the late Chuck Missler undertook in-depth studies on these interlopers from the dark dimension. Writers and speakers like L. A. Marzulli continue to present great research about this end-times invasion. I, myself, have delved into fictional accounts of the matters involving UFOs—for example, with my novel The Rapture Dialogues.
I’ve written many times that I, as do others from the pre-Trib view of prophecy, believe the imminent invasion feared to come from other worlds (as even our government now expresses) will be part of the big lie Antichrist will foist upon those who are left behind. The people of the earth have endured many decades of being prepped/inculcated by the nefarious powers that be for that coming invasion, the time when the false prophet of Revelation 13 will call fire down from the skies.
Seeing this big lie taking shape, so far as it involves that coming supposed invasion from space, and discerning these times that look more and more like the Tribulation era to come, it is truly time to expect the greatest imminent event of history this side of the Second Advent.
Again, here is Paul’s heads-up on that occurrence:
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:16–18)
As always, for those who read this and don’t know Jesus for the salvation of your soul, you don’t want to be left behind when that invasion from Satan’s forces assaults the planet during the seven years of Tribulation (Daniel’s seventieth week). Here is how to make sure you go instantly to Jesus Christ when He calls all believers to Himself in the Rapture:
That if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9–10)
Terry James Prophecy Line 
There is nothing in the bible as a doctrine of the rapture. This is an invention off a man some 30 years ago but it doesn’t has biblical support.
The theory or doctrine of the rapture was never invented by any finite person period. Christ Jesus is the Person who taught the rapture in the beginning while here on earth, you can find the Lord’s teaching on this in John 14:1-3. The Apostle Paul also teaches on the rapture in 1 Corinthians 15:51-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18. A word of warning, if you don’t believe what is written in God’s word, you are calling God a liar.
Please read literally 1Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:12-23.
These deal with God saving us from wrath: 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9; Revelation 3:7-13.
This is NOT a new concept. Please check out https://www.pre-trib.org/pretribfiles/pdfs/Ice-ABriefHistoryofTheRapture.pdf which gives the details.
Thank you Ed for making the effort
to educate these scoffers. Either they have never read the Bible or they are trolling the site to stir up debate and strife.
The Pre Trib Rapture is real, scriptural and gives great hope (as intended) to us as we see the world growing more dark by the day.
Maranatha!
You are welcome, Robin.
I don’t know if this will change anyone’s mind, but I figured that my goal is to make the information available. Now it is up to the person who researches it to decide for him or herself.
God bless!
This doctrine was taught in the first century church and was held as doctrine for the first st 500 years of Church history. It was ignored and discounted by what was then the Roman Catholic Church beginning in 500 A.D. and was not taught again until people were able to read the printed Bible after the development of the printing press. As others have pointed out, this doctrine is clearly founded in and based on God’s Word.
Thank you Terry for your very timely article. I forwarded it to my pastor as he was teaching today on living as though the Lord is going to return forHis church at any time and that His return is imminent and then my pastor added “because it is.”
Lord BlessMark
Thank you Terry with a huge thank you for not being an advocate to the so called sinners prayer. Romans 10:9-10,13 is the way that Jesus taught the people for all time how to get saved, Amen.
Hi Terry James,
really good article in general. I’m with you and it’s obvious that our Lord is close!
But what if there is good points in Scripture about the tribulation is indeed imminent only the rapture a bit later?
Baruch Korman is a Bible language professional and l istened to all the 7 teachings (one of it being a bit off topic about Palestinians…) of the Orlando-Conference 2023. After thoroughly having checked all the points he brings up I couldn’t be more convinced about the fact that the rapture will take place after some tribulation for the church but definitively prior the ‘wrath’!
Maybe anyone likes to check this out as well? It really makes sense and it’s only a small tiny difference in understanding. Nothing to argue about but important to consider as we are close!
Thanks for listening and blessings!
Dear Hal Lindsey
please don’t overgo my writing quickly… It’s about the timing of the rapture into the tribulation and an understanding of the ‘wrath’ to be not all of the 7 years. I think it’s of great importance for your work and we all have to share in this to get the best truth teaching out to the church and the world! I’m eagerly waiting for what you say about the 7 (6 without the one over the Palestinians) teaching of Baruch Korman a professional in Scripture and biblelanguage after you gave it a thought! It took me all of it and to check it thoroughly to even consider another theorie that considers the rapture not prior the whole 7 years! Thank you so much for considering! The church will thank you as well and all the ones that are waking up to the good news and the soon coming of our Lord! Be blessed today! 🙌🏻🪔💫👋🏻
Matthew 24.30-31 clearly states that the peoples of the earth[c] will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. How will it be possible to gather the elect if they have already left?!? The Bible clearly teaches that when Jesus returns every eye will see him and that he is coming to judge. The “rapture” will occur when this happens otherwise you have to believe that Jesus is coming back twice.