May Christ Come at Any Moment?

 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 7
 
We have had the advantage of a bird's-eye view of the Old Testament's presentation of an ordered plan, beginning with the call of Abraham up to the revelation of God Himself in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have pondered over the record of our Lord's atoning death, resurrection and ascension to God's right hand, leading to the descent of the Holy Spirit of God on the Day of Pentecost, and the formation of the Church of God upon earth, and the subsequent going forth of the gospel of the grace of God to the Gentiles. Finally we have the revelation of the mystery of the Lord's coming FOR His saints (1 Corinthians 15: 51-57).
God has set no time limit to the period of the Church's. sojourn on earth, nor is there any fixing of a date for the rapture. Moreover we have arrived at the last days, the perilous times, that should come (2 Tim. 3:1-51This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (2 Timothy 3:1‑5)), and there is no Scripture prophecy waiting to be fulfilled before the rapture can take place. There is nothing to prevent our Lord coming at any moment. He Himself said, "Behold, I come QUICKLY: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." (Rev. 3:1111Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. (Revelation 3:11)). "Behold I come QUICKLY: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book." (Rev. 22:77Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. (Revelation 22:7)). "Behold, I come QUICKLY; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.' (Rev. 22:1212And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. (Revelation 22:12)). "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come QUICKLY. Amen." (Rev. 22:2020He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)).
Notice how the word, QUICKLY, occurs again and again.
That the Lord may come at any moment has for long, and rightly, been the cherished hope of multitudes of the Lord's people. Surely our Lord's strong emphasis is on the word, QUICKLY, repeated no less than four times in the last book of the Bible, which proclaims the fact that the Lord may come at any moment. How happily we can sing,
" He's coming perhaps today!
He's coming in bright array:
When the dead hear His voice
Living saints shall rejoice,
For He's coming perhaps today."
How glad is our response, " Even so, come, Lord Jesus." That blissful moment draws nearer and nearer every day, blessed be His holy name. The practical result of this living hope is that, "Every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure." (1 John 3:33And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1 John 3:3)).