Concerning the teaching that Christ's return for the Church is imminent, I have long believed that He can come at any time and have often expressed this with words such as, "even before I finish this sentence!"  Understandably, if so, it would seem that this teaching should also hold for all centuries of the Church Age, from the first century to the actual century of His return.

     Did the first century Christians believe that Christ's return for the Church could happen at any time or even in their day?  Consider Paul's words in I Thessalonians 4:

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 13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

 14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.

 15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

 16  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:

 17  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.

 18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

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     Should Paul's words be taken as applying to the Thessalonians personally?  It would seem so.  Consider the very next verses, which open chapter five:

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  1   But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

  2   FOR YOURSELVES KNOW PERFECTLY that the Day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

  3   For when they shall say, Peace and safety;  then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child;  and they shall not escape.

  4   BUT YE, BRETHREN, are not in darkness, that that day should OVERTAKE YOU as a thief.

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     Notice also that in the above adjoining references, Paul made a very close connection between the rapture and the Day of the Lord, which he says, "so cometh as a thief in the night" (vs. 2).  We know that when Christ returns for the rapture of the Church, He will come suddenly and unexpectedly or as a "thief" (Matt. 24:42-44;  Mk. 13:32-37;  Lk. 12:39-40).  Indeed, because the rapture and the beginning of the time of the last days' Day of the Lord judgment so closely coincide, the latter will come just as suddenly and unexpectedly, again, as Paul says, "as a thief in the night."  These words support that there will be no sign(s) that will indicate that Christ's return, nor the beginning of the Day of the Lord, is on the verge of taking place.  To the contrary, Jesus said that "in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Matt. 24:44).  This world will by no means be expecting the rapture event, nor be prepared for the time of the Day of the Lord judgment, which scripturally can commence right afterwards---even on the same day.

     There are several other references that give support to the view that even first century Christians should have been prepared for Christ to come for the Church at any time.  Consider Paul's words, again to the Thessalonians, in I Thessalonians 1:

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  9   For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

 10  AND to wait for His Son from Heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

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     And, his words to the Thessalonians once more, in II Thessalonians 3:

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  5   And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

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     And, his words to the Philippians, in chapter three:

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 20  For our conversation is in heaven;  from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

 21  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.

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     And, his words to Titus, in chapter two:

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 11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

 12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

 13  LOOKING for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

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     Note also that James writes similarly, in James 5:

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  7   Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.  Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

  8   Be ye also patient;  stablish your hearts:  for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

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     In light of the foregoing, it should not be too difficult to reason that first century Christians would have rightly viewed Christ's return for the rapture as something that could happen at any time.  But, there are valid questions that yet deserve addressing and bear upon some specifics.  Consider with me:

1. Jesus informed Peter (a revelation) concerning the manner of his (Peter's) death (Jn. 21:18-19).  We know that Peter understood this and was mindful that he would die---something he later alluded to (II Peter 1:13-14).  So, as far as Peter is concerned, it would seem that he would not have viewed Christ's return as being imminent, but rather, his own death.

2. John certainly understood what Jesus was saying to Peter (Jn. 21:20-24).  This means that he would have also had to be mindful of the fulfillment of Jesus' words.  I think John could have still felt that Jesus would come in his own lifetime (yes!), but probably not that His coming would happen until sometime after Peter's death.  It would also seem evident that the rest of the apostles would have had this same mindset.

3. Just prior to His ascension, Jesus told the apostles to tarry in Jerusalem and to "wait for the promise of the Father,"  which was the power of the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:4-5).  He told them that after this, they would be witnesses unto Him (another revelation), "both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).  It seems that the apostles would have been bound to expect that what Jesus was saying to them would be fulfilled.  Of course, they might have expected Him to return at any minute and for His words to be fulfilled in some way that they could not at the time comprehend.  But, I think this is not necessarily so, and especially for Peter.

4. Concerning Paul, the Lord told Ananias, "For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for My name's sake" (Acts 9:16).  Paul had to realize that some pretty tough times were ahead for him.  Until he had suffered some such, would he have reasoned that Christ might return at any time?  Jesus also informed him that he would be going to Rome (yet another revelation/Acts 23:11).  It would seem that he would not have expected Christ's return to possibly precede this.  I do believe that Paul felt that Christ would return in his lifetime (again, yes!), but I'm doubtful that he would have felt that His return could happen at any time, at least not until the revelations concerning what he would experience were fulfilled.  Whereas Peter would have known that he (Peter) was going to die before Christ's return, Paul did not have this particular revelation concerning himself, except perhaps near his life's end (II Tim. 4:6).​

     As can be seen, there are evidences that seem to support that in the earlier days of their ministry, the apostles would not have reasoned that Christ might return for the Church at any time.  I say "seem" to allow for some angle that I may have yet to consider.  I do feel comfortable in saying that, except for Peter, the apostles looked for Jesus to return in their lifetime, especially as they grew older.  And very probably, after Peter's death, they began to look for His return in earnest!  I would submit that this was the prevailing mindset of all the early Christians.  And note, none knew when Peter would die---just that he would.

     In summing everything up, at the very least, the post-Apostolic, later first century Christians, should have lived in expectation of Christ's return for the Church.  In my comprehension of what is revealed to us in Scripture, since that time until now, this represents the mindset that all of God's children should have concerning Christ's return for the Church.  Because of this, the only kind of rapture view that I can see that will harmonize with the scriptural evidence is some kind of pre-trib rapture view.  Said another way, I submit that any other kind of view meets its Waterloo (like Napoleon) in the truth that Christ may return at any time for the rapture of the Church.  Finally, present day Christians should live in expectation that Christ may come for the Church at any time, even before I finish this senten : )

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(origin is PROPOSITION D)

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