Commonly spoken of as the "imminency" of Christ's return for the Church, that the Church could be raptured on this very day is one teaching of the pre-trib view that sets it apart from the other views.  While the word imminency can mean "about to happen" or, "may happen at any time," it is in the latter sense that this word is commonly used.  It is simply the belief that Jesus may return for the Church at any time.  Because of this, those of us who believe in a pre-trib rapture should not be caught up in the thing of looking or waiting for any particular sign(s) to be fulfilled.  Rather, we should be looking and ready for Jesus to return to take us to be with Him in glory!  Because my position concerning the seals might be seen as indicating otherwise, the purpose of my focus on this page will not be to show what those of us holding to a pre-trib view already believe (see Appendix #2), but to show how it will indeed fit with the position of my different view.

     For example, from the perspective of my view, what Jesus warned of in the first part of His Olivet Discourse correlates with the first four seals of The Revelation and has been taking place since the first century.  But, none of what has happened, or will happen, goes into the category of a sign of the time of Christ's return for the rapture.  Rather, all that has and is happening should be regarded as continuing signs or confirmations of the truth that He is indeed going to return.

     Let me illustrate:  If as a father you were going to have to leave your young son for some indefinite period of years, you would quite naturally want to prepare him for some of the things that would lie ahead in his future until you returned.  You might tell him that life is full of both sunny and rainy days, but that it takes such for the flowers to grow.  You might tell him that he will encounter lots of different kinds of people in his life, some who will make good friends and some who will not, so to be careful.  You might tell him that he will be faced with having to say "Yes" or "No" to all kinds of temptations and that however it may seem at the time, things will always turn out better if he says "No."  And, because he is a preteen, you might explain to him some things about puberty and love and so forth.  But, with all of this information, he would have nothing upon which to base the time of your return.  However, when the things began to come to pass that you had spoken of, it would be reinforced for him that Dad sure knew what he was talking about!  The fulfilling of the things you had told your son would become something that would keep his hope alive concerning your future return---continuing signs or confirmations that you are indeed coming back.  On the other hand, if what you had said did not come to pass, or ceased to hold true, he would have legitimate reasons to wonder.

     The facts of history from the first century unto our day align with the first portion of Jesus' Olivet Discourse and substantiate that our Lord sure knew what He was talking about!  These facts should bear up our hope and strengthen our faith.  We who truly believe that Jesus could return for the Church at any time are not looking for any unfulfilled sign(s) to first be fulfilled.  Nor are we looking for any sign(s) that will help toward pinpointing the time of His return.  However, we do have for signs the continued fulfilling of the things He warned of, which should keep our hope alive concerning His future return and are continuing confirmations that He is indeed coming back.  Has not the continued fulfilling of what Jesus said helped to keep the hope of the Church alive throughout the Church Age?  I suspect that as in our day, so in days gone by, when what Jesus spoke of was seen to take place, hopes ran higher.  Preachers of each generation since the days of the apostles have no doubt commented much as they do today, that "Jesus said these things would happen, and so it is!"  Moreover, nothing that He said would come to pass has ceased to hold true.

     To summarize, in the first part of Jesus' Olivet Discourse, He warned His disciples of things that were going to be happening, and since early in the Church Age, these things have taken place and continue to do so.  This fulfilling of what He warned of connects with the long ago opening of the first four seals and what these depict.  And, the position of my different view is that all of this will keep right on being fulfilled, until the day that Jesus returns for the Church, which could be today!

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