The Confusion over Imminency

However, as with others, confusion exists among many Israeli Messianic Jews as to the purpose of Messiah's coming. I find many Israeli believers think of His imminent coming as the Second Advent when He will begin His millennial reign and bring worldwide peace and the conversion of "all Israel." Yet the Rapture and the Second Advent are markedly different events. At the Rapture, the Church, composed of both Jews and Gentiles, will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. In the Second Advent, Messiah returns to earth in His resurrected body to begin His millennial reign. The two events are separated by seven years of tribulation when God's wrath is poured out on the world.

I had an insight into this misunderstanding while talking to an Israeli pastor who taught postmillennialism (the view that Messiah will return after the world has been converted by the efforts of the Church) from his pulpit. Yet on this occasion he said, "It would be wonderful if the Lord came today." I asked him if he believed the Lord could come at any moment. "Of course!" he replied. Then I asked him how he could reconcile the imminent coming of Messiah for His Church with postmillennialism. He calmly answered, "I haven't studied or thought my way through all of this, so let's not discuss it at all." Unclear thinking with little biblical research can only produce confused believers.

Paul looked for the Rapture in his own day as he wrote of the Church's future in I Thessalonians 4:13-18. In writing to comfort the Thessalonian believers over the death of their loved ones, Paul pointedly exclaimed that the Lord will bring those who have died back with Him. There is no hint of intervening predicted events. The Thessalonians were only to look expectantly for that day. Paul also uses terms that speak of imminency in Titus 2:13 with the words "looking for!" This implies anticipation and urgency. It is a phrase one would use while watching his favorite team, cheering for their imminent score.

The promise of the Rapture of the Church and its future is distinct from the promises made to the nation of Israel. In unconditional covenantal language God promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob a Land and a people forever. God made another covenant with King David, promising a Davidic descendant who would sit on the throne of Israel forever. Some six centuries later another unconditional covenant was given to Israel through Jeremiah, promising that "all Israel would know God." These three covenants have not yet been fulfilled. The Jewish people today do not begin to have the boundaries of the Land that God promised to Abraham in Genesis 15:18-21; they do not have a king of David's line ruling over them, and the condition of their hearts is far from that predicted in Jeremiah 31:31-40; 32:40-44. Israel awaits Messiah's Second Advent for the fulfillment of these promises.

I believe it is the yearning hearts within Messianic Jews for the salvation of their own people and peace for the land of Israel that causes their confusion over the coming of the Messiah. They have misunderstood what God is doing today in calling out a Church that is open to all people, both Jews and Gentiles. As I spent one night this past spring with a family of Israeli Messianic believers, the wife said, "Oh, that the Lord would come soon to solve our national problems and set up His kingdom. Then we will know peace." In her longing for the kingdom, she was overlooking the predicted Rapture of the Church, the Tribulation and the events of the Second Advent. She gave no suggestion of meeting Him "in the air," but focused only on the peace of the State and redemption for the people of Israel. Hers is a common view.

God will fulfill His promises to the Old Testament patriarchs, but the main program of the Trinity today is building Christ's Church according to Matthew 16:18. The Church is not replacing Israel nor taking over her promises. The Church is not looking for a physical Land with the geographical borders promised Abraham in Genesis 15, but for a heavenly home according to John 14:1-3. Israel's promise is for a dwelling place in a Land in the Middle East with defined borders promised by God, living under a descendant of King David and with a New Covenant in which He promises: "But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people" (Jeremiah 31:33). This speaks of an intimacy of fellowship Israel has never fully enjoyed and still does not enjoy. God alone must and will do the work of instituting His New Covenant with Israel.

The Church, then, is not Israel and has no part in Israel's future — including the Tribulation, during which God prepares the nation for Messiah's Second Advent. The Rapture will take the Church, comprising Jewish and Gentile believers, into heaven without the Lord touching His foot on the Mount of Olives. The Church will be caught up to meet her Savior in the air, according to Paul in I Thessalonians 4:13-18. This is the "blessed hope" of all believers today whether Jewish or Gentile. We are all one in Messiah by baptism of the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ and have a new hope and future apart from that of the nation of Israel.

James, the leader of the Church in Jerusalem, understood this distinction. At the Jerusalem conference in Acts 15 he quoted the prophet Amos: "And after this (the completion of the Church with its Rapture) I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up" (Amos 9:11-12). The Holy Spirit opened James's eyes to God's calling out of a people from both Israel and the Gentiles. James recognized two distinct programs of God: the Church, and Israel.

Messianic Jews are not alone confused about the Rapture and the Second Advent. So are many Gentile believers. Satan loves to keep the Church divided and confused, which results when some Christians suggest that the Church adopt Israel's future and make it their own. Both Gentile and Israeli believers need to clearly understand the most important next event in Church history — the Rapture! To confuse the Rapture and the Second Advent muddles our understanding of Scripture and future events.

If, according to Romans 11:26 "all Israel shall be saved," why should we make the effort of witnessing to Jewish people? Aren't they cared for by God's fulfillment in the future of His covenants? Not at all! Why did Paul write in Romans 9:1-3 of his deep anguish and desire to be cut off from God if it would mean the salvation of his brethren, the Jews? He fully understood their lost condition and need to receive the Messiah as Savior from His day until the Rapture. Jewish people who die today die in their sin, and like all other people, are bound for an eternity of separation from God. There is, however, according to Romans 11:5 still "a remnant according to the election of grace." These can only be reached through God's ordained program of witnessing of Messiah's work on the cross.

Look at your Jewish relative, friend, neighbor or co-worker. He or she needs to hear of salvation by grace alone, as does any Gentile. You and I are promised God's blessing as we bless the Jewish people. How can we best do that? Tell them of Messiah's love and His work at the cross on their behalf. Join us in taking the Gospel back to its source — the Jewish people.

The Israeli Knesset has taken no significant further action on the antimissionary laws proposed by religious leaders. Along with its summer recess, the Knesset has diverted its focus to the political and security problems facing Israel on the West Bank. (Palestinians and U.S. peace negotiators are demanding that Israel return 13 percent more land on the West Bank to the Palestinians. Citing security concerns, Israel has said that a 13 percent redeployment depends on the Palestinian leadership's compliance with their contractual obligations in the peace process.)

Please continue to pray that the attack by religious leaders on Israelis' rights of free speech and religion will be overturned. Also please continue to send messages to Prime Minister Netanyahu showing support for Israel but opposition to laws limiting free speech. Previous messages sent to him appear to be having an increasing impact on his view of the antimissionary laws.

AMF International will publish an update in Israel Heartbeat when any decisions are made by the Knesset regarding these laws.

While we realize that not all of our readers will need to refer to these definitions, we hope this list will be helpful to those needing a clearer understanding.

Rapture: the imminent return of Jesus (which we believe will precede the Tribulation) to meet His Church in the air.

Tribulation: the seven-year period, prophesied in Daniel 9:24-27 and Matthew 24, of God's judgment on the world. The Antichrist will reign during this time. The Jewish people will build a temple on the Temple Mount and reinstitute sacrifices until the middle of the Tribulation when the Antichrist declares himself god. Matthew 24 refers to the last half of the Tribulation as the "Great Tribulation."

Second Advent: the Lord's return at the end of the Tribulation to the Mount of Olives, followed by the destruction and judgment of the Gentile nations and their armies, and the judgment of the remnant of Israel then alive on earth.

Premillennial: the belief that the Lord will return to earth and then set up His Kingdom for 1000 years.

Amillennial: the belief that there will be no Millennium, that the Church has replaced Israel in God's plan and the Jewish people have no future as a nation. Jesus' return will begin eternity.

New Covenant: God's unconditional promised work of instilling His law in the heart of all Jewish people in the Millennium (prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31ff).