Behold, I Come Quickly
by Pastor Kevin Sadler
"Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book" (Rev. 22:7).
"A
new preacher had just begun his sermon. He was a little nervous, and
about ten minutes into the talk his mind went blank. He remembered what
they had taught him in seminary to do when a situation like this would
arise: repeat your last point. Often this would help you remember what
was coming next. So he thought he would give it a try.
"'Behold,
I come quickly,' he said. Still his mind was blank. He thought he would
try it again, 'Behold, I come quickly.' Still nothing. He tried it one
more time with such force that he fell forward, knocking the pulpit to
one side, tripping over a flowerpot, and falling into the lap of a
little old lady in the front row. The young preacher apologized and
tried to explain what happened.
"'That's alright, young man,' said the little old lady. 'It was my fault. I should have gotten out of the way. You told me three times that you were coming.'" [Bob Phillips and Jonny Hawkins, The Hilarious Book of Heavenly Humor (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2011), p. 172.]
In
the final verses of the Apocalypse, three times the Lord says that He
is coming to the nation Israel (vv. 7,12,20). Terminology meant for the
Second Coming of Christ to Israel, such as "Behold, I come quickly" or
"thief in the night" is often mistakenly used for the Rapture of the
Church, the Body of Christ. This confuses many people regarding these
two future comings of Christ. When Christ says, "Behold, I come
quickly," He is not speaking of coming before the Tribulation to catch
the Church away to heaven. He is speaking of His coming to Israel at the
end of the Tribulation at the Battle of Armageddon (Rev. 19:11-21).
All
mentions of the coming of Christ outside the letters of the Apostle
Paul refer either to the first or second coming of Christ to Israel. As a
result of not rightly dividing the Word of truth, words, phrases, and
verses are often misused and misapplied to the Rapture of the Church.
When
a preacher or teacher uses the words, "Behold, I come quickly," and
without qualification applies it to the Rapture, that is error. When a
preacher or teacher says that the Rapture and Second Coming are the same
thing, that is unsound doctrine. When a preacher or teacher says that
the Church, the Body of Christ, will go through any part of the coming
Tribulation period, that is not the truth of the Word, rightly divided.
When
the events of the Book of Revelation begin to unfold, the Lord's words,
"Behold, I come quickly," will be a comfort and source of strength to
believers during the Tribulation. By faith and knowledge of the Word,
they will know that they have a deliverance coming. They will long for
Him to come quickly, and these words of reassurance will help them
overcome and endure to the end of the worst seven years ever.
As
for the Body of Christ, we are taught to be "Looking for that blessed
hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus
Christ" (Titus 2:13). Every day is a day that the Lord might come to
catch us, His Church, away to heaven. We are taught to be "looking" for
our Savior at all times. Knowing that we might stand before Him today or
any day is to move the Church to "live soberly, righteously, and godly,
in this present world" (Titus 2:12).
Is
Christ coming quickly? Perhaps, and perhaps today! However, to use,
"Behold, I come quickly," for the hope of the Rapture is incorrect. That
is confusing the two future comings of Christ and what that phrase
really means to whom it was written. "Behold, I come quickly" is said by
the Lord and was recorded by John for the saints who will be alive during the Tribulation.
That is most definitely not us. We, the Body of Christ, will have been
"delivered...from the wrath to come" (1 Thes. 1:10). Praise the Lord!
After
Christ catches the Body of Christ up in the Rapture, the prophetic
program will resume. God will pick up right where He left off in the
timeline of prophecy. The next thing on that timeline is the 70th week
of Daniel, the seven-year Tribulation period. It is at this point that
all the events of the Book of Revelation will unfold exactly as they
have been written. The people alive in that day will be able to use
Revelation as a guidebook to help them navigate those horrendous days
when God's wrath is poured out on this world. The hope for believers in
that day is what Christ has told them in this Book: "Behold, I come
quickly!"
Les Feldick Ministries
30706 W. Lona Valley Rd.
Kinta, OK 74552
Posted By Cecil and Connie Spivey
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