Is Bible prophecy being fulfilled today? Are there signs of the times? Other than items relating to the current process of Israel’ s return to her land (Ezek. 20:33-38; 22:17-22; 36:22-24; 38- 39; Isa. 11:11-12; Zeph. 2:1-2), I don’ t think Bible prophecy is being fulfilled during the church age in which we currently live. However, there are clear signs of the times that indicate we could be near the start of the tribulation and the Lord’ s Return. Let me explain.

The Rapture

The rapture is a signless event, thus there are not and never will develop signs of the time indicating that the rapture is near. This is true because the rapture is imminent, it could happen at any moment.[1] It is impossible for an imminent event to have signs. If signs are related to an event then it would indicate that it was near or not near and thus could not happen until after the signs were present. Thus, signs would have to precede the event which would mean that the event could not happen at any moment until after the signs appeared. Since the rapture is said in the New Testament to be an event that could occur at any moment, without warning (1 Corinthians 1:7; 16:22; Philippians 3:20; 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:28; James 5:7-9; 1 Peter 1:13; Jude 21; Revelation 3:ll; 22:7,12,17,20) then it cannot be related to any signs at all. However, this does not mean that there are not signs of the time that do relate to other aspects of God’ s plan.

The Church Age

It would be too strong to say that there are signs of the end of the church age. Instead, the Bible indicates what the condition of the church will be like, the general course of the age, and then warns about some general trends toward the later part of the church age.

Apart from a few exceptions, the church age is not a time of prophetic fulfillment. Instead, prophecy will be fulfilled after the rapture, in relation to God’ s dealing with the nation of Israel in the seven-year tribulation. The current church age in which believers live today does not have a specific prophetic countdown or timetable, as does Israel and her 70 weeks of years prophecy (Daniel 9:14-27). The New Testament does, however, provide general traits that characterize the church age as a time of growth through the preaching of the gospel, but at the same time a growing apostasy as the church increasingly departs from the faith.

Even specific prophecy that is fulfilled during the church age relates to God’ s prophetic plan for Israel and not directly to the church. For example, the prophesied destruction of Jerusalem and her Temple in a.d. 70 relates to Israel (Matthew 23:38; Luke 19:43-44; 21:20-24). Thus it is not inconsistent that prophetic preparations relating to Israel are already underway with the reestablishment of Israel as a nation in 1948 even though we still are living in the church age. Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 ” For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.” The stage is being set for the next phase of God’ s plan for history- the tribulation.

The church age is not characterized by historically verifiable prophetic events, except her beginning on the Day of Pentecost and her ending with the rapture. But the general course of this age has been prophesied and can provide a general overview of what can be expected during this age. The New Testament teaches us to expect that apostasy will characterize Christendom during the time when the rapture will take place. This common distinctive provides for believers today a general sign of the times.

Israel

There are many signs relating to God’ s end time program for Israel. However, we must be careful in how we see them relating to us today during the church age. Since Believers today live during the church age, which will end with the rapture of the church, prophetic signs relating to Israel are not being fulfilled in our day. Instead, what God is doing prophetically in our day is preparing the world or ” stage-setting” for the time when He will begin His plan relating to Israel which will then involve the fulfillment of signs and times. Thus, when we see events happening in our day, they are not a fulfillment of Bible prophecy, instead, they are likely preparation for a future fulfillment during the tribulation. One major indicator that we are likely near the beginning of the tribulation is the clear fact that national Israel has been reconstituted after almost 2,000 year.

Stage Setting

The present church age is not a time in which Bible prophecy is being fulfilled. Bible prophecy relates to a time after the rapture (the seven-year tribulation period). However, this does not mean that God is not preparing the world for that future time during the present church age- in fact, He is. But this is not ” fulfillment” of Bible prophecy. So while prophecy is not being fulfilled in our day, it does not follow that we cannot track ” general trends” in current preparation for the coming tribulation, especially since it immediately follows the rapture. We call this approach ” stage-setting.” Just as many people set their clothes out the night before they wear them the following day, so in the same sense is God preparing the world for the certain fulfillment of prophecy in a future time.

Dr. John Walvoord explains:

But if there are no signs for the Rapture itself, what are the legitimate grounds for believing that the Rapture could be especially near of this generation?

The answer is not found in any prophetic events predicted before the Rapture but in understanding the events that will follow the Rapture. Just as history was prepared for Christ’ s first coming, in a similar way history is preparing for the events leading up to His Second Coming. . . . If this is the case, it leads to the inevitable conclusion that the Rapture may be excitingly near.[2]

The Bible provides detailed prophecy about the seven-year tribulation. In fact, Revelation 4- 19 gives a detailed, sequential outline of the major players and events. Using Revelation as a framework, a Bible student is able to harmonize the hundreds of other biblical passages that speak of the seven-year tribulation into a clear model of the next time period for planet earth. With such a template to guide us, we can see that already God is preparing or setting the stage of the world in which the great drama of the tribulation will unfold. In this way this future time casts shadows of expectation in our own day so that current events provide discernible signs of the times.

Newspaper Exegesis?

It is common for critics of those who believe that there are signs in our day of Christ’ s return to dismiss such a notion as ” newspaper exegesis.” By this the critics mean that human ideas, not the Bible, are the true source of such beliefs, such that they arise from a search of newspaper headlines rather than from exegesis (i.e., proper interpretation) of the biblical text. Is this true?

In some cases it would be true, but not necessarily in all. If one has first gone to Scripture and derived a sound model of end-time events and there is true correspondence with what is reported in the newspapers, then it can be valid. However, if one is genuinely attempting to fit into the Bible today’ s headlines, then that is wrong and could rightly be termed ” newspaper exegesis.”

Some prophecy teachers incorrectly teach that Bible prophecy is being ” fulfilled” in our day. This is not the case, except in relation to the reestablishment of the modern state of Israel. Nevertheless, I do support the notion that there are signs of the times relating to the fact that God is setting the stage for a time of future fulfillment, after the rapture, during the tribulation. Thus, it is an overstatement to speak of prophecy being fulfilled in our day, but not wrong to speak of signs that God is preparing for fulfillment.

It is common for some prophecy teachers to go to a biblical passage, usually one that will be fulfilled during the tribulation, and find a similarity to that prophecy and something happening in our day. Just because something is similar, does not mean it is the same.

For example, years ago I remember reading in Isaiah 24:5a that the ” earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, . . .” I had heard a lot in the early 1970′ s about how the earth was being polluted. I then suggested to a couple of friends that this was a prophecy of events taking place in our day. I made the connection based upon the idea of ” pollution,” without considering the biblical context of Isaiah 24. What is the contextual setting of Isaiah 24? It refers to events that will take place during the future tribulation period. Are we living in the tribulation period today? No! Thus, whatever was happening in current events at that time was not a fulfillment, nor was it related to Isaiah 24 just because I believed there was a point of similarity. If you examine most of the approaches in use today that claim fulfillment of prophecy relating to the tribulation with events of our day, they take a similar approach and thus have made a similar mistake.

As I have noted before, there does not have to be actual fulfillment for a development to be a sign of the times. This can be so because there can be preparation for fulfillment. The preparation is not the fulfillment of a prophecy, but it does indicate that God is preparing to fulfill a prophecy in the near future. Such preparation for fulfillment is a sign of the times.

Dr. Walvoord echoes such a belief about current stage setting in preparation for fulfillment.

” . . . in our day, . . . there has been a movement of God among Israel which has set the stage as never before for exactly that fulfillment which is predicted for the period immediately after the translation of the church. . . . More prophecies have either been fulfilled or prepared for fulfillment in our day than in all the previous centuries since the first of our era.” [3]

Conclusion

While no signs of the times specifically relate to the time of the rapture, this does not mean that there are not signs relating to God’ s overall prophetic plan, specifically to His preparation of the world for the time of the tribulation which will start after the rapture. This approach has been illustrated as follows: If one sees signs that Christmas is coming (the tribulation) then Thanksgiving must be even closer (the rapture). I am excited when I survey current events that indicate that our Lord is indeed setting the state for the tribulation and His return. This means that the signless event of the rapture of the church is likely near. Maranatha!

 

Endnotes
[1]For more information on the rapture as an imminent event see Thomas Ice and Timothy Demy, The Truth About The Rapture (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1996), pp. 33-36.

[2]John F. Walvoord, Armageddon, Oil and the Middle East Crisis, revised (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1990), p. 217.

[3]John F. Walvoord, The Return of the Lord (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1955), p. 16.

A number of years ago I was preaching the funeral of a dear lady who used to be in a church that I had pastored. Her husband, also a devout believer, asked that I build my sermon for his wife’ s funeral around 2 Corinthians 5. Since I had never taught through 2 Corinthians, I was somewhat surprised to discover during my preparation for the message that it spoke of our blessed hope- the rapture. Follow along with me and see what I mean.

The Context of 2 Corinthians 5Many of us are familiar with the second half of 2 Corinthians 5, but what about the preceding context? Paul is dealing with a group of people who were rejecting his authority as an apostle of Christ. Thus, they were reluctant to accept his advice. In chapter 4, Paul notes that he is pouring out his life for their sake. He contrasts this temporal life, which the Corinthians believers greatly valued, with the one to come. Since the life and world to come are of greater value, then, Paul reasons, believers should live this present life from the perspective that places a priority on things that will have ” an eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17).

The Corinthians, to which Paul wrote, had adopted the view that the physical body was of no value, since everything on the physical plane was inferior to things in the spiritual realm. Paul rejects this, and teaches that the physical is not in and of itself carnal but can be used to promote that which has eternal spiritual value. This Paul explains in his chapter on the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15. As he sets the stage for 2 Corinthians 5, Paul says, ” For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17- 18).

A Tent Verses a Building2 Corinthians 3:1-2 says, ” For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven.” Since verse 3 is based upon Paul’ s statements in verses one and two, we need to know what he is saying there. Paul tells the Corinthians believers that their current body is like an ” earthly tent.” Why did he choose the word ” tent?” He most likely uses the word ” tent” because it is a temporary dwelling for a person who is on a trip away from home. That is the status of a believer during the church age, he is a pilgrim, just passing through this world (Phil. 3:17- 21). The term used for a resurrected believer in heaven is called ” our dwelling from heaven.” It is also called ” a house not made with hands.” Thus, our permanent dwelling place is clearly said to be in heaven and something to which we look. Since heaven is our home, then it makes sense that ” building” is the description that Paul uses since it connotes a permanent structure.

So our current physical body is called a ” tent,” while our future resurrected body is described as a ” building.” So what does Paul mean when he speaks in verse 3 of not wanting to be found ” naked” in verse 3?

Naked Believers

Since the subject matter of this portion of Scripture relates to the state of the body, whether mortal or resurrected, Paul speaks of the interval between a believer’ s death and the resurrection. Robert Gromacki says, ” This period between the physical death of a believer and his resurrection is designated as the time of nakedness. It is when the self has neither its old body or its new body. Theologians have called it the intermediate state of the soul.” [1] This does not mean that when a believer dies he does not go to be with the Lord, since Scripture says, ” to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8). Philip E. Hughes explains as follows:

At the death the soul is separated from the body, and man’ s integral nature is disrupted. This important aspect of the disintegrating character of death explains the Apostle’ s desire that Christ should return during his lifetime so that he might experience the change into the likeness of Christ’ s body of glory (Phil. 3:21) without having to undergo the experience of ” nakedness” which results from the separation of soul and body at death. . . . It still means a state of nakedness and a period of waiting until he is clothed with his resurrection body.[2]

This passage, in its indirect way, is teaching the Paul was longing for the rapture to occur before he died, since the interval between Paul’ s death and the obtaining of his resurrection body would come at the time of the rapture (1 Thess. 4:13- 18; 1 Cor. 15:51- 58). Thus, 2 Corinthians 5 is a rapture passage. ” It is the resurrection and the rapture which the new desire longs for,” says Roy Laurin, ” because the resurrection and the rapture will bring us this building which is ” an house not made with hands.” [3] Gromacki notes the rapture connection in the following:

The verb ” clothed upon” is a double compound (ependu™ using three wordsepi, en, du™). It actually means to put one piece of clothing over another which is presently being worn. The usage in this context probably means that Paul wanted to be alive when the Lord returned. In that way, the new body could be put on right over the old one.[4]

Paul further explains in verse 4 why he hopes for the rapture before his death. ” For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.” G. Coleman Luck explains, ” The thing for which we groan is not death and dissolution of the body. We do not long to be ‘ unclothed,’ so to speak, but rather to be ‘ clothed upon,’ to have our mortal bodies transformed and perfected without dying at the time of the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:17; 1 Cor. 51, 52).” [5]

This passage seems to teach that a believer during the church age who dies before the rapture is with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8), but do not yet have their new resurrection body. This seems to also imply that there is no New Testament basis for those who teach that we have an intermediate body (i.e. not a resurrection body) during the interval between death and the resurrection as we dwell in the presence of the Lord. Otherwise, how do they explain Paul’ s desire to not be naked? Further, this passage does not allow for ” soul sleep” since the person is very much alive during the interval, it is the body that is ” sleeping.”

Rapture Implications of 2 Corinthians 5

There are a number implications that flow from the fact that Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5 that he desired to be taken in the rapture rather than die. I will attempt to note some of those implications.

First, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:10, ” For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” This is significant in that the ” judgment seat,” or ” bema” is the special judgment for church age believers only, not the end of the millennium great white throne judgment of unbelievers. Since verse 10 is part of Paul’ s passage where he has expressed his desire to be taken in the rapture, it supports the notion of pretribulationism since the bema will take place after the rapture of the church, while in heaven, in order to prepare the church for her return with Christ at the second coming (Rev. 19:1- 10).

Second, Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 15:51- 52 the following: ” Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” Here Paul taught the doctrine of the resurrection, while in 2 Corinthians 5 he links it with the rapture. Although 1 Corinthians 15:51- 52 stands on its own as a rapture passage, it is further strengthened by Paul’ s rapture teachings in 2 Corinthians 5. Paul is writing to the same church in both epistles, thus, he is speaking of the same subject- the rapture- both times when he addresses the subject of the resurrection.

Third, we learn from 2 Corinthians 5 that it is indeed a godly attitude to desire for the rapture to occur in one’ s lifetime. Since Paul desired to be taken to be with the Lord via translation so that he would not be naked, it is clear that he is modeling a godly attitude to be emulated throughout the remainder of the church age by subsequent generations. Yet, many Christians in our day disdain the rapture. Rapture hater Gary North says the following:

Christians living today supposedly will escape this supposedly burning building because we all have been issued free tickets on God’ s helicopter escape.

This escape never comes. The supposedly imminent Rapture has now been delayed for almost two millennia. . . . They care only about an imminent escape from long-term responsibility: the Rapture. Rapture fever destroys men’ s ability to reason theologically. It weakens God’ s Church.[6]

How does North explain Paul’ s statement in 2 Corinthians 5:8, which says, ” we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord” ? According to North’ s theology, Paul’ s attitude is sinful. Apparently the rapture has destroyed Paul’ s ability to reason theologically. Perhaps Paul’ s theology also weakens God’ s church, as North declares. Paul clearly states that he would really rather be ” at home with the Lord.” Was Paul one of those just sitting around waiting for the helicopter escape known as the rapture? Of course not, and neither do we who would rather be ” at home with the Lord.”

Fourth, this passage does not teach one to shirk genuine biblical responsibilities as suggested by rapture haters like North. Instead, it teaches those of us who love His appearing that ” we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him” (2 Cor. 5:9). Why? Because we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10). Tim LaHaye has said many times and in many ways that those who believe in the pre-trib rapture have three great practical applications: First, a motive for evangelism; second, a motive for world missions; and thirdly, a motive to live a godly life in an ungodly world. That is exactly what Paul is saying in 2 Corinthians 5:1- 13, contrary to rapture nay-sayers like Gary North.

Even though 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 is a little used passage relating to the pre-trib rapture, it is an important one that needs to be considered by anyone desiring a complete understanding of the New Testament teaching of the rapture. It provides another interesting piece of the puzzle concerning the nature and role of the church and how it fits into the blessed hope, which is the rapture of the church. It models for believers a proper motive for longing for the rapture, not because we cannot handle life in the present, but because “though you have not seen Him, you love Him” (1 Pet. 1:8). Maranatha!

 

Endnotes
[1] Robert Gromacki, Stand Firm in the Faith: An Exposition of II Corinthians(Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1978), p. 78.

[2] Philip E. Hughes, The Second Epistle to The Corinthians (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1962), p. 171.

[3] Roy L. Laurin, Second Corinthians: Where Life Endures (Findlay, OH: Dunham Publishing Company, 1946), p. 97.

[4] Gromacki, Stand Firm, p. 77.

[5] G. Coleman Luck, Second Corinthians (Chicago: Moody Press, 1959), pp. 48- 49.

[6] Gary North, Rapture Fever: Why Dispensationalism is Paralyzed (Tyler, TX: Institute for Christian Economics, 1993), p. 90.