• According to the post-trib view, the Antichrist will sign a seven-year treaty with Israel (which will be the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation), then after three and a half years he will break that treaty, then three and a half years later Jesus will return to the earth at the Second Coming and all Christians will be Raptured at that time.
• According to the various mid-trib views, the Antichrist will sign a seven-year treaty with Israel (which will be the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation), then after three and a half years he will break that treaty, then all Christians will be Raptured sometime from that point until the end of the Tribulation, then Jesus will return to the earth at the Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation.
• According to the pre-trib view, all Christians will be Raptured at any moment when Jesus returns for the Church, then some time will pass (seconds, hours, days, months, or years), then the Antichrist will sign a seven-year treaty with Israel (which will be the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation), then after three and a half years he will break that treaty, then three and a half years later Jesus will return to the earth at the Second Coming.

1. "Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed." (Romans 13:10-11)
   
   Notice that the apostle Paul wanted his readers to understand the present time. What did Paul specifically want them to understand? That the hour had come for them to "wake up" and realize that their salvation (their transformation from mortality to immortality at the Rapture, as in 1 Corinthians 15:50-53) was nearer than ever before. This attitude of "waking up" and being expectant is not realistic under the mid-trib and post-trib views, because with those views Paul would have had to say something like, "When the Antichrist signs a treaty with Israel, then you'll have several years before you need to "wake up" and begin expecting your ultimate salvation from mortality to immortality."
   
   Paul considered the Lord's coming for the Church (what we call "the Rapture") to be near, not years away after a number of events have taken place (such as the activities of the Antichrist). Only the pre-trib view of the Rapture allows for the expectant attitude which Paul described in the above passage.
2. "Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 1:7-8)
   
   We have already looked at "the Day of the Lord" (in Part Five), but notice that once again Paul described his first-century readers as eagerly waiting for the Lord to come back for them (and staying strong until the end). With the various mid-trib views of the Rapture, this eager anticipation is not realistic until the Antichrist desecrates the Jewish temple at the mid-point of the Tribulation, and this eager anticipation is not realistic for the post-trib view until near the end of the Tribulation. Yet Paul described the Corinthians as "eagerly waiting" for the Lord to return, and clearly Paul approved of their expectant attitude. The Lord's return for the Church was near enough to be eagerly anticipated back then, and therefore it is still near enough to be eagerly anticipated now. Only the pre-trib view of the Rapture allows for such a nearness of the Lord's return for us.
3. "My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God." (1 Corinthians 4:4-5)
   
   Beginning in 1 Corinthians 3:8 and continuing to the passage above, Paul spoke about the judgment seat of Christ, and in Part Seven we will see that this judgment will take place soon after the Rapture. This judgment is not for the purpose of salvation (because everyone who is Raptured will already be saved), but instead it is for the purpose of judging our earthly deeds and giving us rewards. So the context refers to the judgment seat of Christ at the time of the Rapture, and once again we see Paul telling the Corinthians to wait until the Lord comes back for them. The Lord's return for the Church was near enough to be anticipated back then, and therefore it is still near enough to be anticipated now. Only the pre-trib view of the Rapture allows for such an imminency of the Lord's return for us.
4. "What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away." (1 Corinthians 7:29-31)
   
   Here Paul explicitly said that the time was short, and he urged his first-century readers to live as if the end was near. Only the pre-trib view of the Rapture allows for such a nearness of the Lord's return for us.
5. "If anyone does not love the Lord--a curse be on him. Come, O Lord!" (1 Corinthians 16:22)
   
   Like the majority of the New Testament, the book of 1 Corinthians was written in Greek. It was written by the apostle Paul to the Greek-speaking Christians in Corinth, but the prayer, "Come, O Lord" (Maranatha) in the above verse was written in Aramaic. Consider that many English-speaking Christians know that "Jehovah" is one of the names of God, even though "Jehovah" is essentially a Hebrew word rather than an English word. We know what "Jehovah" means because we have heard it many times. In a similar way, the apostle Paul used the Aramaic expression "Maranatha" in his letter to the Greek-speaking church at Corinth because the Corinthians knew what this expression meant. Paul did not explain what he meant when he used this Aramaic expression, which indicates that it was possibly a common expression among the Jewish Christians and it became commonly-used (in the original Aramaic language) among the Greek-speaking Christians as well.
   
   Notice that if the Lord will not return and Rapture the Church until years after the Antichrist is revealed (as the post-trib and mid-trib views teach), then there was no reason for the first-century Christians to seek the Lord's return by praying "Come, O Lord." Yet this Aramaic prayer (Maranatha) was so common back then that even the Christians in Corinth (who spoke Greek) knew what this Aramaic prayer meant. In fact, even many English-speaking Christians today know what this Aramaic prayer means, because we have heard it often enough! Notice that the only reason to be persistently praying for the Lord's return is if there is a very real possibility that this prayer might be answered at any time, and only the pre-trib view of the Rapture allows for the Lord to return for us at any moment.
6. "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." (Philippians 3:20-21)
   
   Once again the apostle Paul described first-century Christians (including himself) as eagerly awaiting the Lord's return, and Paul said that our lowly bodies will be transformed to be like the Lord's glorious body. This is the event which Christians often refer to as "the Rapture," as we can see by comparing the above passage with 1 Corinthians 15:51-53:

   "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality." (1 Corinthians 15:51-53)

   So in Philippians 3:20-21 (above) Paul described the Rapture, when the Lord will return for us and transform us from mortality to immortality, and Paul described the first-century Christians as eagerly awaiting this return of the Lord.
   
   Some Christians feel that Jesus might not return for hundreds or thousands of years, which essentially gives them no reason to be "eagerly awaiting" the Lord's return. In a similar way, the mid-trib and post-trib views teach that the Lord will not return and Rapture us until years after the Antichrist signs a treaty with Israel. There is no real evidence that the Antichrist is about to sign this treaty with Israel, and therefore (according to the mid-trib and post-trib views) the Rapture of the Church is always many years away, up until the moment when that treaty is signed. So the practical effect of the mid-trib and post-trib views is that there is no reason to be "eagerly awaiting" the Lord's return until after the Antichrist signs a treaty with Israel. The pre-trib view is the only view which allows for the Lord to return and Rapture us at any moment, and the practical effect of the pre-trib view is that Christians can and should be "eagerly awaiting" this return of the Lord, just as Paul described in Philippians 3:20-21 (above).
   
   The Greek expression that Paul used for "eagerly awaiting" is actually made up of two Greek words which together have the meaning of "intense expectation" (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the New Testament, Spiros Zodhiates, p.210). This "intense expectation" of the Lord's return for us can only realistically be experienced with the pre-trib view of the Rapture. For example, kids usually love birthday parties, but a month after their birthday they are not "intensely expecting" their next birthday party. But when their next birthday is just a few days away, that's when they are "intensely expecting" their birthday party. It's the nearness of the event which causes us to have that "intense expectation" of it, and the pre-trib view is the only view of the Rapture which says that the Lord's return for us is always "near" or "imminent" or "at hand."
7. "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near." (Philippians 4:4-5)
   
   When the Greek word for "near" (above) is used in terms of time, it means "The time is near" (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the New Testament, Spiros Zodhiates, p.496). Once again the apostle Paul was emphasizing the nearness of the Lord's return, and he was using that imminency as an encouragement for proper Christian behavior. In other words, we should always be watchful and ready and living our lives as if the Lord might come and get us at any moment, and this watchful, expectant attitude is only possible with the pre-trib view of the Rapture.
8. "for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath." (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10)
   
   Here the apostle Paul said that the Thessalonian Christians had turned away from idols and were serving God and waiting for Jesus to return. Once again we see first-century Christians with that same attitude of expectantly waiting for the Lord to return for the Church, as if He might come for them at any moment. Notice that the Thessalonian Christians were expectantly awaiting the return of the Lord (as in the pre-trib view) rather than trying to brace themselves for the terrible Tribulation period (as in the mid-trib or post-trib views). They were waiting for the true Christ, not the Antichrist, and the pre-trib view is the only view of the Rapture which creates this attitude of expectant waiting for the imminent return of the Lord.
9. "In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time--God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords" (1 Timothy 6:13-15)
   
   Once again we see the apostle Paul using the nearness of the return of the Lord as an encouragement for proper Christian behavior. Paul told Timothy to "keep this command" until Jesus returns, which means that Paul believed that the Lord could possibly return in the near future, within Timothy's lifetime. Paul was watching for the soon coming of Christ, not the soon coming of the Antichrist, and the pre-trib view is the only view of the Rapture which creates this attitude of expectant waiting for the imminent return of the Lord.
   
   Since Paul said that "God will bring [it] about in his own time," this indicates uncertainty concerning the timing of the Lord's return. But recall that there is no uncertainty about when the Second Coming will take place, because it will happen seven years after Israel signs a treaty with the Antichrist, and it will happen 1,260 days after the Antichrist desecrates the Jewish temple (as we saw in Part One). We don't know when that treaty will be signed, but there is no uncertainty about the timing of the Second Coming. So when Paul said that Jesus will appear "in [God's] own time," this uncertainty only fits with the pre-trib view of the Rapture.
10. "It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:12-13)
    
    This is yet another instance where the apostle Paul used the nearness of the return of the Lord as an encouragement for proper Christian behavior. Paul said that we should live Godly lives while we wait for the Lord to return for us. Paul included himself among those who were waiting for the return of the Lord, so Paul believed that the Lord might return during Paul's lifetime. As in the previous passages which we have examined, Paul did not say that they were "eagerly awaiting" the appearance of the Antichrist in order to know that Christ will return several years later (i.e. the mid-trib and post-trib views). Instead, Paul said that they were "eagerly awaiting" (or "intensely expecting") Jesus to return for them, which would happen at an uncertain time but possibly within their lifetimes. The pre-trib view is the only view of the Rapture which fits this intense expectation that Paul described in a number of passages.
11. "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay."" (Hebrews 10:36-37)
    
    In this passage, the author of the letter to the Hebrews echoed what the apostle Paul said about the nearness of the Lord's return. In this passage we see that "in just a little while" the Lord will come, and this fact is used as an encouragement for proper Christian behavior (as we have seen in other passages). Again, the pre-trib view is the only view of the Rapture which allows for this imminency of the Lord's return.
12. "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!" (James 5:7-9)
    
    Here we see that James has described the Lord's coming as being "near." He didn't say that it was years away, after certain events have occurred (such as the activities of the Antichrist), but instead he emphasized the nearness of the Lord's return by repeating this fact three times in the above passage. And just like in the other passages which we have examined, James used the imminency of the Lord's return as an encouragement for proper Christian behavior.
    
    James told his readers to be patient until the Lord comes, which means that James believed in the possibility of the soon return of the Lord, within their lifetime. This is not something that a person would say if he believed that the Lord won't come back for hundreds or thousands of years, but this is something that a person would say if he believed in the imminent return of the Lord to Rapture the Church. Then James used farmers as an example of patient waiting. A farmer doesn't know the day or the hour when the fall or spring rains will come, but he knows when the time is near and he waits patiently and expectantly for it. Similarly, we don't know the day or the hour when Jesus will return for the Church, but it was near in James' time and it is therefore still near today, and we should be waiting patiently and expectantly for it. Then James explained his "farmer" analogy by specifically saying that the Lord's coming is near. James also gave his readers a picture of the Lord as a Judge who is standing at the door, just about to come in (in Part Seven we will look at "the judgment seat of Christ," in which all Raptured Christians will be judged by Christ and will be given rewards based on their earthly obedience).
    
    So in several different ways, James described the Lord's return as being imminent. He used this imminency as an incentive for patience and proper Christian behavior because Jesus could come through the door and bring them up to the judgment seat of Christ at any moment. The Lord's return for the Church was imminent in the first century, and therefore it is still imminent now. The pre-trib view is the only view of the Rapture which allows for this imminency of the Lord's return.
13. "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray." (1 Peter 4:7)
    
    In this verse, the apostle Peter (writing in the first century) said that "the end of all things" was near (literally, "at hand"). Peter was not referring to the end of the universe, nor was he referring to the end of the Millennium, nor was he referring to the end of the seven-year Tribulation, because those things are still many years in the future. Peter did not explain what he meant by "the end of all things," but it is not likely to be a reference to the Second Coming of Christ because the Second Coming won't happen until the Antichrist is revealed and the seven-year Tribulation is finished. Therefore, the Second Coming was not "at hand" when Peter was writing. It is also unlikely that Peter was referring to the beginning of the Tribulation as "the end of all things," because the Tribulation was not "at hand" since there was no person who was fulfilling the prophecies of the rise of the Antichrist, and also because there is not an "end of all things" when the Tribulation period begins. In addition, it is unlikely that Peter was referring to the end of his readers' lives, because Peter referred to the end of "all" things, not just the end of some people's lives. This leaves the pre-trib Rapture of the Church as the most likely meaning of "the end of all things," since the Rapture will be the end of the Church's time of activity on the earth (in our mortal bodies). As in the other passages which we have looked at, Peter used this imminency as an incentive for proper Christian behavior. The pre-trib view is the only view of the Rapture which allows for this imminency of the Lord's return.
14. "Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour." (1 John 2:18)
    
    Here the apostle John was telling his first-century readers that "this is the last hour," and then he repeated the fact that the last hour was here. Not the last "year," not the last "day," but the last "hour." This is an indication of imminency, just as Peter's statement that "the end of all things is near" (above) was an indication of imminency. John was not referring to the "last hour" of the universe, nor was he referring to the "last hour" of the Millennium, nor was he referring to the "last hour" of the seven-year Tribulation, because those things are still many years in the future. John did not explain what he meant by "the last hour," but it is not likely to be a reference to the Second Coming of Christ because the Second Coming won't happen until the Antichrist is revealed and the seven-year Tribulation is finished. Therefore, it was not the "last hour" before the Second Coming when John was writing. It is also unlikely that John was referring to the beginning of the Tribulation as the "last hour," because the Tribulation was not "at hand" since there was no person who was fulfilling the prophecies of the rise of the Antichrist (and even today there is no person who has fulfilled those prophecies). In addition, it is unlikely that John was referring to the "last hour" of his readers' lives. This leaves the pre-trib Rapture of the Church as the most likely meaning of "the last hour," since the Rapture will be the end of the Church's time of activity on the earth (in our mortal bodies).
    
    Then John said that "the antichrist is coming," which tells us that the Antichrist had not yet been revealed, but that he is coming at some point (and he still has not yet been revealed even today). As we have seen, the mid-trib and post-trib views say that the Rapture will not be imminent until years after the Tribulation begins. Therefore, only the pre-trib view of the Rapture allows for "the last hour" (the imminency of the Rapture) to be upon us before the Antichrist comes, as John described in the above passage.
15. "And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming." (1 John 2:28)
    
    The apostle John (writing in the first century) encouraged his readers to continue in proper Christian behaviors and attitudes. Why? Because of the imminency of the Lord's return. Again, the Antichrist had not been revealed, and therefore the Second Coming of Christ was not imminent. The only "coming" of Christ which is always imminent is the pre-trib coming of Christ to Rapture the Church and take us back into heaven.
16. "Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life." (Jude 1:21)
    
    As we have seen, all Christians who are alive or dead at the time of the Rapture will instantly be changed from mortality to immortality. In other words, we will receive our promised eternal life at the moment of the Rapture. In the above verse, Jude described his readers as waiting for the Lord to bring them to eternal life, which means that they were waiting with eager patience for the Rapture (just like in the other passages which we have looked at above). And as in many of those other passages, Jude used the imminency of the Rapture as an encouragement for proper Christian behaviors and attitudes. The pre-trib view is the only view of the Rapture which allows for this imminency of the Lord's return.
17. "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw--that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near." (Revelation 1:1-3)
    
    The Greek word which is translated as "soon" in this passage has the normal meaning of "quickly, + shortly, + speedily" (Strong's Greek Dictionary). So the things which are prophesied in the book of Revelation will take place quickly or suddenly. The apostle John then said that "the time is near" (or "at hand"). As we have seen in the other passages above, the Second Coming of Christ will not be "at hand" until the end of the seven-year Tribulation, and the Tribulation itself will not begin until Israel signs a treaty with the Antichrist. Since the Antichrist was not rising to power when the apostle John wrote the book of Revelation, this means that neither the Tribulation nor the Second Coming were anywhere in sight in the first century (and they still are not anywhere in sight even today). On the other hand, the pre-trib Rapture is always "at hand," which will be followed at some point by the events of the Tribulation period.
    
    Notice that if the apostle John was saying that the Tribulation or the Second Coming were near ("at hand"), then clearly John was in error because those things have still not happened. This would mean that Scripture is wrong! Therefore, John was not referring to the Tribulation or the Second Coming as being "near." But if the Lord's return for the Church (which will be followed by the events of the Tribulation) is imminent, as John himself and most of the other authors of the New Testament have described, then this would fit perfectly with John's statement that "the time is near." John urged his readers to take to heart what is written in his book because the time is near, so he was using the imminent return of the Lord as an encouragement for proper Christian behaviors and attitudes, just like we have seen in many of the other passages above. The pre-trib view is the only view of the Rapture which allows for this imminent return of the Lord which is spoken of throughout the New Testament.
18. "I [Jesus] am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown." (Revelation 3:11)
    
    The Greek word which is translated as "soon" in this verse is related to the word for "soon" in Revelation 1:1 (above), and it means "shortly, that is, without delay, soon, or (by surprise) suddenly, or (by implication of ease) readily: - lightly, quickly" (Strong's Greek Dictionary). So here we see Jesus telling Christians that He will return "by surprise" or "suddenly" or "quickly." Remember, the Second Coming of Christ will happen seven years after Israel signs a treaty with the Antichrist, and it will happen 1,260 days after the Antichrist desecrates the Jewish temple at the mid-point of the Tribulation. So the day of the post-trib Rapture (at the Second Coming) would not be a surprise to those who know and believe the Bible during the Tribulation. Similarly, the mid-trib views of the Rapture are mainly based on various views of when God's wrath will begin to be poured out on the earth (as we saw earlier), so those who know and believe the Bible during the Tribulation would have an idea of when to expect the Rapture if any of the mid-trib views are correct. Only the pre-trib view of the Rapture allows for Jesus' return for the Church to truly be sudden and unexpected, even for those who know and believe the Bible.
19. "Behold, I [Jesus] am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book." (Revelation 22:7)
    
    In this verse Jesus has repeated the "sudden, quick, and unexpected" nature of His return, and the same arguments for the pre-trib Rapture apply here (as in Revelation 3:11, above).
20. "Behold, I [Jesus] am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done." (Revelation 22:12)
    
    In this verse Jesus has once again repeated the "sudden, quick, and unexpected" nature of His return, and the same arguments for the pre-trib Rapture apply here (as in Revelation 3:11 and 22:7, above). Then Jesus said that His "reward" is with Him, which indicates that Christians will receive their "rewards" at (or soon after) the Rapture. In Part Seven we will learn more about these rewards which will be given at the judgment seat of Christ shortly after the Rapture, which is one of the purposes for the pre-trib Rapture.
21. ""I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star." The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!"" (Revelation 22:16-17)
    
    Here we see the Spirit petitioning the Lord to come, and we see the "bride" petitioning the Lord to come, and we see that all those who hear the words of the book of Revelation are told to petition the Lord to come. Since the Second Coming of Christ will happen after all of the events of Tribulation have taken place, there is no reason for the apostle John's first-century readers (or today's twenty-first-century readers) to be petitioning and praying for the Second Coming to happen. The pre-trib view is the only view of the Rapture in which it is reasonable to be praying for the Lord to come soon (also, recall the Aramaic prayer, "maranatha" ("our Lord, come"), which we looked at earlier).
22. "He who testifies to these things [Jesus] says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus." (Revelation 22:20)
    
    In this verse Jesus has repeated the "sudden, quick, and unexpected" nature of His return, and the same arguments for the pre-trib Rapture apply here (as in Revelation 3:11, 22:7, and 22:17, above). The apostle John then said, "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus," and once again, the pre-trib view is the only view of the Rapture in which it is reasonable to be praying and petitioning for the Lord to come soon.

"The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!" Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?" Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?"" (John 21:17-23)

• First Epistle of Clement
  This was written around 96 A.D. by Clement, who was a bishop in the church at Rome and who had personally known some of the original apostles. Clement wrote, "Of a truth, soon and suddenly shall His will be accomplished, as the Scripture also bears witness, saying, 'Speedily will He come, and will not tarry.'"
• Epistle to Polycarp
  This was written around 107 A.D. by Ignatius, who was a bishop in the church at Antioch and a student of the apostle John (who wrote the book of Revelation). Ignatius wrote, "Weigh carefully the times. Look for Him who is above all time."
• Epistle of Barnabas
  This was written around 130 A.D. by an unknown author. This epistle says, "The Lord is near, and His reward."
• Didache
  This was written as early as 70 A.D. or as late as 180 A.D. by an unknown author. It says, "Watch for your life's sake. Let not your lamps be quenched, nor your loins unloosed; but be ye ready, for ye know not the hour in which our Lord cometh."
• Shepherd of Hermas
  This was written around 90 A.D. to 150 A.D. by Hermas, who was a brother of Pius, who was a bishop in the church at Rome. It says, "All things around the tower [in context, referring to the Church] must be cleansed lest the Master come suddenly and find the places about the tower dirty and displeased."
• Dialogue with Trypho
  This was written around 155 A.D. by Justin Martyr, who was one of the earliest of the church apologists. Justin Martyr wrote, "Those out of all the nations who are pious and righteous through the faith of Christ, look for His future appearance."

"Christian recording artist Rebecca St James is coming to my town to perform in the musical play !Hero , and later in the year she is coming to my town to do a concert."

• If I say, "I wonder if Rebecca will sign autographs when she comes," notice that I haven't provided any context to indicate which "coming" of Rebecca I'm talking about.
• If I say, "I can't wait until Rebecca comes," notice that I haven't provided any direct context, but my eager anticipation tends to imply that I am referring to the soonest "coming" of Rebecca.
• If I say, "I wonder if Rebecca will sign autographs when she comes to perform songs from her latest CD," then I have provided some information in the context which indicates that I am referring to the time when she "comes" to do a concert.
• If I say, "I wonder if Rebecca will sign autographs when she comes to perform as Maggie," then I have provided some information in the context which indicates that I am referring to the time when she "comes" to be in the musical play called !Hero (because "Maggie" is the name of Rebecca's character in that play).

• "For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming [parousia] of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. Immediately after the distress of those days 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory." (Matthew 24:27-30)
  
  In this example of the "coming" of the Lord, the context describes things which will happen at the Second Coming of Christ.
• "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes [parousia], those who belong to him." (1 Corinthians 15:20-23)
  
  In this example of the "coming" of the Lord, the context describes the resurrection of those who died in Christ, which is a description of the Rapture.
• "According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming [parousia] of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)
  
  In this example of the "coming" of the Lord, the context describes the events which will happen at the Rapture.
• "Concerning the coming [parousia] of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers," (2 Thessalonians 2:1)
  
  In this example of the "coming" of the Lord, the context describes our being gathered to Him, which is a description of what will happen at the Rapture.
• "For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming [parousia]." (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8)
  
  In this example of the "coming" of the Lord, the context describes the Antichrist being killed, which will happen at the Second Coming of Christ (as we will see later in this prophecy series).