By Pastor Trent Boedicker
There are two very-similar-sounding doctrines that express very different concepts, but both are important for the Christian life. These are the terms immanence and imminence.
Immanence
The immanence of God is related to his omnipresence. Wherever you might go, from one side of the earth to the other, the Lord is there. He is never far away from his children but is always near. This doctrine is expressed in places like Psalm 139:7-10 which asks,
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. (Psalm 139:7–10 NASB95)
The psalmist rejoices in the fact that we are never alone. No matter where you are or what you’re going through, the presence of God surrounds you. Omnipresence expresses the reality that God is everywhere. He cannot be limited within space or time. Immanence expresses the truth that God is actively involved in this world and especially in the daily lives of his people.
This doctrine is important to our Christin faith. It corrects the error of deism which claims there is a creator god who only exists in some distant and unreachable realm. This god, they say, remains disinterested and uninvolved in our daily lives. He has taken a “hands off” approach to governing the universe and chooses not to intervene in the affairs of this earth. There is no point in trying to have a relationship with the god of deism because, according to their view, he is not a personal god. Deists do not bother to pray, because they don’t believe he is listening. They acknowledge that he is a god of logic and order, so we might come to know certain things about him through human reason as we observe nature. But they do not think we can really know him in any deeper sense. According to their view, god set the universe into motion but then stepped back to watch things unfold from afar. Even a brief glance at the Bible shows that this does not resemble the one true God.
Christians worship the God who is near, both above creation (transcendent) and yet actively involved in creation (immanent). We see the immanence of God played out from the beginning to the end of Scripture. In the opening chapters of Genesis, the Lord is eager to meet with Adam and Eve in the garden, where they experience fellowship with their creator. Tragically, this fellowship was broken when they chose to sin. Humanity was banished from the garden, and yet God continued to reach out to man in various ways.
God spoke to Noah and rescued his family from the flood. He called Abraham to follow to the place where he would lead him, and then made a covenant with this man of faith. He appeared to Moses in the burning bush, and later allowed this servant of God to catch a glimpse of his glory. Moses would develop such a close relationship with the Lord that he spoke with God as a man speaks to his friend. David, in a similar way, also enjoyed intimate fellowship with God which inspired incredible psalms of praise. There was a yearning deep in his heart for God’s presence. He spoke of God as his refuge, fortress and deliverer. Even when all of his friends abandoned him, David discovered time and again the faithfulness of God, who never left his side.
The prophets also experienced God’s presence as his spokesmen. They would need to rely on God’s strength as they delivered an always unpopular message from the Lord to his wayward people. In the Gospels, the Lord came near in an unprecedented way through the incarnation. The infinite and everlasting Son of God stepped down from heaven, taking on flesh and blood, to enter the realm of men. God continues reaching out to humanity, today in this age of grace. He dwells within us, making us his living temple. One day, his people will see him face to face.
This brief survey of biblical history reveals the immanence of God. This does not resemble in any way, shape or form the views of deism. The Lord is not far away or unreachable, as some imagine. He is always near. One author puts it this way,
“God is both approachable (he’s immanent) and unapproachable (he’s transcendent). God is everywhere, and near to every one of us, but he stands outside of and apart from the time-space world he created… Worship is entering God’s presence, approaching him as a welcoming [Father], but that’s only possible because of what God has done in Christ. Look again at Hebrews 10:19, 22: “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.”[i]
Imminence
This is the doctrine of God’s immanence, but what about the other similar-sounding word we mentioned earlier, “imminence?” Notice the difference of spelling, with an “i” rather than an “a” in the middle of the word. Though these terms are similar in form, they express two very different concepts. The first word deals with the nature of God, while this second word deals with the doctrine of the end times. We might describe the timing of Christ’s return as imminent. This means the rapture of the Church will happen suddenly and without warning. Don’t expect to receive a notification on your cell phone alerting you that the Lord is coming back in ten minutes. The only notification God has given his people is the words of Scripture. Frequently in the NT we find the command to “be ready” or “be on the alert.” This is because the Lord has chosen not to reveal the timing of his return. It is like a spy movie when they say, “this information is classified, on a need-to-know basis.” God alone knows the date when this Church Age will come to a close. In his wisdom he has chosen not to make this information available to us. But God has revealed in Scripture everything we need to know in order to live faithful and godly lives until Christ’s return.
The term “imminence” applies to the rapture of the Church. We read about this future event in Paul’s letters (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1:10; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58; Philippians 3:20; Titus 2:13). While the word “rapture” doesn’t appear in the biblical text, the concept is certainly found in Scripture. It comes from the Latin word “rapio” which is a translation of the Greek word “harpazo” in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. This same word is rendered “caught up” in most of our English Bibles. In that passage, the apostle Paul gives us a glimpse into the future,
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 NASB95)
Notice, in the passage, the apostle does not give us any indication of when this future event will take place. He doesn’t tell the Thessalonian believers, “you don’t need to worry about any of this stuff, because it won’t happen for thousands of years.” That wasn’t at all Paul’s attitude. He had no idea such a large span of time would elapse between his day and ours. In fact, he spoke as if the rapture could happen during his own lifetime. He includes himself among the living in verse 17 when he writes, “then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them…” Paul was under the impression it could happen at any moment. It’s not that Paul was mistaken, but it shows us that the Lord didn’t reveal to the apostles when these events would unfold. The clear implication is that believers in every generation, no matter what is happening in the world around us, should live as if the Lord could come back today. This is what we mean when we talk about the imminence of Christ’s return.
Lewis Sperry Chafer writes,
“The imminent return of Christ to receive His Church is held before every believer as a ‘blessed hope.’ …The very absence of a date in this passage… extends that promise to all succeeding generations until he comes.” (Systematic Theology, Dallas Seminary Press, 1948. vol. IV p.367)
Charles Baker explains,
The hope that Paul holds out to all believers in all of his epistles is the coming of Christ out of heaven (Phil. 3:21) into the air (1 Thes. 4:17) to catch up to glory every member of the Body of Christ whether dead or living. This coming of Christ is imminent, that is, it does not depend on any fulfillment of prophecy before it occurs. It will take place before the tribulation. (“Bible Truth,” Grace Publications: 1956. p.64)
Another passage that teaches the imminence of Christ’s coming for his people is 1 Corinthians 15:51-52. The apostle tells us,
“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye…“
Again, we see how quickly this event will come. There will be no advance warning. There will be no countdown in the sky, showing us how many days remain. There is no checklist of prophecies that must first be fulfilled before the Lord can come from heaven to call his people home. The rapture is the next event on the prophetic timeline. There will be no time for us to get our affairs in order or to finish the things we have been putting off for another day. The time to get serious about our faith is today. When he comes, it will be in a flash, in the blink of an eye. Believers will be swept away from the earth, and those who have not received his gift of salvation will be left to endure the hour of trial that is coming upon the whole world (Rev. 3:10).
The doctrine of imminence teaches us the urgency of our mission as Christians to reach the people around us with the gospel. You don’t know how many opportunities you might have to witness to your friends and loved ones, so do not wait. This doctrine also gives us hope reminding us that the future is in God’s hands. Even though we don’t know the day or the hour, we realize that He does, and we can place our trust in his good purpose.
Craig MacDonald, in his book “Questions in Dispensationalism,” writes
“The consistent teaching of the epistles is that the rapture is imminent, meaning that it could happen at any time with no events that must happen first… [Paul’s attitude] gives us an example of the ideal way to live – as though Christ could return for us at any time but also ready to accept our death when God’s appointed time comes. Another important implication of this understanding of the time of the rapture is that all speculation… that current events and circumstances show it must be soon, has no biblical support. Since the rapture is imminent it might happen tomorrow afternoon, but because the Bible does not specify any necessary precursors it could just as easily be another millennium away.“[ii]
This statement might sound surprising to many Christians, because we are used to hearing bold predictions about how close we must be to the end of the age on account of some war in the Middle East or an earthquake in China. In my own lifetime I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard a statement that goes something like this… “We know the rapture is going to happen any day now because of what we see in the news…” When I was in high school, it was the first Persian Gulf War. We watched the news reports showing missiles being launched from Iraq, some of them towards Israel. I remember hearing well-meaning Christians make predictions that this was a sure sign of the end. “Any day now, one of those missiles will inadvertently strike the Dome of the Rock, which now occupies the temple mount. Surely the Jewish people will not pass up an opportunity like this to rebuild their temple. This is a sure signal that the end of the age has come.” However, the war in the Gulf came to an end. Saddam’s missiles never struck the temple mount. The Dome of the Rock is still standing. And history marches on. It could have happened… but it didn’t. Those predictions were off the mark. This did not dampen my faith, nor has it caused me to doubt the biblical teaching of the rapture. But I fear this type of careless speculation has unintended consequences. If we make predictions that do not come true, we end up placing a stumbling block in the path of unsaved friends. The error is not in the message of the Bible. We realize the Bible is trustworthy in all it affirms. The error is in the handling and interpretation of the Bible. However, this distinction may be missed by those around us.
There have been many similar predictions, people have made, both before and after the first gulf war. When I was in college it was Y2K. People panicked at the thought of every computer around the world shutting down in an instant when the clock struck midnight on January 1st, 2000. There was global fear that it would cause an irrecoverable crash. “Banks will shut down,” we were told. “Our electric grid will malfunction. Grocery stores will not be able to sell food. This is an obvious precursor to everything we read about in Revelation.” Again, there were preachers writing books that predicted this was a sure sign that the end of the age had come. There was even greater appeal, this time around, because the calendar also marked the close of the millennium. But New Year’s Day came and went, without bringing in the apocalypse.
Sadly, this same error has been repeated over and over again throughout the course of church history. Looking back at the early days of the church, around 150 A.D., a Christian sect known as Montanism arose in the Roman province of Asia. Leaders of the movement claimed that the end of the age had come. One of their leaders predicted, “After me there will no longer be a prophet, but the end.”[iii] They encouraged followers to abandon their homes and communities to wait for the appearing of Jesus. Montanus was eventually dismissed as a heretic for his many divergent teachings.
A similar movement sprung up in the United States just prior to the Civil War when a Baptist preacher named William Miller began making predictions about the end times. After an extensive study of prophecy, he reached the conclusion that Christ would return within twelve months of March, 1843. He based his calculations on Daniel 8:14 in which he determined the 2,300 days represent years beginning with the decree to rebuild Jerusalem by the Persian King Cyrus in 457 BC. When his predictions failed, he checked the math, and offered an updated prediction. Of course, his calculations were wrong once again, causing many of his followers to abandon the church.[iv]
Sometimes people try to dance around the statement in Mark 13:32, “…of that day or hour no one knows…” by claiming we could possibly predict the year or decade, but this is twisting the words of Jesus. His point was that only God knows the timing of future events. Acts 1:7 makes this clear when Jesus responds to another question about future events raised by the disciples. He told them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.”
There are hundreds of examples like these when predictions about the end times failed to materialize. The point of these examples is not to suggest that we should abandon any study of prophecy, nor that we should act as if the rapture is still a long way off. That is not at all the conclusion we should reach. Far from it, the doctrine of imminence tells us that the Lord is coming soon, and we must be ready, because it could happen at any time. Believers do not need to worry about how much time remains for this age, but instead we should be focused on living for the Lord in this moment. We do well to follow the example of the apostle Paul, who lived as if the Lord could come back in his own lifetime, while at the same time having a determination to finish his race, living faithfully unto death, if the Lord chose to tarry. He did not worry about how many days were allotted to him on this earth. He was much more focused on how to live faithfully for the Lord each and every day. May we have the same attitude so that we can say, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).
Prophecy is an important subject for the believer. We can look back and see the faithfulness of God in prophecies that have already been fulfilled, and we grow in our faith as we remember his promises for the future. God gives us a glimpse into the future so we will live with hope in this present age. But every study of prophecy should be firmly grounded in Scripture rather than speculation. Paul never instructed believers to watch the news so that we can make predictions about how close we are to the end of the age. That would only be a distraction from our real mission. We have much more important work to do, living for Christ and proclaiming the good news of salvation until the moment he calls us home, whether in death or at his coming. Christians do not need to know the year, the month, the day or the hour (not even the decade or century). If we are waiting for certain signs of the times to get serious about our faith, we are not living as we should. Scripture contains everything we need to know “…to live righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (Titus 2:12-13).
But what about verses that point to signs of Christ’s appearing? An appeal is often made to Matthew 24 when the disciples were asking Jesus about his coming and the kingdom he would bring. It is important for us to keep the context in mind as we read that section of Scripture. Again, Craig MacDonald writes,
“The most common cause of this error – interpreting current events as an indication that the Rapture must happen soon – is a misapplication of Christ’s teachings in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24-25). In that teaching block, Christ answers a question from the disciples on ‘the sign of your coming and of the end of the age’ (Matt. 24:3). In the teaching that follows, Christ talks about the coming of Messiah (Matt. 24:5), the fulfillment of prophecy (24:15), an attack on Judea… (24:20), and a judgment of the nations. These and other features indicate the Olivet Discourse taught the disciples about events that will precede Messiah’s coming to establish Israel’s promised kingdom on earth, not the rapture of the Body of Christ. Thus, the warnings about wars and rumors of wars (24:6) and famines and earthquakes (24:7) do not find their fulfillment in the circumstances of this age, but instead teach that prior to Messiah’s return to Jerusalem to establish the kingdom these kinds of events will happen at an unprecedented level.”[v]
It is always important to examine the context when we study any passage of Scripture. We ought to ask good probing questions like “Who is the audience?” “Who is this about?” “When do these events take place?” There have been numerous books written about Bible prophecy that fail to recognize the distinction between the Lord’s coming in the clouds and the Lord’s coming to establish his kingdom on earth. As a result, people are scouring the newspaper looking for events that won’t take place until after the dispensation of grace has already come to a close.
In his classic work on eschatology, “Things to Come,” Dwight Pentecost writes,
“Many signs were given to the nation Israel, which would precede the second advent, so that the nation might be living in expectancy when the time of His coming should draw nigh… To the church no such signs were ever given. The church was told to live in the light of the imminent coming of the Lord to translate them in His presence… Such passages as 1 Thessalonians 5:6; Titus 2:13; Revelation 3:3 all warn the believer to be watching for the Lord Himself, not for signs that would precede His coming.“[vi]
There are many different interpretations among churches concerning the end times. That’s okay. This is not a “gospel issue.” Brothers and sisters in Christ can take different views of these future events and still enjoy a spirit of fellowship and Christian unity. At times, we can have a healthy debate. Other times we will need to agree to disagree.
It’s important, however, that we be very discerning when it comes to the types of books we read or the type of videos we watch. It is one thing for a preacher or author to present a different view of the end times based on his sincerely held beliefs. It is another thing when the goal of a preacher or author is to “cash in” on all the end times hype. Offering sensational predictions about the timing of the Lord’s return is a sure way to get clicks or to sell books. History shows us that one can gain quite a large following by making predictions about the future, a least for a little while until those predictions fail. Even among those authors or speakers who do have the right motive, many fail to practice a solid, biblical approach. Some have the tendency to drift beyond the clear teaching of Scripture and enter the realm of speculation. This can be counterproductive to our pursuit of sound doctrine. Scripture warns “do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone into the world” (1 John 4:1).
We also need to pursue balance in our own study. Eschatology (the study of the last things) is an important aspect of Christian theology. But it is not the only doctrine. There are 66 books in the Bible and we should read all of them. If we become consumed with the end times, and find ourselves spending the majority of our time studying the book of Revelation, we will be like a weightlifter who spends all of his time at the gym doing nothing but curls with his right arm. Day in and day out, that is the only exercise in his routine. Over time, his bicep will become huge, but the rest of his muscles will be woefully underdeveloped. This would actually be harmful to one’s physical health, as a preoccupation with the end times can be harmful to spiritual health. It is good to have an awareness of God’s timeline for the future. But we must also understand the attributes of God, the blessings of salvation, the person of Christ, the identity and purpose of the Church, and other topics taught in the Bible. In fact, these categories of theology are in many ways intertwined, so neglecting other doctrines may lead to a skewed interpretation of the Bible’s teaching about the future.
Whatever one’s view of the end times, our study should promote assurance and victory for believers. In every passage where Paul writes about the coming of Christ, he encourages the Christian with hope (see 1 Cor. 15:58; 1 Thess. 4:18; 5:11; 2 Thess. 1:10-12; 2:13). Whatever one’s view of the end times, we are warned by God to avoid any kind of date setting or reckless speculation (Mk. 13:32; Acts 1:7; 2 Tim. 2:23). We might have the best intentions, but if we make predictions that don’t come true, we are only confusing our brethren and laying stumbling blocks in the path of unbelievers.
Conclusion
Immanence and imminence: both of these words are important for our Christian faith. The first reminds us that the Lord is always near, no matter what trials we might be facing. The other reminds us that the return of Christ is near; he is coming quickly, according to God’s plan and purpose. No matter how dark or desperate things might seem in our world, for the child of God there is always a light ahead of us. Our Savior is coming to call us home. One day soon we will see him face to face. We will experience his presence in a greater sense than we could imagine. In the meantime, let us live in faithfulness to our calling with a renewed urgency to reach the lost with the good news of the Savior, because we know “salvation is nearer now than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11).
[i] Kinnaman, G. 2014. The Beginner’s Guide to Worshiping God, p. 43. Bethany House Publishers: a division of Baker Publishing Group.
[ii] MacDonald, S. Craig “Questions in Dispensationalism” 2018. p.79-80
[iii] The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary Vol. 4, p. 899. Doubleday.
[iv] “Who’s Who in Christian History,” p. 474. Tyndale House.
[v] MacDonald, p.80
[vi] Pentecost, J. Dwight “Things to Come,” Zondervan Publishing House, 1958. p.202-203