For yet a little while and He that shall come will come and will not tarry. Hebrews 10:37
There is no doubt that this verse is speaking of the Lord Jesus. But there is doubt among some people as to which coming is in mind. And the context of this verse is not really of much help. Some insist that this verse, because it is addressed to Christians waiting for the promise, that it must be speaking of the Rapture. Others, including those who doubt whether the Rapture is true, insist that this verse must refer to the coming of the Lord Jesus in power and dominion to set up His earthly kingdom. I am not going to be dogmatic, although I do think it applies initially to the Rapture. I see plenty in this verse that can apply to both of Christ’s appearances. And in applying to each, there is great cause for you and me to be encouraged, even excited.
The previous verse speaks of a promise. And there are plenty of promises we can point to. One of them is in Acts 1:11, as the angels spoke to the disciples as they watched the Lord Jesus rise out of their sight: ‘This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven’. If we are to take this verse as referring to the Rapture, we turn to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: ‘For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.’ The expression in our text – yet a little while – actually has a ‘very’ in the original. This emphasizes the fact that the Rapture will occur suddenly, and we believe imminently. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52) this great event will sweep all of those who have trusted Christ as Saviour into the sky to meet Him and thence into Heaven to dwell with Him forever. This is a glorious hope that cheers our souls every time we bring it to mind. Maranatha!
As far as this world is concerned, the Rapture and the return of Christ as King will have opposite effects. As the believers and their moderating influence on this world are removed, this earth will descend into gross godlessness and chaos and into the dominion of the devil’s superman, the antichrist. We won’t be here so we have nothing to fear from this. But when Christ comes in His kingdom, this world will arise from the devastation of the judgments of the great tribulation. Conditions will return to the perfection that our first parents knew in Eden as the great curse is lifted. Perfect peace, perfect government, and perfect agriculture will endure for a thousand years. This wonderful change will display what this world could have become if Adam and Eve had not disobeyed in the Garden. It will be a wonderful time of great blessing.
The expression in our text – He that shall come – is more accurately translated ‘the Comer’. We know Who is coming. His arrival for the Rapture will be for us. His arrival as King will be for the whole world. – Jim MacIntosh