When we look at what the New Testament reveals about the early saints, we see they shared many of the same struggles that persist today in the body of Christ. But perhaps the most glaring difference I see is this: for these early believers, longing for Jesus’ appearing was a lifestyle, not just a belief.
Although I have read the New Testament many times, I constantly find new evidence that they watched for, and even yearned for, Jesus’ appearing. It happened again as I recently finished reading through 2 Peter. After writing about the Lord’s return and the events of the Day of the Lord, the apostle began the conclusion of his book with these words: “Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these….” (2 Peter 3:14, emphasis added). In the verses that follow, he referenced what Paul wrote about the end times, which would include the Rapture.
Perhaps Peter had in mind what his fellow apostle wrote in Philippians 3:20-21: “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself” (emphasis added).
The phrase “eagerly wait” accurately translates the Greek word Paul used in verse 20, apekdechomai. New Testament writers often strengthened a word’s meaning by adding a preposition. With apekdechomai, the apostle added two prepositions to the word meaning “to welcome,” resulting in our English phrase, “eagerly wait,” which implies an attitude of excited expectation for what lies ahead.
The saints of New Testament times yearned for the time Jesus would appear and take them home. It was truly their “blessed hope.”
What’s missing today is not just the daily anticipation of meeting Jesus in the air, but also the many benefits that come with doing so.
Regardless of what we experience in this lifetime, we know it’s temporary. Nothing, not even death, can alter the fact that when we meet our Savior in the air, He will give us immortal bodies. How can that not infuse hope into our daily struggles with weakness and aging? Does that not greatly exceed any earthly aspiration?
This short life is not all we have; there’s a better day on the horizon that’s far superior to even the rosiest of futures here below.
In Romans 8:23-25, Paul used the same Greek word, apekdechomai, two more times to emphasize the early church’s excited expectation for the Lord’s appearing again: “Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance” (Romans 8:24-25, emphasis added).
The phrase “redemption of our body” refers to the transforming of “our lowly body” that Paul wrote about in Philippians 3:20-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-55. Why did he again refer to our Rapture? He did so in reference to his words a few verses earlier: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
