Hi Sherry, thanks for the response. You said:

 

But as for the immanency of the Rapture back in Paul's day?......how could it be so before necessary history was fulfilled?

 

I dunno... Well, the point is that Paul and his fellow Christians believed that Jesus was coming back for them in their day, at least that is what he seems to be saying when he uses the words, "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed... etc. It sounds to me like Paul did not expect to have to die. He did not say 2000 plus years from now there will be some Christians that will not have to die... Likewise, because of what Jesus said about John, many thought that John would live until Jesus came back again to take them to where HE was that there they may be also. Jesus spoke of His return to them, as though He meant them, and that is also the way the angel made it sound to them while they beheld Jesus taken up from them. This same Jesus shall so come in like manner as YE see Him go into heaven etc. (I'm paraphrasing from memory here) Even the disciples asked Jesus before He left if NOW was the time that He would set up His kingdom. It seems almost cruel to teach those whom you propose to love that you could come back for them at any time if all the while you know that you are misleading them because in fact you know that you will not be back for thousands of years. It has even been a point of ridicule for most of history for infidels to mock Christians for believing in Jesus when He never came back and they say He never will. Sure, now we know that He would not come back all this time but for most of history the church has looked for Him to come at any time. Including back in the earliest disciple's day. They always taught that His coming back was "imminent". All I can say is what Jesus said about us that the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. That is, for now we look like dummys for believing Jesus but that is okay because we will be vindicated in the end however long it takes for the adoption of sons to be revealed. I still choose to believe that Jesus could come back for me right now and that it does not have to be by me dying. For some reason, God wanted us to always be ready to go at a moments notice and that is the way He presented it. God surely could have told His church not to worry, I wont be back for you for 2000 years so just hang in there and only those who are alive at the end need to pay attention. But He always said to watch and be ready because we will not know when He comes. God let His people die not having obtained the promise etc. What a mean God, right? NO, God knows what He promised and He is not slack concerning His promises but He knows what He is doing and is waiting patiently for us to be included in what He promised. Whenever He finally does come, it will be just right and I want to be ready. Hope you are too.