βBehold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this bookβ (Rev. 22:7).
βA new preacher had just begun his sermon. He was a little nervous, and about ten minutes into the talk his mind went blank. He remembered what they had taught him in seminary to do when a situation like this would arise: repeat your last point. Often this would help you remember what was coming next. So he thought he would give it a try.
ββBehold, I come quickly,β he said. Still his mind was blank. He thought he would try it again, βBehold, I come quickly.β Still nothing. He tried it one more time with such force that he fell forward, knocking the pulpit to one side, tripping over a flowerpot, and falling into the lap of a little old lady in the front row. The young preacher apologized and tried to explain what happened.
ββThatβs alright, young man,β said the little old lady. βIt was my fault. I should have gotten out of the way. You told meΒ three times that you were coming.'β [The Hilarious Book of Heavenly Humor]
In the final verses of the Apocalypse, three times the Lord says that He is coming to the nation Israel (vv. 7,12,20). Terminology meant for the Second Coming of Christ to Israel, such as βBehold, I come quicklyβ or βthief in the nightβ is often mistakenly used for the Rapture of the Church, the Body of Christ. This confuses many people regarding these two future comings of Christ. When Christ says, βBehold, I come quickly,β He is not speaking of coming before the Tribulation to catch the Church away to heaven. He is speaking of His coming to Israel at the end of the Tribulation at the Battle of Armageddon (Rev. 19:11-21).
All mentions of the coming of Christ outside the letters of the Apostle Paul refer either to the first or second coming of Christ to Israel. As a result of not rightly dividing the Word of truth, words, phrases, and verses are often misused and misapplied to the Rapture of the Church.
When a preacher or teacher uses the words, βBehold, I come quickly,β and without qualification applies it to the Rapture, that is error. When a preacher or teacher says that the Rapture and Second Coming are the same thing, that is unsound doctrine. When a preacher or teacher says that the Church, the Body of Christ, will go through any part of the coming Tribulation period, that is not the truth of the Word, rightly divided.
When the events of the Book of Revelation begin to unfold, the Lordβs words, βBehold, I come quickly,β will be a comfort and source of strength to believers during the Tribulation. By faith and knowledge of the Word, they will know that they have a deliverance coming. They will long for Him to come quickly, and these words of reassurance will help them overcome and endure to the end of the worst seven years ever.
As for the Body of Christ, we are taught to be βLooking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christβ (Titus 2:13). Every day is a day that the Lord might come to catch us, His Church, away to heaven. We are taught to be βlookingβ for our Savior at all times. Knowing that we might stand before Him today or any day is to move the Church to βlive soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present worldβ (Titus 2:12).
Is Christ coming quickly? Perhaps, and perhaps today! However, to use, βBehold, I come quickly,β for the hope of the Rapture is incorrect. That is confusing the two future comings of Christ and what that phrase really means to whom it was written. βBehold, I come quicklyβ is said by the Lord and was recorded by John for the saints who will be aliveΒ during the Tribulation. That is most definitely not us. We, the Body of Christ, will have been βdeliveredβ¦from the wrath to comeβ (1 Thes. 1:10). Praise the Lord!
After Christ catches the Body of Christ up in the Rapture, the prophetic program will resume. God will pick up right where He left off in the timeline of prophecy. The next thing on that timeline is the 70th week of Daniel, the seven-year Tribulation period. It is at this point that all the events of the Book of Revelation will unfold exactly as they have been written. The people alive in that day will be able to use Revelation as a guidebook to help them navigate those horrendous days when Godβs wrath is poured out on this world. The hope for believers in that day is what Christ has told them in this Book: βBehold, I come quickly!β source
