Yes — the Rapture is imminent: Scripture gives no date for it, and believers are told to expect the Lord at any moment.
Les Feldick teaches that the Church has been looking for the Rapture "ever since Paul's own experience" — Paul taught the Thessalonian believers it could happen in their lifetime, and he himself expected to be alive when the trumpet sounded. Because the event happens suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, no timetable can be known in advance.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 — Paul introduces the Rapture as a mystery in which believers are changed "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" — describing a sudden event with no timetable given.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 — Paul writes "we which are alive and remain," treating the event as something that could happen while believers are still living.
In 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, the Apostle Paul introduces the Rapture as a mystery: "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." The passage describes an instantaneous transformation — the twinkling of an eye — rather than an event with a known date. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Paul writes: "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." Paul's phrase "we which are alive and remain" treats the event as something that could occur while believers are still living.
Les Feldick teaches that the Rapture is imminent — an event that could happen at any moment, with no date or timetable attached. He reminds listeners that Paul, as the apostle of the Gentiles, is writing these Rapture passages to Gentile believers under grace — to us today. The Church Age "has been warned and advised to look for it ever since Paul's own experience": Paul taught the Thessalonian believers that the Rapture was going to take place "probably in their lifetime," and Paul himself expected to be alive when the trumpet sounded. Les uses the word "imminent" to describe the event: Christ may come "this afternoon before we leave the studio," or this evening, tomorrow, next week, or "sometime down the road." No one knows when. He insists that no one can set a date — "You can never set a date, but we are to expect it at any moment" — and that Scripture itself does not set a date: "Scripture doesn't set a date, it just simply says it's imminent. It could happen at any time." The event will occur suddenly, "in a split, split second," when the trumpet sounds, the dead in Christ are raised, and living believers are changed while "still alive and remain."
For Les Feldick, imminent means the Rapture could happen at any moment with no known date. He explains: "He may come this afternoon before we leave the studio, He may come before we get home this afternoon, He may come tomorrow, He may come next week, it may be sometime down the road. We don't know." He adds that the Church does not know when the Rapture will be, though it "can't be too far into the future." The same expectancy applied in Paul's day and applies to believers today.
Les is firm that no one can set a date for the Lord's coming for the Church — "You can never set a date, but we are to expect it at any moment." He says "Scripture doesn't set a date, it just simply says it's imminent. It could happen at any time." Even when Les expresses his personal sense that the Rapture is very near — he told callers he would be surprised if believers were still here by January 1 — he qualifies it: "if it hasn't happened that's fine." Expectancy is not shaken by a delayed timetable.
Les emphasizes the suddenness of the event: in "a split, split second" — not gradually "like a butterfly" — living believers will be changed. Scripture puts it this way: "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:52). The change is so immediate that there is no room for advance warning.
Les points out that Paul taught the Thessalonian believers the Rapture was going to take place "probably in their lifetime." Paul also wrote in the first person — "we shall be changed" — and, as Les notes, "he expected to be alive" when the trumpet sounded. The Church has been looking for the event at any moment ever since Paul's own experience.
Les walks through the order of events Paul reveals in 1 Thessalonians 4: "the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout" (verse 16); "the dead in Christ will rise first, and then we will suddenly take flight" — living believers are "caught up" together with them to meet the Lord in the air. Because the whole event unfolds without warning, believers are to be ready at every moment.
Paul's Letters Addressed to Us
Les establishes that Paul writes 1 Corinthians 15 to Gentile believers under grace, so the promise of the Rapture's suddenness applies directly to believers today.
The Definition of Imminent
Les defines imminence directly: no date can be set, but believers are to expect the Lord at any moment — this afternoon, tomorrow, next week, or down the road.
A Split-Second Mystery
Les describes the Rapture as a mystery: believers will be taken from here to there in a split second, which underscores why the event cannot be scheduled in advance.
Changed in the Twinkling of an Eye
Les stresses that living believers will be changed in a split second — not gradually — at the last trumpet, when the dead are raised incorruptible.
Paul Expected to Be Alive
Les shows Paul wrote in the first person — "we shall be changed" — because Paul expected to be alive when the trumpet sounded, proving imminence was true in the first century.
The Next Event on God's Calendar
Les identifies the Rapture as the next event on God's calendar — the Church does not know when it will be, but it could be very soon.
Caught Up to Meet the Lord
Les quotes 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 to show that living believers will be "caught up" to meet the Lord in the air — the origin of the word rapture.
Date-Setting Is Forbidden
Les says Scripture does not set a date — it simply says the event is imminent. Even his personal sense that it is near does not displace the fact that it could happen at any time.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52: Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Paul reveals the Rapture as a mystery in which believers are changed suddenly — in the twinkling of an eye — with no date or timetable given.
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.
Paul's words "we which are alive and remain" show the early expectation that some believers would be living when the Lord comes.
No. Les Feldick teaches that "Scripture doesn't set a date, it just simply says it's imminent." The Rapture could happen at any time; Les says he bristles whenever anyone tries to name a specific day or year for the Lord's coming for the Church, because we simply do not know.
Imminent means the Rapture can happen at any moment without warning. Les says it could happen this afternoon, tomorrow, next week, or further down the road — no one knows the timetable, so believers are to be ready at all times.
Les says Paul taught the Thessalonian believers that the Rapture would probably take place in their lifetime. Paul also wrote "we shall be changed" and expected to be alive when the trumpet sounded — showing the event has been imminent since the first century.
Les says "everything is coming to pass so quickly" and the world is "falling apart so speedily," and he has told callers he would be surprised if believers were still here by January 1. But he is quick to add that if it hasn't happened, that's fine — Scripture doesn't set a date.
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