Page 8 - The Rapture Question by John F. Walvoord

PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION

The blessed hope of Christ’s coming for His own has been
the expectation of the church since the time of the apostles. In.
the early centuries there was no attempt to achieve the full
theological discussion of prophecy that has characterized re­
cent biblical studies. It is clear, however, that from the begin­ 7
ning the church believed that the coming of the Lord was
imminent. Through the centuries since the apostles, this truth
has continued to be the star of hope to saints weary of this
world, and it abides as the hope of the church in the twentieth
century.
In this generation, there has been much discussion on the
relation of the coming of Christ to the predicted time of tribu­
lation that will overtake the world. While larger issues such as
premillennialism versus amillennialism continue to occupy
the attention of conservative scholars,!the question of the pre­
cise character of the hope of Christ’s return has persisted.
Many devout scholars have contributed their views on this
subject, and the results have not always agreed. The present
volume is offered in the hope that the restatement of the
reasons for the hope of the imminent return of Christ may
prove a blessing to the reader. The details of opposing
viewpoints have also been presented in order to acquaint
students of the Word with the major issues of biblical inter­
pretation that are involved. This study is offered in the
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