I can think of several ways to explain the importance of knowing who comes first.

A. The integrity of God's Word.

Either we can depend on apostolic statements or we cannot. While everyone grants up front that some statements of these men are clouded and difficult, we know that many others are not.

This is one of the unclouded ones: The coming of Christ will not come until a general falling away that sets the stage for the semi-final world ruler, the antichrist.

It's in there. Let's just believe it.

B. The Thessalonian Syndrome.

In a word, that syndrome is panic. Many Christians will be entering blindly into the antichrist era, and finally realize several months or years in, that Jesus has not come. What if there are false teachers then as in Paul's day who explain to you what was explained to them: You didn't make it! Jesus already came. You missed the big event of all times. Next time He'll come in judgment!

What if that is you? Won't you be asking a lot of questions in fear and anxiety, and won't it be comforting to know that it was not true at all, that Jesus never promised a "secret" coming? The book of II Thessalonians will be a treasure to you then!

C. The restricted pastor

Pastors are being told by their higher-ups not to mention the Post-Tribulation rapture! They must think this teaching is important, though in a negative sense.

No, really. The by-laws of a major evangelical group that I know of officially frowns on any of its pastors talking about the possibility of anything or anyone showing up on the scene before Jesus does.

Their reasoning:

1. The coming of Jesus, they say, is imminent. They have defined that word, and their definition demands that nothing can come before this imminency is fulfilled.

2. Teaching about a Tribulation brings confusion to the saints, not to mention division.

3. Teaching about some event coming before Jesus lulls people's minds into complacency.

I get a little uneasy when I read things like this. Imminency I think I understand, and we'll talk about it later. But the fact that a doctrine would confuse is now grounds for it to be excluded? Could it be confusing because this denomination has reached a wrong conclusion to begin with?

As in, "Don't confuse me with the facts"?

And then the final salvo, that people like myself and the host of believers through Biblical and church history who simply believed the clear word about a second - and not a third - coming, these people are lulling the rest of the church to sleep by suggesting that a worldwide catastrophe and the most evil man of all time will come before Jesus appears?

Where did that come from?

It is true that wicked servants will play and sleep and stall until the last minute, then serve Jesus on the day before they think He arrives. Are they suggesting that those who do not believe in imminency are wicked servants?

What shall be said of the pastor who believes that a pre-tribulation rapture is wrong, yet wants to stay in that denomination as a pastor? Perhaps he has no strong feelings about it, and lets it go. Perhaps he truly wants to talk about it, but decides to obey, either for obedience's sake or for a lesser motive.

If he knowingly misleads the people of God in the name of obedience, what is to be said of him?

This doctrine must be very "important" to be under the censure of otherwise godly men. We need to get it right.

D. The Last Days

Everyone keeps telling us we are in the Last Days. Well, according to Joel and Peter, we've been there since Pentecost. Agreed. John would say we've been in the last hour since the first century!

But suppose we really are in the last of the last days. Isn't it time the church have a major discussion about this, correct the popular new doctrines of the last 100 years, restore the church to its serious looking for of Christ and those events just before His coming, in line with Scripture, and not with Tim LaHaye?

E. It's All Important

Why make a big deal of this particular teaching? Because it is a particular teaching. I think it's a truism that many folks who don't want to talk about Biblical doctrines of "lesser" importance, will often fill their days and their free time gaining knowledge about the news and the world of sports and automobiles and houses.

I've always contended that the least important teaching of Scripture (and this is far from the least!) is far superior to any ball game that was ever played, any series of sports statistics that was ever compiled.

Why shouldn't we want to get it all right, since God took 1600 years to bring us this wonderful book we [used to] carry around?

But granted, this teaching is not a slam dunk because of one verse. This verse is the foundation, but what is to be built upon it?

4. THE "WATCH" PASSAGES

Matthew 24 is key to our understanding of who comes when. Remember the questions of the disciples? "When will you come?" "When will the world end?"

Jesus goes into a long description, not of signs of the end, but signs that are not the end, so they will not be confused. Then comes a couple of clear signals.

a. The Gospel will be preached in all the world. And even more specific:

b. The abomination of desolation, described by Daniel and Paul, will occur in Jerusalem.

People living in the region will flee. Pandemonium everywhere. For three and a half long years, unprecedented trouble on earth.

Immediately after the tribulation, He comes.

Now, after all I have said, have you figured out the exact day and hour? No! And neither had the disciples. And neither will the people living in that time, per Jesus' words in verse 36:

"Of that day and hour no one knows."

You see how He goes from clear sign to general time in just a few verses?

Hidden in the talk of great tribulation and an abomination that desolates, is the teaching of the antichrist. Jesus says here in so many words, "Antichrist must come first. Then Me."

After all of this horrendous trouble, the words of Jesus, addressed to those remaining believers - and they do remain! - is the solemn command, "Watch!"

Our Father knew that scanning the skies for at least 2,000 years would be fruitless. But in that day, Watch! When you get that far in history, any day, Jesus will come. Be ready when He comes.

That doctrine of "any day", theologically known as "imminence" has been transferred to us in this pre-tribulation time. Perhaps wrongly. But let's examine some more "watch" passages.

I find the next occurrence in Matthew's next chapter, 25. It follows a parable about ten virgins. There is a sense in which this can be applied to any age, any believer, but you will note that chapter 25 begins with the word, "Then."

Then? When? In this time period of which we speak. Satan in the form of his antichrist, wreaking havoc. The Jerusalem temple inhabited by a man of sin. Unspeakable horrors everywhere. Then!

And yet, in some corners of the earth in that day, normal life is trying to surface. As we remember after 9-11, the call back to normalcy was immediate. People will live. They will survive. They keep trying to believe that all is and will be well.