Imminency

“After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17
Those who say that the pre-Tribulation rapture of the church is a new doctrine, need to read the Bible a bit more carefully. There are dozens of verses like this one that show that even Paul himself expected the rapture to occur in his lifetime. He uses the pronoun ‘we’, saying ‘we... will be caught up’ (translated into the Latin word ‘rapturo’ in Vulgate, from which we get the word ‘rapture’). He does not say ‘they... will be caught up’, speaking of a future generation. The same construct is seen in 1 Cor. 15:51-52: ‘We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed’.
Peter notes that while the Lord could be expected at any time, in the last days there would be scoffers who will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ He promised?” (2 Pet. 3:3-4). Indeed, the Bible has been declaring the truth that Jesus could return at any time, for the last two thousand years. But Peter himself also looked forward to the day of Christ (2 Pet. 3:11-12).
Similarly, we may not be the generation to be raptured. But certainly we can see things moving into place for the events detailed in the book of Revelation: Israel is back in the land and hated by all nations, the world is ripe for a one-world government and one-world religion, technology is in place for a cashless society, the nations are armed to the teeth. “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28). Are you looking up?