The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 1300, titled "Bible Questions and Answers."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE.

Question

I’ve heard many times this statement: “When the last soul is saved, the Lord will return.” What is the scriptural base for this?

Answer

Have you ever heard that? I think we’ve all heard that, “When the last soul is saved, the Lord will return.” There is no verse that says that, but it is certainly inferred and it is inferred by this--and I don’t know that I’ve ever said that, but I really don’t have an argument with it. I guess I think that sometimes, that somewhere in the world the last person’s going to be saved and away we go. That’s kind of exciting to think about. But, there is no verse. But it is true that God acts in the fullness of things, doesn’t He? For example, you have Galatians 4:4, “In the fullness of time, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.”

God acts in the fullness of time. And there you take that same concept to Romans 11:25. There you have a very interesting statement, in Romans 11:25, that has to do with the church. Listen to what it says; “For I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant of the mystery lest you be wise in your conceits: that blindness in part has happened to Israel till the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.”

Now most would agree, I think, with very few exceptions that the fullness of the Gentiles is the church. The times of the Gentiles is a period of Gentile domination of Israel began in 586 BC and goes on until the Lord comes and establishes the kingdom again. But the fullness of the Gentiles is the fulfilling of the Gentile group of believers the Lord calls out to himself.

So, “blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles”; once the fullness of the Gentiles is completed, then the blindness of Israel is taken away… Do you see? Well, the taking away of the blindness of Israel occurs in what period of time? The tribulation. So, the tribulation then will occur immediately after the fullness of the Gentiles. What is the key event that starts the tribulation? The rapture! So it is truly inferred that when the last soul is saved and the fullness of the Gentiles is reached, we’re taken out and God begins to redeem Israel.

So, from that standpoint, I think the inference is correct, though, as I said, there is no very specific or direct statement that says that very thing. I’m thinking too of Acts 15:14: Simeon declared that God first did visit the nations to take out a people for his name. If God was going to take a people, a designated people...remember also in Acts that the Bible says God had many people in that city. And once God’s “people” are brought together and the fullness is complete, then God’s going to deal with Israel and the rapture must intervene. So it is true: when the last soul is saved (or soon thereafter), we leave.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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