Maranatha: Our Lord, Come!: A Definitive Study of the Rapture of the Church

Along side his other definitive work comparing dispensationalism and covenant theology There Really Is a Difference!: A Comparison of Covenant and Dispensational Theology, Dr. Showers has rendered us a great service with "Maranatha--Our Lord, Come!". His biblical and scholarly work will continue to set the standard in defending the premillennial, pre-tribulational rapture of the Church for a long time to come. As stated in the Foreword, "With over one-third of the Bible devoted to the subject of prophecy, the essence of which is the Lord's return, we can ill afford to be uninformed or confused about a hope so basic to our lives...Indispensable to any comprehensive work on the Lord's coming is and examination of the question of Imminency--the "any moment" return of Christ." Although "Maranatha" is a deeply rich and encompassing study of the Rapture of the Church, I only have time and space enough to mention the following quotes from Dr. Showers. These should be enough to show how important this matter is and what is at stake in our churches. It also serves as a reminder of the expectant living every believer needs each day to fulfill our Lord's Great Commission to every tribe, nation, tongue, and people. In his chapter on Imminency, Dr. Showers states: "The concept of the imminent coming of Christ is a significant inference for the Pretribulation Rapture of the church. To understand this concept, we must examine the meaning of the term "imminent." The English word "imminent" comes from the Latin verb "immineo, imminere," which means to "overhang" or "project". In light of this, the English word "imminent" means "hanging over one's head, ready to befall or overtake one; close at hand in its incidence." Thus, an imminent event is one that is always hanging overhead, is constantly ready to befall or overtake a person, is always close at hand in the sense that it could happen at any moment. Other things may happen before the imminent event, but nothing else must take place before it happens. If something else must take place before an event can happen, that event is not imminent. The necessity of something else taking place first destroys the concept of Imminency." Dr. Showers point here is very important. For example, this failing is seen clearly in the premillennial covenant (post-trib) position coming out of schools related to the EFCA that believes the Antichrist MUST be revealed first, and the Church MUST go through the Great Tribulation, BEFORE Christ can return. Since certain things MUST happen before the rapture can occur, this position does not allow for the, any moment, imminent return of Christ that is so often repeated in Scripture. Nowhere do we find that "imminent" equals "sometime soon"...and I have not been able to find anywhere in Scripture where the believer is to find his future hope an expectant living in looking for the Antichrist. The Practical Effect of Imminency Dr. Showers goes on to state, "The imminent coming of C

"MARANATHA" is indeed a definitive study on the rapture. Like an exceptional corporate attorney, Renald Showers scrutinizes pointed details of scripture that address our Lord's coming for His bride. He addresses passages and details that others have overlooked, turning over every stone along the path. Not only does he present the views of the early church fathers, but he also focuses attention on pertinent rabbinical writings. Regardless of your personal viewpoint, you must respect his attention to detail, his scholarship, and his forthright honesty in stating his position (from the beginning he makes it clear that he holds to a pretribulational rapture). Likewise, in presenting his case, he never makes a disparaging remark about those who do not agree with him. He simply focuses on the matter at hand. This volume cannot be brushed aside. It is the strongest statement to champion the pretribulational viewpoint.

Doctor Showers is one of the most leaned men you can ever sit under. I have had the pleasure of hearing him several times at Middletown Bible Church, and have found his books to be well written, well sourced, easy to follow, and a great blessing for those who wish to learn God's Word deeper.Doctor Shower's book, MARANTHA! OUR LORD COME is surely the best defense of the Early Church believing that the Rapture was an expected event in their lifetime. While we now know that it did not happen, the teaching is clear from Scripture, and Doctor Showers proves it: The Doctrine of the Rapture is sound and expected that we should be a believer in it for each generation of believers; the immanent return of the Lord Jesus Christ to take His church away before the tribulation.Doctor Showers books are a must for any serious Bible student.

I am a Pre-Wrather, and yet I have to recommend this book as one of the best works concerning the Doctrine of the Rapture. As a Graduate of the Institute of Jewish Studies (IJS), a school of the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry (FOI), I personally sat under the teaching of Renald (Renie) Showers, and, therefore, I can personally testify to the author's vast knowledge concerning the Holy Scriptures and to his personal credentials for undertaking the writing of this book.This book evolved out the Pre-Wrath schism that occured when Marvin (Marv) Rosenthal resigned from his position as the Executive Director of the Friends of Israel. I am also an acquaintance of Marv Rosenthal, and, as such, I am familiar with the details of this schism on a privileged level.Perhaps the most excellent portion of this work is how Renie Showers relates the details of the Pre-Tribulational Rapture to the details of the Jewish Marriage ceremony. While I still remain unconvinced of his position, I have to admit that this book presents a formidable obstacle, and for that I must commend the author.This book comes highly recommended. "Renie Showers is the man!"Shalom - Soror Samhain

In depth, but he won't loose you. This book handles the future events in a systematic way. Sometimes the pointers in the book get tedious, but that means you can't just sift through this material and think you can grasp many of the facets of the last things. A worthy read.