The doctrine of the Parousia of Christ

Introduction

For many Christians the return of Christ is a very important part of their faith. Indeed, it is mentioned often in Scripture and was taught by Christ himself and the apostles. But many Christians don’t have a clear understanding of what the Bible teaches about Christ’s return. Some can only point to one or at most a few passages which speak about it and they base their beliefs on only those verses. For these people it is important to do a thorough study of all the passages which speak to the topic to come to a clearer understanding of what the Bible teaches on this subject. Other people have heard much teaching on the subject and have firm convictions that they have the correct interpretation on the subject. Others even insist that Christ has already returned invisibly in 1914. I invite this last group of people to critically read this study and compare it with what they already know. If they can find errors in this study, their faith will not suffer for having found them. But if they come to a more accurate understanding of what the Bible teaches on this doctrine, then may Jehovah God receive all the credit and thanks. He is the author of truth and as we study His word diligently we come closer to His truth.

Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to his words lest He reprove you, and you be proved a liar. — Prov 30:5-6 NIV

Error always seeks the dark, while truth is enhanced by the light. Error never desires to be investigated. Light always courts a thorough and complete investigation.

— Joseph ‘Judge’ Rutherford in Millions now living will never die. 1920, p. 13

You may think you have won your case in court, until your opponent speaks. — Proverbs 18:17 CEV

It is in this spirit of investigation that this study is being offered.

Method of study

This study is divided into 4 parts. The first is an investigation into the definition of the Greek word “παρουσια” (parousia) and how to translate it. The second part will look to see if other words can be legitimately be included in this study and what their contribution would be to the whole discussion. The third part will answer the question “Is the parousia a visible or invisible event?” The fourth part investigates the sequence of events relating to the ‘second appearance’ (Heb 9:28). Specifically, are the ‘signs of the times’ indications that Christ is present or that he soon will come? We will look at all the passages relating to the parousia of Christ. At the end of the study are some helpful tables listing the Bible passages associated with various Greek words. The reader is invited to make use of these for his or her own personal study of this doctrine. My main method will be to let Scripture interpret Scripture. When studying certain Greek words I will look at other verses which use the same words in order to let Biblical contexts tell us as much as possible about the meanings of those words. Unless otherwise noted, most of the time I use the New American Standard Bible (NASB), a quite literal translation.

At the outset we can note that the Bible only speaks of the parousia in the singular form, never the plural. The same can be said about the other words we will study such as: ‘coming’, ‘revelation’, and ‘the day of the Lord’. The only possible exception to this could be the word ‘appear’ in the verse Heb. 9:28 where it occurs with the quantifier ‘second’. But here the ‘first appearance’ refers to Christ’s earthly ministry. The ‘second appearance’ refers to his future arrival. There is no mention of multiple appearances in the future. There is also no indication that there will be multiple resurrections of dead Christians or multiple gatherings of still living Christians to be with Christ. These incidents are always referred to in the singular. This would strongly suggest that even when these words and events are mentioned in different combinations and with various synonyms or descriptions, they are referring to the same event, not repetitions at different times.

On the question of visibility it can be said that if the parousia was to be an invisible event, then it is very possible that it occurred in 1914 or possibly at some other time in history. However, if it can be shown that it is to be a visible event, then it did not happen in 1914, because no one has ever claimed to have seen Christ then. Not even Pastor Russell. This study by its very nature will focus on the descriptions given in the parousia passages as well as other passages that also deal with this doctrine. Although Greek words will be discussed, a knowledge of Greek is not necessary to follow the reasoning.

It should be noted that the author, as well as all of the churches he is familiar with, accepts the teaching that Christ can be and is invisibly present. According to Mat 28:20, Christ has been invisibly present with true believers for almost 2000 years already. But for the Watchtower Society (WTS), the ‘parousia’ occurred in 1914 and was an invisible event. The date 1914 itself is derived from a complex system of reasoning which has as its foundation the date 607 BC (or B.C.E. in WTS terminology). It is claimed that this was the year Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem. It should be noted that the WTS stands completely alone in claiming this date for this historical event. Every other biblical, archeological and historical authority places the destruction of Jerusalem in 587/6 BC, a good 20 years later. However, this study will not attempt to discuss the acceptability of the date 607 BC as the foundation for the date of Christ’s invisible presence in 1914. That will have to be dealt with separately.

The definition of the word ‘parousia’.

Greek dictionaries are in agreement that the word “παρουσια” (parousia) can have two meanings: 1) presence or 2) coming. Thus many highly recognized translations render the word as ‘coming’ (as a noun) when referring to Christ’s future return, as well as ‘presence’ in a few other passages.

It is beyond doubt that the word can mean ‘presence’. That is not the issue at the moment. But, if parousia can also mean ‘coming’, according to respected Greek dictionaries which the WTS also refers to, then where have they translated it as ‘coming?’ Nowhere. The New World Translation has consistently translated the word as ‘presence’.

Of course, once Christ has come or arrived, he will be present. But why does the WTS insist on translating the word consistently as ‘presence’? The reason, I believe, is based mainly on Matthew 24:3. By translating parousia as ‘presence’ in this verse, the WTS can support the doctrine that the signs Jesus mentioned indicate his (invisible) presence and not his imminent arrival.

In order to be fair to the reader, I will present my view at this time. I believe that the Christ’s parousia is specifically referred to in Matt 24:30-31. If this is true, then it must be noted that the parousia occurs after the signs Jesus mentions in the first part of the chapter. This means that the signs are not indications that he is present but that he soon will be present.

If verses 30-31 mention the actual event, the verses 32-44 add information about the parousia, such as that it will come unexpectedly and that no one knows the day or the hour. How can I say this given that Matthew does not use the word parousia in those verses? My position is that the ‘parousia’ is also talked about in the Bible using other words. These words are: ‘coming’, ‘appearing’, ‘day of the Lord’, and ‘revelation’. By looking at all the passages which speak about Christ’s return and comparing them we come to a much more complete picture of the doctrine than if we focus our attention only on one word. For example, if one passage talks about the parousia and mentions the gathering together of the still living Christians and another talks about the gathering together but uses a different word, are we to conclude that there will be two such events? Is it not more logical and reasonable to conclude that there are synonyms for the word parousia and there is only one gathering together of the still living Christians? It is my strong conviction that the second option is far superior to the first.

Let us now look at the reasons which support the view that the parousia is mentioned in Matt 24:30-31.

Matthew 24:30-31 At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. ³¹ And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. (NIV)

The word parousia does not occur in this passage, but there are several other things that link it with passages that do call it the parousia. In 2 Th 2:1 Paul states that the gathering together of Christians will occur at the parousia. Further, in 1 Th 4:15-17 this gathering together includes a trumpet, an archangel, and clouds. All this supports the conclusion that Matthew mentions the actual event of the parousia in chapter 24 verse 30-31.

Matthew 24:30-31	1 Thessalonians 4:15-17	2 Thessalonians 2:1
³⁰ At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. ³¹ And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.	¹⁵According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming [παρουσια] of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷After 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 Concerning the coming [παρουσια] of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, ²not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come.

Now let’s see if this position is justified. Words don’t occur in isolation, of course. Looking at other words in the same context or related passages can shed some light on meanings of disputed words. Sometimes synonyms are used, sometimes clues can be found by looking at adjectives or adverbs or events to which the word refers to. In this case we can find extra information to the meaning of this noun because of the presence of a verb. The verb ερχομαι (erchomai or coming) is used in the very same contexts as the parousia texts of Matthew. My claim is that because the verb ‘come’ or ‘coming’ occurs in the very same passages as the noun parousia, then it (the noun) must also mean ‘coming’ and not presence.

Let me illustrate this. If one word can legitimately have three meanings, but it occurs in a particular context with another word that can only have one of the three meanings of the first word, then it follows that the first word must have the meaning of the second word in that context. The following drawing illustrates what I mean.

Let us look at the passage that illustrates this.

Matthew 24:36-44 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. ³⁷ For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. ³⁸ For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. ⁴⁰ Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. ⁴² Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. ⁴³ But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. ⁴⁴ For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. — (NASB) (red=parousia, green=erchomai)

This passage forms one sub-unit in the discourse Christ gave to his disciples about his future return. This unit begins and ends with a statement that no one knows the time of his return. In between there is a comparison of the parousia to the days of Noah and a short description of what will happen when it occurs. Then we have a short comparison of the parousia to the coming of a thief in the night. This is followed by the words “for this reason you be ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.” (NASB) The text forms an obvious unit. Within this text the word ‘parousia’ occurs twice (vv. 37,39) and the verb ‘erchomai’ occurs four times, twice referring to Christ. To this we must add the parallel passages found in other Gospels. In Mark 13:35,36 and Luke 12:39-40 the verb ‘erchomai’ also occurs three times. In all these cases the NWT also translates this verb as ‘coming’ or ‘come’ or ‘arrives’. The word parousia does not occur anywhere in Mark or Luke.

Some objections answered

But there is yet further evidence to support the claim that this passage forms a unit and refers as a whole to the parousia. Some might want to argue that the discussion of verse 40-41 is referring a different event and does not belong to the same event as the parousia. These verses are about two men working in the field and two women working at the mill, one of each will be taken and the other left behind (Luke says two will be in one bed and two women will be grinding together). Will this really happen at the parousia? Well, looking at 1 Th 4:15-17 and 2 Th 2:1, we see that Paul states that it is at the parousia that Christ will gather together the still living believers to be with him always. So the short discussion of the men and women who are taken does not indicate a change of subject to another topic or event. It extends the discussion to what will accompany the parousia (see part 2 below for further discussion about the significance of these verses).

Another objection must be addressed. The WTS claims that all passages which contain the verb ερχομαι (erchomai or coming) refer to another portion of Christ’s ministry - his judging of all nations, as separate from his presence. However, I do not think it is possible to divide up Christ’s ministry based on the presence of these words alone. Let me explain why. Even though the verb ‘coming’ occurs in Matthew chapter 24 several times, there is no statement that Christ will judge anything at all in those verses or the whole chapter. That is simply not there. It would be nice if our understanding of future events could be divided up so nicely, but it just doesn’t work that way. The ερχομαι verses in chapter 24 refer to the parousia not to the judgment.

Still another line of reasoning supports the claim that Matthew 24:36-44 forms one unit and refers as a whole to the parousia. In verse 43 Christ uses the illustration of the unexpected coming of a thief in the night as a reason for his disciples to remain alert because his coming will be unexpected as well. Paul uses this “thief in the night” metaphor in direct connection with the parousia in 1 Th 5:2 and 2 Th 2:1-2. We will come back to these verses later in the study.

In 1 Th 4:16 Paul uses the words ‘descend from heaven’ to describe the Christ’s arrival for the ‘parousia’. This also can be described as a ‘coming’.

All this argues very strongly that the word parousia is not a special term that has a separate meaning. It occurs with the verb ερχομαι (coming) and therefore shares the same basic meaning in those passages. It also argues strongly that Matthew mentions the actual event of the parousia in chapter 24:30-31. This means the parousia occurs after the signs, not during or before. Indeed, the signs indicate that the parousia is close at hand and about to occur.

Are other words relevant when considering this topic?

The WTS focuses most of its attention on the word “parousia”. However, in the very same passages where the word ‘parousia’ occurs, the Greek uses other words which give us additional clues as to the manner of Christ’s return or parousia.

In my experience, which I do not claim to be normative, I have noticed that JW’s mainly use the Matthew passage when talking about the parousia. This is unfortunate. One cannot hope to gain a complete understanding of a Biblical doctrine if one does not examine the complete record. The rest of the verses which use the word parousia contain additional descriptions which can help us broaden our understanding of what will happen and how it will happen. The main aspect I want to focus on now is the question:

Will Christ come or be present invisibly, like the Watchtower claims, or will it be a visible event?

To answer this question we will study several other Greek words which are used in the context of the return of Christ. The Greek language is a rich language and the biblical writers used a variety of other terms in the parousia verses and their parallel passages which obliges us to include them in our study of the parousia. These words include:

ϕανεροω [faneroo] a verb meaning revealed or appear
επιϕανεια [epifaneia] a noun meaning appearance
the verb ‘to see’ in its many declined forms
ἀποκάλυψις [apokalypsis] a noun meaning revelation
the phrase day of the Lord
and last but definitely not least, the verb to come in its various declined forms.

Adding these words to our study broadens our understanding of the parousia significantly. Note carefully that it is legitimate to add them to our study because they appear in the very same verse or close context as the word parousia. Then, in order to understand these words better, we will also look at other passages where these words occur. It’s like being in a house (doctrine) you thought had only one room (parousia) and then discover there are also other rooms which belong to the house. To gain a complete understanding of the whole house, you have to examine all the rooms. Further, it could very well be that during the course of our investigation we will find yet other rooms, which, although having no direct connection to the first room, also belong to the same house.

We will begin by looking at those Greek words that occur in the very same context as the word parousia.

1 John 2:28 uses the words παρουσια and ϕανεροω [phaneroo] meaning “appear” or “reveal”.
2Th 2:8 uses the words παρουσια and επιϕανεια [epiphaneia] which means appearance.
2Th 2:1-2 calls the parousia “the day of the Lord” τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ κυρίου.

The word ϕανεροω (phaneroo) - ‘appear’

Let’s begin with the word ϕανεροω [phaneroo] meaning “appear” or “reveal”. It occurs in 1 John 2:28. The NWT translates this word as ‘manifest’ as do some other translations. Many English speakers may not understand what the word ‘manifest’ means in this verse because it is not a very common word. It’s also possible that the WTS chose this word to hide the aspect of visibility as much as possible. But in the context of 1 John 2:28-3:8 it is beyond doubt that it means a visible appearance. The word occurs in verse 2:28 and in the verses 3:2,5,8. Here are the verses from the NIV:

1 John 2:28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears [NWT: manifest] we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming [parousia].
1 John 3:2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known [NWT: made manifest]. But we know that when he appears [NWT: made manifest], we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
1 John 3:5 But you know that he appeared [NWT: made manifest] so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.
1 John 3:8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared [NWT: made manifest] was to destroy the devil’s work.

John says in chapter 3 verse 2 that “when he appears we shall see him as he is”. This certainly sounds like a visible appearance. But to make the matter even clearer, the next two verses, 5 and 8, use the same word to state that Christ ‘appeared’ to take away sin and to destroy the devil’s work. Note that the word is in the past tense. This is obviously referring to when he was here on earth. No one can claim that he was not visible during that time. So the meaning of the word definitely includes visibility and verse 2:28 states that he will appear at his parousia.

A possible objection answered

A possible objection must be answered at this point. The WTS’s standard reply to this line of reasoning is that Christ cannot reappear visibly because that would require a body, and according to their theology, Christ does not have a body now. However, this argument has no relevance to this discussion. If the WTS argument were true, then Christ could not have appeared to his disciples after his resurrection. But those were undeniably visible appearances and our text above uses the very same word for describing Christ’s parousia as his appearances after his resurrection. You see, even if you say Christ appeared by materializing a physical body that was not his own after his resurrection, then he could possibly do it again at the parousia to produce another actual visible appearance. So the question if Christ has a body now or not has no bearing on this discussion. I hope the reader will see this to be reasonable.

Other passages with the word ϕανεροω (phaneroo) - ‘appear’

The following list consists of the other passages (from the NASB) where this word occurs and which also relate to the topic of Christ’s parousia or his earthly ministry. The reader will notice that the same word is used for both and it is never accompanied by any modifiers which could indicate invisibility.

John 21:1 After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. (NWT - manifest)
John 21:14 This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead. (NWT - appeared)
Colossians 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. (NWT - manifest)
1 Timothy 3:16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. (NWT - manifest)
2 Timothy 1:10 but now has been revealed by the appearing [epiphaneia] of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, (NWT - manifestation)
Hebrews 9:26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. (NWT - manifested)
1 Peter 1:20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you (NWT - manifest)
1 Peter 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. (NWT - manifest)

The word επιϕανεια (epiphaneia) - ‘appearance’

Now we turn our attention to another word which also appears in the same verse as the word parousia.

2Th 2:8 And then that lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming [parousia].(NASB)

This verse uses the word επιϕανεια [epiphaneia], which means appearance, as an adjective of the word parousia. This means it modifies the word and gives it specific information as to how it is to occur. The parousia will be a visible appearance by Jesus Christ.

Let’s look at other verses where this word occurs to gain an understanding of what it means.

2 Timothy 1:10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (NASB)

Seen in context beginning with the previous verse it says that what was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior. This undoubtedly is referring to Christ’s earthly ministry. It is abundantly clear that the word means visibility here.

A similar thought is found in Titus 2:11, 13.

For the grace of God has appeared [verb - epifaino], bringing salvation to all men ... looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.

The appearance of God’s grace which brought salvation to all men was the earthly ministry of Jesus. Now his disciples are looking for the glorious appearing of their great God and Savior once again. The WTS will, of course, object to my referring to Jesus as God, but this verse uses the singular form of the verb while referring to two nouns, God and Savior. If you insist that this verse is actually referring to two persons, then the question must be asked “Does the Bible teach anywhere that we are to be looking for the appearing of the Father and the Son?” As far as I know, the WTS itself does not teach this doctrine and neither does any church I am familiar with. The only alternative then is that the verse is referring to the appearance of only one person, Jesus Christ, who is also called ‘our great God’.

The other verses which use the word ‘appearance’ are:

1 Timothy 6:14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, (NWT - manifestation)
2 Timothy 4:1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: (NWT - manifestation)
2 Timothy 4:8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. (NWT - manifestation)

The phrase τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ κυρίου (te hemera tou kuriou) - ‘the day of the Lord’

Now we come to the third Greek word (actually a phrase) that must be studied because it also occurs in the same context as the word ‘parousia’. There is one verse that clearly connects the phrase ‘the day of the Lord’ to the parousia.

2Th. 2:1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming [parousia] of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, ² that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

More evidence is found in the first letter to the Thessalonians. Right after the famous discussion of the parousia, the resurrection of the dead and the gathering of the living to be with Christ in chapter 4, Paul addresses the question as to when this will happen. He says in

1Th 5:1 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. ² For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. (NASB)

At this point we can ask: why would Paul talk about the parousia using this metaphor of the thief in the night? We need look no further than Christ himself. In Matt 24:42-44 Jesus says:

⁴² Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. ⁴³ But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. ⁴⁴ For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. (green = erchomai)

Peter also uses the metaphor of the thief in connection to the day of the Lord.

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be detroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

These passages confirm that ‘the day of the Lord’ includes the parousia and it will happen when no one expects it. The interesting thing about this phrase is that Matt 24:44 uses the verb ερχομαι [erchomai or coming] to describe the parousia event which is elsewhere also called ‘the day of the Lord’. This further confirms the view that the passage Matthew 24:36-44 forms one unit as mentioned previously and supports the choice of translating the word ‘parousia’ in this passage as ‘coming’ and not ‘presence’.

Until now we have only looked at words which also occurred in verses together with the word parousia. These have given us a very consistent picture that the parousia will be a visible event. No words are used that could mean an invisibile event. But there are yet other Greek words which are used in connection with Christ’s future return which confirm what has been said until now. These are the verb οραω ‘to see’, the verb ερχομαι ‘coming’, and the verb αποκαλυψει ‘reveal’. Let’s look at these words one by one.

The word οραω (orao) - ‘to see’

This is a very common word, occurring more than 400 times in the NT. It is an irregular verb and thus it can be difficult for someone who does not know Greek to recognize it in the Greek NT. The reader can look up the passages mentioned in an interlinear translation to verify that the words actually appear in the verse. This word can be used in a great variety of ways, including for non-visible events such as in Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” But the vast majority of times it is used for visible events. The question, of course, is: is it also used for the parousia or not?

All three gospel accounts repeat the prophecy of Christ as recorded in Matthew 24:30 -

and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory

with only little variation (see Mark 13:26 and Luke 21:27). As we saw earlier in the first part of this study, this passage is the parousia. All three gospels use the verb ‘to see’. This is also the verb chosen by the apostle John when he says “We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). John said this 3 verses after saying that Jesus will appear at his parousia (1 John 2:28). This is the Word of Life whom John introduces in the opening of his letter as “what we have seen with our eyes.” It is also the same word used by Christ himself when he tells his disciples “a little while longer and you will no longer behold Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me” (see John 16:16-22). This last passage refers to the disciples being able to see Christ again after his resurrection which happened literally.

An objection answered

A possible mis-interpretation of the verse 1 John 3:2 and the discussion of the word ‘see’ is in order here. The WTS claims that the word ‘see’ means to see with the eyes of your heart, as in Ephesians 1:18 “that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened”. Thus, when the Bible refers to Christ being seen at his parousia, the WTS claims that spiritual ones will recognize his presence on earth by faith. My question is “How do we know that the word ‘see’ in the passage in Eph 1:18 does not mean that we must see something literally?” The answer, my friend, lies in the text itself. It says ‘the eyes of your heart’, that’s how we know. The biblical writers and the Greek language are easily able to distinguish between a literal visible event and something that is by nature invisible. Nowhere, however, do we find that kind of expression relating to Christ’s parousia. Neither does the Bible ever use the WTS’s words to state that only believers will ‘see by faith’ that Christ is present.

At this point I want to add a short discussion of another word which, while it does not use the word ‘see’, is related to it. It does use the word ‘parousia’ so it definitely belongs to our discussion.

2 Peter 1:16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming [parousia] of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

Here Peter is defending his teaching about the future coming of Christ by referring to and comparing it to his experience with Christ on the so-called Mount of Transfiguration (Mat 17:1-5). Peter was an eyewitness of Christ’s glory and it forever changed his life. Now he refers to his experience as proof that he did not invent this story about the parousia. Peter’s experience was a small foretaste of what the parousia would be like, because Christ’s majesty was visible!

The passive form of the word οραω (orao) ‘to see’ - appear

The passive form of the word ‘to see’ basically means ‘to be seen’ or ‘to appear’. The verse with this passive form that speaks clearly that Christ’s return will be visible is Heb. 9:28.

Hebrews 9:28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear [ὀφθήσεται] a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

Notice that it is called a second appearance, the first of which happened when he appeared to take away sin. This first appearance is referred to two verses earlier with the Greek word ‘phaneroo’. This confirms that the two words are closely related by meaning. One area of meaning they share is visibility. Notice also that it does not speak of multiple future appearances, and that his appearance is connected to salvation for his followers, not judgment. If the reader has doubts that the word actually means a visible appearance, then a quick look at how this word is used in other passages should quickly clear them up.

Matthew 17:3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.
Mark 9:4 Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus.
Luke 1:11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.
Luke 22:43 Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.
Luke 24:34 saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.”
Acts 2:3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.
Acts 7:2 And he said, “Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,
Acts 7:26 “On the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren, why do you injure one another?’
Acts 7:30 “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn bush.
Acts 13:31 and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people.
Acts 16:9 A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
Acts 26:16 ‘But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you;
1Co 15:5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
1Co 15:6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;
1Co 15:7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;
1Co 15:8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.

The word ερχομαι (erchomai) - ‘to come’

The verb ‘to come’ is also a very common word in the NT and is an irregular verb so it can have quite different forms. The following verses are all the ones relating to the parousia that I could find. The WTS interprets all these passages as referring to Christ’s coming in judgment as presented mainly in Matthew 25:31-46 in the story about the separation of the sheep and the goats. However, when one sees the wide variety of contexts the word occurs in this is very difficult to maintain. Indeed, it occurs in passages which relate directly to the parousia. For example, Heb 9:28, mentioned in the previous section, specifically says that Christ’s second appearance will be for salvation for those who await him, not judgment. Notice also that nowhere does the word occur in the plural form of ‘comings’. This leads one to the conclusion that the word ‘parousia’ and ‘erchomai’ are virtual synonyms and that the passages of judgment are speaking of only one of the things that will happen after he comes.

Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds.
Matthew 24:30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.
Matthew 24:42 Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.
Matthew 24:44 For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.
Matthew 24:46 Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.
Matthew 25:31 But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
Matthew 26:64 Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.
Mark 8:38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels. (also Luke 9:26)
Mark 13:26 Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory.
Mark 14:62 And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
Luke 12:40 You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”
Luke 18:8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Luke 21:27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
John 14:18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
Acts 1:11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
Acts 2:20 The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come.
1Co 4:5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.
1Co 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
1Th 5:2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.
Rev 1:7 behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.
Rev 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (NASB)

The word αποκαλυψις (apokalupsis) - ‘revelation’

Now we turn our attention to the noun αποκαλυψις or ‘revelation’. Friberg defines this word as:

lit. as an action uncovering, disclosing, revealing; only fig. in the NT

gener. of what God discloses or makes known revelation, disclosure, e.g. his plan of redemption (Eph 3:3);

as an end time event revelation, appearing (Rom 2:5; 1Pe 1:7);

of particular forms of disclosure, as through vision (RV 1.1) and personal guidance (GA 2.2).

While this word can be used to describe abstract things becoming understood such as doctrine, as the WTS would have us know, is it ever applied to the visible appearance of Christ? It is.

1 Peter 1:7-8 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory... (emphasis by author)

The apostle Peter writes these verses to comfort the Christians scattered in the diaspora. Even though they have never seen Christ, yet they love him. Then he adds an amazing word at the end of his next phrase. He says: “though you do not see Him NOW”. This implies that they WILL see Him at his revelation or apokalupsis. This verse is very strong proof that the apostle believed and taught that the future return of Christ was going to be a visible event.

1 Cor 1:7-8 so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The day of the Lord, which will come unexpectantly like a thief in the night, will bring about the visible revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2Th 1:7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire

Note that even though in this verse the word ‘revealed’ is a verb, in the Greek it is used as a noun. The NWT translates it as a noun when it renders it “at the revelation of the Lord Jesus”. Note also that this verse includes angels in flaming fire being revealed together with the Lord Jesus. Now, flaming fire is visible, it can be seen. Also, whenever angels are mentioned in the Bible as appearing or being revealed it is always a visible event. Even in those places where the aspect of visibility is not mentioned explicitly, there is never any hint that these angels appeared symbolically or were seen by eyes of faith.

The following are additional verses which use the noun ‘apokalypsis’ in connection with the return of Christ.

1 Peter 1:7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 4:13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.

A related term apokalypto ( αποκαλυπτω) - to reveal, a verb

Dictionary Definition:

ἀποκαλύπτω verb subjunctive aorist passive 3rd person singular

ἀποκαλύπτω, f. ψω, to uncover, τηνκεϕαλην Hdt., etc. 2. to disclose, reveal, Plat.:-Med. to reveal one’s whole mind, Plut., N.T.:-Pass. to be disclosed, made known, N.T. Hence ἀποκαλύψις

This word is related to the previous one; it is the verb form. It also is used several times in connection with the parousia. In the first example below it is used to describe the man of lawlessness who must be revealed.

2Th 2:3-8 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed [ἀποκαλύπτω], the son of destruction, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. ⁵ Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? ⁶ And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed [ἀποκαλύπτω]. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. ⁸ Then that lawless one will be revealed [ἀποκαλύπτω] whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance [epiphaneia] of His coming [parousia].

It is interesting to note that after the WTS discusses the identity of this man, they come to the conclusion that his destruction will be visible. “The annihilation of this wicked opposer of God will be visible, concrete proof that the Lord Jesus Christ is sitting and acting as Judge.” Insight into the Scriptures, vol. 2, p. 312 under ‘Man of Lawlessness’ last paragraph. This conclusion is based, no doubt, on the presence of such words as ‘revealed’ in verses 3,6,8. But to deny that the phrase ‘the appearance of his coming’ also means a visible manifestation contradicts the rules of normal language use.

Other verses which use this word are:

1 Peter 1:5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed [ἀποκαλύπτω] in the last time.
1 Peter 5:1-4 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed [ἀποκαλύπτω], ² shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; ³ nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. ⁴ And when the Chief Shepherd appears [phaneroo], you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Can the Greek language express invisibility?

Finally, in our discussion of the visibility vs. invisibility of Christ’s return, we must ask the obvious. If Christ’s parousia was to be invisible, then why didn’t he or his apostles say so? The fact is, there is no positive statement that his coming was going to be invisible. An example of such a positive statement would be: “The Lord’s return will be seen with eyes of faith”, or “Then Christ will be present invisibly”. A simple reading of all the parousia passages or all other related passages will confirm the absolute lack of such statements. Otherwise there would be no argument.

But wait a minute, is it even possible to express invisibility in Greek? If the Greek language cannot express the concept of invisibility then it might well be possible to interpret the passages relating to Christ return as being invisible. Then it would be up to the modern interpreter to decide if the relevant passages are speaking of an invisible presence or not. However, if the Greek does have a semantic category of invisibility, and is able to express it in definite, positive ways, then the case of speaking of an invisible presence of Christ becomes more difficult to maintain when no such word is ever used to describe it.

Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible [ἀόρατος] attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
Colossians 1:15-16 He is the image of the invisible [ἀόρατος] God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible [ἀόρατος], whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him.
1 Timothy 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible [ἀόρατος], the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible[ἀόρατος].

These verses prove that Greek has a word for invisibility. The actual word is αορατος which the dictionary defines as: invisible, unseen, not seen.

Other Greek words which can express invisibility are:

αϕανη in Heb 4:13. This word is the negative of the word discussed above: ϕανεροω (phaneroo) “appear” and επιϕανεια (epiphaneia) - “appearance”. The first letter α means “not” and the root is φαίνω meaning “to shine, cause to appear, bring to light”.
ἄφαντος in Luke 24:31 meaning “disappear” or “vanish”
ἀφανισμός in Heb 8:13; James 4:14 meaning “a disappearing” or “vanishing away”
μή βλέπω in 1Co 4:18; Heb 11:1 “not seen”
ὁράω μή in 1Pe 1:8 see him not
οὐχ ἑώρακεν in 1Jo 4:20 has not seen

The following verses show how these are expressed in their respective contexts.

2 Corinthians 4:18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen [μή βλέπω]; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen [μή βλέπω] are eternal.
Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden [ἀφανής] from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Hebrews 8:13 By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear [ἀφανισμός].
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen [οὐ βλέπω].
James 4:14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes [ἀφανίζω].
1 Peter 1:8 and though you have not seen [οὐ εἴδω] Him, you love Him, and though you do not see [ὁράω μή] Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
1 John 4:20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen [ οὐ ὁράω].

Here we see that Greek can express invisibility in various ways. If the parousia was to be an invisible event then the biblical writers would have had no shortage of words in expressing it. If we look in the biblical record we can find no trace of a teaching that Christ’s parousia would be invisible. The only possible references to Christ being invisibly present are Matthew 28:20 “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” and Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” The verbs in these verses are stated in the present tense so they obviously don’t refer to Christ’s future return. I have also never read or heard that the WTS applies these verses to the parousia.

The sequence of the sign in relation to the parousia

Now we must also ask another question. Are the signs an indication that Christ is present or are they indicators that he will arrive soon after the signs? It is my contention that Matt 24:3, Mark 13:4, and Luke 21:8 are saying that the sign, or signs, come before the parousia happens. The parable of the fig tree, which three evangelists repeat, makes this unmistakably clear (Matt 24:32-34; Mark 13:28-30; Luke 21:28-31). They all repeat the phrase “recognize that He is NEAR” not “HERE”. The individual signs listed in the beginning of the discourse are like road signs - they warn us or announce to us things to come. Otherwise Christ could have used language like the apostle John did in his first letter - By this you will know that Christ is present when wars, earthquakes, pestilence etc. happens.

Interestingly, the term parousia does not occur in Mark or Luke even though they report the same discourse and use the same word “sign” at the beginning. The WTS considers these passages as parallels to the one in Matthew and quote from them extensively. So the question is:

If the word ‘sign’ indicates the parousia and if Mark and Luke are talking about the very same event as Matthew, then why don’t they use the same, correct word?

The absence of the term ‘parousia’ in the parallel passages of Mark and Luke tells us that the term is not a special technical term with its own meaning in contrast with the verb ερχομαι. When all three passages are read side by side it can be seen that the common meaning among all of them is that the sign signals an event that will soon happen. It cannot mean that the sign indicates the presence of something.

Matt 24:3 (NASB)	Mark 13:3-4 (NASB)	Luke 21:7 (NASB)
And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”	And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, ⁴ “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?”	And they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, when therefore will these things be? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?”

The WTS interpretation of the signs mentioned in these eschatological passages is that they signal Christ’s presence not his imminent arrival. But is that the way such a concept is expressed in the Bible? The apostle John made his readers aware that certain indicators in their lives were signs of spiritual life and so he used the construction “by this we know that…”. This occurs in 1 John 2:3,5; 3:24; 4:13; 5:2 as well as similar constructions in 1 John 3:10,14,19; 4:9. These are clearly indicators that must be present in order for spiritual life to be present. Is that also the case in the eschatological discourse of Christ? If the signs are an indication of his presence then we should find something like “by these things you will know that he is present”. Unfortunately for the WTS, we find exactly the opposite. All three gospels state that when ‘these things’ occur, we should know that he is near, not here or present. (Mat. 24:33; Mark 13:29; Luke 21:9,28,31,32)

Let’s take a look at another passage that illustrates this. Luke 21:20 says: “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near.” This verse uses the concept of a sign without actually using the word. The sign that Jerusalem would soon be destroyed was when it was surrounded by armies. Notice that the text says that the destruction is near, not present. The sign occurs before the event it is pointing to. It functions as a road sign warning the driver of conditions ahead. Now, do we have evidence that the sign in Matthew 24:3 functions in the same way as the verse above? Or is the WTS interpretation correct when it says that it indicates Christ’s invisible presence? To help us decide we will look at the parable of the fig tree which occurs in all three gospels. Jesus gives us this parable in the midst of his prophesy about his return for the explicit reason so that his disciples would understand the sequence of the signs in relation to his return. Matthew 24:32-34 from the NWT reads as follows:

³² Now learn from the fig tree as an illustration this point: Just as soon as its young branch grows tender and it puts forth leaves, YOU know that summer is near. ³³ Likewise also YOU, when YOU see all these things, know that he is near at the doors. ³⁴Truly I say to YOU that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.

Mark 13:28-30 and Luke 21:29-32 are very similar. The only logical explanation of what “these things” are referring to are the events leading up to Christ’s arrival. These events include:

Signs when he is near (not here)
Matthew 24	Mark 13	Luke 21
false Christs Mat 24:5 false prophets Mat 24:11	false Christs and prophets Mark 13:21-22	false Christs and prophets Luke 21:8
wars and rumors of wars Mat 24:6-7	wars and rumors of wars Mark 13:7-8	wars and rumors of wars Luke 21:9
famines and earthquakes Mat 24:7	famines and earthquakes Mark 13:8	famines and earthquakes Luke 21:11
	persecution of believers Mark 13:9	persecution of believers Luke 21:12
gospel preached to the whole world Mat 24:14	gospel preached to the whole world Mark 13:10	signs in sun, moon and stars Luke 21:25
great tribulation Mat 24:21	great tribulation Mark 13:19
³³ Likewise also YOU, when YOU see all these things, know that he is near at the doors. (NWT)	²⁹ Likewise also YOU, when YOU see these things happening, know that he is near, at the doors. (NWT)	³¹ In this way YOU also, when YOU see all these things occurring, know that the kingdom of God is near. (NWT)

Even before Jesus is through with his explanation of the signs, he repeats the phrase ‘these things’ in Matthew 24:8 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.” The fact that the phrase talks about ‘things’ in the plural form also supports the interpretation that they refer to the signs and not to the presence of Christ. This thought is repeated in Luke 21:28 “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Notice again it says ‘drawing near’, not already here. But also, which redemption? Well, Ephesians 4:30 says: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”, while Rom 8:23 talks about “waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.” Paul says our bodies will be changed at the parousia, both for dead believers as well as for those still living when Christ returns (1Th 4:15-17; 1 Cor 15:51-54).

The man of lawlessness of 2Th 2:3-8 is another interesting point of comparison. If this passage is parallel to “abomination of desolation” (“the disgusting thing that causes desolation” - NWT) in Mat 24:15-16 and Mark 13:14 and Luke 21:21 then the parousia must come after these passages. Paul clearly tells us that this ‘man’ must be revealed before he will be destroyed by the Lord’s parousia or coming (2Th 2:8). For this to be true in the WTS system of things this must have happened before 1914. If we look into history, who was this ‘man’ who was revealed to be the ‘disgusting thing that causes desolation’ and who was destroyed by Christ’s presence in 1914? Not only that but “the lawless one’s presence is according to the operation of Satan with every powerful work and lying signs and portents and with every unrighteous deception.”(2Th 2:9-10 NWT)

At the great tribulation mentioned in Mat 24:22 the parousia still hasn’t happened yet because the elect are still present. According to other passages such as 1Th 4:14-17 the elect who remain until the parousia will be taken up together with resurrected dead believers to meet the Lord in the air.

Have the events occurred which are mentioned in connection with the parousia passages?

1Co 15:22-23 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. ²³ But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming [parousia].

1Co 15:51-53 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— ⁵² in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

1Th 4:15-17 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming (parousia) of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. [NIV]

These passages clearly state several events which will occur at the parousia. First, there will be a resurrection of dead believers. Second, there will be a change in the mortal bodies of the still living believers. Third, all these believers (those resurrected from the dead and the still living ones) will go to the Lord to always be with him.

During the 1920’s the WTS published their expectation that the Old Testament saints would soon be physically resurrected. They had this expectation, no doubt, based on 1Th 4:15-17. Over time they quietly dropped this embarrassing prophecy. But I would like to assert that their expectation wasn’t at fault, only the date. If they would drop their proclamation of Christ’s invisible presence since 1914 they would be much better off.

Perhaps now at the end of this study is an appropriate time to address the manner in which the WTS has covered the same topic presented in this study in their own New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures - With References, 1984. In Appendix 5B, page 1576, a short article is presented on translating the word ‘parousia’. In it the WTS tries to defend its position by using a discussion on Greek words as I have done in this study. If the reader has persevered this far in this study, he is then able to compare it to the article in the Reference Bible. In it the WTS discusses 3 Greek words, of which only 1 has anything to do with the topic of Christ’s return, namely the word parousia itself. The other words, pareimi and eleusis, are never mentioned in any contexts of Christ’s return at all. It is obvious that the WTS has written the article in this way to give the impression to unknowledgeable Jehovah’s Witnesses that they have done sufficient research in the Greek language relating to this topic. They have given the impression that one does not need to research any further for insight into this topic because they have done all the research which is necessary. The reader is now able to judge for him or herself if other words can justifiably be studied to gain a fuller picture of this biblical doctrine.

Appendix 1

Greek word	Main passages	Additional passages
coming (or presence) παρουσια all the passages	*Matt 24:3,27,37,39* 2Th 2:1,8,9 1Cor 15:23 (all will be made alive at his parousia) *1Th 4:15*	1Th 2:19; 3:13 5:23; James 5:7,8; 2Peter 1:16; 3:4; 1John 2:28 (other passages: 1Co 16:17; 2Co 7:6,7; 10:10; Phil 1:26; 2:12)
appear; reveal ϕανεροω The word occurs 49 times in the NT. Some of the occurrences which relate to our topic are listed at right.	*1 John 2:28* (parousia and appearing!); *1 John 3:2* 1 John 3:5,8 2 Tim 1:10 (reveal and appearing, 1^st coming)	Mark 16:12,14; Col 3:4; 1 Peter 1:20 (refers to first coming); (other passages: Mark 4:22; Luke 8;17; John 1:31; 3:21; 9:3; 21:1,14; Rom 2:28; 1Co 3:13; 14:25; 2Co 4:10-11; Gal 5:19; 1Tim 3:16; 4:15; Heb 9:26; Rev 3:18)
appearance; splendor επιϕανεια These verses are all instances in the NT.	*2Th 2:8* (parousia and appearance) 2Tim 1:10 (reveal and appearing - 1^st coming); *Titus 2:11,13*	2Tim 4:1,8
revealed, appearing (apocalypse) αποκαλυψει noun or verb	*Luke 17:30; 1Peter 1:5,7,13*	John 12:38; 3:13; Gal 3:23; 2Thes 2:3,6,8; 1Pet 4:13
Day of the Lord	*2Th 2:2*	Mat 24:42; Acts 2:20; 1Co 1:8; 1Co 5:5; 2Co 1:14; 2Tim 1:18; 2Tim 4:8; 2 Pet 3:10
see (from root word: οραω to see) this verb is an irregular verb therefore many of the declined forms below are completely different.		Acts 2:3; 7:2,26,30; 1Tim 3:16; Rev 11:19; 12:1,3
appear: (οϕθησεται future passive 3s	*Heb 9:28*
see: (οψεται) future middle 3s	Rev 1:7
see: οψεσθε future middle 2p		Mark 14:62 (see Son of Man coming)
see: οψονται future middle 3p	*Mat 24:30* (see Son of Man coming) 1Jo 3:2	Mark 9:4; 13:26 (see Son of Man coming) Mark 16:7; Luke 1:11; 3:6; 9:31; 21:27(see Son of Man coming) Luke 22:43; John 16:16,17,19,22; John 19:37; Acts 1:3; 9:17; 13:31; 16:9; 26:16; 1Co 15:5-8
coming ερχομαι	*Matthew 26:64*	Mark 13:26; 14:62; Luke 21:27; John 1:9, 29, 47; 6:37; 10:12; 21:22; Acts 1:11; 19:4; Rev 1:7
comes ελθων		Luke 18:8; 2Th 1:10; 2:3
Day of God; day of the Lord	1 Thess 5:2; 2 Thess 2:2; 2 Pet 3:10	2Pet 3:12; Rev 16:14
Trumpet	Matt 24:31; 1Co 15:52; 1Th 4:16

Appendix 2

The texts of parousia passages relating to Christ (NIV)

Matt 24:3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Matt 24:27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Matt 24:36-41 “No-one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷ As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. ²³ But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

1Th 2:19 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?

1Th 3:13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

1Th 4:15-17 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep, ¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.

1Th 5:23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2Th 2:1-12 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, ² not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. ³ Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for [that day will not come] until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. ⁴ He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. ⁵ Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. ⁷ For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, ¹⁰ and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. ¹¹For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie ¹²and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

James 5:7-8 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. ⁸ You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

2Peter 1:16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

2Peter 3:4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”

1John 2:28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

Trumpet passages - (NASB)

Matt 24:31 And He will send forth his angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

1Co 15:51-52 ⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

1Th 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Appearance (επιϕανεια) passages (NASB)

2Th 2:8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming [parousia].

1Ti 6:14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

2Ti 1:10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

2Ti 4:1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:

2Ti 4:8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Titus 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.