Translation comparisons of various passages that use the word phaneroo

The word phaneroo undeniably refers to a visible appearing and co-ocurs with parousia!

John 21:1 φανερόω (ἐφανέρωσεν 2x) (manifested, appeared, revealed, showed himself) Strong’s: G5319
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Μετὰ ταῦτα ἐφανέρωσεν ἑαυτὸν πάλιν |ὁ| Ἰησοῦς τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης τῆς Τιβεριάδος· ἐφανέρωσεν δὲ οὕτως. After this Jesus manifested himself again to the disciples, at the Sea of Tiberias. He made the manifestation in this way. After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. Now this is how he did so. Afterwards Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way.

John 21:14 φανερόω (ἐφανερώθη) (appeared, revealed, manifested, showed himself)
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τοῦτο ἤδη τρίτον ἐφανερώθη Ἰησοῦς τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἐγερθεὶς ἐκ νεκρῶν. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after being raised up from the dead. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

1 John 2:28 παρουσίᾳ with φανερόω (φανερωθῇ) appears, manifest, revealed with coming Strong’s: G3952
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Καὶ νῦν, τεκνία, μένετε ἐν αὐτῷ, ἵνα ἐὰν φανερωθῇ σχῶμεν παρρησίαν καὶ μὴ αἰσχυνθῶμεν ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ. So now, little children, remain in union with him, so that when he is made manifest we may have freeness of speech and not shrink away from him in shame at his presence. And now, little children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from him in shame when he comes back. And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming.
We can move a short prepositional phrase from the end of the verse to the middle to make this verse even clearer without changing the meaning at all:
Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears at His coming, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame.

1 John 1:2 φανερόω (ἐφανερώθη 2x) revealed, appeared, manifest
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καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἐφανερώθη, καὶ ἑωράκαμεν καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν καὶ ἀπαγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον ἥτις ἦν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα καὶ ἐφανερώθη ἡμῖν), (yes, the life was made manifest, and we have seen and are bearing witness and reporting to you the everlasting life that was with the Father and was made manifest to us),
 and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and announce to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us). The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us–– this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us—

1 John 3:2 φανερόω 2x (ἐφανερώθη, φανερωθῇ) revealed, appeared, manifest
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ἀγαπητοί, νῦν τέκνα θεοῦ ἐσμεν, καὶ οὔπω ἐφανερώθη τί ἐσόμεθα. οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἐὰν φανερωθῇ, ὅμοιοι αὐτῷ ἐσόμεθα, ὅτι ὀψόμεθα αὐτὸν καθώς ἐστιν. Beloved ones, we are now children of God, but it has not yet been made manifest what we will be. We do know that when he is made manifest we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is.
 Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever it is revealed we will be like him because we will see him just as he is. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.

1 John 3:5 φανερόω (ἐφανερώθη) revealed, appeared, manifest
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καὶ οἴδατε ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ἐφανερώθη, ἵνα τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἄρῃ, καὶ ἁμαρτία ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν. You know, too, that he was made manifest to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him.
 And you know that Jesus was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

1 John 3:8 φανερόω (ἐφανερώθη) revealed, appeared, manifest
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ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐκ τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστίν, ὅτι ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς ὁ διάβολος ἁμαρτάνει. εἰς τοῦτο ἐφανερώθη ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα λύσῃ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ διαβόλου. The one who practices sin originates with the Devil, because the Devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was made manifest, to break up the works of the Devil.
 The one who practices sin is of the devil because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil. 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 was to destroy the devil’s work. the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Everyone who commits sin is a child of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

Source: www.netbible.org

Note that the word “phaneróō” is used to describe the visible bodily re-appearance of Christ in John 21:1,14 after his resurrection. (Other verses that use this word include 1 John 1:2; 3:2,3,8) This word is also used in the closest possible context (the same sentence) in describing the “parousia” or coming of Christ in 1 John 2:28. We can rearrange a clause in this verse (without changing the meaning) to make the connection even clearer: “Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears at His coming we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame.” In none of the 17 verses (or their contexts) that use the word “parousia”, or coming of Christ, is a word used that could be understood as meaning “invisible”. Thus, Christ will appear at his “parousia” or coming.

This is the reason the WTS has never used 1 John 2:28 in any discussion of the “parousia”. JWs have been given a “guided tour of scripture” in which the tour guide (the WTS) points out which verses are relevant (eg. Mat 24:3) and carefully avoids drawing any attention to verses that could possibly contradict their desired and approved conclusions.

In order to avoid an interpretation that the parousia is a visible event, the WTS uses Eph 1:18 to argue that any use of the word “eyes” in connection with the parousia is a figurative use of “eyes.” “He has enlightened the eyes of your heart, so that you may know to what hope he called you, what glorious riches he holds as an inheritance for the holy ones”. They use this verse to discount other verses (such as Rev 1:7) which state that “every eye will see him”. The way the WTS uses Eph 1:18 is completely inappropriate, for at least 2 reasons. The reasons why it is inappropriate are:

  1. In Eph 1:18 the word “eyes” is to be understood (legitimately) as figurative because of the phrase “of your heart” in the same sentence. The other verses have no such qualifiers. Verses without such qualifiers should be understood as referring to literal eyes, unless there are other textual reasons not to do so.
  2. If someone can use Eph 1:18 to make a reference to literal “eyes” as actually being figurative, then others could similarly declare that Jesus never healed any blind people because the word “eyes” can be used figuratively in another context. This kind of arbitrary linking of verses in completely different contexts is made on the authority of the interpreter, not by scriptural authors. It’s an example of “this means that” interpretation and the semantic smuggling of one word’s meaning to another context where it isn’t warranted.