Parousia passages (παρουσία)

Of the twenty-four occurrences of the word (παρουσία) in the New Testament, seven relate either to Stephanus, Titus, or the Apostle Paul (1Co 16:17; 2Co 7:6,7; 10:10; Php 1:26; 2:12;) and it is used once in relation to “the man of sin” (2Th 2:9); and once to “the day of God” (2Pe 3:12). The following are the seventeen passages in which it relates to Christ: Mat 24:3,27,37,39; 1Cor 15:23; 1Th 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 5:23; 2Th 2:1,8; Jas 5:7-8; 2Pe 1:16; 1Jo 3:13; 4:15; 5:23; 1Jo 2:28.

Jesus said that “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” (Mark 13:32; Mat 24:36). How is it possible for humans to figure out the time of Christ’s return when not even Jesus himself knew? Charles Russell used Old Testament prophecies, symbols and historical dates and claimed to have figured out the date of Christ’s return. Did Jesus not know the scriptures as well as Charles Russell? Was Charles Russell smarter than Jesus?

The WT publication Golden Age (Dec 5, 1923) has this to say about “parousia”: The Greek word generally used in referring to the second advent - parousia, frequently translated coming - invariably signifies personal presence, as having come, ‘arrived’, and never signifies to be on the way, as we use the word coming. This fact is recognized by many who are looking for the Lord, but the error under which the church in general is laboring is that of supposing that presence implies sight, manifestation, appearance. In the Greek, however, other words are used to express revelation, appearing and manifestation, viz.: pha-neroo - rendered shall appear in “when he shall appear”; and apokalupsis. (bold and underline added)

Did the church in general suppose that presence implies visibility? Or do the passages that use the word parousia also use words that actually have the meaning of visibility or invisibility? So let’s look at which Greek words are behind the words which indicated “sight, manifestation, appearance, and revelation”. I have used the WT Organization’s Greek-English Interlinear to see how the Greek words have been translated into English.

Sight	Manfestation	Appearance
φαίνω phaínō. Strong’s Def (5316): to lighten (shine), i.e. show (transitive or intransitive, literal or figurative): —appear, seem, be seen, shine. verb.	φανερός phanerós, Strong’s Def (5319): shining, i.e. apparent (literally or figuratively); neuter (as adverb) publicly, externally: —abroad, + appear, known, manifest, open (+ -ly), outward (+ -ly). adjective.	This word is used to translate the same greek word as for “sight”. However, there is another related word that also gets translated as “appearance”, and that is: ἐπιφαίνω epiphaínō. Strong’s Def (2014): to shine upon, i.e. become (literally) visible or (figuratively) known: —appear, give light. verb.
Occurences in the KJV: shineth (4); Mat 24:27; Joh 1:5; 1Jo 2:8; Rev 1:16 appear (3) Mat 23:27-28; 1Pe 4:18 appeared (3) Mat 1:20; 2:7; 13:26 appeareth (2) Mat 2:13,19 a shining (1) Joh 5:35 appeareth for (1) Jas 4:14 be seen (1) Mat 6:5 had appeared (1) Luke 9:8 he appeared (1) Mrk 16:9 it might appear (1) Rom 7:13 seemed (1) Luke 24:11 seen (1) Mat 9:33 shall (1) 1Pe 4:18 shall appear (1) Mat 24:30 shall shine (1) Rev 18:23 shine (1) Rev 21:23 shone (1) Rev 8:12 should appear (1) 2Co 13:7 that shineth (1) 2Pe 1:19 they may appear (1) Mat 6:16 things which do appear (1) Heb 11:3 think (1) Mrk 14:64 thou appear (1) Mat 6:18 ye shine (1) Php 2:15 Occurences in the Greek Interlinear φαίνεται = appears, is shining (4) Mat 2:13,19; 24:27; Mrk 14:64 φαίνει = is shining (3) Jhn 1:5; 1Jn 2:8; Rev 1:16 φαίνεσθε = are appearing, YOU are shining (2) Mat 23:28; Php 2:15 φαίνονται = are appearing (1) Mat 23:27 φαίνοντι = shining (1) 2Pe 1:19 φαίνων = shining (1) Jhn 5:35 φαίνωσιν = they may be shining (1) Rev 21:23	Occurences in the KJV: manifest (9) Luk 8:17; Act 4:16; Rom 1:19; 1Co 3:13; 11:19; 14:25; Gal 5:19; Php 1:13; 1Jo 3:10 known (3) Mat 12:16; Mrk 3:12; Acts 7:13 openly (3) Mat 6:4,6,18 spread abroad (3) Mrk 4:22; 6:14; Luk 8:17 appear (1) 1Ti 4:15 Occurences in the Greek Interlinear: φανερὸν = manifest Luk 8:17; Acts 4:16; Rom 1:19; 1Co 3:13; 119:19; 14:25; Gal 5:19; Php 1:13; 1Jo 3:10; Mat 12:16; Mrk 3:12; Acts 7:13; Mrk 4:22; 6:14; Luk 8:17; 1Ti 4:15 φανερὸν = what is manifest Luk 8:17 φανερωθῇ = it should be manifested Mrk 4:22	Occurences in the KJV: appeared (2) Acts 27:20; Tit 3:4 hath appeared (1) Tit 2:11 To give light (1) Luke 1:79 Occurences in the Greek Interlinear: ἐπεφάνη = was made to appear (2) Tit 2:11; 3:4 ἐπιφᾶναι = to shine upon (1) Luk 1:79 ἐπιφαινόντων = appearing (1) Acts 27:20

Did the “parousia” or coming of Christ occur in 1914? Was it an invisible event? Well, if it was invisible then it is certainly possible that it could have occured in 1914. However, if scripture states that it is to be a visible event then it certainly did not occur in 1914 because no one ever claimed to have seen it happen, not even the leader of the Watchtower Society at the time, Charles Russell.

To gain an understanding of Christ’s coming (or presence) one should look at all of the verses in scripture that refer to this event; not just a select few. Below are all the verses that use the Greek word “parousia” (παρουσία) and refer to Christ. If Christ’s coming was to be an invisible event, there should be a positive statement that confirms it. The Greek language and the writers of the NT had the vocabulary to speak about an invisible quality (see: Rom 1:20; Col 1:15-16; 1Ti 1:17; Heb 11:3,27; Luk 24:31; 2Co 4:18).

Certain words below are coloured red. These are key words that give us more information about the parousia. Below the verses the key words are defined along with other passages that also contain those key words.

Translation used: 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 (φαίνω) even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Matt 24:36-40 No-one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹and 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. ⁴⁰Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

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

1 Thess 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?

1 Thess 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.

1 Thess 4:15-17 ¹⁵ According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down (καταβαίνω) 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 Thess 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.

2 Thess 2:1-12 Concerning the coming 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. ³Don’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 (αποκαλυπτο), the man doomed to destruction. ⁴He 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. ⁵Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? ⁶And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed (αποκαλυπτο) at the proper time. ⁷For 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. ⁸And then the lawless one will be revealed (αποκαλυπτο), whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendour of his coming (ἐπιφανείᾳ τῆς παρουσίας). ⁹The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, ¹⁰and 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. ⁸You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

2 Peter 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.”

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

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Definitions of keywords

coming παρουσια,n {par-oo-see’-ah}

• 1) presence
• 2) the coming, arrival, advent
• 2a) the future visible return from heaven of Jesus, to raise the dead, hold the last judgment, and set up formally and gloriously the kingdom of God

All passages that use this word in relation to Christ are listed above. NWT consistently translates the word as “presence”. A question arises that if dictionaries provide a second meaning of the word, where does the NWT translate the second meaning?

appear φανερόω,v {fan-er-o’-o}

• 1) to make manifest or visible or known what has been hidden or unknown, to manifest, whether by words, or deeds, or in any other way
• 1a) make actual and visible, realised
• 1b) to make known by teaching
• 1c) to become manifest, be made known
• 1d) of a person
• 1d1) expose to view, make manifest, to show one’s self, appear
• 1e) to become known, to be plainly recognised, thoroughly understood
• 1e1) who and what one is

Other passages: 1Jo 2:28; Mrk 16:12,14; Joh 21:1,14; 1Ti 3:16; 2Ti 1:10; Col 1:26; 3:4; Eph 5:13,14; 1Pe 1:20; 5:4; 1Jo 1:2; 3:2; Mrk 4:22; Joh 1:31; Rom 1:19; 3:21; 1Jo 3:5; Joh 2:11; 3:21; 7:4; 9:3; 17:6; Rom 16:26; 1Co 4:5; 2Co 4:10-11; Tit 1:3; Heb 9:26

visible (Matt 24:27) φαίνω,v {fah’-ee-no}

• 1) to bring forth into the light, cause to shine, shed light
• 2) shine
• 2a) to shine, be bright or resplendent
• 2b) to become evident, to be brought forth into the light, come to view, appear
• 2b1) of growing vegetation, to come to light
• 2b2) to appear, be seen
• 2b3) exposed to view
• 2c) to meet the eyes, strike the sight, become clear or manifest
• 2c1) to be seen, appear
• 2d) to appear to the mind, seem to one’s judgment or opinion

Other passages: Matt 1:20; Matt 2:7,13,19; Matt 9:33; Matt 24:30; Mark 16:9; Luke 9:8; 2Pet 1:19; Rev 21:23

reveal αποκαλυπτο

• 1) to uncover, lay open what has been veiled or covered up
  • 1a) disclose, make bare
• 2) to make known, make manifest, disclose what before was unknown

Other passages: Matt 10:26; 11:25; 16:17; Luk 10:22; 12:2; Luk 17:30; 1Pe 1:5; 5:1; Rom 1:8; 8:18; 1Co 2:10; Gal 1:16; Eph 3:5

splendour επιπηανεια

• 1) an appearing, appearance. Often used of the glorious manifestation of the gods, and esp. of their advent to help; in the NT the advent of Christ, — not only that which has already taken place and by which his presence and power appear in the saving light he has shed upon mankind, but also that illustrious return from heaven to earth to occur in the future.

Other passages: 1Ti 6:14; Tit 2:13; 2Th 2:8; 2Ti 1:10; 4:1; 4:8