Parousia

  The Second Coming of Christ

  Matthew 24 beside similar accounts of Christ's prophecy.

From the days of the Apostles onward, nearly all Christians looked forward to the Parousia, the physical presence of Christ - a literal Second Coming. As more and more time went by, there was speculation by a few that perhaps Jesus did not mean to return to earth personally. Perhaps he meant that he would reign over the earth only in some spiritual manner.

The idea that Christ's reign is just spiritual was never very popular, but it has taken hold in various places from time to time throughout the history of the church. That has been especially true in the last 150 years, as people, under the influence of evolution and German Rationalism, became more and more resistant to what is supernatural. Faith in a literal Second Coming has become difficult to maintain in the face of growing skepticism. However, Bible students have always known this confusion would come, for Peter long ago wrote that in the last days, scoffers will arise, asking, "Where is the promise of his coming?" (2 Pet. 3:4.) These are little men with little minds. Peter went on to say that what is a thousand years with us is but one day with the Lord. It is therefore clear that God is not limited to time like humans are. With him, it has been but a very short space since Jesus gave us his promise to return to this earth in power and glory. We can truly say that Jesus will "come quickly" with as much enthusiasm as did John in the Revelation he received at the end of the first century.

There has been quite a bit of discussion about Preterism in the last few years. Preterists think that Matt. 24 refers exclusively, or almost so, to first century events, particularly to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Jesus predicted that event and nothing more. Hyper-preterists are firm in that belief. His coming, they think, was not a literal presence, but only a judgment on Israel carried out, not so much directly by God, as by the first  century Romans.

Futurists believe that while Jesus did indeed foresee that event, he looked beyond it too. He foresaw the future much like other prophets before him had seen it. One of the Futurists' favorite illustrations is of a person looking across from his place on one mountain peak toward other peaks in the distance. From such a viewpoint, there is no way to judge distance. A far peak may look closer than it is and may blend in with what is close. Under those circumstances, it is difficult to separate similar events into what is near and what is far away.

While Jesus saw the coming destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., and Luke seems to emphasize this most, Matthew was more impressed with how Jesus would personally return to earth. Matthew, unlike Luke or Mark, used the word Parousia, which is always used in the New Testament to show someone's personal arrival and presence.

Parousia is found 24 times in the original New Testament. Below is a list of those verses, taken from the King James translation. The reader can see for himself that the word is used in the New Testament to show a personal coming and presence.

It is not disputed that the coming of Christ and his glorious presence may be a time of judgment for unbelievers or for the world as a whole. This is clearly seen in verses like 2 Thess. 2:8. However, judgment is not necessary to the meaning of the word. That is something the reader should clearly fix in his mind. Read 2 Cor. 7:6. If judgment is not indicated in the text, then it should not be read into it. If one chooses to add the idea of judgment into verses where it is not necessary and not specified, then he is making an assumption based on his preconceived opinion about the coming of Christ. Doing that is not interpreting the word, but is adding to it. His system of theology has blinded him to what is obvious from the verse itself, and to the limitations that are placed on those who pay careful attention to the text itself. Here are the verses in which the word Parousia is used to indicate an arrival and personal presence:

Matt 24:3: And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

Matt 24:27: For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Matt 24:37: But as the days of Noe [were], so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Matt 24:39: And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

1Cor 15:23: But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

1Cor 16:17: I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied.

2Cor 7:6: Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;

2Cor 7:7: And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.

2Cor 10:10: For [his] letters, say they, [are] weighty and powerful; but [his] bodily presence [is] weak, and [his] speech contemptible.

Phil 1:26: That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.

Phil 2:12: Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

1Thess 2:19: For what [is] our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? [Are] not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

1Thess 3:13: To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

1Thess 4:15: For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

1Thess 5:23: And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2Thess 2:1: Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him,

2Thess 2:8:
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

2Thess 2:9:
[Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

Jas 5:7: Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

Jas 5:8: Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

2Pet 1:16: For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

2Pet 3:4: And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation.

2Pet 3:12: Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

1John 2:28: And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

As the reader will observe, the following presentation of the accounts by the gospel writers of Christ's predictions about the fall of Jerusalem and of his personal return is not a true harmony. There is no reason to believe the accounts by the evangelists belong together with respect to time, or that the subject under consideration had to have been exactly the same in all cases just because the language is similar. Like any great teacher, Jesus must have repeated himself many times and on many occasions, varying his speech enough to meet the need of the moment.

It is important to look for differences between the gospel writers. They were unique individuals and the Holy Spirit would have dealt with each one in a unique way. Each would have remembered things that the others might not have remembered.

The object in this presentation was to start with Matthew and find similar records in the other gospel writers. To do so, verses had to be taken from various contexts. The reader should keep that in mind. Much of Matthew's emphasis is on the Parousia, the "coming," or "arrival," of Christ in person and the gathering of the elect to Christ when he arrives. Luke seems to have been more concerned with God's judgment on Israel. He refers to it as "wrath on this people." Luke recorded words that seem to emphasize the destruction of Israel in 70 A.D. and the subsequent enslavement of many, many Israelites in other nations. There they would stay throughout this present era of Gentile dominion. We need not restrict what Luke said to the first century, but we should not overlook how well his accounts of Jesus' predictions fit with the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus.

Matthew was concerned with the end of the world, or age. This coincides with the coming of Christ to set up his kingdom on this earth. Both Matthew and Mark tell us that the end cannot come until the gospel has been delivered to all the nations of earth. That is clear both from this prophetic passage and from the final commission that Christ gave to his church in Matt. 28:18-20. That promise to be with the church until the end of the world, or age, reaches far beyond the first century. If not, Christians would have been without heavenly guidance for the last 1900 years.

Matthew included example after example of what would happen to Christ's disciples when Christ arrives here on earth. We are given a detailed account of the judgment of those who claim to be the followers of Christ. Finally we are told about the judgment of nations. This is definitely something that will happen only when the old age of man's rule over the earth finally ends and Christ is sitting as king on his earthly throne. Luke relays little information about this distant future but he does expect worthy believers to escape whatever wrath comes upon this earth and to stand before the Son of Man - Daniel's Messiah and the New Testament Christ.