HOW WILL CHRIST COME AGAIN?
[Should we expect Christ to come again in a human body? No. Why not? Among other reasons, because he accomplished the threefold purpose for which, he became flesh, and so he no longer needs a human body.]
Christ does not come in a body of flesh and blood but He comes in a glorified body of flesh and bones. See : Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom?
[Should we expect Christ to come again in a human body? No. Why not? Among other reasons, because he accomplished the threefold purpose for which, he became flesh, and so he no longer needs a human body.]
Christ does not come in a body of flesh and blood but He comes in a glorified body of flesh and bones. See : Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom?
[Nor do the angels’ words, that Jesus would “come thus in the same manner,” require that he come in a fleshly body. The angels said that Jesus would come, not in the same form, but in the same manner. His manner was quiet and unobserved except by his immediate followers. So his return would at first be observed only by his followers who had faith in him.—Acts 1:11, NW.]
In what manner will Jesus come? Let’s look at Acts 1:9-11:
Act 1:9-11 And after he had said these things, while they were looking on, he was lifted up and a cloud caught him up from their vision. 10 And as they were gazing into the sky while he was on his way, also, look! two men in white garments stood alongside them, 11 and they said: “Men of Gal´i·lee, why do YOU stand looking into the sky? This Jesus who was received up from YOU into the sky will come thus in the same manner as YOU have beheld him going into the sky.”
The text says “This Jesus [of flesh and bones] which you have seen go to heaven will come back the same way or same manner you saw Him go to heaven. In which manner did Jesus go to heaven while they were looking on? V9 gives us the answer: “while they were looking on, he was lifted up and a cloud caught him up”. Now what manner will he come? Will he come in a cloud?
Luke 21:27 And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory
Matt 24: 30 And then the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in lamentation, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory
Rev 1:7 Look! He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him
The manner will be in a cloud [of angels], because that was the manner He was caught up and so will he come back in the same manner. The text doesn’t say his manner will be quiet and unobserved. Rather, Luke 21:27 adds that it will be with "power and great glory" such that "every eye" (Rev 1:7) will see him. The cloud represents clouds of angels. In the old testament, Angel of Jehovah use to appear in a cloud (1 Cor 10:1-4).
[But what about Revelation 1:7 (NW), which reads: “Look! he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him”? In view of the fact that the Bible often makes reference to sight in a figurative sense and in view of the physical impossibility of everyone on earth literally seeing Jesus were he to come in a human body, we must conclude that figurative sight is here referred to; especially in view of Jesus’ plain statement: “a little longer and the world will behold me no more.”—John 14:19, NW.]
The JW’s believe that in 1914, the presence (parousia) of Christ was revealed by the “eyes of YOUR heart having been enlightened” (Eph 1:18). When the parousia took place in 1914, it was the spiritual eyes of the faithful Watchtower servants who discerned that His presence had taken place.”
If that was so, why was it that three years later, in 1917, the Watchtower put out a book still maintaining that Christ’s second advent had taken place in 1874? Is it only a few that have spiritual understanding? All the tribes do not have spiritual understanding at his appearing?
Matt 24:30 And then the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in lamentation, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
The above text says "ALL" will see. The “they” are the wicked who are nt supposed to have eyes of “spiritual understanding” and yet "they will see". Notice when the Son of man comes, he comes "with power and great glory”!!! That's sounds visible!!!!
[But what about Jesus’ plain statement: “a little longer and the world will behold me no more.”—John 14:19, NW?]
This is answered by:
Matt 23:39 For I say to YOU, YOU will by no means see me from henceforth until YOU say, ‘Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah’s name!’”
Jesus Christ did not return in either 1874 or 1914 because “He will be seen ”:
1 John 3:2 Beloved ones, now we are children of God, but as yet it has not been made manifest what we shall be. We do know that whenever he is made manifest we shall be like him, because we shall see him just as he is.
[What about the physical impossibility of everyone on earth literally seeing Jesus were he to come in a human body? How can all see him at the same time?]
1 John 3:2 Beloved ones, now we are children of God, but as yet it has not been made manifest what we shall be. We do know that whenever he is made manifest we shall be like him, because we shall see him just as he is.
[What about the physical impossibility of everyone on earth literally seeing Jesus were he to come in a human body? How can all see him at the same time?]
Notice that Matt 24:30 and Rev 1:7 does not say “all will see” him simultaneously or at the same time. Lord will sweep around the circle of the earth and vacuum up all the righteous. Is anything too hard for the Lord?
[Christ returns or “visits” the earth as did Jehovah in times past, by turning his attention to things of earth. Thus Jehovah did not literally come down or “visit” (King James Version) the Israelites while they were in Egypt or at the time of the birth of John the Baptist; rather, he “turned his attention” to them. Likewise, when he began to call out a people from the nations for his name he did not literally “visit” but “turned his attention to the nations.” (Ex. 4:31; Luke 1:68; Acts 15:14, NW) See also An American Translation and Moffatt.]
Jehovah, who is also the Angel of Jehovah did literally come down! (see also: Angel of Jehovah not Jehovah?) -
Jdg. 6:11-16, 20-22 Later Jehovah’s angel came and sat under the big tree that was in Oph´rah, which belonged to Jo´ash the Abi-ez´rite, while Gid´e·on his son was beating out wheat in the winepress so as to get it quickly out of the sight of Mid´i·an. 12 Then Jehovah’s angel appeared to him and said to him: “Jehovah is with you, you valiant, mighty one.” 13 At this Gid´e·on said to him: “Excuse me, my lord, but if Jehovah is with us, then why has all this come upon us, and where are all his wonderful acts that our fathers related to us, saying, ‘Was it not out of Egypt that Jehovah brought us up?’ And now Jehovah has deserted us, and he gives us into the palm of Mid´i·an.” 14 Upon that Jehovah faced him and said: “Go in this power of yours, and you will certainly save Israel out of Mid´i·an’s palm. Do I not send you?” 15 In turn he said to him: “Excuse me, Jehovah.
Now compare Judges 6:11-15 with Gen 22:11- This is an instance where Jehovah did not literally visit:
Gen. 22:11, 12, 15-18 But Jehovah’s angel began calling to him out of the heavens and saying: “Abraham, Abraham!” to which he answered: “Here I am!” And he went on to say: “Do not put out your hand against the boy and do not do anything at all to him, for now I do know that you are God-fearing in that you have not withheld your son, your only one, from me.”
Jehvoah did visit literally in the OT in certain occasions and he will definitely come literally!!!!
THE TIME OF CHRIST’S SECOND PRESENCE
[The Scriptures indicate three features to follow Christ’s second coming and use three Greek words to refer to them: his parousia, or presence; his epiphaneia, or “manifestation”; and his apokalypsis, or “revelation.” Many Scriptures speak of the act of Christ’s second “coming” (e´levsis), such as Acts 7:52; but the Christian Greek Scriptures speak also many times of his second presence (par·ou·sía), his being invisibly here, not his being on the way.]
What is the meaning of Parousia?
A technical Greek term describing the “personal arrival or presence of a person”. NEVER in the bible it describes as invisible presence (Matt 24:3). In school today children respond to a roll call by saying "present". In Greece they reply, "parousia".
Was the Parousia or coming of Stephenos a real or literal event? Yes
1 Cor 16:17 -”I am glad of the coming (Parousia) of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied.
Jw's separate apokalypsis, or “revelation” with his presence (par·ou·sía). But the Bible doesn’t. BOTH the phrases are used to describe the same event; second coming. The following verses showing Matthew and Luke’s account of the same event prove beyond a shadow of doubt, that the words “parousia” and “apokalupsis” do refer to the same event.
Matthew 24:37 For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence [parousia] of the Son of man will be.
Luke 17:26, 30 Moreover, just as it occurred in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of man: 27 they were eating, they were drinking, men were marrying, women were being given in marriage, until that day when Noah entered into the ark, and the flood arrived and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it occurred in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building. 29 But on the day that Lot came out of Sod´om it rained fire and sulphur from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 The same way it will be on that day when the Son of man is to be revealed [apokalupsis].
[Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21 shows that men will be aware of what is taking place at “the revelation” (Gr., a·po·ka´ly·psis) of Jesus Christ “with his powerful angels in a flaming fire, as he brings vengeance upon those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus.” (2Th 1:7-9)]
Only at a·po·ka´ly·psis that he comes with his holy ones (angels)? Nope...
1 Thess 3:13 to the end that he may make YOUR hearts firm, unblamable in holiness before our God and Father at the presence [parousia] of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones.
- In Matt 24 36-39, the coming (presence) of Christ is likened to the day that Lot went out of Sodom and it was destroyed or when Noah went into the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all. That sounds like Armageddon!!! Did that happen in 1914?
- In Matt 24 36-39, the coming (presence) of Christ is likened to the day that Lot went out of Sodom and it was destroyed or when Noah went into the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all. That sounds like Armageddon!!! Did that happen in 1914?
- Paul shows that this “parousia” will destroy the lawless one or the man of sin; the Antichrist. Paul says, “whom the Lord Jesus will do away with by the spirit of his mouth and bring to nothing by the manifestation of his presence [parousia]” (2 Thessalonians 2:8). These scriptures unmistakably describe the coming [parousia] of Christ as taking place after the reign of the man of sin. Did the parousia in 1914 destroy the man of sin?
Parousia is described in 1 Thess 3:13; 4:15; 2 Thess 2:8 and Matthew 24:27.
1 Thess 3:13 to the end that he may make YOUR hearts firm, unblamable in holiness before our God and Father at the presence of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones.
1 Thess 4:15 For this is what we tell YOU by Jehovah’s word, that we the living who survive to the presence of the Lord shall in no way precede those who have fallen asleep [in death];
2 Thess 2:8 Then, indeed, the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will do away with by the spirit of his mouth and bring to nothing by the manifestation of his presence.
Matthew 24:27 For just as the lightning comes out of eastern parts and shines over to western parts, so the presence of the Son of man will be.
A comparison of one text with another makes one thing clear: the parousia of Christ will cause not only the rapture (“rapio” Latin or “caught away” with Christ 1 Thess 4:17) but also the resurrection of the righteous dead, the destruction of the antichrist. Did all that happen in 1914?
- Matt 24:27 stresses that this event will be a visible event - "For just as the lightning comes out of eastern parts and shines over to western parts, so the presence of the Son of man will be"
- Paul taught the believers in Corinth that they should wait for the Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed (apocalypses) from heaven (1 Cor 1:7) "so that YOU do not fall short in any gift at all, while YOU are eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ". This takes place on the “day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Verse 8). This makes the apocalypsis the hope of the church. So the NT makes no distinctions between the parousia, the apocalypsis and the epiphaneia.
- 1 Thess 4:15-17 the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice and with God’s trumpet, and those who are dead in union with Christ will rise first. 17 Afterward we the living who are surviving will, together with them, be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we shall always be with [the] Lord
When He comes there is a voice, a shout and a trumpet. Sounds kinda noisy!! And the living and the dead are caught away TOGETHER!!!! Did all that happen 1914/1918? JW’s say those resurrected are only the 144,000 class who were taken to heaven. And it was, of course, an invisible resurrection.” If the 144,000 class were resurrected then, why weren’t all the 144,000 class who were living on the earth then, ‘together with them . . . caught away in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air’ just as the Bible says?
- What about all of the OT texts that talk about his coming? It is a day of wrath, fierce anger (Isa 13:9-13; Zeph 1:14-17; 2:1-3 etc., etc.)
- I Cor 11:26 “For as often as YOU eat this loaf and drink this cup, YOU keep proclaiming the death of the Lord, until he arrives.’” . If Christ arrived in 1914 why do the JW’s still have the communion service?
- Rewards given at His Coming (Parousia).
Rev.22:12 “‘Look! I am coming quickly, and the reward I give is with me, to render to each one as his work is.
Rev.22:12 “‘Look! I am coming quickly, and the reward I give is with me, to render to each one as his work is.
Note: He rewards all then. Did he reward in 1914?
[In answer to his apostles’ question as to the sign of his second parousia or presence Jesus did not tell them to look in the sky but gave them a composite sign by which they could tell he was present. All the physical facts indicate that this sign has been seen since 1914. Has it not been since that year that we have seen warfare, earthquakes, pestilences and famine to an unprecedented extent?]
Matt 24:30, 31, 33 says Near or Here? “when YOU see all these things, know that he is NEAR (NOT HERE) at the doors”. The signs (World War 1) meant it was near not here (NOT 1874 or 1914!!!!). A person is not present here in this house until he has come through the door. Christ’s presence will soon take place, but it has not yet; which means it could not have taken place back in 1874 or 1914.” Verses 42,44 warn that one needs to be ready because they do not know when he will (future) arrive.
- Matt 24:23 “Then if anyone says to YOU, ‘Look! Here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There!’ do not believe it” The appearing has not taken place yet but it is near.
Jesus warns that in the last days there would be false prophets saying Christ was here.
The Watchtower Society fulfils this prophetic warning:
The Watchtower Society fulfils this prophetic warning:
• claiming it is a prophet.
• admitting its false prophecies.
• teaching Christ is here!
- The other Greek word “apokalupsis” [revelation] is used in a way that indicates it is not a separate second coming from the time the believers are gathered up. Peter said in 1 Peter 1:13 to “…keep YOUR senses completely; set YOUR hope upon the undeserved kindness that is to be brought to YOU at the revelation [apokalupsis] of Jesus Christ”.
Why would Christians be exhorted to continue hoping to the end of the world for the grace brought through the revelation of Jesus Christ if their real hope was a invisible presence in 1914 before the revelation?
- If Christ Jesus began ruling in 1914, then He would have finished His work as our High Priest, as described in the book of Hebrews, where ‘He ever liveth to make intercession’ for us. As our Bible renders it in Hebrews 7:25, ‘Consequently he is able also to save completely those who are approaching God through him, because he is always alive to plead for them.’ If He began the work of ruling, and finished His work of being our mediator and pleading to save us, then no one could be saved since 1914!!!!
- Matthew 24:30, 31 “‘And then the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in lamentation, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send forth his angels with a great trumpet sound, and they will gather his chosen ones together from the four winds, from one extremity of the heavens to their other extremity.’”
Nothing could be clearer that, when Christ comes, all including the wicked, who have no eyes of spiritual understanding, will see Him literally in His glory and with all the angels.
[Additionally, Bible chronology, based on Daniel’s prophecy regarding the “seven times,” when viewed in the light of God’s measuring rule of a “day for a year,” corroborates 1914 as the time for the coming of him “whose right it is,” namely, Christ Jesus.—Dan. 4:1-37; Ezek. 4:6; 21:27.]
JW’s interpret Daniel 4:1-37 this way. The Jehovah's Witnesses claim that: (1) the tree represents the supreme ruler ship of God because "Nebuchadnezzar was forced to know that someone higher was ruling"; (2) the cutting down of the tree represents the destruction of the Kingdom of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar in 607 B.C.; (3) the "seven times" constitute 2,520 years because in Revelation, 1,260 days are equal to 3 and 1/2 times, and because each day counts for a year "according to a Biblical rule"; (4) adding 2,520 days to 607 B.C. yields 1914 as the year when Christ returns to rule God's heavenly government.
- Daniel 4 (7 times) was FULFILLED UPON KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR.
Daniel 4:28;33 “All this befell Neb·u·chad·nez´zar the king…33 At that moment the word itself was fulfilled upon Neb·u·chad·nez´zar
Dan 4:28,33 twice state that the prophecy was fulfilled. It says nothing about another fulfillment. The Bible says it was fulfilled on Nebuchadnezzar, then it is unscriptural to apply it, as taught by the Watchtower, to a later time period, completely unrelated to Nebuchadnezzar.
Sourced - [In the book published sometime back by the JW’s called “From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained” explains that the 2,520 years of the ‘times of the Gentiles’ began in 607 B.C., when the theocracy finished and Zedekiah the last king of Judah had his eyes put out and was taken prisoner to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar; and it ended thus, in 1914.” “But it did not begin in 607 B.C. at all, for Zedekiah was taken prisoner not in 607 B.C., as the Watchtower teaches, but in 586 B.C., over twenty years later.
So the whole date of 1914, based on the 2,520-year prophecy of Watchtower publications, collapses!” In the book in pages 103 and 172-173 “It says that Nebuchadnezzar took Zedekiah off the throne of Judah in 607 B.C. But it happened in 586 B.C. Every reliable historical source will tell you that.
The Smith’s Bible Dictionary is one which the Society used and lets see what it says. Under “Zedekiah, it says “‘Zedekiah was but twenty-one years old when he was thus placed in charge of an impoverished kingdom, 597 B.C. His history is contained in a short sketch of the events of his reign given in Second Kings 24:17 to 25:7.’ Now that does not say 586 B.C., but if we work it all out, this is what we find.
Now since it is B.C., not A.D., “Remember, we have to count backward, not forward.” But let us also look up Second Kings 25 from the Bible and check every detail carefully.” It is intersingf to note that the small maroon-covered King James version of the Bible published by the Watchtower sometime back, the first verse mentions that Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, and interestingly that Bible had the date 588 B.C. in the margin next to it. Then, in the verses which followed, it told of the city’s being taken two years later. Zedekiah then had his eyes put out and was carried to Babylon in the eleventh year of his reign. Smith’s Bible Dictionary says Zedekiah began to reign in 597 B.C. and the Bible says he was captured in the eleventh year of his reign, which would be 586 B.C. Then this Bible published by the Watchtower has the year 588 B.C. in the margin for the time the city was besieged, and it was taken two years later, which brings us again to 586 B.C.” “Fancy two Watchtower publications contradicting each other like this!”] (Source : Adapted from "Truth: Is it the Watchtower")
1914 is not only scripturally incorrect but also historically. Encyclopedia's, Dictionaries, Historians, Scholars, Jewish Rabbi's, and Archaeologist's agree on the date being 586 B.C.E. and not 607 B.C.E.! Only the Watchtower claims that 607 B.C.E. is when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem, but the evidence proves it is not historically or biblically correct.
FEATURES OF CHRIST’S PRESENCE
[Having noted how Christ comes, as an invisible spirit and by his turning his attention to the affairs of earth, and that his presence began in 1914, by what actions has he shown that he has turned his attention to the affairs of earth? Revelation 11:15-18 and 12:1-12 show that Jehovah began to rule by means of his Son, Christ Jesus, when the nations became angry, namely, in 1914, and that thereafter followed a war in heaven resulting in Satan and his demons’ being cast out. From the time Jesus ascended into heaven he patiently waited until 1914 to begin ruling thus in the midst of his enemies.—Ps. 110:1-6; Heb. 10:13.]
The JW’s say that Jesus is ruling through the Kingdom Halls from heaven. But JW think this is a literal rule which started recently. JWs do not understand this spiritual rule. Jesus started his rule back in NT times when Satan was defeated at the cross - Rev 12:10. Jesus says in Luke 10:17-19 that Satan was cast out of heaven already – not in 1914 or 1918. See - When was Lucifer cast out of heaven?