In This Issue

• THE LANGUAGE OF THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS

• TO HAVE OR TO HOLD?

• MORE INFORMATION...

THE LANGUAGE OF THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS

Over the last few generations, there has been quite a bit of confusion generated concerning what the Bible says about the second coming of Jesus. It is doubtful if there has ever been complete unity on this subject since the death of the apostles of Jesus. In fact, even during their lifetime there were certain misunderstandings and suppositions that were erroneous.

Much of the confusion today is a product of the work of John Darby and his disciple, C.I. Schofield. Probably as early as the second century, there were those who held a position called “premillennialism.” All millennial views are based primarily on one passage in the most controversial book of the N.T. Rev 20:4-5, “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.”

Historically Bible scholars have been divided between three basic views. (1) Historic premillennialism held that Jesus would return and establish an earthly kingdom and reign 1,000 years. (2) Postmillennialism said that the gospel would usher in 1,000 years of peace and tranquility after which Jesus would establish an earthly kingdom. (3) Amillennialism says that the 1,000 years of Rev 20 is figurative and that there will be no future earthly kingdom.

About 1830 a premillennialist named John Darby developed an elaborate system of Biblical interpretation that teaches two or more future comings of Jesus, two or more future bodily resurrections, and numerous judgments, etc. This system was incorporated into the Schofield Reference Bible by C.I. Schofield and in recent years has been extremely prominent among those who call themselves “fundamentalists,” especially in America. These dispensational premillennialists insist that there are distinctions in some of the Greek words that are not reflected in our standard translations. In this lesson we will look at the language used in Scripture to teach the second coming of Jesus

The first Greek word we will note is PAROUSIA. The basic, root meaning of this Greek word is “presence.” This word is used in its most literal sense in 2 Cor. 10:10, Phil. 2:12, and similar verses. With regard to Jesus, the word is used of His first “advent” (Latin, ADVENTOS) in 2 Pet. 1:16, “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and COMING of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.”

In James 5:7-8, it was used regarding His spiritual coming in the destruction of Jerusalem, “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the COMING of the Lord is at hand.” Finally, it is used several times of Jesus’ literal second coming, in passages such as 1 Cor. 15:22-23, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His COMING.”

The second Greek word which we must consider is EPIPHANEIA, commonly translated “appearance.” Literally, this word meant “to shine upon.” It is used in that most literal way in Acts 27:20, “Now when neither sun nor stars APPEARED for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up. This word is used of Jesus, both in His first appearing, and in His future second appearing or coming. 2 Tim. 1:9-10 speaks of Jesus first advent or appearing where Paul writes of “His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the APPEARING of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel”. The same writer uses the same Greek word in 1 Tim. 6:14 to refer to Jesus’ future, second coming: “Keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's APPEARING.” In 2 Tim. 4:1, 8, Paul writes, “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His APPEARING … Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His APPEARING.” 

We might also take note of a third Greek word commonly associated Christ’s second coming, APOKALUPIS. This word literally means “revelation.” All agree that this word is used pretty much interchangeably with EPIPHANEIA in passages dealing with the second coming of Jesus. Paul admonished the Corinthians to “Come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the REVELATION of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:7). Again, in 2 Thess. 1:7, he writes of “When the Lord Jesus is REVEALED from heaven with His mighty angels…” See also 1 Pet. 1:7, 13.

With this background, let us now note some errors of dispensational premillennialism regarding these Greek words. Darbyism teaches that in the PAROUISA, Jesus will come FOR His saints, the righteous dead will be raised, and they along with the righteous living will be secretly “raptured” and whisked away into the sky for seven years while unbelievers on earth suffer from “The Great Tribulation.” According to that theory, at the end of the seven years, Jesus will return to the earth WITH His saints in the EPIPHANEIA, set up an earthly kingdom and reign for 1,000 years from the city of Jerusalem. Since the Bible has nothing to say about a “third coming of Jesus,” Darbyites call this the “second phase of His second coming.”

According to Darby’s theory, the unrighteous dead will be raised and judged after the 1,000 years have ended. To prop up their theory of two separate resurrections 1,000 years apart (actually 1,007 years if their theory were correct), dispensational premillennialists make an artificial distinction between the resurrect FROM the dead and resurrection OF the dead.

The Bible teaches that Christ will literally come once. There will be one resurrection (consisting of both the righteous and the unrighteous, John 5:28-29). The Bible does not teach that Jesus will ever set up an earthly political kingdom. His kingdom is not of this world, John 18:36. The Bible teaches that the PAROUSIA and the EPIPHANEIA will take place at the same time. 2 Thess. 2:8, “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness [EPIPHANEIA] of His coming [PAROUSIA].”

1 Thess. 4:14 through 5:11 shows that in the PAROUSIA, Jesus will come WITH His saints (who have previously died) at the same time He comes FOR the saints who are still living. This passage also shows that both the wicked and the righteous will be dealt with at the same time and in the same judgment.

Jesus had indicated as much in John 5:28-29, “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” Paul indicated the same in Acts 24:15, “I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.”

Further, the Scriptures make no distinction between a resurrection FROM the dead and a resurrection OF the dead. Paul wrote of his hope in Phil 3:11, of being raised “FROM the dead.” In Acts 23:6, he said, "Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection OF the dead I am being judged!" In parallel accounts of the words of Jesus we see that the writers of Scripture used these two phrases interchangeably. See Luke 20:35, “But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection FROM the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage” as compared with Matt. 22:30-32, “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. But concerning the resurrection OF the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the dead but of the living.”

Finally, it should be noted that Jesus clearly taught: "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here" (John 18:36).

We have but touched the hem of the garment of the errors of dispensational premillennialism, but these thoughts should help us to see that the teaching of the Scriptures is much plainer and much simpler than the teachings of John Darby, C.I. Schofield and modern day dispensational premillennialists.

– Clarence R. Johnson

TO HAVE OR TO HOLD?

A successful businessman and his friends were talking and laughing together and enjoying their success. The businessman told of his childhood of poverty. Someone had once given him a big coin. To have a coin was rare for children then, and his little sister begged to hold it. He laughed over the memory of all the chores he could get her to do for him just to get to hold the coin. He told of a day when she minded the cows all day for the privilege of holding the coin, only to have to give it up at the end of the day. All of the men laughed again at the childishness of the sister.

Just then, one man (not laughing), reminded the businessman that all he was doing now in labor and service was the privilege of holding onto a few possessions for a limited amount of time. “The end of the day is coming, and you will HAVE to give them up... just like your little sister did.”

The Scriptures state: “Do NOT love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17).

Jesus said, “Do NOT lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19-20).

The Apostle Paul wrote: “For we brought NOTHING into this world, and it is certain we can carry NOTHING out” (1 Timothy 6:7). Friends, we need to be focusing primarily on those things that are eternal. The things of this world are temporal, and we can’t take them with us!

Eternal life with God is promised to those who do His will. This life has been made possible through the sacrificial death of Jesus, God’s Son, who paid the price for our redemption (Ephesians 1:7). He will save those who respond to Him in faith (Acts 16:30-31), repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9-10), confession (Romans 10:9-10), and baptism (immersion) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). God will reward those who continue to follow Him all of the days of their lives (Revelation 2:10).

Jesus said, “Where your TREASURE is, there your HEART will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Where is your treasure? Is it in the things you can see and touch which are temporary? Or, is it in those things that are eternal – the things of God?

Look around you! Take an inventory of all of your possessions. Remember, “the end of the day is coming, and you will have to give them ALL up." Don't wait for DEATH to tear these earthly treasures from your heart's grip. LET GO of things that you cannot keep - in order to gain what you can never lose!

Have YOU placed your hope in things eternal? Why not do so TODAY through your trusting obedience?

- David A. Sargent, Living Water, Mobile, Alabama

MORE INFORMATION...