| Christian Life and Doctrine | February 1961 |
The Manner of Our Lord’s Return
“Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more.” —John 14:19
THE Prophet David, in a prayer to the great Creator of the universe, said, “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man that thou art mindful of him? and the Son of Man, that thou visitest him?” (Ps. 8:3,4) In this prayer we have a reference to the divine purpose to send a representative from the royal courts of heaven to “visit” the fallen and dying race.
This prayer reflects the many Old Testament promises of God to send a Messiah, One who would be first a Redeemer, and then a King—a Redeemer to ransom the people from death; a King to rule over them for the purpose of re-establishing the will of God in the earth, and to give health and life to all who bow in humble obedience to his laws of righteousness. David’s prayer expresses the great theme song of Holy Writ, that harmonious melody of divine love which gives meaning and vitality to the entire Bible, both the Old Testament and the New.
Isaiah wrote, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder.” (Isa. 9:6) Because of the many promises of God, beginning in the Garden of Eden, and in more definite form to Abraham, every “Israelite indeed” looked forward to the coming of this great One who was to be king over the whole earth. They believed that he was, as Isaiah foretold, to be a “Wonderful Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
This was the Messiah, whose coming was the hope of Israel. Thus the words of the angel who announced the birth of Jesus were fraught with blessed and wonderful meaning—“Unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. This, the angel explained, was “good tidings of great joy” which eventually would be “to all people.”—Luke 2:10,11
Thirty years later, when Jesus began his earthly ministry, John the Baptist said of him, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) The people of Israel did not expect their Messiah to come as a “Lamb.” They looked forward to the coming of one who would be a conquering hero, one who would have a large army at his command capable of crushing the Roman hordes by which they were enslaved.
But Jesus made his first appearance as a Lamb, a Lamb who would meekly allow himself to be “brought … to the slaughter.” (Isa. 53:7) True, he had come as the representative of Israel’s great Jehovah, and as the “arm” of Jehovah he was destined to be revealed “in the eyes of all the nations.” Eventually all the ends of the earth would see the salvation of Jehovah provided through him. (Isa. 52:10) This is what Isaiah had prophetically reported. But, as he further wrote, “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? … He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”—Isa. 53:1-3
This was the attitude of the Israelites as a whole when Jesus “visited” them nearly two thousand years ago. Under the influence of their religious leaders, the majority failed to see in Jesus what they expected their Messiah to be. He had no army to support his claims of kingship. He had just a little band of followers, few, if any, of whom were noteworthy personalities in Israel. So they turned their backs upon him.
Even more than this, the religious rulers plotted the Messiah’s death. In the divine plan it was essential that this “Lamb of God” be slain, that he might take away the sin of the world and lift the condemnation of death that was resting upon all mankind. However, Israel’s rulers did not know this when they stirred up the mob to cry, “Crucify him, crucify him.”—Luke 23:21
Disciples Did Not Understand
JESUS’ own disciples, while they accepted and followed him as their Messiah—and loved him dearly—did not understand why he voluntarily allowed his enemies to put him to death. True, Jesus had explained to them that he would give his flesh for the life of the world, but they did not understand that this meant the giving up of his human life. (John 6:51) When Peter realized that Jesus actually did intend to give himself up to be put to death, he first tried to dissuade the Master from so doing, and later endeavored by the use of his sword to prevent it.—Matt. 16:22; Luke 18:10,11
To Peter and the other disciples it seemed incredible that the Messiah, at an age so young, and before he had accomplished his mission to set up a world-wide government of peace and righteousness, should be put to death. And it was the more baffling to them that Jesus should allow himself thus to be “led as a sheep to the slaughter.” (Acts 8:32) But the death of Jesus was not a miscarriage of the divine purpose centered in him. The “Lamb of God,” who was to “take away the sin of the world,” must become the “Lamb that was slain,” in order to accomplish this loving design on behalf of the human family. He must pour out his soul unto death. He must make his soul an offering for sin.—Isa. 53:7,12; Rev. 5:6
Jesus explained this in part after his resurrection when he met two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus. In his explanation he began with Moses, and from all the prophets pointed out that it was in the divine plan that Christ must first suffer before he could enter into his glory. (Luke 24:25-27) These two disciples rejoiced greatly in this revelation of truth, but not until the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost did they comprehend fully that the death of Jesus was so vital a part of the divine plan which was centered in his coming as the Messiah.
“No More”
NOT until they were enlightened by the Holy Spirit did the disciples realize fully that Jesus was no longer human, having given his flesh, his humanity, for the life of the world. Now they could understand what he meant when he said to them prior to his crucifixion, “Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more.”
Now, also, the disciples could understand what Jesus meant by certain strange statements he had made concerning their seeing him. “A little while,” he said, “and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me.”—John 16:17
When, through the revealing power of the Holy Spirit, the disciples understood what Jesus meant by this apparently strange language, it became the basis of a very precious and inspiring hope—a hope that belongs to all the Gospel Age sons of God. John wrote about it later, and we quote, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (I John 3:2) We know from this that while Jesus did, on a few occasions after his resurrection, miraculously appear to his disciples, to convince them that he was no longer dead, the promise that they would actually see him again, and that they would be with him, was not yet fulfilled.
Not Raised in the Flesh
JESUS was put to death in the flesh, but he was not raised from the dead as a human. He gave his flesh, his humanity, for the life of the world, and did not take it back. He was raised from the dead a glorious divine being, high above angels, principalities, and powers. (Eph. 1:19-21; Phil. 2:9-11) Jesus is now the express image of his Father’s person, “dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see.”—Heb. 1:3; I Tim. 6:14-16
In order to prove to his disciples that he had been raised from the dead, Jesus appeared to them in various human forms, but only once did they recognize him from his appearance, and then only when he called special attention to nail prints in his hands, and the wound in his side. This, John later explained, was a sign, a miraculous demonstration designed to convince Thomas, who had said that he would not believe unless he could see these things.—John 20:29-31
Jesus appeared to Mary as a gardener, and she recognized him, not from his appearance, but by the sound of his voice. To the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, Jesus appeared as a stranger and, although he discoursed to them for a considerable time, they did not know who he was until he offered thanks at the evening meal. He doubtless did this in the familiar manner to which they were accustomed, and by this they discerned that the “stranger” who had so clearly opened to them the Scriptures concerning the foretold sufferings of Christ was in reality their beloved Master raised from the dead.
When Jesus appeared to his disciples on the shore of Galilee they recognized him, not by his appearance, but through the miracle of the nets filled with fish. Not only did these various contacts with the disciples convince them that Jesus had been raised from the dead, but they helped them also to realize that he was no longer the human Jesus that they had known and loved, but the resurrected Jesus, to whom, as he explained, all power in heaven and in earth had been given.—Matt. 28:18
The Ascension
FINALLY the time came for Jesus to leave his disciples and to return to the heavenly courts to be with his Father. He had shown himself “alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days”—or on a few brief occasions during those forty days. Now he met with them for the last time. He “commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.”—Acts 1:3,4
After explaining to his disciples that in the power of the Holy Spirit they were to be his witnesses unto the uttermost parts of the earth, “he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:9) The work assigned to the first phase of the Messiah’s “visit” to earth had been accomplished. Jesus had given himself in death a “ransom for all.” He had selected those who were to be his infallible representatives, the apostles. It remained only for him to report to his Father, which he did when he appeared in the presence of God for us. The evidence that his work had been satisfactorily done was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
This Same Jesus
IT IS little wonder, when Jesus was taken up into heaven and a cloud received him out of sight of his disciples, that they stood there gazing and wondering. It was then that “two men—materialized angels, probably—said to the disciples, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”—Acts 1:10,11
It was good for the disciples to be assured of their Master’s return, for they must have recognized that there was much in the prophecies concerning the work of the Messiah which he had not accomplished. He had not delivered Israel from bondage. He had not established a world government. They now realized that these were among the things to be accomplished when he returned; so their great hope and inspiration, and the hope and inspiration of the entire Early Church, was the return of their Lord. And it was indeed a “blessed hope.”
Yes, “this same Jesus” was to return, the resurrected and glorified Jesus. The Jesus whom they had known in the flesh, and with whom they had become so familiar, the One on whose breast some of them so loved to recline, had given his flesh for the life of the world. He was still the same loving personality, but exalted to the divine nature, and visible to human eyes only when appearing in some sort of human body, even as the angels in olden times frequently appeared. Indeed, such a special manifestation was necessary, that they might realize that Jesus had gone away from them—gone to his Father.
“In Like Manner”
THE angels said to the disciples that “this same Jesus” would return “in like manner” as they had seen him go. Jesus’ going was quiet and unobserved, except by those few disciples to whom he had miraculously appeared after his resurrection. The world did not know about it, nor did it care. So it was to be when the Lord returned. The Scriptures reveal that, to begin with, only the Lord’s own people would know of his return, and that these would discern him by the eye of faith.
The truth on this point came to light many years ago through the discovery of the true meaning of the Greek word parousia, which is used in a number of prophecies pertaining to our Lord’s return. It is this word that appears in the questions the disciples put to Jesus on this subject. They asked, “What shall be the sign of thy coming [parousia], and of the end of the world?”—Matt. 24:3
This Greek word parousia means “presence,” not “coming.” The disciples did not ask Jesus how they would know when he was about to arrive the second time, but how they would discern the fact that he had come, and was again present in the earth. What sign, or signs, were his people to look for and see in order to become aware of the Master’s second presence?
It is understandable that the disciples should ask such a question, for even at that time they had recognized Jesus as the Messiah, not because of his appearance, but through the signs which accompanied his advent and ministry. And only these few, among all the thousands of Israel, knew that the Messiah was present. Now they had learned that he was going away from them, and later returning, so again they wanted to be among the favored ones who would see and correctly read the signs of his presence.
In response to their questions Jesus mentioned a number of “signs,” and also explained important facts concerning his return, and the proper attitude of his people in connection therewith. He admonished them to “watch,” for he would return as “a thief in the night.” This indicated that he would return thief-like and would secretly be present, with only those who had faithfully watched being aware of it.—Matt. 24:43; Mark 13:33,35; Luke 21:36; I Thess. 5:2-6; II Pet. 3:10
Other Greek Words
THERE are two other important Greek words used in the Scriptures pertaining to our Lord’s return. One of them is epiphaneia, meaning “manifestation.” The other is apokalupsis, meaning revealment, or “disclosure.” Briefly, the relationship of parousia to these other Greek words found in the promises and prophecies of our Lord’s return is that parousia pertains to the fact of Christ’s presence; while epiphaneia and apokalupsis describe the manifestation, the revealment of the fact that he is present.
Jesus’ first visit to earth was of very short duration—only three and one-half years if we consider the time of his ministry; or thirty-three and one-half years if we count the entire period from his birth to his crucifixion. On the other hand, Jesus’ second visit is to last for a thousand years, and the prophecies pertaining to his second presence embrace all the things which are to be accomplished during that entire period.
Considering these prophecies in the chronological order of their fulfillment, the first to note is his promise that when he returned he would serve his people, God’s “household,” with “meat in due season.” Here is an event with which the world is not concerned, so it was accomplished without the knowledge of the world. We are confident that this “meat in due season” represents the precious doctrines of present truth which were unfolded and made available to the faithful watchers in the early seventies of the last century. The glorious harmony of the kingdom Gospel as it was then revealed cannot be explained in any other way. Those who recognize this see in the harmonious and satisfying doctrines of present truth one of the important first signs of our Lord’s return. This sign is a manifestation to them that he has come.
Another epiphaneia of the Master’s parousia, or presence, is the “harvest” work which has been in progress since that time. He promised that when he returned he would send forth his reapers into the field to gather the “wheat” from the “tares.” This work also has been in progress, and continues. We see in it another manifestation of his presence.
Space does not permit even a brief mention of all the various signs which came as the manifestation to his own people of the Master’s presence. These events continue and will become of such a nature that in due time they will be meaningful to the world, and thus in due time the Master’s presence is to be revealed to the world. The Greek word apokalupsis is sometimes used in the prophecies which describe the revealment of the Master’s presence to the world. And when this time arrives, the faithful followers of the Master are shown to be revealed with him in glory.
Distress of Nations
AMONG the signs of his second presence which Jesus related to his disciples was the fact there would be “upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity,” and that the hearts of the people would fail them for fear as they looked ahead to the things coming upon the earth. (Luke 21:24-26) In Matthew’s account of this prophecy he refers to the foretold “distress of nations” as a time of “great tribulation,” tribulation so devastating that the lives of the entire human race would be threatened. (Matt. 24:21,22) It is apparent, we think, that this period of tribulation is already upon us. The world recognizes the seriousness of the situation, but as yet does not see the meaning of these tragic events.
Jesus said that all the tribes of the earth would “mourn” because of him. This mourning has already begun, but the people do not as yet know that it is “because of Him.” Eventually, however, they will. Revelation 1:7 reads, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.” Here we are told that the “great tribulation” now upon the earth will eventually reveal the Master’s presence to all mankind, that every “eye” will see him in the storm clouds of trouble that now distress the world and fill the hearts of the people with fear.
Discernment
MANY sincere students of the Bible have misunderstood the statement that “every eye” will see Jesus coming in the clouds of heaven, supposing that one day every eye on earth will gaze up into the sky and there see Jesus in a body of flesh emerging from the clouds. We do not think that this is the proper understanding of the prophecy, for it would be a contradiction of Jesus’ statement to his disciples shortly before his crucifixion to the effect that in a little while the world would see him no more.—John 14:19
Eyes and eyesight are often used in the Bible to signify comprehension or discernment. Referring to the discernment of “the mysteries of the kingdom” given to the disciples, Jesus said to them, “Blessed are your eyes for they see.” (Matt. 13:11,16) After Job had learned to understand God better as a result of the afflictions which had come upon him, he said, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.”—Job 42:5
One of the kingdom prophecies of Jesus—already mentioned—in which he is referred to as the “arm” of Jehovah, reads, “The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” (Isa. 52:10) Here the words “eyes” and “see” are both used to symbolize discernment. During the thousand years of Christ’s kingdom the people will recognize the “Arm” of the Lord at work among them, because they will “see” the salvation which Christ is bringing to all mankind.
It will be through the many blessings of the kingdom—blessings of peace, and joy and health and life—that the people will “see” or discern the presence and work of Christ as the Arm of Jehovah; but prior to that they will discern him in the symbolic storm clouds of trouble which will bring Satan’s sinful rulership over the earth to an end. Tribulation upon the nations will not by itself bring recognition of Christ’s presence to the peoples of earth, but in association with other events they will “see” him.
The prophecy which states that “every eye shall see him,” adds, “they also which pierced him.” This is a reference to the natural house of Israel, as evidenced by Zechariah 12:10 and John 19:37. This would seem to suggest that the recognition of the presence of Christ in the symbolic “clouds of heaven” will come in connection with, and as a result of God’s special dealings with the people of Israel at the beginning of the kingdom period.
There are many prophecies concerning the return of the Israelites to their Promised Land during this time when there is so much trouble upon the Gentile nations. The evidence is clear that these prophecies are now in process of fulfillment, and that the Lord is therefore setting the stage, as it were, for the revealment of Messiah’s presence through and in connection with them. One of the prophecies describes a vicious attack that will be made against the regathered Israelites, and shows that the Lord will fight for and deliver them from their enemies. The prophecy shows that as a result of this the eyes of the Israelites and of all nations will be opened to behold the glory of the Lord. See Ezekiel 38:19-23; 39:6,7.
The details of prophecy usually cannot be understood clearly prior to their fulfillment, but it is evident that divine intervention on behalf of Israel will be closely associated with the opening of the eyes of all the nations to “see” the glory and majesty of their new King and Ruler, Christ Jesus. And this revealment of his presence will continue and its meaning become more and more clear as the reign of earth’s new sovereign progresses.
All those wonderful promises of the Word pertaining to “the times of restitution” will be fulfilled as the kingdom reign progresses. This will include the resurrection of the dead. The Ancient Worthies will be raised to human perfection at the beginning of the kingdom reign, and will serve as “princes in all the earth.” (Ps. 45:16) And then, generation by generation, all mankind will be awakened from the sleep of death.
In all these glorious events the people will “see” the presence of Christ. Yes, “all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God,” and will rejoice. Those who are able to understand the “sure word of prophecy” which is revealing so clearly the meaning of present world events, can even now discern the presence of our Lord; and it should make us joyful to realize that soon “every eye shall see him.”—II Pet. 1:19