It that the return of Jesus will be visible and so, in line with the biblical descriptions of that return, will there be a two phase return of Jesus – the first being an future invisible return of Jesus with a rapturing away to heaven of Christians; and the second phase being a yet future visible return seven years later as taught in most dispensationalist denominations which teach a pre-tribulation rapture? More relevant to our study is the question: Could there have been an invisible return of Jesus in 1914 (a becoming present) as well as the yet future invisible return when Jesus comes to bring destruction on the wicked as taught by Jehovah’s Witnesses.
In other words do the Scriptures allow for a long gap from 1914 to when Jesus returns to bring destruction on the wicked at Armageddon – the Great Tribulation? According to the teaching of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (WBTS) the Great Tribulation is Jesus’ future revealing (Gk apokalipsis). As of the year 2010 there is a 96 year gap since October 1914 when Jesus was supposed to have arrived (his parousia) and the yet to occur Great Tribulation when Jesus is revealed.
JESUS RETURNS ONLY ONCE
Ø “…Christ...the second time that he appears (Gk opsthesetai)...to those earnestly looking for him for [their] salvation” (Heb. 9:28).
Jesus’ first appearance was in the 1st century. This verse clearly shows that there is only “a second time of appearing for Jesus and which is for salvation” and not a 1914 return and then a later Armageddon return. This is further confirmed by understanding the contexts in which the Greek words for his return were used in the Scriptures. In addition to the words parousia and apokalypsis there are two more Greek words involved that are associated with the apokalipsis. These are epiphaneia and erchomai.
GREEK WORD MEANINGS:
parousia (noun) = a coming to be present. Please see STUDY 3. Parousia does not mean an invisible presence.
apokalypsis (noun) = a revealing
epiphaneia (noun) = an appearing, a manifestation
phaneroo (verb) = to be manifested
erchomai (verb) = to come [elthon = having come].
THESE FOUR TERMS DESCRIBE THE SAME EVENT
ON THE DAY JESUS RETURNS
‘PAROUSIA’ OCCURS WHEN ‘APOKALIPSIS’ OCCURS
Ø “…the flood...so the presence (parousia) of the Son of Man will be” (Matt. 24:39).
Ø “…the flood....on that day when the Son of Man is to be revealed (apokaliptetai)”
(Luke 17:27, 30).
Clearly Jesus uses the flood as a single event illustration of his return. So Jesus’ parousia cannot have begun at a time different to his being revealed. They are one and the same event in contrast to the teaching of the WBTS.
‘PAROUSIA’ OCCURS WHEN ‘EPIPHANEIA’ OCCURS
Ø “by the manifestation (epiphaneia) of his presence (parousia)” (2 Thess. 2:8).
Ø “…when he is made manifest (visible phanerothe)...at his presence (parousia)”
(1 John 2:28).
Again it is evident that Jesus’ parousia cannot be separated from his “manifestation” which will be a visible appearing. It will be as visible as lightening:
Ø “For just as the lightning comes out of eastern parts and shines over to western parts, so the presence (parousia) of the Son of Man will be” (Matt. 24:27).
‘PAROUSIA’ OCCURS IN THE SAME CONTEXT AS ‘ERCHOMAI’
Ø “…the flood...so the presence (parousia) of the Son of Man will be” (Verse 39).
Ø “…you do not know on what day your lord is coming (erchetai)” (Verse 42).
These comparisons show that the parousia of Jesus cannot be separated in time from the other terms used for his return, namely, his revealing (apokalypsis), his appearing (epiphaneia/phaneroo), or his coming (erchomai). So, concerning Jesus’ return there cannot be two different events separated by 96 or more years – one in 1914 and the other yet future.
JESUS RETURNS ONLY AFTER THE GREAT TRIBULATION
Ø “…for then there will be Great Tribulation ... Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven....and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds” (Matt. 24:21, 29).
Ø “...to repay tribulation to those who make tribulation for you...relief along with us at the revelation (apokalipsei) of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels … at the time he comes (elthe = erchomai) to be glorified in connection with his holy ones and to be regarded in that day with wonder” (2 Thess. 1:6,7, 10).
Clearly because the Great Tribulation has not yet occurred it is evident that Jesus’ one-time return cannot have occurred in 1914.
REWARDS ARE GIVEN ONLY WHEN JESUS APPEARS
Ø “…Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing (epiphaneian) and his kingdom ... there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award me on that day ... also to all who have loved his appearing (epiphaneian)” (2 Tim. 4:1, 8 ESV).
Ø “…so that the proof of your faith...may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation (apokalipsei) of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7).
Ø “And when the Chief Shepherd appears (phanerothentos), you will receive the unfading crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:4).
Ø “When He appears (phanerothe), we will be like Him, because we shall see him just as he is” (1 John 3:2).
REWARDS ARE GIVEN AT RESURRECTION TIME
Ø “…you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (Luke 14:14).
Therefore, the rewards to Christians are not given at an earlier so-called secret parousia, but when the kingdom comes at Jesus’ appearing and revelation.
ALL CHRISTIANS MUST BE RESOLUTE
UNTIL CHRIST RETURNS
The one time return of Christ must occur on a particular day and the Scriptures show that all living Christians must be on earth to continue to work faithfully for Christ because:
Ø “…each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it up because it is to be revealed with fire” (1 Cor. 3:13).
Ø “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus … in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ” (Phil. 1:6, 10).
Ø “…hold fast what you have until I come” (Rev. 2:25).
Ø “…knowing the time...for now our salvation is nearer...and the day is near”
(Rom. 13:11, 12).
As seen in STUDY 6 “the day of Jehovah/the day of Christ” occurs after the great tribulation. Logically both events are yet in the future. So the above encouragements would be meaningless if the body of Christ were not here on earth to greet Jesus when he returns.
NOBODY KNOWS THE DAY OR HOUR
OF CHRIST’S RETURN
Ø “Concerning that day or hour nobody knows neither the angels nor the Son but only the Father” (Matt. 24:36).
In the reasoning of Jehovah’s Witness this still allows for one to endeavour to calculate the year and perhaps the month. However, this is incorrect understand because in Acts 1:6 Jesus said “it does not belong to you to get knowledge of the times and seasons.”
And certainly such calculations by Jehovah’s Witnesses have never worked for them.
Nevertheless, Jesus’ words about “the day or hour” do not refer to the day or hour for the Great Tribulation [wrongly linked to Armageddon] as taught by the WBTS, but rather to Christ’s parousia or coming to be presence/arrival. This Greek term is used in verses 3, 27, 37, 39. Additionally verses 42 and 44 use the word coming and verse 46 has arrival of the master.
Yet in contradiction of Matthew 24:36 the WBTS claimed prior to 1914, and continues to claim, that October 1914 was the time that Christ’s parousia began. Yet, there is no scriptural evidence that Christ has yet arrived. If there was, then the kingdom would have already improved the world substantially rather than having no major positive effect and, in fact, it has in many ways got worse.
If, as the WBTS claims, Jesus was the agent of the Genesis creation he would have known when it was created and therefore could have calculated when 6,000 years of man’s existence would have been completed as the time for Armageddon to take place (supposedly shortly after 1975). Yet he did not know the time of his return and therefore would not be able to give the time of Armageddon. In fact he warned:
Ø “Look out that you are not misled; for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The due time has approached.’ Do not go after them” (Luke 21:8).
Yet one of C. T. Russell’s books was entitled ‘The Time is at Hand’.
EARLIER WBTS MISAPPLIED DATES FOR
CHRIST’S PAROUSIA
Jesus returned and the Millennium began in 1873 Thy Kingdom Come, p.305.
" " " " in 1874 The Finished Mystery, p.386.
SUMMARY OF LANGUAGE AND SCRIPTURAL POINTS
1. JESUS RETURNS ONLY ONCE
Ø “…Christ...the second time [first time was in the 1st century] that he appears (Gk.opsthesetai)...to those earnestly looking for him for [their] salvation”
(Heb. 9:28).
The Scriptures use the Greek words parousia, apokalypsis (a revealing), epiphaneia (an appearing), phaneroo (to be manifested), erchomai (to come) all with reference to Jesus’ one time return. So there cannot be a coming in 1914 and a later coming at Armageddon.
2. NOBODY KNOWS THE DAY OR HOUR OF CHRIST’S RETURN
Ø “Concerning that day or hour [of Christ’s parousia i.e. not a reference to Armageddon] nobody knows neither the angels nor the Son but only the Father” (Matt. 24:36).
Yet in contradiction of Jesus the WBTS claimed prior to 1914, and continues to claim, that October 1914 was the time that Christ’s parousia began.
3. REWARDS ARE GIVEN ONLY WHEN JESUS APPEARS
Ø “…so that the proof of your faith...may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation (apokalipsei) of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7).
The WBTS teaches that the Christian Greek Scriptures are written specifically to the 144,000, but that they are resurrected at Jesus’ parousia long before his ‘revelation’ at Armageddon. Yet the above verse says that they only get their rewards at the revelation (apokalipsei) of Jesus Christ” i.e. Armageddon and therefore not from 1919 onward.
4. JESUS RETURNS ONLY AFTER THE GREAT TRIBULATION
Ø “…for then there will be Great Tribulation ... Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven....and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds” (Matt. 24:21, 29).
Currently the WBTS acknowledges that the Great Tribulation has not yet occurred. Therefore, Jesus cannot yet have returned in 1914. Furthermore, because the Scriptures show that it will be a one time return it must still be future.
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