Article Jesus Will Come Right Back to Earth

Jesus Will Come Right Back to Earth ​

Several notable points make it clear that Jesus comes right back to earth to be on it and to remain on it. These are:

1. When Jesus said in John 14:3, “I will come again” he could only have meant that he would come back to the place that he was going to leave, that is the earth, as a return from heaven in his case.
2. As previously noted, at the ascension of Jesus the angels told the apostles that Jesus would come in the same manner as they saw him depart. This meant that it will be visible and back to where he ascended from, namely the earth (Acts 1:11).
3. Furthermore, the descent of Jesus described in 1Thessalonians 4:16-17 is shown to be a descent that is all the way to earth because the Greek noun apantesis used in verse 17 refers to a meeting for the purpose of being escorted. This is shown by the way the word is used in its two only other occurrences in the Christian Greek Scriptures, that is:
   1. When the wise virgins went out to meet the bridegroom (Matt. 25:1, 6) and, following the custom, escorted him by torchlight to the house for the wedding feast.
   2. When the brothers in Rome travelled down to “the Market place of Apius” to escort Paul back to Rome (Acts 28:15, 16).
   3. So, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 is not referring to Christians’ being “caught away” to meet Jesus so that he can take them to heaven; but rather to a meeting in the air (earth’s atmosphere) so that they can escort him to earth’s surface to take up his rulership of earth.
4. THE TRANSFIGURATION. Matthew 17:9 tells us that this event was a vision and therefore was a prophetic outline of a future event, that event being the glorious coming of God’s Kingdom. The fact that Moses and Elijah were shown with Jesus in the vision strongly indicates that when Moses and Elijah are resurrected on this earth, Jesus will be with them and will, therefore, also be on this earth. This also shows that the event will be at one particular time, that is at Jesus’ coming (Gk parousia).

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Jesus’ Parousia Is​

the Same Event as His Visible Appearing​

The Watchtower Society teaches that Jesus’ parousia occurs invisibly and long before his “revealing” or “manifestation,” which is still supposedly also invisible. So, it is vital that we understand the meaning of all the relevant Greek words connected with his statements that he will return. The following Greek words used with reference to Jesus’ return and the following scriptures show that Jesus returns visibly and just once so that there is no two-stage ‘coming’ of Jesus.


THE GREEK WORDS ARE:

• Apokalypsis = a revealing,
• Epiphania = an appearing, a manifestation. This term strictly concerns visibility.
• Phaneroo = to appear, to be manifested,
• Ophthalmos = eye — Primarily of the physical organ of sight and therefore of literal sight. Opsetai = to physically see.

These are all accepted in normal English as terms concerned with physical visibility.

Parousia = a coming to be present. There is nothing about this term that implies invisibility.

The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament states concerning Parousia:

Someone’s coming in order to be present. Technically the noun was used for the arrival of a king, emperor or ruler. (The corresponding Latin term is adventus)... With Jesus’ death and resurrection, the idea of the parousia becomes bound up with the church’s expectation of Christ’s appearing at the end of the age...Note that other words are used to describe the parousia of Christ (e.g. Gk. hemera, day 2465; epiphania, appearance, 2211).

Also, the Bauer-Danker Greek–English Lexicon notes concerning parousia: “of Christ, and nearly always of his Messianic Advent in glory to judge the world at the end of this age: Mt 24:3.” Hence it was translated as adventus in the old Latin Bibles and as coming nowadays.

EXAMPLES OF THE USAGE OF THESE WORDS​

It is rather obvious that if something is physically ‘manifest’ or ‘is revealed’ then it is visible to the eyes. One example is:

“…the Flood...the same way it will be on that day when the Son of man is revealed (apokalyptetai)” (Luke 17:27, 30).

The parallel account in Matthew 24:39 concerns the events of Jesus’ return where he speaks of how, “they took no note until the Flood came and swept them all away, so the presence (parousia = coming) of the Son of man will be.” So, the two words of parousia and apokalypsis concern the same event when Jesus returns. Most importantly both passages show him to be visible because his advent will be visible like lightning (Matt. 24:27), so that Christians are: “…waiting for the revelation (apokalipsin) of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:7).

Furthermore, according to the Apostle Paul the words apokalypsis, epiphania, phaneroo, and parousia all refer to the same event. He refers to this future time concerning:

“…the manifestation (epiphaneia) of his presence/coming (parous-ia)” (2 Thess. 2:8).

“…you who suffer tribulation, relief along with us at the revelat-ion (apokalypsei) of the Lord Jesus from heaven” (1 Thess. 1:7, 8).

“…that you observe the commandment...until the manifestation (appearing epiphaneias) of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Tim. 6:14).


So, because epiphania means an “appearing” and apokalypsis means a “revealing” and therefore visible, parousia must also refer to what is visible. So, just as Paul says, “When Christ is made manifest (phanerothe)” or as in the NIV “When Christ appears…” (Col. 3:4). So too the Apostle John used these terms as concerning the same future event, saying: “When he is made manifest (phanerothe)...at his presence/coming (parousia)” (1 John 2:28). Indeed, the Apostle Peter used phanerothe for Jesus’ first manifestation or appearing which was obviously visible and personal (1 Peter 1:20) and then refers to Jesus’ second appearing when he says: “And when the chief shepherd has been made manifest (phanerothentos i.e. appears) you will receive the unfading crown” (1 Peter 5:4) clearly showing that Jesus’ second advent will be entirely visible.

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Literally Seeing Jesus at His Return​

Jesus himself said, “…then they will see (opsontai) the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27). This Greek word means “to physically see” with “the organ of sight, namely, the eye. Additionally, clouds do not picture invisibility, but in the Scriptures clouds picture God’s presence (Exodus 33:9). In the future this will be with Jesus as His representative coming on clouds. This also includes God’s coming in a war chariot (Psalm 104:3) – Dictionary of Biblical Imagery p. 157. So, when John writes that, “He [Jesus] is coming with the clouds, and every eye (ophthalmos) will see (opsetai) him” (Rev. 1:7) it is clear that Jesus’ return will be seen quite literally as is further confirmed by the writer to the Hebrews who reports that, “…the second time that he appears (ophthesetai = ‘made visible’ KIT) he will be seen by those eagerly awaiting him for salvation” (Heb. 9:28). So, it is very clear that if someone is “coming to be present” i.e. an advent, they will be visible. Especially is this so when the words used to describe how they will appear or be revealed show that it will be as visible as lightning and everyone will see them. This is just how the return or advent of Jesus is described. One would have to badly distort language in an attempt to understand all these terms any other way and so to produce an invisible return.


NOTE: “Those waiting for him” are not just a literal 144,000, but all true Christians. This is because the number 144,000 is symbolic for all true Christians at the time of the end. (Please see chapters 2-5 on this point).

Jesus Warned Against Those Who Would​

Teach an Invisible Return ​

In his great time of the end prophecy Jesus said that, “…if people say to you...Look! He is in the inner rooms, do not believe it. For just as the lightning comes out of the east and shines over to the west, so the presence (Gk parousia = coming or advent) of the Son of man will be” (Matt. 24:26, 27). Certainly, lightning is a totally visible (it shines) and dramatic feature in earth’s atmosphere and is usually followed by loud claps of thunder. If Jesus says that he will be present like something dramatically visible, then we can hardly imagine that he means invisibly and silently. So those who promote an “in the inner rooms” i.e. hidden away concept should not be believed. Please note that the Greek word of parousia for presence (or coming) is what will be “just as the lightning comes.”

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