By Ronald R. Day, Sr.
Some have cited some works of the Greeks and Romans concerning this, as alleged proof that the the word "parousia" does not mean "invisible." Of course, the Romans and Greeks of the first century, not knowing or understanding spiritual matters, would not think of the word Parousia as expressing a spiritual presence that could not be seen. -- 2 Corinthians 4:18; 5:7.
Nevertheless, the word parousia, of itself, does not prove either a visible or invisible presence, and we don't believe most, if any, Bible Students have intended to leave that impression.
Jesus, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, and having once for all time offered up his flesh, will never be seen in that flesh again. (Hebrews 7:27; 9:28; 10:10; 1 Peter 3:18) However, this does not rule out the possibility that Jesus may manifest himself as did the angels of Jehovah in the Bible, who appeared as "men," ate as men, and looked like men, manifesting themselves with a body of flesh. -- Genesis 18:2,8,22; 19:1,5; Judges 13:2,6,8,9; Luke 24:4.
See the study:
Jesus Died a Human Being - Raised a Spirit Being
See the study:
Jesus Died a Human Being - Raised a Spirit Being
However, Jesus does indeed return bodily, with a body, that is, with the spiritual, celestial body, and with its glory. He no longer has the terrestrial, fleshly, body of a man, a glory a little lower than the angels. (1 Corinthians 15:39-41; Hebrews 2:9) Having offered (to his God in heaven) his terrestrial, earthly, fleshly body for sin, once for all time (John 6:51; Hebrews 7:27; 9:11,12,24;10:10), he will never again be seen with that body. (1 Corinthians 15:40,44) Now being a life-giving spirit, he comes again from heaven (1 Corinthians 15:40,45-48), during the blowing of the last trumpet, the seventh trumpet (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 8:2,6), with a celestial, spiritual body, resulting in (not necessarily in the order given):
(1) The end of the age, during which a harvest of the people of God begins. This harvest begins while the nations are still blinded by Satan, but it ends after Satan is abyssed, when the saints, the sons of God of this age, will be manifested and "will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father." (Matthew 13:3-43; Romans 8:19} Unlike many Bible Students, however, we do not believe that this harvest reveals who is of what class by any visible manifestation, except until after Satan is abyssed. Jesus said that the tares, not the wheat, are first gathered and bundled. (Matthew 13:39,40) Although the human servants of God labor in the harvest work, the harvest work itself is not entrusted to men, who would surely misjudge and treat much of wheat as tares, and tares as wheat, thus, it is entrusted to angels.
(2) The nations become angry, resulting in a great "time of trouble”, during which time the people in general do not take notice of the parousia. — Matthew 24:37-39; Luke 17:26-30; Revelation 11:15,18; Daniel 12:1,2.
(3) God’s wrath upon the children of wrath of this age comes to its conclusion — Ephesians 2:2,3; 5:6; Revelation 8:1.
(4) In that age to come, after Satan is abyssed, the dead are raised and the unjustified of this age are judged individually during the "last day" — Isaiah 2:2-4; Daniel 7:9,10; Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:28,29; 6:39,40,44,54; 12:47,48; Romans 2:16; 3:6; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 6:2; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Revelation 11:18; 20:11-15.
(5) God’s servants, prophets, saints are rewarded in the first resurrection. — Isaiah 40:10; Daniel 7:9,10; 12:1,2; Romans 2:16; 1 Corinthians 3:8,14; Colossians 3:24; 2 Timothy 4:8; Revelation 15:18; 20:4; 22:12.
(6) Those who would destroy the earth are themselves destroyed after the judgment day, after Satan has been set loose again. — Psalm 37:10; Revelation 15:18; 20:8,12; 21:8.
Thus, the seventh trumpet begins to sound while the nations are still ignorant and are angry, and continues to sound until after the millennial age, up to the age of the ages, the eternal age.
Of Moses, it is said that, "he endured, as seeing him who is invisible." (Hebrews 11:27) In context, "him" could be referring to the prehuman Jesus, who, before coming the earth, had the glory of the invisible, the celestial -- the glory that he did not have while on earth. (John 17:5; 1 Corinthians 15:40) Or, more than likely, "him" probably refers to the God and Father of Jesus, who is the "invisible God." (Colossians 1:15) Either way, Moses saw him who is invisible by the eye of faith, not by literal sight, for he did not see that which is invisible by means of the physical eye. The point is that "seeing" does not necessarily mean seeing with the physical eye.
On the other hand, the Jews in general saw Jesus at his first appearing in the flesh, but did not see who he was -- the Messiah -- which could only have been seen with the eye of faith. They did not recognize him. (John 1:10) Nor could they "see" the God and Father in Jesus. (John 14:9) Having seen Jesus in the flesh, however, Jesus said of the world that had seen him in the flesh, that they would see him no more. (John 14:19) Since they had only seen him in the flesh, and had not seen him with the eye of faith as the Messiah, the son of God, then this can only mean that they will never see him in the flesh again. They will see the Son of Man coming [Erchomai] on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.
On the other hand, the Jews in general saw Jesus at his first appearing in the flesh, but did not see who he was -- the Messiah -- which could only have been seen with the eye of faith. They did not recognize him. (John 1:10) Nor could they "see" the God and Father in Jesus. (John 14:9) Having seen Jesus in the flesh, however, Jesus said of the world that had seen him in the flesh, that they would see him no more. (John 14:19) Since they had only seen him in the flesh, and had not seen him with the eye of faith as the Messiah, the son of God, then this can only mean that they will never see him in the flesh again. They will see the Son of Man coming [Erchomai] on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.
Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, including those who pierced him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. Even so, Amen. -- Revelation 1:7.
The word "coming" in Revelation 1:7 is not "parousia," but a form of the verb "Erchomai," -- to come. However, we have no doubt that it is reference to "coming" in the days of the son of man, the parousia. (Matthew 24:37; Luke 17:26) The statement here is not that he comes on a cloud, a singular cloud, but rather "clouds."
Another scripture describes this event in the Old Testament:
I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. -- Daniel 7:13.
Again, the reference is to clouds, plural, not a cloud, singular. Prophetically, the plural can used to represent two, as "times," representing two times. (Daniel 7:25; 12:7; Revelation 12:14) Regardless, there is the possibility of at least two clouds being spoken of, indicating the possibility of two symbolic meanings. A cloud or clouds can represent: glory (Exodus 16:10; Ezekiel 1:28); guidance (Exodus 13:12); covering of sin (Isaiah 44:24); darkness (2 Samuel 22:12; Job 38:9; Psalm 18:11; Isaiah 5:30; Joel 2:2; Zephaniah 1:15); a covenant, a promise of God (Genesis 9:13,16); God's anger (Lamentations 2:1); alienation from God (Lamentations 3:44); storms (Ezekiel 1:4; 38:9; Luke 12:54; Jeremiah 4:13; Nahum 1:4); a hiding of the sun (Ezekiel 32:7); majesty (Isaiah 14:14); a communication from God (Exodus 24:16; Psalm 99:7; Matthew 17:5; Luke 9:35); trouble, distress (Ezekiel 30:3; Zephaniah 1:15).
In Daniel 7, the one like a son of a man, in coming with the clouds, comes before the Ancient of Days, that is, Jehovah, and is presented to him. As a result, there was given to him an everlasting dominion, and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. (Daniel 7:14) This brings us into the age of the ages, the everlasting age after the millennial age, the age that will never end.
In Revelation 10:1, we find a reference to an angel coming in a cloud (singular).
Revelation 10:1 I saw another mighty angel coming down out of the sky [heaven], clothed with a cloud. A rainbow was on his head. His face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.
Here is depicted an angel clothed as with a cloud. Of course, the language is symbolic. The "angel" is either Jesus or a messenger (angel) representing Jesus. Jesus, of course, will come as the "sun of righteousness." -- Malachi 4:2.
The "rainbow" probably represents the new covenant, which will be the means by which the seed of Abraham will bring blessings to all the families of the earth.
This angel is clothed with a cloud, a symbol of majesty, and yet we believe that it is also includes a symbolism of mystique, as a cloud hiding the sun, producing darkness. The angel has a face like the sun of righteousness, as a great ruler, but he also has feet like pillars of fire, representing a distressful situation and/or destruction. "Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day of Jehovah's wrath, but the whole land will be devoured by the fire of his jealousy." (Zephaniah 1:18) "My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour on them my indignation, even all my fierce anger, for all the earth will be devoured with the fire of my jealousy." (Zephaniah 3:8) In this is pictured the wrath of Jehovah (Revelation 11:18), the wrath that has been upon man since Adam sinned, and which wrath is brought to a finish during the blowing of the seventh trumpet, by means of seven symbolic bowls that are poured out. -- Revelation 11:15,18; 15:1,7.
This angel is clothed with a cloud, a symbol of majesty, and yet we believe that it is also includes a symbolism of mystique, as a cloud hiding the sun, producing darkness. The angel has a face like the sun of righteousness, as a great ruler, but he also has feet like pillars of fire, representing a distressful situation and/or destruction. "Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day of Jehovah's wrath, but the whole land will be devoured by the fire of his jealousy." (Zephaniah 1:18) "My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour on them my indignation, even all my fierce anger, for all the earth will be devoured with the fire of my jealousy." (Zephaniah 3:8) In this is pictured the wrath of Jehovah (Revelation 11:18), the wrath that has been upon man since Adam sinned, and which wrath is brought to a finish during the blowing of the seventh trumpet, by means of seven symbolic bowls that are poured out. -- Revelation 11:15,18; 15:1,7.
Revelation 10:2 He had in his hand a little book open. He set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the land.
Revelation 10:3 He cried with a loud voice, as a lion roars. When he cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices.
Revelation 10:4 When the seven thunders sounded, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from the sky saying, "Seal up the things which the seven thunders said, and don't write them."
Revelation 10:5 The angel who I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to the sky,
Revelation 10:6 and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there will no longer be delay,
Revelation 10:7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as he declared to his servants, the prophets.
Thus, we believe this cloud appears either shortly before or at the beginning of the sounding of the seventh trumpet, the last trumpet. The prophetical statement is that when the angel is about to sound his trumpet, the last trumpet, then the mystery of God is finished. The Greek word rendered "about" -- transliterated as "Mello," does not necessarily mean "about," as though it was something yet to happen. We believe that it can also refer to the actual "being about" of something, that is, the actual doing of what is being spoken of, and we believe, in accordance with the context, "in days of the voice of the seventh angel," that this is meaning of Mello in Revelation 10:7. When the seventh angel, having the seventh trumpet, is about the business of blowing his trumpet, then the mystery of God is finished. Many believe that this mystery refers to completing the mystery members of the bride of Christ, but we believe it refers to the completing of the mystery pertaining to the ages; in other words, it pertains to bringing to completion God's purpose of the ages (Ephesians 3:9,11,Young's Literal), which would bring us to up to the foretold "world without end," or the age of the ages, the final age that never ends. -- Isaiah 45:17; Ephesians 3:21, See Young's Literal for Ephesians 3:21.
I looked, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud one sitting like a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. -- Revelation 14:14
Another angel came out from the temple, crying with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, "Send forth your sickle, and reap; for the hour to reap has come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe!" -- Revelation 14:15
He who sat on the cloud thrust his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. -- Revelation 14:16.
Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, "First, gather up the darnel, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn." -- Matthew 13:30.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. -- Matthew 13:39.
The "age" being referred to this present evil age, the age in which Satan is god. -- Galatians 1:4; 2 Corinthians 4:4.
By saying that the "harvest time" is the end of this age, and then describing events that take place during that "end," Jesus shows that the "end" is not something that happens suddenly, but that the "end" itself -- being "the time of the harvest" -- is a period of "time."
Revelation 14:14 depicts one like a son of man coming on a white cloud, a cloud of glory, and he has a sharp sickle in his hand.Revelation 14:16-20 shows that the sickle is used to harvest the earth.
When Jesus comes, one of the things he accomplishes is the harvest of the earth by means of his angels. This takes place during the "end" of the present evil age, while Satan is still the "god of this age." As long as Satan is still blinding the minds of people, we know that this "harvest" has not ended. Nevertheless, the harvest does take place as a result of Jesus' coming on the clouds.
Thus we conclude that the harvest has been going on, especially since about 1874, with an influx of worldly knowledge that is separating the tares from the true wheat. Jesus said that the tares were to be first separated from the wheat (Matthew 13:30), again indicating a time involved; the tares are thrown into the fiery furnace (symbolic of the the severe part of the time of trouble), and the wheat is gathered into the barn (representing a condition of spiritual safety; the spiritual ark, true faith in Jesus' sacrificed body with its blood by which we are sanctified, set apart -- Hebrews 9:12,14; 10:10,29). Then, after this, the wheat -- the righteous -- will shine forth as the sun, depicting the age to come, when Satan is abyssed so that he cannot deceive the heathen. -- Daniel 12:3; Matthew 13:43; Revelation 20:3.
Jesus indicated that the foretold time of trouble is pictured by what happened in Noah's day, thus, it is possible that the last part of the foretold time of trouble is depicted by the 40 days' flood of Noah's day. (Genesis 7:4; Matthew 24:37,38) We are now certainly experiencing a flood of knowledge now available through the internet and other means of fast communication. More and more professed Christians are falling into infidelity as a result of this influx of knowledge, thus proving themselves to be tares, rather than wheat. This increase of knowledge, however, brings discontent among the masses, and greed, and thus is also a source of trouble, and ends up being like a fiery furnace, as "fiery feet" stomping upon the people, with the trouble becoming so bad, that unless the days should be cut short, no flesh will be saved. -- Matthew 24:21,22.
Addendum:
One asks if we believe that Jesus returned in 1874 and "inspected the temple"?
While we would probably not put it that way, we do believe that Jesus began the harvest work related to the separating of the tares from the wheat; this is indeed an inspection of all who profess to be Christian, irrespective of denominational and/or sectarian ties, and since those who are being called to follow Jesus are spoken of as the temple of God, one could say that this is a inspection of the temple. The inspection is not, however, an event that take place in a moment, a day, a year, but continues on for many years. The revealing of the results of the inspection takes place after Satan is abyssed, for it is then that the sons of God will be revealed. (Romans 8:19) Many claim that the harvest is carried out along physical lines, and they can tell who is the wheat by various visible means today, but we believe the harvest is along spiritual lines, and that is carried out, not by the servants of Jesus in the flesh, but by the angels.
The questioner further asks: "Did Jesus make a decision during that time period and make a choosing of a particular group?"
The questioner is evidently asking if we have a belief similar the Jehovah's Witnesses, who claim that Jesus, in 1918, inspected the temple, and approved of Rutherford's religion, to which our answer is "no." We need to remember that the choosing of the faith seed of Abraham has been going on ever since the first century. In 1874, we believe that a special period began which is called the "harvest". However, we also believe that the choosing of the wheat class at the end of the age is done by means of the angels, and therefore, we conclude that the wheat class cannot be represented by any physical group, such as the Bible Students association. The revealing of the wheat, however, cannot be until after Satan is abyssed, thus any efforts in this present evil age to determine who is wheat and who are tares could end up being very deceptive.
The questioner further asks: "Did Jesus really return and examine babylon the great, and then appoint a certain group? Was that the great tribulation? "
By "group", I assume this refers to physical outward group, such the Jehovah's Witnesses, or the Bible Students movement. We have no reason to believe that Jesus has appointed a certain sectarian group, nor a certain individual, etc., to be "the true religion", or "the true church." Babylon the Great represents sectarianism, denominationalism, organizations (and associated false doctrines created by humans) that separate the sheep. To come out of Babylon the Great would signify rejection of denominational sectarianism and, and to the extent possible, the doctrines of men associated with such demoninationalism. It would specifically signify a rejection of the substitutes for the atonement as set forth in the Bible. Two of the major substitutes have been the teaching of the trinity dogma, the teaching of the oneness dogma, the teaching of the immortal soul, etc., both of which provide a non-Biblical basis for atonement. The destruction of Babylon the Great signifies the destruction of all kinds of sectarianism and denominationalism. God is not going to allow such sectarian divisions to continue in His kingdom.
On the other hand, the tares are now being revealed as false Christians, often denying the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, accepting the idea that man got here by evolution, etc. Many of these tares openly deny Christ, and openly declare themselves as deists, agnostics, atheists, etc., while others retain the name of Christ, but in some way deny the power of the blood of Jesus. Indeed, one can often hear of some claiming to be a Christian atheist, Christian agnostic, Christian deist, Christian Wiccan, Christian Buddhist, Christian Spiritualist, etc. We do believe, however, most of those professing to be Christians today will be found to be of the tare class. On the other hand, we have no scriptural reason to think that joining in association with the Bible Students movement makes one of the wheat class, while all who fail to join the Bible Students movement are the tare class. Such reasoning actually leads to sectarianism, which we believe every Christian should seek to avoid.
The tares are to burned in the figurative fiery furnace. This does not mean that those who are found to be tares will be eternally destroyed, as the JWs teach; it simply means that their outward standing as a servant of Christ will eventually be burned up in the furnace of the time of trouble. No one among mankind, however, has been given any authority to point to this or that professed Christian and say "You are a tare," although, sadly, there appears to be many who are claiming they have authority to do so. Likewise, we have no authority to claim that one is of the wheat class because they belong to the Bible Students movement. Nor can we believe we have any authority to designate who among the "wheat" class will be found to arrived at the goal, the mark, of the prize of our high calling, so that we would have authority to say to this person: "You are one of 144,000", and to another, "You are not one of the 144,000." We believe that all three major classes of Revelation 7 will be revealed after Satan is abyssed, and not in this present evil age.
The tares are to burned in the figurative fiery furnace. This does not mean that those who are found to be tares will be eternally destroyed, as the JWs teach; it simply means that their outward standing as a servant of Christ will eventually be burned up in the furnace of the time of trouble. No one among mankind, however, has been given any authority to point to this or that professed Christian and say "You are a tare," although, sadly, there appears to be many who are claiming they have authority to do so. Likewise, we have no authority to claim that one is of the wheat class because they belong to the Bible Students movement. Nor can we believe we have any authority to designate who among the "wheat" class will be found to arrived at the goal, the mark, of the prize of our high calling, so that we would have authority to say to this person: "You are one of 144,000", and to another, "You are not one of the 144,000." We believe that all three major classes of Revelation 7 will be revealed after Satan is abyssed, and not in this present evil age.
Thus, we do not believe that Jesus came in 1874 to inspect and approve any outward "group" as being approved as the JWs teach in doctrine concerning 1918. The inspection is of individuals, not of an outward "group." Nor do we believe, as do the JWs, that one has belong to and/or recognize any visible organization, the Bible Students movement, Charles Taze Russell, or any other outward group, etc., in order to be saved, as as to live into the new age.
As Charles Taze Russell pointed out many times, the true church is not about an outward organization, but it pertains to individuals.
See also:
The questioner asks if we "are saying that Jesus inspected the temple in 1874, and found that the sect called 'russelites', or 'bible students' were thus in an approved condition?"
We do not know of any place that Russell taught expressly that Jesus "inspected the temple" in 1874, but Russell's view of the temple had nothing to do with any external sect, group, denomination, etc. His view of the temple was that the temple is the church that belongs to Christ. Russell was non-sectarian.
Russell stated:“the Lord in Heaven records as members of His true Church all the saintly — whether Roman Catholics, Anglican Catholics, Greek Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, etc.— and none others…. Do we not see that a part of our mistake was in calling the outward organization the Church of Christ, instead of remembering that the Lord alone writes the names of the Church, that He alone reads the hearts, that He alone is the Judge, and that He alone has the right to blot out the names of those who become reprobates?… We must see that the Church is a comparatively small company of saintly footstep followers of Jesus, irrespective of sectarian lines.” -- Bible Students Monthly, Volume 7, Number 9 (1915), Under the title, "The Catholic Church -- St. Peter's Kingdom Keys."
And Russell stated: “all who are worshiping any church organization should be warned. See thou do it not.’ These are thy fellow servants.‘Worship God.’`Rev. 22:9`.” -- Watch Tower, January, 1880, page 7.
He further stated:“so far as the true Church is concerned, the only authority in it is the Lord, the Head of the Church, and his Word, and the words of those whom he specially chose to be his mouth-pieces, the apostles.” -- Watch Tower, July 1, 1900, page 195.
And,“we believe that in every nation and denomination there are some true saints of God, members therefore of the true Church of God.” -- What Pastor Russell Wrote For the Overland Monthly, page 385.
Thus, Russell viewed the temple of God to be any true Christian, regardless of what external group or denomination he might be associated with. His view of the temple of God was not restricted to a "group", such as the Bible Students, nor a denomination, nor a religious organization, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses. Indeed, Russell preached against the kind of authoritarianism and sectarianism that is found in the Jehovah's Witnesses' organization. We agree with his view regarding this.
Thus, Russell viewed the temple of God to be any true Christian, regardless of what external group or denomination he might be associated with. His view of the temple of God was not restricted to a "group", such as the Bible Students, nor a denomination, nor a religious organization, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses. Indeed, Russell preached against the kind of authoritarianism and sectarianism that is found in the Jehovah's Witnesses' organization. We agree with his view regarding this.
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