SECOND COMING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

SECOND COMING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

 

Introduction:

• Exact term "Second Coming" not found in New Testament

First found in the Fathers.

Cf. Hastings' Bible Dictionary.

•  But the New Testament is full of the idea

Cf. Synonymous expressions:

John 14:3 "Come again"

Heb. 9:28 "appear a second time" (closest)

•  It has been suggested that Christ spoke of various comings

Some truth in this statement:

John 14:18-19 After his own resurrection - "I will come to you."

John 14:23 In the Holy Spirit. "We will come unto him." (Father and Son)

Rev. 2:5 In Spiritual judgment - "I will come unto thee quickly." Providential

• But these "Comings" are never confused with that grand and final eschatological event which we name in Theology "The Second Coming."

This is described by a technical Greek term - Parousia - - we shall examine this and other terms.

• The Greek Terms Used

ho erchomenos  meaning- "The one who is coming"

Usage - a title of Messiah - "The Coming One"

Matt. 11:3 "Art thou he who should come."

Matt. 21:9 with Psa. 118:26 (Septuagint Psalm 117) "Blessed is the Coming One"

 

The Second Coming only once

Heb. 10:37 - adapted from Hab. 2:3 (Septuagint-erchomenos) "He that cometh will come."

The Godhead

Rev. 1:4, 8; 4:8 "Art to come"

Rev. 11:17 - rejected by six editors - remarkable omission‑ why?

Rev. 16:5 - does not occur where might expect it.

If editor's omission in Rev. 11:17 is correct, and it does not appear in 16:5 the answer may be that the coming of Christ has already begun.

Erchomai - meaning: "to come from one place to another" (Thayer) i.e. - the act of coming

Usage: often of the Second Coming (translated "come")

Matt. 10:23; 16:27-28; 21:40; 24:30, 42, 44, 46; 25:19, 31; 26:64

Mark 8:38; 9:1; 12:9; 13:26, 35, 36; 14:62

Luke 9:26; 12:36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 43; 18:8; 19:13; 20:16; 21:27; 23:42

John 14:3, 28

1 Cor. 4:5; 11:26

2 Thess. 1:10

2 John 7 ARV

Jude 1t

Rev. 1:7; 3:11; 16:15; 22:7, 12, 17, 20

Katabaino - meaning - "to come down," "to descend"  the direction of the act of coming

Usage -

The first coming - John 6:38 "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me."

The second coming - 1 Thess. 4:16 "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:"

 

 

Heko - meaning - "to have arrived"  The result of the act of coming

Usage:

The first coming - John 8:42 ARV This means I've come and I'm here. "And came from God" (AV). "And am come"(RV).

The second coming - Matt. 24:50; 24:14; Luke 12:46; Rom. 11:26 Rev. 2:25; 3:3

Parousia - Literally - being along side - meaning: The "presence" of the one coming, not merely the act or arrival, but the total situation. Not necessarily confined to one aspect or detail.

Usage:

In Archaeology - to denote arrival and presence of a ruler - at some certain place (Deissman)

Of Paul - Phil. 2:12 and 2 Cor. 10:10

Of Antichrist - 2 Thess. 2:9

Of Second Coming - Matt. 24:3, 27, 37, 39; 1 Cor. 15:23; 1 Thess. 2:19, 3:13; 4:15; 5:23; 2 Thess. 2:1; James 5:7-8; 2 Peter 3:4; 1 John 2:28

 For illustration see 2 Peter 1:16 "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty."

 

Apocalypse - meaning: apo.- "away" plus Kalupto - to hide or veil ­Unveil describes one detail of the parousia He will be unveiled.

Usage:

of the Antichrist - 2 Thess. 2:3 "revealed" unveiled

of the Second Coming - "appearing" in 1 Pet. 1:7 unveiling "Revelation" in Luke 17:30; 1 Cor. 1:7; 2 Thess. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:13; 4:13 Cf. Rev. 1:1 ? objective or subjec­tive. Perhaps both.

 

Phaneroo - meaning: To make visible what has been not known or seen.

Usage:

of things hidden - Luke 8:17 "For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad."

of first coming - 1 John 3:5 "He was manifested"

of Resurrection appearance - John 21:1 "Showed himself"

of Second coming - "appear" in Col. 3:4; 1 Pet. 5:4; 1 John 2:28

 

for fine illustration - 1 John 3:2 This cannot be applied to any mere spiritual presence of Christ. "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."

Epiphaino - meaning: phaino - "to bring to light" plus Epi intensive use - "full" - full visibility.

Usage:

of first coming - Luke 1:79; 2 Tim. 1:10

of second coming: "Brightness" in 2 Thess. 2:8

"Appearing" in 1 Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 4:1; 4:8 when he is revealed to the whole world;

Titus 2:13  Love his appearing because it will be the vindication of himself.

Horao - meaning: to see with the eyes.

Usage:

of first coming - "seen" in John 6:36

of Resurrection appearance - "appeared" in Luke 24:34 "hath appeared to Simon."

of second coming - "appear" in Heb. 9:8