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3:4. A second term is “apocalupsis,” which stresses the fact that the return will be a revealing of
Jesus Christ. It points to the uncovering of something that was previously hidden from view, in
this case, of the concealed glory and majesty of Jesus Christ, II Thess. 1:7; I Pet. 1:7,13; 4:13. A
third term is “epiphaneia,” the glorious appearing of the Lord. The implication is that what is
uncovered is something glorious, II Thess. 2:8; I Tim. 6:14; II Tim. 4:1-8; Tit. 2:13.
c. The manner of Christ’s return.
Some place the return of Christ in the past, claiming that the
promise of His coming again was realized when He returned in the Holy Spirit. They refer to the
promise in John 14-16, and interpret the word “parousia” as meaning simply
“presence.”[Warren. The Parousia; J. M. Campbell, The Second Coming of Christ.] Now it may
be said that, in a sense, Christ did return in the Holy Spirit, and as such is now present in the
Church. But this was a spiritual return, while the Bible teaches us to look for a physical and
visible return of Christ, Acts. 1:11. Even after Pentecost we are taught to look forward to the
coming of Christ, I Cor. 1:7; 4:5; 11:26; Phil. 3:20; Col. 3:4; I Thess. 4:15-17; II Thess. 1:7-10; Tit.
2:13; Rev. 1:7.
d. The purpose of His return.
The second coming of Jesus Christ will be for the purpose of
judging the world and perfecting the salvation of His people. Men and angels, the living and the
dead, will appear before Him to be judged according to the record which was kept of them,
Matt. 24:30,31; 25:31,32. It will be a coming with terrible judgments upon the wicked, but also
with blessings of eternal glory for the saints, Matt. 25:33-46. While He will sentence the wicked
to everlasting punishment, He will publicly justify His own and lead them into the perfect joy of
His eternal Kingdom. This will signalize the completed victory of Jesus Christ.
e. Objection to the doctrine of the return.
The great objection to the doctrine of the return of
Jesus Christ is of a piece with the objection to the doctrine of the physical resurrection of Christ.
If there can be no physical resurrection and ascension, there can be no physical return from
heaven. Both are equally impossible, and the Biblical teachings respecting them are merely
crude representations of an unscientific age. Jesus evidently shared the carnal views of His day,
and these colored His prophetic delineations of the future. The only return of which we can
speak and for which we can hope is a return in power, in the establishment of an ethical
kingdom on earth.
QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY:
What historical proofs have we for the resurrection of
Christ? Does I Cor. 15:8 prove that the appearances were subjective visions? What myths are
supposed to have entered into the shaping of the story of the resurrection? What light do the
following passages shed on the post-resurrection condition of Jesus? I Cor. 6:17; II Cor. 3:17, 18;
I Tim. 3:16; Rom. 1:3, 4; Heb. 9:14; I Pet. 3:18. What is the difference between a soma
psychicon, a soma pneumatikon, and a soma tes sarkos? Are “spirit” and “spiritual” antithetical