1881 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

The Greek word generally used in referring to the second advent--parousia, frequently translated coming--invariably signifiespersonal presence, as having come, arrived, and never signifiesto be on the way, as we use the word coming. This fact isrecognized by many who are looking for the Lord; but the errorunder which the church in general is laboring, is that ofsupposing that presence implies sight--manifestation--appearance. In the Greek, however, other words are used toexpress revelation, appearing and manifestation, viz.: phaneroo--rendered shall appear in "When he shall appear, etc." andapokalupsis --rendered, shall be revealed in 2 Thes. 1:7. "Whenthe Lord Jesus shall be revealed."These and other texts teach us that our Lord will reveal ormanifest himself to the world in such a manner that "Every eyeshall see--[optomai--recognize] him"--"Be revealed in flamingfire," [judgments]. But what we now claim is, that before he isthus revealed, he will be present unseen, (by all except theBride, who will see--recognize him--because of the eyes of herR264 : page 71understanding being opened by the anointing of truth--see Eph.1:17-19), doing a work and gathering his Bride, or body, tohimself.We have Christ's own words to prove that he will be present inthe world, and the world for a time will know not of it. In Matt.24:37, we read: "As the days of Noah were, so shall also theparousia (presence) of the Son of Man be." The presence ofChrist is not compared to the flood, but to the days of Noah, thedays that were before the flood, as verse 38 shows; as then theyate, drank, married, etc., and knew not, so shall also the presenceof the Son of Man be. The resemblance here mentioned is that ofnot knowing--they will not know of the presence of Christ. Theymay have been wicked then, and doubtless were, and may besimilarly wicked in his presence; but wickedness is not the pointof comparison; as then they ate, drank, married--proper enoughthings to be doing, not sins; so shall it be in Christ's presence.Now look at Luke 17:26, "As it was in the days of Noah, soshall it be also in the days of the Son of Man." Verse 27 tells ushow it was in the days of Noah, they were eating, drinking,marrying, etc. "So shall it be in the days of the Son of Man."Surely the days of the Son of Man are not before his days, anymore than the days of Henry Clay could be days before he wasborn. No, the more we examine the more we are convinced thatthe world will go on as usual, and know not until the "harvest ispast, the summer ended," and they are not in the ark, not withthe little flock "accounted worthy to escape," the time of troublecoming upon the world.-- Luke 21:36. There will be no outwarddemonstration, until the church is gathered, whenever that takesplace--soon or in the distant future.