THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
By M. C. W.
THERE is no part of our Lord’s work which is of more importance than his second coming; and, it is safe to say, no doctrine of the Bible is more ignored, abused, or ridiculed at the present time than this. It is made to mean everything than what it does mean. It is placed in the great progressive scheme of God’s providence where it does not belong. It has been perverted in every way, and made the butt of endless jest and jeer. But it is a Bible doctrine nevertheless. It is said to be a secret coming; it is said to be at death; it is said to be at conversion; it is said to be the outpouring of the Spirit of God; it is said to be in modern Spiritualism; it is said that it will be a local coming, a coming to one locality; and it is said that it will be a literal visible appearing of the personal presence of the Messiah. What is the truth of the matter? This must be decided by the Bible, which teaches all that there is to be learned upon the subject. As much is made of the original terms, and as much confusion has been caused by their misapplication, it may be well to examine these terms, and to ascertain from the Scriptures their meaning. These words are:— 1. The verb erchomai and its derivatives, defined as follows: “To come, to go, to pass. By the combination of this verb with other terms, a variety of meanings result, which, however, is due, not to a change of meaning in the verb, but to the adjuncts. Ho erchomenos, He who is coming, the expected Messiah. Matt. 11:3, et al.”—Bagster. This word, therefore, simply indicates the act of coming, going, or passing. Whatever other meaning it has is shown by the words with which it is connected. It is not used simply in connection with the coming of our Lord, but in other instances. See, for example, Luke 18:5; Rom. 15:22; John 5:7; 11:20; 2 Cor. 13:1. This word is translated in the Authorized Version by the following terms,—“appear,” “brought,” “come,” “coming,” “enter,” “fall,” “go,” “grow,” “light,” “next,” “pass,” “resort,” “set.” But in all these instances the word signifies to come, to go, to pass. 2. The noun parousia, which is defined as follows: “Presence (2 Cor. 10:10; Phil. 2:12); a coming, arrival, advent (Phil. 1:26; Matt. 24:3, 27, 37, 39; 1 Cor. 15:23, et al.)”—Bagster. Liddell and Scotts’ Lexicon define: “A being present, presence, of persons.” See 2 Cor. 10:10, where it is translated presence, and 2 Cor. 13:1, where it is translated coming. It denotes personal presence. This word is translated in our common version by the terms “coming” and “presence” only. 3. The noun apokalupsis, translated coming only in 1 Cor. 1:7. It is defined: “A disclosure, revelation (Rom. 2:5, et al.); manifestation, appearance (Rom. 8:19; 1 Cor. 1:7; 2 Thess. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:7, 13; 4:13); met. spiritual enlightenment (Luke 2:32).”—Bagster. “An uncovering, disclosing, making known: a revelation, especially of divine mys-8teries; revelation; of persons, a manifestation; the Apocalypse, N. T.”—Liddell and Scott. The verb from which it is derived means to disclose, reveal, to uncover, to manifest. The noun is rendered in the common version, “appearing,” “coming,” “manifestation,” “revelation.” 4. There is another word not translated coming, but “appearing” and “brightness,” namely, epiphaneia. It is defined “appearance, manifestation (1 Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 1:10, et al.); glorious display (2 Thess. 2:8).”—Bagster. “Appearance, manifestation,” “an apparition,” “the visible surface,” “the mere surface, outside,” “outward show.”—Liddell and Scott. 5. Hēkō, which is defined to mean, “to be come, to have arrived.”—Bagster. It is defined by Liddell and Scott, to have come, to have reached a point, to have come back, returned, etc. It simply means that the coming is accomplished. These are the words used in connection with the coming of Christ—the first, erchomai, meaning the mere act of coming, going, or passing; the second, parousia, meaning personal presence; the third, apokalupsis, meaning revelation, manifestation, disclosure, appearance; the fourth, epiphaneia, meaning manifestation, appearing, brightness, or glorious display; the fifth, hēkō, meaning already come, to be here. Because of these various terms, and from expressions in connection with them, it is held by some that there will be a “secret rapture,” or a coming of Christ like a thief, to take the bride, or first-fruits, home to himself. This coming will be known only to the righteous. One will be caught up here, another there, till the requisite number are gathered out. Christ will then come with this elect, immortalized company, and every eye shall see him. He will then be manifested in his glory. Let us examine some of these passages. There are several expressions which speak of a coming of Christ in a way which indicates the uncertainty of that event. We give some of these passages below:— “For ye know not what hour your Lord doth come [erchomai]. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come [erchomai], he would have watched. . . . Therefore be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh [erchomai].” Matt. 24:42-44. “Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord, when he cometh [hēkō, is come] shall find so doing.” Verse 46. “After a long time the lord of those servants cometh [erchomai], and reckoneth with them.” Matt. 25:19. “The bridegroom came [elthon from erchomai].” Verse 10. “Ye know not when the master of the house cometh [erchomai], at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning.” Mark 13:35. “For the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not [erchomai].” Luke 12:40. Also verses 39, 43. In verse 46 we have hēkō (will have come) again. “The day of the Lord so cometh [erchomai] as a thief in the night.” “Are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” 1 Thess. 5:2, 4. “But the day of the Lord will come [hēkō, will have come] as a thief in the night.” 2 Peter 3:10. “If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come [hēkō, will have come] on thee as a thief.” Rev. 3:3. “Behold, I come [erchomai] as a thief.” Rev. 16:15. There are some parallel passages to those quoted. But wherever this uncertainty of the time of the coming is expressed, when secrecy is implied, the word used is always erchomai or hēkō. Not that the words themselves imply such a coming, for they simply mean the mere coming or going or passing itself, or the fact that the coming or going or passing is already over. The other expressions used with the words must denote the kind of coming. The next principal word used in naming the second coming of Christ is parousia. The following are some passages in which it occurs where it is rendered coming:— The above is every instance where parousia occurs. It ever means personal presence when applied to individuals. At least some passages in which it is found prove that this must be the case, and no other passage forbids it. When used for the second coming of Christ, it denotes a visible, personal coming, even as the lightning flashes from one part of the heaven to the other. None of the other words used are opposed to the idea conveyed by the meaning of parousia. Yet the context in which the verb erchomai is sometimes found, shows clearly that it has reference to an event which the world will not see and know as they would see and know the lightning flash. Is there another event or other events beside the parousia, or personal presence of Christ? This, the Lord willing, we will consider in our next. M. C. W.