The Second Advent Of Jesus Christ

Reasoning The Scriptures

The Lord's Second Coming Viewed From Scripture And Reason 1

A treatise on the Invisible Presence Doctrine of Bible Students and Jehovah's Witnesses. By

Y.R.Dinakaran & M.S.Mariadas

The Mysore Bible Students Association Yearaganahalli, Mysore Inquires: Chambers#1887, Wesley Road, Mandi Mohalla, Mysore 98804-63727, 98867-70848

Email: [email protected]  Copyright 2007 – M.S.Mariadas

2

Reasoning The Scriptures

Index Subject

Page No

1. The Lord's Second Coming Viewed From Scripture and Reason

3

2. Our Lord’s Parousia Epiphania and Apokalupsis

8

3. Irrelevant Proofs for Parousia

14

4. The Parable of the Fig Tree

33

5. Parousia is it Gradual?

35

6. Behold

38

I Come as a Thief

7. Parousia: Visible or Invisible?

41

8. Appendix

53

3

Reasoning The Scriptures

The Lord's Second Coming Viewed From Scripture And Reason

A

ll Christians who are students of the Bible know that there is ample testimony therein

to the wonderful truth of the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. They are also agreed that at His second advent all His faithful followers will be gathered unto Him. Not all appreciate the further revelation that Christ's coming again is related to His first advent as cause to effect. When He first came He "gave Himself a ransom for all" and His return is in order to bring to all mankind, through the instrumentality of the Kingdom which He shall then set up over the world, the blessings of life which His death secured for all. The fulfillment of the Eternal Purpose of God is associated with our Lord's Return and that is why much prominence is given to the subject in the Holy Word. This divine purpose concerns every member of Adam's race and the destinies of all his sons and daughters living and dead - are involved in its final outcome. This article, specially prepared by The Mysore bible Students Association is submitted not as representing a united and final agreement on all details connected with Our Lord's Return. It is confessed that there are many matters associated with this important event which are obscure, and upon these it would be both unwise and improper to dogmatize. All that is herein written is an attempt to present the matter in a general way, our desire being to advance towards a clearer view of this vital subject. Perhaps the most defining difference between all Christians and the ABS♠ and the Watchtower view of the Lord’s return is the manner of his arrival and presence. The ABS belief is that he arrived invisibly in 1874 (Watchtower in 1914) and has been carrying on the work of tearing down the world systems and preparing the last members of his bride. The pivotal point of this contention is the Greek word Parousia. It is well known that this word in its simplistic sense means ‘presence.’ Let’s look at the definitions given by some wellknown Bible scholars. Dictionary Definitions of Parousia • Vine's, page 200-201 Parousia - lit., "a presence," para, "with," and ousia, "being" (from eimi, "to be"), denotes both an "arrival" and a consequent "presence with." For instance, in a papyrus letter a lady speaks of the necessity of her parousia in a place in order to ♠

Associated Bible Students

3

Reasoning The Scriptures attend to matters relating to her property there. Paul speaks of his parousia in Philippi, Phil. 2:12 (in contrast to his apousia, "his absence;" see ABSENCE). Other words denote "the arrival" (see eisodos and eleusis, above). Parousia is used to describe the presence of Christ with His disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration, 2 Pet. 1:16. When used of the return of Christ, at the Rapture of the Church, it signifies, not merely His momentary coming for His saints, but His presence with them from that moment until His revelation and manifestation to the world. In some passages the word gives prominence to the beginning of that period, the course of the period being implied, 1 Cor. 15:23; 1 Thess. 4:15; 5:23; 2 Thess. 2:1; Jas. 5:7,8; 2 Pet. 3:4. In some, the course is prominent, Matt. 24:3,37; 1 Thess. 3:13; 1 John 2:28; in others the conclusion of the period, Matt. 24:27; 2 Thess. 2:8. • Thayer's, page 490 parousia ... the coming, arrival, advent ... of a return ... the future, visible, return from heaven of Jesus. • A Greek-English Lexicon, page 635 Coming, advent as the first stage in presence.... The official term for a visit of a person of high rank, esp. of kings and emperors visiting a province. Matthew’s Use of the word Parousia Matthew’s use of parousia seems very odd when comparing to the parallel accounts of Mark & Luke. Why would he choose this parousia as opposing to erchomai (see Definition Table)? There could be at least 2 very good reasons. Matthew was not just interested in telling an account of Jesus’ life but also helping us see him from a particular point of view. He was interested in showing Jesus as the King. For more information on this point please see the provided references.1 2 3 For those who are familiar with this view of Matthew it is no surprise that he would pick the word for coming as described in The Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Vol. 2, page 898: "Parousia means, on the one hand presence. ... Technically the noun is used for the arrival of a ruler a king, emperor, ruler... The corresponding adventus ... The cities of Corinth and Patras struck advent coins commemorating the visit of Nero. ... The noun parousia denotes generally presence and arrival." (Bold added for emphasis)

1

See ‘The Gospel of Matthew’ by Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Fleming H. Revell publishing See ‘The Four Views of Christ’ by Andrew Jukes. 3 See “Jesus as King’ by Andrew Weekms, http://www.cqlcorp.com/fbs/pages/amw/matthew.htm 2

4

Reasoning The Scriptures This is the perfect choice for describing Jesus' coming. The accounts in Mark and Luke use the standard word for coming. Later we will go into more detail about the word Parousia. In regard to our Lord's return, "presence" (parousia) pre-supposes that an arrival has taken place and it is seen from the above definitions that both of these ideas are in the one word "parousia". Sometimes when parousia is used, "presence" may be emphasized but not to the exclusion of the idea of "arrival". Sometimes "arrival" is the intended and primary meaning. Paul was glad of the parousia (i@e., arrival) of certain brethren (I Cor. 16: 17) and he was comforted by the parousta (arrival) of Titus (2 Cor. 7: 6). They, no doubt, remained with Paul and thus their parousia (arrival) extended to "presence". But nobody would suggest they were already present unseen and subsequently revealed. Parousia is translated "coming" 22 times in the New Testament (A.V.) and we shall examine a number of these occurrences in the course of a consideration of its use and meaning.

Other Uses of parousia in the NT In order to understand the use of parousia, we must look at how it is used throughout the NT instead of only dwelling with its use in Matthew 24. The point to be made is that parousia is not strictly used as "presence" but also as "arrival." The dictionary definitions presented in the previous section are good (arrival and subsequent presence.) But, as will be easily shown, the word can mean both "presence" as well as strictly "arrival." Instance of parousia meaning "Arrival and Subsequent Presence" 1 Corinthians 16:17 - I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. (NIV) I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied. (KJV) Meaning: Paul was glad that these brethren arrived and stayed with the Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 7:5-7: For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn-conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.

5

Reasoning The Scriptures Meaning: Paul was harassed by conflicts and fears but God comforted him by the arrival and presence of Titus. When he arrived he comforted Paul by telling him of the Corinthians' concern.

Instance of Parousia meaning "Arrival" Philippians 1:24-26: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh [is] more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again. Meaning: Paul, if he abides in the flesh, will make the Philippians joy great when he comes to them again. It is necessary, however, to make reference also to some other Greek words which have been brought into juxtaposition with Parousia in discussions and in writings on this subject of our Lord's Return should be also be defined. The words are "APOKALUPSIS", translated variously in the Authorized Version, "appearing," "coming", "manifestation,” "revel-ation," and "EPIPHANEIA” translated "appearing" and "brightness. Dictionary Definitions of Epiphania

1. Vines Dictionary Appear, Appearing: Eng., "epiphany," lit., "a shining forth," was used of the "appearance" of a god to men, and of an enemy to an army in the field, etc. In the NT it occurs of • the advent of the Savior when the Word became flesh, 2Ti 1:10; • the coming of the Lord Jesus into the air to the meeting with His saints, 1Ti 6:14; 2Ti 4:1,8; • the shining forth of the glory of the Lord Jesus "as the lightning cometh forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west," Mat 24:27, immediately consequent on the unveiling, apokalupsis, of His Parousia in the air with His saints, 2Th 2:8; Tts 2:13.* [* From Notes on Thessalonians, by Hogg and Vine, p. 263.] • Notes: o Phanerosis, akin to A, No. 4, "a manifestation," is used in 1Cr 12:7 and 2Cr 4:2. o For phaneros, wrongly translated "may appear," in 1Ti 4:15, AV (RV, "may be manifest," not mere appearance), See MANIFEST. o Emphanes, akin to A, No. 5, "manifest," is used in Act 10:40 and Rom 10:20. See MANIFEST, OPENLY. o For adelos, "which appear not," Luk 11:44, See UNCERTAIN. 2. Strongs # G2016:- an appearing, appearance, brightness, 6

Reasoning The Scriptures

3. Thayer's, Greek ἐ%ιφάνεια (epiphaneia) an Appearing, Appearance often used by the Greeks of a glorios manifestation of the gods Dictionary Definitions of Apokalupsis 1. Lexicon Results for apokalypsis (Strong's G602)

• laying bare, making naked • a disclosure of truth, instruction o concerning things before unknown o used of events by which things or states or persons hitherto withdrawn from view are made visible to all • manifestation, appearance 2. Vines Expository Dictionary Results for Apokalupsis Appear, Appearing: lit., "an uncovering, unveiling" (apo, "from," kalupto, "to hide, cover"), denotes "a revelation, or appearing" (Eng., apocalypse). It is translated "the appearing" in 1Pe 1:7, AV (RV, "revelation"). See COMING, MANIFESTATION, REVELATION. Revelation: • "an uncovering" (akin to apokalupto; see above), "is used in the NT of • the drawing away by Christ of the veil of darkness covering the Gentiles, Luk 2:32; cp. Isa 25:7; • 'the mystery,' the purpose of God in this age, Rom 16:25; Eph 3:3; • the communication of the knowledge of God to the soul, Eph 1:17; • an expression of the mind of God for the instruction of the church, 1Cr 14:6,26, for the instruction of the Apostle Paul, 2Cr 12:1,7; Gal 1:12, and for his guidance, Gal 2:2; • the Lord Jesus Christ, to the saints at His Parousia, 1Cr 1:7, RV (AV, 'coming'); 1Pe 1:7, RV (AV, 'appearing'),13; 4:13; • the Lord Jesus Christ when He comes to dispense the judgments of God, 2Th 1:7; cp. Rom 2:5; • the saints, to the creation, in association with Christ in His glorious reign, Rom 8:19, RV, 'revealing' (AV, 'manifestation');

7

Reasoning The Scriptures

Our Lord’s Parousia Epiphania and Apokalupsis

T

he main assertion by Pastor Russell is that the three Greek words (parousia, epiphania, and apokalupsis) are used by NT writers as a gradual progression which reveals Jesus return from an invisible phase known only to his saints to a revealing to the world in general (though not visibly). To see if this assertion is true, it should be a very simple matter when investigating the NT writings. Simply put, we should see no interchangeability of these words. For instance, when speaking of Jesus' revelation to the world, only epiphania and apokalupsis should be used, whenever the church is the subject of Jesus' return, only parousia should be used. Here are some supporting quotes from Pastor Russell: "These Bible students call our attention to the fact that the Bible distinctly differentiates between the parousia of Christ and His Epiphania, at His Second Coming. The word parousia signifies presence, without in any sense of the word indicating that the presence is visible. The word Epiphania signifies the revealing of one who is already present. These Bible students claim that in the end of this Gospel Age Christ will be present, invisible to men, during a period of forty years, doing a work especially in His Church--rewarding the faithful, as shown in the parables of the Pounds and the Talents, and receiving the "wise virgins," as in the parable of our lesson.4 The Scriptures indicate that the Gentile governments will receive from their own peoples their first notice that their lease of power has expired. The people will take note of the sign of the Son of Man in the heavens. The judgments of the Lord will begin to be manifest in the world, and will run counter to many of their interests. This manifestation of His presence is Scripturally called the Epiphania, the shining forth, the revealment, of the King of Glory. "He shall be revealed in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." (`2 Thessalonians 1:7- 10`.) As a result, the nations of earth will be broken to pieces like a potter's vessel.--`Psalm 2:8,9`.5 At what time the Lord's people will be taken beyond the veil the Lord has not fully indicated. But we have the assurance that when He shall appear, be manifested--when His Epiphania shall occur--we shall be with Him, we shall be like Him and see Him as He is. He will not begin His great work of establishing the Kingdom until the Church shall be with Him.6

4

Reprints of Zion's Watchtower, pg. 5523 Reprints of Zion's Watchtower, pg. 5527 6 Reprints of Zion's Watchtower, pg. 5555 5

8

Reasoning The Scriptures Our Lord's <parousia> and the gathering of the elect, we understand, has been in progress since October, 1874. It will continue until all of the "elect" shall have been gathered and glorified. In one sense our Lord will continue to be present as the world's King to the conclusion of the Millennial Age; but his <parousia,> in the sense of secrecy of presence, will terminate when, as the Scriptures declare, "He shall be in flaming fire (judgments), taking vengeance on all who will not obey the Truth," but enlightening and revivifying all who will hear and, to the extent of their opportunity, obey his message. The <parousia> is to the Church and for the Church only. The <epiphania> or of the Lord in power and great glory is not to the Church nor for the Church, but to the world and for the world. "When he shall thus appear we also shall appear with him in glory," the Apostle declares. --`Col. 3:4`."7 "Now, in the harvest time, he is present to gather the sleeping ones and to further test and perfect "us who are alive and remain." The High Priest is doing no work outside of the "holy" of the antitypical Tabernacle. His presence is unknown to the world. Soon Bridegroom and Bride will be ushered into the presence of the Father in eternal glory. The "marriage supper of the Lamb" will be celebrated, and then Bride and Bridegroom, Head and members complete in glory, will come forth to bless the world. That crowning day of joy to the Church will be followed by our Lord's and <epiphania.> To the world he shall be revealed in flaming fire of the time of trouble, but nevertheless with power and great glory, "and all his saints with him.""8 Now let us give the premise of linear use of these words a thorough examination. Identifying our many words as verbs or adverbs may sound silly, but it is helpful in understanding why authors choose the words they do. Whenever we find a word coming in the English bible it is understood that it means Parousia in like manner when we come across words like appearing or appearance it means the Greek word certainly must be Epiphania and with Revelation it is from the Greek word Apokalupsis. The view has been advocated that these three Greek words relate to different stages or periods of our lord's Return, that parousia (presence) takes place first, known only to a few, and that apokatup-sis and epiphaneia are later stages. Now our reasoning is Do the Greek words "parousia," "epiphania," and "apokalupsis" represent three different time stages of the Lord's second presence OR are they all speaking of one event ?, while using the proper Greek words that are dictated by Greek grammatical requirements as used in their 7 8

Reprints of Zion's Watchtower, pg. 4544 Reprints of Zion's Watchtower, pg. 4544

9

Reasoning The Scriptures sentence structure by which the thought is given? The understanding which commends itself to us, however, is that all three expressions relate to the Lord's arrival and that in referring to it as one great event, they are used interchangeably according to the particular aspect the inspired writer has in mind. To illustrate what has just been asserted, the following Scriptures should be read very carefully Parallel accounts interchanging the words Matthew 24:39 and they LUKE 17:30 "It will be just knew nothing about what like this on the day the Son would happen until the of Man is Apokalupto. flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the parousia of the Son of Man. Here we have a parallel account of the flood of Noah (Luke also adds the Sodom analogy) that describes the same event using two different words. We can conclude that parousia is equal to apokalupto, the root of apokalupsis. Parousia Epiphania Apokalusis all relating to on same event • Jas. 5:7 - "Be patient, therefore, brethren unto the coming (parou-sia) of the Lord." • 1 Pet. 1:13 - ". . . hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation (apokdupsis) of Jesus Christ." • Tit 2: 13. "Looking for ... the glorious appearing (epiphaneia) of ... our Saviour Jesus Christ In each of these references, attention is directed to the one event, the return of our Lord, and particularly as it bears upon the saints’ cessation from toil and suffering and the receiving of their reward, notwithstanding that three different words in the original language are used respecting the one event. To emphasize this point still further, let us note first what is to take place at the "appearing" of our Lord. In the following texts "appearing" is translated from epiphaneia: •

1 Tim. 6: 14(13) - "That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing (EPIPHANIA) of our Lord Jesus Christ." The saints are to be faithful until His appearing.

• 2 Tim. 4: 1 – “I charge [thee] therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing( Epiphania) and his kingdom; 10

Reasoning The Scriptures The quick and the dead shall be judged then. • Tit 2: 13. "Looking for ... the glorious appearing (epiphaneia) of ... our Saviour Jesus Christ

The Church is Expecting to participate in this event •

2 Tim. 4:8 - "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but to all them that love his appearing (EPIPHANIA)."

The crown of righteousness shall be given to the faithful then. But it has also to noted that the same things transpire at the Parousia of our Lord. Now let us see what is to take place when Our Lord is going to be “Revealed” In the following texts "Revealed " is translated from Apokalupsis: • 1 Peter 1:7 - These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed (apokalupsis). We are judged worthy at his revelation. • 1 Peter 1:13 - Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be selfcontrolled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed (apokalupsis). We receive our reward at Jesus' revelation. • 1 Peter 1:5 - who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed (Apokalupto) in the last time. Our salvation occurs at Jesus' revelation. • 2 Thessalonians 1:7 (8)- and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed (apokalupsis) from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. Our relief comes when Jesus is revealed when he comes with his powerful angels • 1 Peter 4:13 “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed (apokalupsis), ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

11

Reasoning The Scriptures

We will be glad and joyful when Jesus revealed with his splendid glory • 1 Peter 5:1 ‘The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed(apokalupsis): We will partake in the Glory when Christ is Revealed • 1 Cor 3:13 “Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed (apokalupsis) by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. Jesus is revealed by fire at his coming

• 1 Cor.1:5-7 "That in everything ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed to you; so that ye come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming (APOKALUPSIS) of our Lord Jesus Christ." The Church is waiting for the coming i.e. for the apokalupsis of Christ (this is the only verse were coming is translated as apokalupsis) Epiphania Parallel Parousia 2 Thes 2:8 “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness (EPIPHANIA) of his coming (PARAOUSIA) Among other words used of the Lord's Return is phaneroo (STRONGS #G5319) which means to appear or to make manifest. • 1 Pet. 5:4 - "When the chief Shepherd shall appear (phaneroo) ye shall receive a crown of glory." • Col. 3:4 - "When Christ shall appear (phaneroo) then shall ye also appear with Him.” Its use in conjunction with parousia in. I Jno. 2: 28 shows that He appears to all His people at His arrival (in the same way that they will appear with Him as in Col. 3: 4). “That when He shall appear (phaneroo) we may not be ashamed before Him at His coming (parousia)." In a similar way apokalupsis and epiphancia parallel Parousia, and each interprets the other. Believers are to be Paul's hope and crown of rejoicing in Christ's parousia (1 Thes. 2:19); to look for rest and release in the apokatupsis (2 Thes. 1: 7); to receive a crown at His epiphaneia (2 Tim. 4: 8) at the time when He appears (phaneroo) (I Pet. 5: 4). They are looking for the 12

Reasoning The Scriptures parousia (2 Pet. 3:12), the epiphaneia (Tit. 2:13), and waiting for the apokalupsis (I Cor. 1:7) of our Lord Jesus Christ. Epiphaneia is associated with parousia in 2 Thes. 2:8, phemeroo with parousia in I Jno. 2:28, and apokatupsis with parousia in Matt. 24:27 and Luke 17:30 as can be seen by a comparison of these two parallel accounts. Thus we see that these words are but kindred terms to describe one and the same great future event. For His glorious revelation, for His shining forth, for His divine manifestation, for the arrival of the King, we still hope and wait and pray It would seem unreasonable that the Apostle Paul ,Peter, John and Matthew would use words that are said to represent different stages of time of the Lord's second presence when they were instructing and admonishing different members of the church to watch for the Lord to return at which time they are to be taken up together with him. The "parousia" is said by some to be the first stage in time (which occurred in 1874 - now more than 133 years in the past) and it is to be followed next by the "epiphania," and later by the "apokalupsis" stage. If this was so and the Lord was to return at the "first stage" - Parousia and raises first the members of his church "who are dead in Christ" (1 Thes.4:16), THEN: Why would the Apostle Paul tell Timothy to keep the commandment spotless until the "epiphania," the second stage, of our Lord Jesus Christ's second presence, if those who "are dead in Christ" are raised to be with the Lord when he returns at the "parousia," the first stage ? Why would the Apostle Paul tell the Corinthians to be enriched in knowledge and utterance so that they will be furnished as they wait for the "apokalupsis," the third phase of Jesus' second presence, when he tells Timothy to do so until the "epiphania," the second stage of his second presence ? Why would the Apostle Paul tell the Thessalonians to keep their hearts blameless unto the "parousia," the first stage of Jesus second presence, when he tells Timothy to keep the commandment spotless until the "epiphania," the second stage of his second presence ? Why would the Apostle Paul tell the Colossians that when the Lord appears (phaino) then they will appear (phanio - the second stage of Jesus' second presence) with him in glory, if they are to be raised and glorified at the "parousia," the first stage of his second presence ? Why would the Apostle Paul tell Titus that we should live soberly, righteously, and Godly in this present world while looking for the "epiphania," the second stage of the Lord's second presence, if they are to be raised and glorified at the "parousia," the first stage of his second presence? Explanation: These scriptures would contradict one another if they are interpreted to refer to three different stages of time, but they do agree with each other from the viewpoint of being interchangeable when looked at as being ONE EVENT that would occur at the same 13

Reasoning The Scriptures time. It would seem reasonable then that different Greek words were used to satisfy the sentence structure of the grammatical requirements by and in which the thought was presented and to express different shades of meaning in respect to the ONE EVENT. Summary of the Greek Words

As we can easily see, the words are used interchangeably depending on the grammatical structure of the sentence. To make a case for a progressive revealing of Jesus' invisible presence is barely implicit in nature and has too many inconsistencies to hold as a necessary doctrinal stance. Before Proceeding further to predict different dates of our Lord’s second advent , the above logical, factual and reasonable questions must be answered in full by wanting to make sense the "progressive revealing of Jesus' invisible presence:"

Irrelevant Proofs for Parousia Introduction "One deceit needs many others, and so the whole house is built in the air and must soon come to the ground." -- Baltasar Gracian, The Art of Worldly Wisdom

"A Composite Sign of Many Parts" A fable from India tells of six blind men from Hindustan who went to see an elephant. The first one touched its side and said: "Bless me! but the elephant is very like a wall!" The second one touched its tusk and said: "An elephant is very like a spear!" The third touched its trunk and said: "The elephant is very like a snake!" The fourth reached out and felt its knee and said: "It is clear enough the elephant is very like a tree!" The fifth touched its ear and said: "This marvel of an elephant is very like a fan!" The sixth seized its tail and said: "I see the elephant is very like a rope!" The six blind men disputed long and loud about what an elephant was like, but no one gave a correct description. Incomplete information did not give a complete picture. A similar problem arises when it comes to identifying the sign of Christ's return. In response to his disciples' question: "What will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?" Jesus answered: "Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be great earthquakes, and in one place after another pestilences and food shortages." (Matthew 24:3; Luke 21:10, 11) But when only these things are cited as proof that Christ returned in 1874 or in 1914, people object: "Oh, we've always had wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes!" And they are right. Many Bible Students suppose and claim that the matter referred in Mathew24: 1-14 are proofs for Christ’s Invisible Presence but careful and critical analysis exhibits that Mathew 24:1-14 are NOT the PROOFS for the Invisible presence rather it is only warnings cautions for the faithful watchers.

14

Reasoning The Scriptures

The Two Questions in Matthew 24 As every Bible Student knows, the first place to turn in the Bible to understand Jesus' return is Matthew the 24th chapter. The reason for this is the Greek word Parousia. In this wonderful chapter, a great amount of detail is laid out before our eyes. Unfortunately, many broadly different interpretations are given from its wondrous contents. In order to understand this chapter, the very premise of its existence must be explored or the interpretation built upon it is suspect. So, why did Jesus give us all these details? It stems from 2 questions asked by the disciples. If we are to understand Jesus words, we must understand that he is answering two very specific questions asked by his disciples. The first question, “when will these happen…” is an answer to their awestruck response of gazing at the temple. Verse 1 - Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. Jesus responds to their misplaced affection by saying in verse 2: "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." The key to understanding why the Bible Students (Particularly Russellites) Interpretation is incorrect is that the position never takes into account the first question asked of the disciples. When would the temple be destroyed? Russellites launch right into a Second Advent interpretation without giving any biblical rationale. Given that fact that Luke 21 applies the context solely to the destruction of Jerusalem, this is indeed hard to fathom. Luke 21 states plainly: 5 Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6 "As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down." 7 "Teacher," they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?" 8 He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, `I am he,' and, `The time is near.' Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away." 10 Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom 15

Reasoning The Scriptures against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. 12 "But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 This will result in your being witnesses to them. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict… Clearly Luke applies these verses to the destruction of Jerusalem. Matthew’s account is simply combining the two separate accounts (Luke 17 & Luke 21/Mark 13 :1- 5) for simplicity sake. It is hard to imagine a biblical basis for drawing the conclusion that Matthew 24:1-14 should be applied to the Gospel age. What is the basis for telescoping items in this context? For example, the interpretation of “being delivered to the synagogues” is used as a gospel age application based on Matthew's account. All of Luke's account clearly takes place at or near the destruction of Jerusalem. Here are two examples from Pastor Russell’s writings, which take these verses in Matthew and apply them to the gospel age: "Our Lord's reply in `verses 1 to 14` covers the entire Gospel age; and his words in `verses 15 to 22` have a double application --literally to the close of the Jewish age, and figuratively to the end of this Gospel age, of which the Jewish age was a shadow. `Verses 23-26` contain words of warning against false Christs, and in `verse 27` he reaches their question regarding his <Parousia>, and declares [properly translated], "as the bright shining [the sunlight] cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west, so shall the <Parousia> [the PRESENCE] of the Son of man be." The sunlight becomes present instantly, yet noiselessly; and it is first discerned by those who are first awake."9 And also:

"Altogether, there have probably been fifty or more false Christs, male and female, and many of them undoubtedly demented--possessed of evil spirits. But none of these, nor all of them together, can be said to have "deceived many." Yet it is against the kind which "<deceive many>" that our Lord cautions us here, and again, later on in his prophecy, in which connection we will examine particularly the antichrists which have deceived many. The History of Eighteen Centuries Briefly Foretold 9

The Time is at Hand, Page 160 (Bold and Italics added for emphasis)

16

Reasoning The Scriptures --`Matt. 24:6-13`; `Mark 13:7-13`; `Luke 21:9-19`-"And ye shall hear of wars and rumors [threats, intrigues] of wars: see that ye be not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are primary sorrows." `Matt. 24:6-8`

Thus briefly did our Lord summarize secular history, and teach the disciples not to expect very soon his second coming and glorious Kingdom. And how aptly: surely the world's history is just this--an account of wars, intrigues, famines and pestilences--little else. Our Lord separates the history of the true Church and states it with similar brevity, thus: "Then [during that same period, the Gospel age] they shall deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations [peoples] for my name's sake. And then [during that same period] many shall be offended…"10

This kind of reasoning falls dangerously close to the saying that ‘The Bible is a fiddle for any tune may be played upon it.’ Is there some other Biblical passage that would support this interpretation, to allow anyone to ignore the disciples’ first question and to draw such a conclusion about Matthew 24:6-13? The reason for bringing this apparently faulty interpretation is to point out other baseless reasoning in Matthew 24. Before we go on to the Parousia, we must consider one of the “firm evidences” brought to bear that Jesus must have returned; his predicted earthquakes. Remember that the earthquake scenario belongs to the destruction of Jerusalem. But if the reader is not convinced of this, there is other evidence to disregard the earthquake evidence thoughts that will be presented later. So the context of Matthew 24 indicates exactly the opposite of what the Watch Tower Society & Generally Bible students claims. In response to the question: "What will be the sign of your presence....?" Jesus answered: "Look out that nobody misleads you.... You are going to hear of wars and reports of wars.... For these things must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation...." So Jesus was warning his disciples not to be misled by events such as wars, and he gave this warning before he answered their question about the sign. Verses 7 through 12, which the Society interprets as being part of Jesus' description of the sign of his coming, are logically and textually part of his warning about things that could mislead the disciples, and contain descriptions of potentially misleading events that would occur before the end. Only after this warning and description, during which Jesus says nothing about a sign, does he say in verse 14, "and then the end will come." It is not until verse 30 that Jesus actually describes the sign the disciples asked about. So Matthew 24:4-12 is not Jesus' statement of how to recognize the "sign," but of how not to be misled about things some might be inclined to think of as a "sign." 10

The Battle of Armageddon - Page 467 (Bold and Italics added for emphasis)

17

Reasoning The Scriptures Jesus' explanation might be rephrased thus: "Since wars, famines, earthquakes and other troubles will regularly characterize man's history in the future, as they have in the past, such things should not be understood as signs of my coming and of the end of the age." He probably said this because of the Jewish apocalyptic writers of his day, who were predicting the Messiah's advent along with many calamities, signs and portents including war, famine, pestilence and earthquakes. The disciples may have had such things in mind when they asked Jesus about the "sign," and he attempted to straighten out their thinking. MATTHEW 24 1 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings.

MARK 13 1 As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!"

LUKE 17 & 21 21:5 Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said,

2 "Do you see all these 2 "Do you see all these 21:6 "As for what you see things?" he asked. "I tell you great buildings?" replied here, the time will See when the truth, not one stone Jesus. "Not one stone here not one stone will be left on here will be left on another; will be left on another; another; every one of them every one will be thrown every one will be thrown will be thrown down." down." down." 3 As Jesus was sitting on 3 As Jesus was sitting on 21:7 "Teacher," they asked, the Mount of Olives, the the Mount of Olives "when will these things disciples came to him opposite the temple, Peter, happen? And what will be James, John and Andrew the sign that they are about privately. "Tell us," they asked him privately, said, "when will this to take place?" happen, and what will be 4 "Tell us, when will these the sign of your Parousia, things happen? And what and of the end of the age?" will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled? These parallel accounts illustrate the importance of the point that when the disciples asked their question they were not asking about some far-off future event. Rather, they were asking about the destruction of the temple, and they did not have in mind some invisible presence, but a visible advent. Jesus took no steps to change their understanding. This is verified by the way the account in Mark 13 frames their question about the "sign," which clearly refers to the destruction of the temple only. It certainly is impossible to think that they needed some "sign" to convince them that the temple had been destroyed or that its destruction was taking place. They wanted some indication in advance of that event. The New English Bible shows clearly this is the intent in its rendering of Mark 13:4: 'Tell us,' they said, 'when will this happen? What will be the sign when the fulfillment of all this is at hand?' 18

Reasoning The Scriptures Most English bibles render Mark 13:4 and Luke 21:7 something like "what will be the sign when these things are about to occur." This goes along with the point that, since the disciples did not know in advance that Jesus' Parousia would be invisible, they could not have been asking about a sign that would allow recognition of such an invisible presence. They wanted a sign of when things were about to occur. Irrelevant Proofs for Wars "Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom." (Matthew 24:7) World War I began in 1914 with 28 nations involved, 14 million people killed. World War II followed with 59 nations involved, 50 million people killed – Awake Magazine –Jehovah’ Witnesses As shown above, this is a misapplication of Jesus' words, because he was warning against precisely this interpretation of events. The Society has often said that Matthew 24:7 points especially to world war. That the scripture does not do so can be seen by considering verse 6 together with verse 7: "You are going to hear of wars and reports of wars.... For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom." Since, as the May 1, 1975 Watchtower said on page 274, "Jesus' expression 'nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom' also had a first-century application, so it is not limited to world wars," the verses apply equally well to all wars. Therefore the Society cannot say that Jesus predicted world wars, although he may have had it in mind. As stated earlier, understanding Jesus' words of verse 4, "Look out that nobody misleads you" as a warning not to interpret the common misfortunes of humanity as a sign of his coming, avoids these difficulties. As to the war of 1914-1918 being the first "world war," note what several historians say. The War of the Spanish Succession (1702-1713) was "the first that can be called a 'world war,' because it involved the overseas world together with the leading powers of Europe." The Seven Years' War (1756-1763) "was to a greater degree than the War of the Austrian Succession [1740-1748] a world war" which "came to embrace all the four continents of the world and all the great oceans." The American War of Independence (1775-1783) turned into a general global conflict: .... what had started as an American revolution against England had exploded into a worldwide war. French and Spanish fleets fought the British in the English Channel, the West Indies and Gibraltar. The Spanish captured West Florida. Russia, Denmark, Sweden and Prussia joined to break England's blockade on France and Spain. Holland, too, ran naval stores to France, and supplied America so abundantly from the West Indies that England declared war on her. Their two navies fought to a standstill in the North Sea. England's line of ships and men was now stretched thin to circle the globe. [Irving Stone, Those Who Love, Doubleday & Company, New York, 1965, pp. 311-2] The Napoleonic Wars (1792-1815) began right after the French Revolution and comprised the fourth world war that began in the 18th century. One world history book said:

19

Reasoning The Scriptures It is convenient to think of the fighting from 1792 to 1814 as a 'world war,' as indeed it was, affecting not only all of Europe but places as remote as Spanish America, where the wars of independence began, or the interior of North America, where the United States purchased Louisiana in 1803 and attempted a conquest of Canada in 1812. [Palmer & Colton, A History of the Modern World to 1815, fifth edition, New York, 1978, pp. 382-3] With regard to the wars that followed the Napoleonic wars another historian said: None of these, however, was a world war of the type of those of the first fifteen years of the nineteenth century [the Napoleonic wars during 1801-1815] which had involved not only all Europe but in a lesser degree every continent of the globe. [Cyril Falls, A Hundred Years of War, London, 1953, p. 161] From the above quotations it is evident there is leeway in saying just what a "world war" is. The wars described involved mostly Europe whereas other areas were ancillary. World War I was similar: However, all in all, it can be said that the war in theatres outside Europe was of minor strategical importance. The 1914/18 war was essentially a European war. It came later to be called a 'world war' because contingents from many parts of the British empire served in Europe, and because the United States joined the Entente Powers in 1917. But in reality, since the role of sea power was mostly passive, this was less a 'world war' than some previous conflicts such as the Seven Years' War.... Whereas the 1914/18 war could hardly be called a world conflict, there can be no such thought about the war brought on by Hitler in 1939. [Viscount Montgomery, A History of Warfare, pp. 470, 497] With regard to the actual number of countries involved in World War I, the most that can be said to have been involved in some way is 33, not the 28 Awake! stated. But many of these played only a minor role, so the number of active participants is more like fifteen. What about the death toll from World War I? Did it exceed that from any previous wars? The answer depends on what is included. Are only soldiers counted, or civilians as well? What about auxiliary things like disease related to war? Awake!'s figure of 14 million appears to include 9 million direct battle related deaths plus 5 million civilian casualties, and is reasonable. As to whether this exceeded the death toll of previous wars, note the following historical information: The conquest of Northern China in 1211-1218 by Genghis Khan is estimated to have cost 18 million Chinese lives. The Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) was an international conflict involving about 10 nations and is estimated to have killed about 2-3 million soldiers. However, in Germany alone, some 7-8 million civilians were killed, and figures are not available for civilians killed elsewhere. In 1644 the Manchus invaded China and in the ensuing conflict an estimated 25 million were killed. In the Napoleonic Wars some 5-6

20

Reasoning The Scriptures million died. The Taiping Rebellion in China (1850-1864) was a civil war in which anywhere from 20 to 40 million died. The higher figure is given in the March 22, 1982 Awake!, page 7. What is the point? This: The war which has come to be called World War I was neither greater nor more destructive than many previous wars. That honor goes to World War II, so any claims about great wars ought to consider 1939 or 1945 as being special, not 1914. Of course, the Society will have none of that. The most that can be said is that World War I was the most destructive "world war" up to that time in terms of raw numbers of deaths. However, on a percentage basis, some previous world wars were equal or greater. Assuming 14 million killed in World War I and a world population of 1.8 billion, we get a death rate of about 780 per hundred thousand of total population. With a world population of about 900 million around 1810, the death rate of the Napoleonic Wars works out to about 600 per hundred thousand. Assuming an equal number killed outside Germany in the Thirty Years' War, and a world population of 500 million in the 17th century (see Awake!, Sept. 8, 1967, p. 4), the death rate is about 4000 per hundred thousand. Which of these should be considered the "greatest" war? So, World War II was the most destructive war of all time by any measure, and World War I was about equal to the most destructive wars up to then. Other data show that overall, wars in the 20th century are comparable to those in the 17th through 19th centuries, and so there has been no particular change, certainly not since 1914. Two statements by historians of war indicate this: We must be careful to remember that this hypothesis has not really been confirmed, and that there may actually be no trend at all. Unlikely as it sounds, there may have been no significant change over time in the incidence of peace and war and in the casualties of violence. Peace and war may occur about as frequently and last as long as they ever did; casualties may also be very comparable to what they have always been. [Francis Beer, How Much War in History: Definitions, Estimates, Extrapolations and Trends, Beverly Hills, 1974, pp. 467] Is war on the increase, as many scholars as well as laymen of our generation have been inclined to believe? The answer would seem to be a very unambiguous negative. Whether we look at the number of wars, their severity or magnitude, there is no significant trend upward or down over the past 150 years. Even if we examine their intensities, we find that later wars are by and large no different from those of earlier periods. [J. David Singer and Melvin Small, The Wages of War 1816-1965, New York, 1972, p. 201] Whatever claims or counterclaims may be made, one thing is clear: Jesus' statement about wars has been fulfilled -- but not just in the 20th century or just since 1914. It has come true in every generation since his day and up through the present. He made a simple statement that there would be wars and rumors of wars, with nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom. This has happened repeatedly throughout human history. Adding anything

21

Reasoning The Scriptures to Jesus' words is pure speculation. The Watchtower Society's attempts to limit Jesus' words to only the 20th century are a failure, because its claims are contradicted by the overwhelming evidence of history Irrelevant Proofs For Earthquakes "There will be great earthquakes." (Luke 21:11) Earthquakes after 1914 -- consider a few major ones. In 1915, in Italy, 32,610 lives lost; 1920, China, 200,000 killed; 1923, Japan, 143,000 killed; 1939, Turkey, 32,700 killed; 1970, Peru, 66,800 killed; 1976, China, 240,000 (some say 800,000) killed; 1988, Armenia, 25,000 killed. [G93 3/22 7] As we have seen, there is no basis for concluding that the early part of Matthew 24 should apply to the gospel age or the Lord’s return. So much is made of proofs of Jesus’ invisible presence regarding the increase of earthquakes and wars. But given the real context, these events apply to the time of Jerusalem’s destruction and not any other time period. Putting that aside, scientific studies of earthquakes on the perceived rise is directly due to the communication advances in the 19th and 20th centuries. In reality, the rate of earthquakes has not risen in the last 2 millennia 11 12 13 and has, in fact, decreased since the early part of our century. The burden of proof must be scientific and driven by data collected. We can't draw the conclusion that the frequency of earthquakes is on the rise just because we hear about them more easily than in previous centuries. If any are going to use this text as proof that Jesus has returned because earthquakes have increased, then the evidence must be shown from the data collected. The WTS has attempted to use data to prove that earthquakes have indeed increased but have grossly misused the available data and distorted the facts.14 Here is a quote from the National Earthquake information Center - World Center A for Seismology: "Are Earthquakes Really on the Increase? We continue to hear from many people throughout the world that earthquakes are on the increase. Although it may seem that we are having more earthquakes, earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained fairly constant throughout this century and, according to our records; have actually seemed to decrease in recent years. A partial explanation may lie in the fact that in the last twenty years, we have definitely had an increase in the number of earthquakes we have been able to locate each year. This is because of the tremendous increase in the number of seismograph stations in 11

"Most certainly, there has been no increase in the seismic activity of the Mediterranean during this century. Quite the contrary, in the Eastern Mediterranean the activity of this century has been abnormally low when compared with that of the 10th-12th and 18th centuries." – Professor N. N. Ambraseys in a private letter to Carl Olof Jonsson 12

"I feel strongly that the seismicity has been stationary for thousands of years. . . . Excellent geological evidence for the stationarity has been obtained by Prof. Kerry Sieh of Caltech, for the San Andreas fault." – Seismologist Keiiti Aki, professor at the Department of Geological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles in a private letter to Carl Olof Jonsson 13 For a full treatment on the subject, see Signs of the Last Days – When? By Carl Olof Jonsson and Wolfgang Herbst, Commentary Press, P.O. Box 43532, Atlanta, GA 30336. 1987 14 ibid.

22

Reasoning The Scriptures the world and the many improvements in global communications. In 1931, there were about 350 stations operating in the world; today, there are more that 4,000 stations and the data now comes in rapidly from these stations by telex, computer and satellite. This increase in the number of stations and the more timely receipt of data has allowed us and other seismological centers to locate many small earthquakes which were undetected in earlier years, and we are able to locate earthquakes more rapidly. The NEIC now locates about 12,000 to 14,000 earthquakes each year or approximately 35 per day. Also, because of the improvements in communications and the increased interest in natural disasters, the public now learns about more earthquakes. (italics added for emphasis)"15

Fig. A - Number of Earthquakes Greater than 7.0 from 1900-1995 Total 1900-1995 = 1921 events = 20 per year (average). Statistics were compiled from the Earthquake Data Base System of the U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center, Golden CO Professional seismologists are unaware of any difference in the number of earthquakes before or after 1914, and the Watch Tower Society nor the Russellites cannot or will not cite any who agree with their claims. If one looks at typical listings of earthquakes one may find that there appears to have been a large increase in earthquakes in the 20th century compared to prior centuries, but this seeming increase is due to three things: (1) Old records are incomplete. (2) Modern seismographs began to be systematically installed around the world in 1897, and a major effort was completed in the early 1960s to upgrade seismograph stations around the world with the latest automatic recording equipment. (3) It takes a great deal of effort to obtain reasonably complete earthquake listings, and most seismologists who write popular books containing such listings are unwilling to invest the time. So any seeming increase in earthquake activity is due to a lack of complete records and to worldwide instrument monitoring since 1897. Modern records include earthquakes far out to sea, which would have passed unnoticed in earlier times

15

http://gldss7.cr.usgs.gov/neis/general/handouts/increase_in_earthquakes.html

23

Reasoning The Scriptures Earthquakes seem to occur pretty much at random, so there can be major statistical fluctuations in frequency. For example, the two decades prior to 1914, from 1894 through 1913, had a total of 57 quakes of magnitude 8 and up, while the 73 years from 1914 through 1986 had 105 such quakes. That means on average twice the number of large quakes occurred per year in the 20 years before 1914 as in all the years since. When all earthquakes from magnitude 7 and up are checked for those years, one decade is statistically indistinguishable from any other.1 A plot of the number of earthquakes occurring in a given year versus time looks very much like a stock market chart. Like such a chart, if the time period under examination is short enough, trends can seem to appear. In 1986, one seismologist wrote, "There are indications that worldwide seismic activity -- if expressed in terms of earthquakes with magnitude 7 or over -- has decreased steadily in the time from the beginning of the 20th century until now."2 Irrelevant Proofs for Pestilence "In one place after another pestilences." (Luke 21:11) As World War I ended, some 21 million people were felled by the Spanish flu. Since then, heart disease, cancer, AIDS, and other pestilences have killed hundreds of millions. [G93 3/22 7] "And no bells tolled and nobody wept no matter what his loss because almost everyone expected death.... And people said and believed, 'This is the end of the world.'" -- An Italian chronicler writing on the effects of the Black Death in the 14th century. [Quoted in April 8, 1988 Awake! p. 3] Note that Jehovah’s Witnesses Awake! Magazine Includes heart disease and cancer among the pestilences of our time. But this is grasping at straws because heart disease and cancer are not "pestilences." The use of any word depends on its generally accepted meaning. In English, "pestilence" implies a rapidly spreading epidemic disease such as smallpox or bubonic plague. The Greek word loimos, translated in Luke 21:11 as "pestilence," means a "deadly infectious malady" according to Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words. The Society's Bible dictionary Insight on the Scriptures, Vol. 1, page 617, gives the definition of "pestilence" as: "Any rapidly spreading infectious disease capable of attaining epidemic proportions and of causing death." The Bible uses other words when speaking of diseases in general as opposed to pestilences. Obviously, cancer and heart disease are not pestilences, even according to the Society's own Bible dictionary, so Awake! is dishonest in claiming they are. The argument is grasping at straws because the writer is reduced to claiming diseases that used to be those of old age are "pestilences." The main reason cancer and heart disease are prevalent today is that the advances of medicine since the end of the 19th century have reduced "pestilences" so greatly that many more people live to be old enough to die from age related diseases rather than infectious diseases. This is shown by the drastic decrease in child mortality in the more developed countries in the 20th century.

24

Reasoning The Scriptures It can even be argued that by calling cancer and heart disease "pestilences," the writer of Awake! shows he knows very well that true pestilences have decreased since 1914. This is true because if all diseases can also be termed pestilences, then any change in what diseases people generally die from will have almost no effect on the death rate due to disease. This is simply because if people do not die of a pestilence in youth they will die of another disease in old age. Cancer and heart disease tend to be diseases of old age. Therefore, interpreting Jesus' statement about pestilence as referring to disease in general results in nothing measurable and is of no value as a sign. The fact is that, because of medical advances, epidemic disease plays a minor role in the 20th century compared to what it did in earlier times. While AIDS has become notorious in the 1980s, even it doesn't very well fit the definition of pestilence since it mostly attacks people who engage in avoidable forms of behavior. Pestilence in the Biblical sense strikes everyone equally and without warning, and AIDS has certainly not been evident for most of the 20th century. Some other true "pestilences" have lately been increasing, but most epidemic diseases are simply not something the average person lives in fear of. This contrasts greatly with times past. In 542-543 the "plague of Justinian" killed some 100 million people. In the 14th century the Black Death killed an estimated 75 to 125 million people in six years -- about one-sixth to one-fourth the population of the known world. Some cities and villages were virtually depopulated. Because so many were killed, many historians have called the Black Death the most lethal disaster in recorded history short of the Flood. One historian noted: The impact of the Black Death, the greatest ecological upheaval, has been compared to that of the two world wars of the twentieth century. To a degree this is true. But the Black Death... wrought even more essential change.... The effects of this natural and human disaster changed Europe profoundly, perhaps more so than any other series of events. For this reason, alone, the Black Death should be ranked as the greatest biological-environmental event in history, and one of the major turning points of Western Civilization. [Robert S. Gottfried, The Black Death, 1983, p. 163] Nothing even remotely like these plagues has occurred in the 20th century. While the Spanish flu killed some 21 million people in 1918, that was only about one-hundredth the world's population. If the Society's claims about pestilence were correct, surely we would now see the worst pestilences of all time and live in constant fear of them. Irrelevant Proofs for Food Shortages "There will be food shortages." (Matthew 24:7) The greatest famine in all history struck after World War I. Another terrible one followed World War II, and now malnutrition affects one fifth of the world's population. Annually, some 14 million children die from malnutrition. [g93 3/22 7]

25

Reasoning The Scriptures The greatest recorded famine of all time... struck China between 1878 and 1879.... Estimates of the number of Chinese who died in that famine vary from 9 to 13 million. [The Watchtower, April 15, 1983, page 3] It seems as if the left hand does not know what the right is doing in the Society's writing department. The question begs to be asked, does either hand know what it's doing at all? But, even the 1983 Watchtower is incorrect. The Chinese famine of 1849 took nearly 14 million lives, and the famine that struck India in 1769-1770 may have killed tens of millions. It should be noted that there is a great difference between the gross food shortages, or famine, implied by the Bible writer, and malnutrition. There are very many people earth wide who are malnourished in the sense they don't receive enough of the right type of food, but there are far fewer that are actually starving and fit the term used by Matthew. In times past nearly everyone was malnourished in some way. Vitamin deficiencies such as caused rickets and scurvy were nearly universal, and this situation has been rectified only in the more developed nations. This is clearly not what the Bible writer referred to. Rather, he was talking about acute catastrophes of famine. This sort of famine has occurred all throughout human history, so the point is whether acute famine is much worse in the 20th century than in previous ones. As with the claim of pestilence, it is not difficult to show that famines have decreased greatly in the 20th century compared to prior ones. Four famines struck China in 1810, 1811, 1846 and 1849, and killed at least 45 million. Cannibalism was reported to be rampant. All told, some 100 million people starved to death in China alone in the 19th century. What about the 20th century? In 1958-1961 a severe famine struck China, in which anywhere from 8 to 30 million died. Perhaps another 5 million in China have died in the 20th century. So China, whose population in the 20th century is more than double what it was in the 19th, has experienced significantly less famine in both absolute and relative terms in the 20th century. In almost every country of Europe and the Americas, famine became almost unknown by the mid-20th century. In much of the rest of the world it is the same as it has always been. The most severe famines in nearly every part of the world occurred before 1914. While malnutrition is certainly a problem and famines still occur, the situation was well described in 1975 by one food expert: "We might be inclined to deduce from the pictorial evidence of famine that we have seen recently on television, in newspapers, and in magazines that the world is more prone to famine now than it used to be. But the evidence is clearly to the contrary.... There has been a rather substantial reduction in the incidence of famine during the past century." For this reason, when famine does strike it is big news. Irrelevant Proofs for Lawlessness "Increasing of lawlessness." (Matthew 24:12) Lawlessness has run wild since 1914; today it is exploding. Murders, rapes, robberies, gang wars -- they dominate the headlines and fill the newscasts. Politicians rip off the public, teenagers carry guns and kill, and schoolchildren

26

Reasoning The Scriptures prey on one another. In many areas it is not safe to walk the streets even in daytime. [G93 3/22 7] A late secular paper of some note said that crimes were becoming so frequent that they, in their weekly issue, could only make a statement of them, not having room for particulars.... we are now living in a time when crime and corruption have assumed prodigious proportions. [May, 1882 Zion's Watch Tower] There is no question that lawlessness abounds today. The question is whether it is any worse than in any other time period, or does it just seem that way? People often look wistfully back at the 19th century and wish that conditions were as peaceful and crime-free today. But notice what the May, 1882 Zion's Watch Tower had to say, which is quoted in part above: The word teaches that "in the last days" (of this age) "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse" (2 Tim. 3:1,13); but their wise men tell us the world is growing better and better, and yet a late secular paper of some note said that crimes were becoming so frequent that they, in their weekly issue, could only make a statement of them, not having room for particulars. It is a fact, not an assumption, but a solemn fact, that we are now living in a time when crime and corruption have assumed prodigious proportions, not only in the lower grades of society, but in what are called the upper grades. Even all the machinery of church and state seems to be so rotten that many are exclaiming, without knowing that their utterances are the fulfillment of the spirit of prophecy: "I don't know what we are coming to!" Thus already their hearts are beginning to "fail them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth." Luke 21:26. No sane man today, unless he is trying to sustain a creed, fails to see (recognize) that thrones stand unsteady, and that throughout the world there is a feeling of distrust among all classes; there is "perplexity." Luke 21:25. Verily, the foundations of the earth do shake. But it is only the beginning of God's "controversy with the people." Plain as these things seem to those who are looking, yet the "wise" (?) men say "peace and safety." [p. 6; pp. 352-3 Reprints] "All things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." 2 Peter 3:4. So even at its very foundation the Watchtower Society was claiming fulfillment of scriptures such as Matthew 24:12. Such scriptures are so broadly applicable that they can hardly be used to pinpoint any time period. To put the issue into better perspective, note what historian Barbara Tuchman wrote: After absorbing the news of today, one expects to face a world consisting entirely of strikes, crimes, power failures, broken water mains, stalled trains, school shutdowns, muggers, drug addicts, neo-Nazis, and rapists.... This has led me to formulate Tuchman's Law, as follows:

27

Reasoning The Scriptures "The fact of being reported multiplies the apparent extent of any deplorable development by five-to tenfold." [A Distant Mirror, page xviii] As usual, the Russellites and Watch Tower Society gives no supporting data, and in particular, makes no comparison of current to past crime figures. Apparently the reader is assumed to agree and no further discussion is needed. This implicitly relies on the typical reader's ignorance of historical context. An exception in a past discussion is found in Reasoning from the Scriptures, which on page 237 states: A leading criminologist says: "The one thing that hits you in the eye when you look at crime on the world scale is a pervasive and persistent increase everywhere. Such exceptions as there are stand out in splendid isolation, and may soon be swamped in the rising tide." (The Growth of Crime, New York, 1977, Sir Leon Radzinowicz and Joan King, pp. 4, 5) This sounds very impressive until you read the context from which the quotation was taken. The book discusses the increase in crime of the last few decades. The authors nowhere state that this increase is unprecedented in history. Commenting on the theory proposed by certain modern criminologists that "there is not more violence about, but that we are much more sensitive to violence than were our less civilized ancestors," the authors said: That is all very well if the comparison goes a fair way back.... A longer view, peering into the middle ages, or even the eighteenth century, might well give more substance to the theory. With all our crime, our society as a whole is more secure, less savage, than theirs.... The mere fact that towns had to be walled, that castles had to provide refuge for the surrounding villagers and their belongings, that travelers had to take their own protection with them bears witness to the constant threat of brigands as well as the needs of warfare. Indeed the two would often be hard to distinguish. [ibid, pp. 10-1] Some studies of long term crime have shown that it is cyclical: it rises for awhile and then falls. This is the general pattern of human society. Nearly everything imaginable goes up and goes down. So it is today. The difficulty in recognizing such patterns is that the cycles usually occur over several generations, so the pattern is hard to see from the perspective of a single lifetime. Some countries such as the United States have experienced a crime wave in the last few decades while in others crime has decreased. From about the mid-1930s to the mid1950s crime decreased in the United States and other areas, while in other places it increased. Actually, the 20th century is rather unusual in one way. In the past, crime rates have gone up drastically in times of famine and plague. This is only natural considering what famine and plague do to societies. But in the 20th century famines and plagues have been far less severe worldwide than ever before. One might, therefore, expect the crime rate to go down. Since it is staying at close to long term historical levels, there seems to be a decoupling of crime from famine and plague. This would take some explaining, although seen in a long-term historical context it may be just another statistical fluctuation.

28

Reasoning The Scriptures There is good reason for understanding Jesus' words at Matthew 24:12 as applying, not to the world as a whole, but to professed Christians. Jesus described what would happen to his followers in Matthew 24:9-11: Then people will deliver you up to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be objects of hatred by all the nations on account of my name. Then, also, many will be stumbled and will betray one another and will hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and mislead many. In this context of religious events Jesus immediately says: And because of the increasing of lawlessness the love of the greater number will cool off. With no difficulty at all this "lawlessness" can be understood to mean the religious lawlessness described at Matthew 7:23 and 23:28: "Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness," and "in that way you also, outwardly indeed, appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." Matthew 13:41 says that the angels would "collect out from his kingdom all things that cause stumbling and persons who are doing lawlessness." So it is not possible to say with certainty exactly what is meant by "the increase of lawlessness." Scripturally alone it could apply to the world in general or to professed Christians. The facts of history indicate it applies to Christians. Irrelevant Proofs for Anguish of Nations "Anguish of nations, not knowing the way out... Men become faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth." (Luke 21:25, 26) Crime, violence, drug addiction, family breakups, economic instability, and unemployment -- the list is long and growing. One prominent scientist wrote: "We will eat fear, sleep fear, live in fear and die in fear." [G93 3/22 7] The nations are perplexed, and are preparing for a terrible struggle; huge engines of war are being multiplied by land and sea; millions of men are under arms, and still their numbers are increased, while the people are becoming desperate and alarmed. [Three Worlds, 1877, C. T. Russell and N. H. Barbour] As far back in history as anyone can find, end-times proclaimers have applied this scripture and the parallel ones in Matthew and Mark to their own day. The first publication that detailed what has become the Society's end-times chronology, Three Worlds and the Harvest of this World, published in 1877 by C. T. Russell and N. H. Barbour, as shown earlier, used the application. Similarly the September, 1879 Zion's Watch Tower said, on page 26 of the Reprints: Today every civilized nation is in dread, and Nihilism, Communism and Socialism, are household words, and we see "men's hearts failing for fear and for looking after those things coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven (governments) shall be shaken." Luke xxi. 26.

29

Reasoning The Scriptures Again we find a scripture that sincere Christians find very applicable to their own day. If these scriptures can have such flexible interpretations, of what value are they in trying to establish a Bible chronology? But can these applications of Luke 21 really be what Luke is talking about? Do we now see great numbers of people actually becoming "faint out of fear?" Yes, people worry about things, but the fear of crime, war, disease or any other calamity seldom produces more than a sense of unease. There is little of the extreme agitation Luke writes about. There is a strong sense of universal panic in Luke's words. The parallel account at Matt. 24:30 shows this clearly: And then the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in lamentation. As already pointed out, the Society misapplies Luke 21:25, 26 the same way it misapplies the rest of Luke 21 and the parallel passages in Matthew and Mark. The context of the quoted scripture shows that in verses 20-24, Luke first writes about the destruction of Jerusalem, and then in verse 25 begins describing the special sign the disciples had asked him about to begin with: Also, there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of nations, not knowing the way out because of the roaring of the sea and [its] agitation, while men become faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. So it is the actual sign of the Son of man appearing in the heavens immediately before his manifestation before the whole world that produces the fear and agitation. The sign is so unmistakable that everyone on earth can see it, and it terrifies them. It cannot be the ordinary occurrences -- war, earthquakes, etc., that Jesus is talking about, because he had already warned the disciples that those ordinary calamities would continue to occur as usual, and they should not be bothered by them. The above discussion was written in the spring of 1993 and is based on the work of earlier commentators. At the District assemblies of 1993 the Society did a complete about-face on its understanding of the above quoted scriptures and essentially agreed with the conclusions of the above discussion. Here are a few relevant statements from the talk "Tell Us, When Will These Things Be?" The Gospel passages in Matthew, Mark and Luke combine with Revelation 17 through 19 to shed considerable light on what will soon occur. At God's fixed time the great tribulation will begin with an attack against the world empire of false religion, Babylon the Great. This will be particularly intense against Christendom, which corresponds to unfaithful Jerusalem. It will be immediately after this phase of the tribulation that there will be "signs in sun and

30

Reasoning The Scriptures moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of nations," as Matthew 24:29 and Luke 21:25 describe. In what sense will the sun be darkened, the moon not give light, the stars fall from heaven and the powers of heaven be shaken? Doubtless, in the early parts of the great tribulation, many luminaries -- prominent clergymen of the religious world -- will have been exposed and eliminated by the ten horns mentioned at Revelation 17:16. No doubt the political powers, too, will have been shaken up. Could there also be frightening events in the physical heavens? More than likely, yes. And far more awe-inspiring than those described by Josephus, as occurring near the end of the Jewish system. We well recall that in ancient past God displayed a power to cause such cataclysmic events and effects. At this point all three gospel writers use the word tote to introduce the next development. "Then," -- tote, -- "the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven." Since World War I Jesus' true disciples have discerned the composite sign of the invisible presence, while most people have not recognized it. So Matthew 24:30 points forward to a further sign appearing, that of the Son of man, and all nations will be compelled to take note of it. Upon Jesus' coming with the clouds of invisibility, as Revelation 1:7 states, opposing humans worldwide will have to recognize that coming, because of the supernatural demonstration of his kingly power. Matthew 24:30 uses tote once more, to introduce what comes next. The nations, sensing the consequence of their situation, will beat themselves and lament. They will recognize that their destruction is imminent. Irrelevant Proofs for Persecution "People will lay their hands upon you and persecute you." (Luke 21:12) Starting in 1914 and through the years, Jehovah's Witnesses have been cruelly arrested, falsely convicted, mobbed, and thrown into Hitler's concentration camps by the thousands, where they were tortured, many killed, some brutally by beheading. In other lands, both in dictatorships and in democracies, their work of witnessing to Jehovah and his Kingdom has been banned and the Witnesses thrown in jail. All of this in fulfillment of Jesus' words for the last days. -- Matthew 5:11, 12; 24:9; Luke 21:12; 1 Peter 4:12, 13. The Watchtower Society always presents a negative image of professed Christians, even of those other than Jehovah's Witnesses who are now experiencing persecution for their faith. In this way Jehovah's Witnesses are led to believe that persecution is unique to them. We don’t see any exclusive persecutions started form 1874 or in 1914, persecutions were right from the beginning of the Gospel age and will be thru out the end of the age, Persecution in the plan if God has never been restricted to a particular period or age. But Surprisingly! No Russellite Will comment on the above verse, it is because that no bible students have been persecuted or imprisoned neither in 1874 nor in 1914 – Interesting isn’t it!!!

31

Reasoning The Scriptures Irrelevant Proofs for Preaching of the Good News "This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth." (Matthew 24:14) What good news? The good news of Christ's Kingdom ruling from heaven, for that was the question put to Jesus that produced his prophecy of the composite sign of that event. It has been preached by Jehovah's Witnesses since 1914. Four thousand were doing it in 1919, over four million by 1990, and in 1992 in one month 4,472,787. Bible literature was distributed in some 200 languages in 229 lands. Never before has this feature of the composite sign been fulfilled. [g93 3/22 8] [With reference to Matthew 24:14,] this witness has already been given. In 1861, the Bible Societies' reports showed that the Gospel had been published in every language of earth; not that all earth's myriads had received it. No; not one in a hundred of the twelve hundred millions have ever heard of the name of Jesus. Yet it has fulfilled the text -- it has been a witness to every nation. We understand that the object of the present witnessing is "To take out a people for His name." [Zion's Watch Tower, July, 1879, p. 4 Reprints] In the 1897 book The Battle of Armageddon C. T. Russell wrote, on page 568: This witness has already been given: the word of the Lord, the gospel of the Kingdom, has been published to every nation of earth. Each individual has not heard it; but that is not the statement of the prophecy. It was to be, and has been, a national proclamation. And the end has come! "The harvest is the end of the age," our Lord explained. (Matt. 13:39)Verifying whether these aspects of Matthew's account have been fulfilled by Jehovah's Witnesses hinges entirely on the question, Are the doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses the truth? If they are not, then they are lost in the sea of the teachings of” Christendom." The claim that Christ's kingdom has been ruling from heaven was not made beginning in 1914, so Jehovah’s witnesses claim is a blatant misrepresentation. C. T. Russell believed Christ was ruling from heaven since 1878, and the Society retained that belief until 1922. J. F. Rutherford salvaged as many of Russell's doctrines as he could, and gradually abandoned the rest. The move of the beginning of Christ's heavenly rule from 1878 to 1914 was part of the salvage operation. But is this what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 24 ? Was he referring to the end of the age or to the destruction of Jerusalem? If we go by logic alone, it would indeed be proper to consider the quotes above as being correct. But if we can find a scripture that would apply the preaching of the gospel to the beginning of the Gospel age then we can put aside the argument presented in the Scripture Studies. Consider Romans 10:15-18: And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

32

Reasoning The Scriptures 17 So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound

went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. Paul asserts that in his own day that the gospel had indeed gone unto the ends of the earth, well before the destruction of Jerusalem! And again in Romans: 1:8 - First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. Colossians 1:6 - All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. Colossians 1:23 - if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. Obviously there is enough evidence in the scriptures that the whole world had been preached to. Apparently the phrase was meant in a general sense and not the literal sense as we could apply it. Who are we to argue with Paul? The Parable of the Fig Tree Matthew 24:32-33 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer [is] nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, [even] at the doors. (KJV) This verse is a very important one in identifying the ABS position regarding where we are in the stream of time. This verse in Matthew 24 has been interpreted by Russellites as Jesus pointing to a time when Israel would begin to be restored as a nation. Quoting Pastor Russell: Ever since that time, the Jews have been desolate and blighted as a nation. But there is a promise that this blighted fig tree shall again become a living tree--a living nation. They are to be restored to Divine favor, after their "double" of disfavor has been fulfilled. [See STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES, Vol. 2, pp. 217-230.] This "double" we understand has been

33

Reasoning The Scriptures accomplished, and this is the meaning of the great awakening now among the Jews, and of the great Zionist movement. Speaking of the time of His Second Advent and of the nearness then of the Kingdom, Jesus said, "Learn a parable of the fig tree: When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near; so ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors." (`Mark 13:28,29`.) The Jewish nation has been having a long winter time. But the spring time of this nation is now at hand. We already see this fig tree putting forth leaves. So we see that the lesson of the blighted fig tree was not merely a lesson for an hour, but a lesson to all the Lord's people from that time even until now.16 It is not the intent of the author to discredit the interpretation of the Fig Tree as representing Israel. Perhaps it is. However, we must examine the context of Jesus' words and see if he is really making a point of the rebirth of Israel or just using a simple word picture to help the disciples understand when he would be returning. The first consideration should be the question of whether or not it was Jesus' intent to identify the fig tree as the nation of Israel. The answer can be, maybe. Jesus had cursed the fig tree a few days before and identified it as Israel's lack of fruitage. But it is a tenuous position to insist that is the implication of Jesus words. Consider Revelation 6:13: And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. Is the point that the fig tree represents Israel or is it a word picture to help us envision the falling of the stars of heaven? Obviously, applying this verse to Israel would not be appropriate. Could it be that in Matthew 24, Jesus is just creating a word picture for us? Draw your own conclusion. Looking in Romans we can emphatically conclude that the olive tree (Romans 11:11,17-19) represents Israel. But there are no other direct scriptures indicating that the fig tree represents Israel in Matthew 24. The argument is implicit and therefore, can not be considered absolute. Another point to consider is Jesus statement of “ye shall see all these things…" The question we should ask is "what are these things?" Jesus is referring to the previous verses: 24:29-30 - Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of 16

Reprints of Zion's Watchtower, pg. 5921

34

Reasoning The Scriptures heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (KJV) It is if he is saying, "When you see the tribulation of those days, the sun darkened, moonlight being blocked, etc. then you shall know that I am about to reveal myself. I will reveal myself not just to you but to the whole world. It is not to say you will know that I am present because of the rebirth of Israel but I am about to arrive when you see the signs I just mentioned previously.” Even if the conclusion is that Israel is the fig tree is correct, one should not conclude that it proves that he is present but that he is about to arrive. The "flood" is about to hit the earth (verses 27-38.)

Parousia is it Gradual ? Matthew 24:27 - For as the lightning goes forth from the east and shines to the west, so shall be the coming of the Son of man - Darby Translation Luke 17:24 - For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other Much has been made over the lightning as described in Matthew 24, and rightly so. Does the word for lightning (astrape) in this context mean lightning or simply, bright shining? The center of the argument is the fact that in Matthew’s account, Jesus uses the word ‘east.’ One can interpret this as the rising (bright shining) of the sun. The fact that Jesus mentions the ‘west’ would seem to indicate that it would show the path of the sun, but why would Jesus use a path for lightning when in fact, lightning is so unpredictable? To get the full import of this argument we quote from Br. Russell: "Our Lord furnished us a most beautiful illustration of the manner in which his presence will be revealed, when he said, "As the bright-shining emerges from the east, and illuminates even unto the west, so will be the <presence> of the Son of man." (`Matt. 24:27`) That most translations of this verse are faulty in using the word lightning, where sunlight is meant, is evident; for lightning flashes do not come out of the east and shine unto the west. They just as frequently come from other quarters, and rarely, if ever, flash clear across the heavens. The Lord's illustration, and the only one which will comport with his words, is the sun's brightness, which does invariably emerge from the east and shine even unto the west. The Greek word , here

35

Reasoning The Scriptures used, is thus shown to be improperly translated in this text, and also in the account of the same words by `Luke (17:24)`. Another instance of the use of this word by our Lord is found in `Luke 11:36`, where it applies to the brightness of a candle, and in the common version is rendered "brightshining." Incorrect ideas of the manner of our Lord's coming and revealing, firmly fixed in the minds of translators, led them into this error of translating by the word "lightning." They supposed that he would be revealed suddenly, like a flash of lightning, and not gradually, like the dawning sunlight. But how beautiful is the figure of sunrise, as illustrating the gradual dawning of truth and blessing in the day of his presence."17 Here, Pastor Russell presents only two interpretations, the sun and the lightning that travels from one side of the sky to the other. Are either of these interpretations correct? First we must deal with the concept of the sun. As Pastor Russell points out in this and other of his writings, the word astrape must be translated according to the setting. In Luke 11:36, the illustration of the candle demands ‘bright shining.’ In other accounts, the setting demands that it be translated lightning: Luke 10:18 - He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Bright Shining would not make a great deal of sense here. The picture is suddenness of his fall. Revelation 4:5 - From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Lightning must be used in this and other places in Revelation. What about Matthew and Luke’s account of Jesus’ words? Why would not Jesus say, “As the sun (Helios) shines (astrape) from the east even unto the west…” Would this not be a better illustration of the sun? What does this passage really mean then? The Real Meaning of Matthew 24:27 A third rendering of this account is usually never discussed. The lightning in this text is not meant to illustrate its own travel from the east to the west. It is meant to show that lightning in the east lights up even the western sky. The NIV translation of Luke’s account renders this perfectly! 17

The Time is at Hand - Study 5 - Manner of the Second Advent Pg. 155-156 (italics and bold added for emphasis)

36

Reasoning The Scriptures

Luke 17:24 - For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. Various Translations of Matthew 24:27 depicts more light • For as the lightning lights up the entire sky, so it will be when the Son of Man comes.- New Living Translation © 1996 Tyndale Charitable Trust

• For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.- New International Version © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society

• "For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.- New American Standard Bible © 1995 Lockman Foundation • For as the lightning cometh forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west; so shall be the coming of the Son of man. - American Standard Version 1901 Info

• For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even to the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. - Noah Webster Version 1833 Info All the above translations convey that the lightning which cometh out of east can also seen in West (ASV) or the Lightning comes from the east will Flashes even unto the west ( NASB) or the Lightning lights up the Entire Sky (NLT). If sun light is meant in the above context does not it would be ridicule to say that the sun light when rises in the east will be also seen in west , How can sun light can be seen in the west if the sun rises on east?, would not one part of the earth be in dark (west) when sun rises on the other part i.e. east ! The idea is that all can see the sky lit up from a flash of lightning, unless of course you are sleeping and not watching for it. The lightning fits in with all the other accounts of our Lord’s return showing suddenness and terror for those who are not awake but certainly not gradual. Behold I Come as a Thief 1 Thes 5:2 The arguments about Jesus having to arrive invisibly have some implicit scriptures to possibly support them. But the argument can just as easily be turned around to defend a

37

Reasoning The Scriptures visible presence as well. Such is the case with the analogy of the "Thief in the Night." The argument for the invisible presence is a simple one, with which all Russellites are familiar with. Here is one example from Pastor Russell:18 "These scriptures plainly state and illustrate the manner of the Lord's coming. They show that he will be present unseen, doing a work of which the world for a time will be entirely unaware. His arrival must therefore be in a quiet manner, unobserved, and entirely unknown to the world, just "as a thief" would come, without noise or other demonstration to attract attention." As previously stated, if this were the only scripture that define how our Lord would return, we could make a case for an invisible presence. But we can easily make a case for a visible one, as well. The thought is that Christians must not be caught up in the cares of this world (e.g. sleeping), but must be active and looking for his appearing in the clouds. Jesus states this nicely in Matthew 24:43-44: "But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." The idea is shown that the owner of the house (any individual member of his body) must keep watch so the thief (Jesus) doesn't take us by surprise when he arrives, for he will erchomai (come) at an unanticipated hour, an hour that can't be known. So, as we can see, there is no definitive or explicit interpretation of the thief in the night but must be considered together with the subject as a whole. Jesus chooses this illustration to impress the suddenness of his arrival. There will be no going back to fix things we should have done before. It will be too late. In 1 Thes. 5:2 Paul writes to the brethren that he has no need to tell them about the time aspect for they knew to a "nicety" (the meaning in the Greek), not the hour of Christ's coming, but were aware of the uncertainty and suddenness of it, "as a thief in the night." No thief comes gradually, present unseen and subsequently revealed. Thessalonians were not in darkness therefore that the day of the Lord would overtake them as a thief. Others would be ensnared because not watching. As The Days of Noah - Matthew 24:37-39 & Luke 17:26-30 To continue, however, in Matthew 24, Jesus further replies to the question about the sign of His coming that prior to His return there will be general indifference towards it and 18

The Time is at Hand, pg. 144

38

Reasoning The Scriptures ignorance of its approach. Read very carefully these words which occur in verses 36-39: "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days (time -Weymouth) of Noah were, so shall also the coming (Parousia) of the Son of man be. For as in the days (time - Weymouth) that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming (Parousia) of the Son of man be." The days of Noah before the flood are the basis of our Lord's illustration. Just as then they knew not until the flood came so shall there be the same lack of knowledge before the arrival of the Son of man. Conditions prior to the arrival of the flood are compared with those which shall precede the arrival of the Son of man. There was a lack of knowledge on the part of men generally before the flood and this will find its parallel in the days preceding the Lord's coming. The parallel be it noted, is not between conditions after the flood had come and conditions after the Lord's arrival but, as has been said, the parallel is between preceding conditions in both cases. Thus the sign of His coming concerning which Jesus was asked, is something which precedes the event and not something that indicates it has already taken place, the real meaning of the question being shown by a comparison of the three accounts in the Diaglott translation:- "What will be the sign of thy presence and of the consummation of the age?" (Matt. 24: 3). "What will be the sign when (all - Mark) these things are about to be accomplished" (Mark 13: 4; Luke 21:7)? The flood came suddenly and unexpectedly when they knew not, and so will be the Parousia of the Son of man. There was no reason to proclaim or prove the flood was present. They knew, and so shall the Parousia of the Son of man be. The figure in Luke 17 of the fire from heaven on Sodom is equally expressive of the sudden and unexpected nature of this event. If we are to take an equal comparison of Noah and Jesus, then the people of Noah’s time must not have been aware of Noah. Obviously, this does not make a lot of sense. Taking the analogy to the fullest extent and Jesus’ invisible presence were only known to the faithful at this time, then no one other than Noah's family should have been aware of Noah’s presence. We should also consider contrasting the analogy of Sodom and Gomorrah with the analogy of Noah’s day. Is this an analogy of Jesus' invisible presence? Nothing in these verses can be used to make a comparison to an invisible presence. The comparison is the suddenness of these cities destruction. God came upon those cities suddenly with his entire wrath. God came upon all the people in Noah’s day suddenly with the flood. Jesus will come upon the ungodly immediately upon his arrival. It is the simplest and most consistent way to read all the accounts of his arrival. It is interesting to note here that a careful comparison of the two parallel accounts in Matt. 24: 37-39 and Luke 17: 26-30 will reveal that the days of Noah, the conditions prevailing, and the coming of the flood on the same day he entered the ark are in Matthew referred to

39

Reasoning The Scriptures the Parousia (vv 27, 37, 39) whereas the identical details are applied in Luke to the apokalupsis (v.30). In the same connection, Matt. 24: 40, 41 and Luke 17: 35, 36 should be compared as well. In both cases the coming is swift, unexpected, and definitely fixed. On a certain day, there will be a swift Parousia with a swift apakalupsis, for "behold, I come quickly." “I COME QUICKLY" (SPEEDILY) REV 3:11 Why is this stressed so often in the New Testament and what purpose is there in so swift a coming? (Rev 2:5, 16; 3:1; 11:14; 22:7, 12, 20) The Word Quickly translated from the Greek word tachu (Strongs #G5035) which means quickly, speedily without delay. He comes as the lightning, instantaneously, not gradually as the sunrise. As swiftly as the flood of Noah, as suddenly as the fire from heaven on Sodom, shall he His arrival; as swiftly, as unexpectedly, and as surely on a definitely fixed day as the "selfsame" days of Noah and Lot. He shall descend, and in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the saints shall ascend to meet Him, and mortality shall be swallowed up of life. “Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping” Mark 13:36, one of Our Lords parable related to his second coming also throws light of his coming suddenly and unexpectedly this verse hammers the doctrine of Gradual and progressive Parousia , Matt 24:36 states that there is an appointed DAY and an HOUR for the Parousia of the Son of Man, this again hammers the gradual revelation and appearing of Christ, It is the intention of our heavenly father for some good reason the appointed DAY and HOUR should be concealed. Thus it is scripturally proved that the Parousia of the Son of Man will not be in stages nor revealed gradually but quickly, suddenly and swiftly at an appointed Day and HOUR The reasons for this sudden arrival may be many. The Lord would have His people watching, praying, alert and expectant. There has been too much intellectual watching. Because we do not know the hour, we are charged to watch, not that we may know beforehand of the hour, but that when the hour comes we may be found faithful, not sleeping, not drunken, not smiting our fellow-servants. Our watching is for the purpose of keeping our garments, being accounted worthy, and not being ashamed when He arrives. There is no force nor meaning to us in these injunctions to watch, and to be ready, not knowing the hour, if the Lord has already arrived and has been present over an uncertain and prolonged period. Such a belief militates against all thought of watching and tends to stifle- the blessed hope. Christ's first great work when He comes will be to gather together His elect unto Himself, every one of them, from the winds of heaven, and from the graves of earth, that they may receive crowns of glory, and enter into the joy of their Lord at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Then shall they see His face. He who testifieth these things says, "Surely I come quickly." "Then beloved as you are expecting this, be eager to be found by Him unspotted and un- blemished, in serene assurance" (2 Pet. 3:14 - Moffatt). "TILL HE COME" Speaking of the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, which Jesus instituted just before His crucifixion, the Apostle says that as long as we keep this memorial, we proclaim the fact of the Lord's sacrificial death "till He come." That Jesus would not expect His disciples to

40

Reasoning The Scriptures continue still to dc, this in remembrance of Him after He had come again, would seem obvious, and as we carry on in obedience to this command to keep the feast, we are doing so in memory of One who is still absent. The apostle Paul wrote of those "who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord," those who shall not sleep but shall be changed; but he did not say that they must still observe this feast until they each individually go to be with the Lord. On the contrary he states as the specific objective and time limit of this ceremony, "for as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do show the Lord's death till he come" (1 Cor. 11:26).

Our Lord’s Parousia: Visible or Invisible Every Eye Shall See Him One of the biggest contentions that is made by believers in the invisible presence is that the Greek word for ‘see’ in the context of Matthew 24 and Revelation 1:7 would better be translated as discern. This translation helps keep the invisible nature of Jesus presence intact. Here is a seemingly impressive reference from an ABS booklet19 that summarizes well the ABS position: "These four scriptures (John 14:19, 1 Timothy 6:16, Acts 22:6-8 and 11-14, Luke 17:20) show that the glorified Christ will not and cannot be seen at his return. Yet Revelation 1:7 and Matthew 24:30 seem to indicate that all mankind will see the returned Lord. Will this be by literal sight or by mental perception (as for example, when we say, "I see [understand] what you mean")? As Christians, we cannot afford to base our conclusions upon one set of scriptures that do not fit with our views. We must accept the challenge: "Study to show thyself approved unto God…rightly dividing the Word of Truth." The only valid way to ascertain the correct view of any Biblical doctrine is to collate all the scriptures on a given subject and then rightly divide them, that is, harmonize them. Only then can we be sure of the correct understanding. When all the scriptures on a given subject are brought together, they will harmonize. They will not contradict…. Now, for a consideration of the other set of scriptures (Matt. 24:30-31 and Rev. 1:7), which speak of all mankind seeing the returned Lord. Are they literal or symbolic? In both texts, the Greek word translated "see" is optanomai. The following definition is from An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words by W. E. Vine: OPTANOMAI—to see; used a) objectively, with reference to person or thing seen, or b) subjectively, with reference to an inward impression or a spiritual experience or a mental occupation.

19

New Brunswick Bible Student Publications, "I Will Come Again"

41

Reasoning The Scriptures Thus we see optanomai can mean either literal sight or mental perception. The following are examples of how the Greek word optanomai is used in Scripture to denote mental understanding… Three more examples of optanomai are found in the following: Revelation 19:10—"And he said unto me, See [optanomai] thou do it not." Matthew 24:4—"…And they said…see [optanomai] thou to that." Matthew 24:24—"…I am innocent…see [optanomai] ye to it." These scriptures reveal that the Bible does use optanomai, translated "see" in Matthew 24:30-31 and Revelation 1:7, in a symbolic sense to denote mental understanding." (Italics and Bold added for emphasis) On the surface, a student may be easily convinced of the asserted thoroughness of this presentation on the Greek word optanomai. But a deep investigation into its use throughout the Bible and especially in the context of Matthew 24 is imperative to get its correct meaning. While the aforementioned booklet does not lie about the definition of optanomai, it would be an incorrect assumption to believe that ‘discern’ would be the best translation throughout the Bible. Consider how familiar the word optanomai sounds to the English language. When you go to get your eyes checked, to whom do you go? The Optometrist, of course! The major definition optanomai is born out in our own language. If we want to optanomai better, we go to the Optometrist. Even so, we must get a broad Biblical view to best understand the major meaning of the word. Optanomai is used 57 times in the NT and without any uncertainty; almost all have to be translated as seeing with the literal eye! To be sure that we have the complete view, the following section lists every scripture where optanomai appears in the NT.

All uses of optanomai in the New Testament Matthew 5:8 Blessed [are] the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Matthew 17:3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Matthew 27:4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What [is that] to us? see thou [to that]. 42

Reasoning The Scriptures Matthew 27:24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but [that] rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed [his] hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye [to it]. Matthew 28:7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. Matthew 28:10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me. Mark 9:4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. Mark 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. Mark 14:62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Mark 16:7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. Luke 1:11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. Luke 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Luke 9:31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. Luke 13:28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you [yourselves] thrust out. Luke 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Luke 22:43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. Luke 24:34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. John 1:50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. John 1:51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. John 11:40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? John 16:16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. John 16:17 Then said [some] of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? John 16:19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? 43

Reasoning The Scriptures John 16:22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. John 19:37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced. Acts 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: Acts 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: Acts 7:2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, Acts 7:26 And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another? Acts 7:30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. Acts 7:35 This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send [to be] a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. Acts 9:17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, [even] Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. Acts 13:31 And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. Acts 16:9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. Acts 18:15 But if it be a question of words and names, and [of] your law, look ye [to it]; for I will be no judge of such [matters]. Acts 20:25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. Acts 26:16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Romans 15:21 But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand. 1 Corinthians 15:5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 1 Corinthians 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 1 Corinthians 15:7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 44

Reasoning The Scriptures 1 Corinthians 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 1Tim 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all [men], and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that [our] brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you. 1Joh 3:2 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. Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. Revelation 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. Revelation 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: Revelation 12:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. Revelation 22:4 And they shall see his face; and his name [shall be] in their foreheads. Can there be any question that optanomai has direct ties to physical sight? Can an honest student draw a different conclusion? If this look at the word is not convincing enough, there is still one more factor to be considered in its use. If we can find another Greek word in the NT that is roughly translated as ‘mental perception’ then we might be further convinced that optanomai signifies literal sight. Better still would be if a different word is used as ‘discern’ in the Great Prophecy context. Indeed as we will see, this is the case. There are four other Greek words that are translated ‘see’ in the NT. IN fact, all 4 of the 5 words are used in the Matthew and Luke accounts, and sometimes in the same verse. Two of the words, eido and Horao are used extensively in the context and sometimes in the same verse. So, let us examine the uses of these words in our context first. Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour Horao no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. In other words, no man can discern the day and hour. 45

Reasoning The Scriptures

Matthew 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: horao that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet. In other words, take heed that you are not troubled. When ye therefore shall eido the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) In other words, when you discern abomination of desolation... Matthew 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall eido all these things, know that it is near, [even] at the doors. In other words, when you discern all these things... Here are the other uses of these words in the context: Mark 13:29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see (eido) these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, [even] at the doors. Luke 17:22 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see (eido) one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see (optanomai) [it]. Luke 17:23 And they shall say to you, See (idou) here; or, see (idou) there: go not after [them], nor follow [them]. If these words were not used in the context of Our Lord’s great Prophecy, then we would have a slight chance of interpreting optanomai as ‘discern.’ But, given the fact that other words are chosen by the writers to show discernment, there is absolutely no basis for drawing the conclusion that optanomai means ‘discern.’ Looking further at optanomai, we can easily discern that the writers want us to know that the world as well as Jesus’ followers will visibly see him when he returns. Consider all the uses of these words in the prophecy to help mold your own answer to the use of optanomai the 22nd verse of Luke 17: Luke 17:22-23 And he said unto the disciples, "The days will come, when ye shall desire to see (eido) one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see (optanomai) [it]." And they shall say to you, "See (idou – Behold in the second person)

46

Reasoning The Scriptures here; or, see (idou) there:" go not after [them], nor follow [them]. Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see (optanomai) the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Mark 13:26 And then shall they see (optanomai) the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. Mark 13:29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see (eido) these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, [even] at the doors Lastly, bringing your attention back to the ‘I Will Come Again’ booklet, the argument is employed that the use of optanomai when used as “see ye to it” does not mean to literally see. But in fact, that is a wrong conclusion. If someone tells you to see to a task, (as Pontious Pilot tried to do the Jews) you are literally seeing that your own hand does it. To try to divorce literal sight from this phrase is not an especially convincing tactic. “The World Seeth Me No More…” Another argument against a visible return of Jesus is interpretation of John 14:19 which says:20 Yet a little while and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. Now that we have covered the definitions of ‘seeing’ and ‘discerning’ in the previous section, all we need to do is see if the word optanomai is used here. To no surprise, the word is optanomai. How could it be if Jesus wanted the disciples to know that the world would view him with the literal eye? The word used by John here is theaomai, which means both to see with the eye and to take view of, or perceive . Jesus wants to impress on his disciples that they shall see him not because they will look upon him but that he will live in them. We see Jesus now even though the world cannot see him. That is the point Jesus is impressing on the disciples and upon us. The Son of Man An often-overlooked fact in the context of Matthew 24 is that Jesus chooses the phrase "Son of Man" when describing his return.

20

For more information on John 14:19 see Appendix A

47

Reasoning The Scriptures Matthew 24:27 - For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:30 - "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. Matthew 24:37 - As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:39 - and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:44 - So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. The short of it is this: Jesus wanted his listeners to understand that he was not just sent as a Son of God to redeem the world but that he is also a son of man. As all Bible Students agree, Jesus was fully man and the title, "Son of Man" hammers this point home. Now if Jesus has returned as an invisible Spirit, would not another title be more appropriate? He emphasizes six times to the disciples that he is returning in the form of man. While this argument is not explicit in nature, it certainly is much more than mildly implicit, is it not? "SIMUTANEOUSLY CAUGHT AWAY" As we have seen, the saints cannot claim to be aware of the Lord's arrival having already taken place and at the same time admit they have not yet been gathered to Him. These ideas are incompatible in the light of what the Divine Word teaches upon the matter. If we consider carefully Paul's words in 1 Thes. 4:13-17 we shall see that it cannot be held as scriptural that after the Lord has returned any of His faithful people will continue to remain in the flesh. Their hope and immediate "change" are linked with His return. "Our citizenship is in heaven from whence also we look for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall transform the body of our humiliation that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body." The Thessalonian brethren were concerned about some of their number who had already died, asking When the Lord comes, what will be their position? 'Paul explains that the "alive and remaining" ones at the Lord's return will not take precedence over those who have died. The dead will rise (rise, not ascend, be it noted) first. Then the living shall be "caught up" together with those who were dead. Thus neither living nor dead take precedence but are caught away together.

48

Reasoning The Scriptures

The Greek word rendered "caught up" means to snatch or take away by force. Christ uses it in John 10:28, 29. "None is able to pluck them out of my hand" and it is translated "take by force" in John 6- 15 and Acts 23: 10; "caught up" in 2 Cor. 12:2, 4 and "caught away" in Acts 8:39. But before this snatching away occurs, the dead in Christ are to rise first. This passage does not read that the dead in Christ "ascend first." The word "ascend", carries an entirely different meaning in the Greek from the one used for "rise". Jesus rose from the dead, but did not ascend until forty days after. The dead in Christ rise, in the sense of being awakened first. They are then, at the same time, together with the living, snatched away in the clouds, attracted by the magnetic power of the Spirit to their Lord and Head, gathered together unto Him. Some may object that God does not work in this way and that it is too sensational. But faith will accept what is so plainly stated in the Word. If Enoch was translated that he should not see death; if the Spirit of God caught away Philip from one place and conveyed him miles away; the same power can and will work this mighty miracle at the arrival of the Son of man. "One shall be taken and the other left." The word "taken" here means "to take alongside" or "to receive". It is translated "receive" in the words, "I will come again and receive you unto myself." Jesus will take or receive to Himself, one; the other will be left. At the same moment of time in different parts of the earth; night in one place, early morning in another, broad daylight elsewhere, from every kindred and tongue and people and nation, one shall be taken and the other left. For the ones taken it will be a change from mortality to immortality, these bodies of our humiliation changed and made like unto His glorious body, to be forever with the Lord in an eternity of life, joy an blessing. In the phrase "caught up together with them," the words "together with" mean "simultaneously" or "at the same time with" - See Marshall's Greek Interlinear New Testament, the "Amplified Version" and the older "Emphatic Diaglott" by Benjamin Wilson. Much has been written contrary to this plain teaching of Paul, but the fact remains that the two classes -"dead" and "alive and remaining" -- go together. Jesus uses the same expression in Matt. 13:29 translated "with." "Lest while you gather up the tares you root up also the wheat with ("together with") them. Here it means "at the same time with" as in 1 Thes. 4:17. The teaching that our Lord has already come explains that the dead in Christ were raised when He came and entered immediately into the presence of the Lord, the living ones who remain being changed one by one as they die, this process covering a period of many years. This interpretation of "caught up together with" is said to be illustrated 1) the use of the expression in the parable where the wheat and tares would be (in certain circumstances) gathered up together but not all it the same moment of time. This fails to illustrate the point, however, as the simultaneous gathering of a handful of wheat and tares sufficiently demonstrates the parallel catching away of living and dead at one and the same moment, a fact which is plainly denied in the foregoing teaching that the dead alone are raised at the arrival of Jesus.

49

Reasoning The Scriptures Our Lord's words: "There shall be two in one bed; two shall be grinding together; two shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left" (Luke 17:34-36), are bereft of point or meaning if those who "remain to His coming" just die individually and separately in the usual manner, and are not taken together. In this connection, Paul's words in 1 Cor. 15:51, 52 - a matured and further explanation of what he had written in the Thessalonians - must be given due weight: "Behold I show you a mystery (secret). We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump." Paul's "together with" (at the same time with) in 1 Thes. 4 must be understood in harmony with his "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" in 1 Cor. 15. That this expression: "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," has a collective and not merely an individual application is shown by the concluding statement "the dead (collective) shall be raised incorruptible and we (the living-collective) shall be changed." This passage teaches that there will be a class - those remaining alive unto the Lord's coming - who will not die but will be changed out seeing death. "We shall not all sleep", says the Apostle. Though “sleep" is used so frequently as a simile of death, it is urged that here it particularly means "remain in sleep" and does not imply that we shall not fail asleep. However, the same Greek word "koimao", though in a different tense, is used in Acts 13:36 of David falling asleep and being laid with his fathers, where it obviously means in plane language that he died and was buried. In the same way in 1 Cor. 15:51, 52, Paul is plainly saying, "We not all die." He refers to two classes "the dead shall be raised incorruptible" and "we (not dead) shall be changed" and is speaking, in harmony with his remarks in 1 Thes. 4, of those who are alive and remain. They are to be caught away with the resurrected dead in Christ. We are aware that much stress has been laid on the words in Rev. 14:13 "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them." Some understand from this Scripture that when the Lord came the dead saints were glorified and that since then (the "henceforth" of this text) each saint as he has died has been immediately changed without remaining in death as did those who died before the Lord came. This is, -as we have seen, at variance with Paul's teaching in 1 Thes. 4 that the dead and living saints; are "caught up together." Verse 12 in Rev. 14 is surely a reference to the general experience of the saints during the Gospel Age when their patient endurance was tried to the utmost and particularly in the days of Papal persecution. In this context, verse 13 is to them a beatitude and an added word of comfort that their death under persecution would be blessed, be a rest from toil and certainly not for them the end of all. The immediate appearance of the harvest vision adds emphasis to the fact that their reward is near at hand in spite of the terrible conditions through which they have passed. It indicates the near approach of the lord as in Rev. 16:15 "Lo, I come as a thief." From the time of their death henceforth they rest from their sufferings (as did those in Rev. 6:11) but their works

50

Reasoning The Scriptures follow them as treasure laid up in heaven. This principle is illustrated in 1 Tim. 5:24, 25. In a particular sense the works of the Reformation martyrs followed them in the fruitage that resulted, in contrast with the apparent cessation of the work of those who had died before them. IT IS NOT SCRIPTURALLY REASONABLE Would it be possible that the Lord Jesus could have returned to this earth and that we should not know indubitably of the fact? "Ye are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief," says the Apostle. Yet we find that there are large numbers of Christians to be found who cannot believe this is a fact, and there- fore are in darkness on this matter. Must we therefore logically assume that they are not children of light, and have no part with Christ? This would mean that true Christians are to be found only among those who profess to believe that the Lord has invisibly returned. Has the time of Christ's arrival been revealed exclusively to some Christians only, or may we not rather judge these claims by their limitations? If in these latter days, the great danger exists of not believing that Jesus is present even after He has returned, would not Jesus have warned His disciples in Matt. 24 of such risk? Yet though He warned them that many false prophets should arise and deceive many, he did not even imply that a true one, to whom careful heed should be given, would announce "Lo! Here is Christ". Neither did He give the slightest warning against the possibility of some of His disciples being deceived into believing he had not come when He had come. The consistent note of warning to them was in the opposite direction, to discredit and not to believe such claims, to beware of deceiver-, who would say He had returned when He had not. The simple reason given for this was that Christ's coming would be an obvious matter, not a problematical question. "WATCH, THAT YOU MAY BE READY" In harmony with the foregoing understanding our Lord's further words in verses 42 & 44 (Matt. 24) are significant: "Watch therefore for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." "Therefore be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." These words become meaningless and have never had any application to us if the Lord arrived before most of us were born. To emphasize the need for watching, because of ignorance of the time of His return, even by His followers, and the consequent need for patient endurance during a seeming delay, Jesus gave the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. He concluded that parable with the words: "Watch therefore for ye know neither the day nor the hour" (Matt. 25: 13). The wise (the watchers) in this story had through foresight provided against the contingency of possible delay, by having oil in their vessels as well as in their lamps. Their reserve of oil was the evidence of their preparedness -- they were ready to meet the bridegroom when he came.

51

Reasoning The Scriptures

It is important to realize that the watching to which our Lord refers has less to do with watching signs of the times than with a dutiful concern regarding our own walk and conduct before Him, an alertness to hear His voice and to do His will in all things. This is outlined clearly in Jesus' words in Luke 21:34-36: "But take heed to yourselves lest your souls be weighed down with self-indulgence and drunkenness or the anxieties of this life and that day come upon you suddenly, like a failing trap; for it will come on all the dwellers on the face of the whole earth. Beware of slumbering; at all times pray that you may be fully strengthened to escape from all these coming evils and to take your stand in the presence of the Son of Man" (Weymouth's translation). Peter's words in 2 Pet. 3: "Where is the promise of His coming (Parousia)?" have been used to show that such a question would not be asked unless the Lord were already present, had already come. However, the context shows that this quotation means that the scoffers are saying, "What has become of the promise that He will return? We see no changes." But to this Peter answers that just as at the flood they were ignorant of an imminent dispensational change, so will it be in the end of this present dispensation; and that although men will speak of delay, this is a factor which is unknown in the divine arrangements. Another repeated warning against deception on this matter is emphasized by the events Jesus relates in Matt. 24, which He refers to as unimpeachable proofs of His absence. The extraordinary thing is that those very events are produced as proofs of His presence, when they are specifically given as proofs of His absence or to indicate that He would be near, even at the doors. He who was so careful in warning His disciples against the dangers of being deceived into believing He had come again when He had not, would most certainly have warned them against the danger of being deceived into believing the very opposite had such a thing been possible. The Scriptures indicate that in the day of His arrival, it will be impossible to say or to think that He is not present, or to be deceived in the matter. The whole point and purpose of watching is not that we may know, but that we might be ready when He comes, prepared to meet Him at His arrival, and unashamed before Him in His presence.

52

Reasoning The Scriptures

Appendix Appendix A Does John 14:19 Prove the Return of Christ Will Be Invisible? John 14:19 is before us: ‘Yet a little while and the world beholds me no more.’ It is suggested by some sincere Bible students that this remark by Our Lord proves the Parousia of the Son of Man is invisible. Of course, we need to compare the context as well as other related verses dealing with the subject of the Return or Arrival of Christ. First, consider the context. The previous verses set the subject at hand: ‘Shortly you will behold me no longer; and again, shortly you will see me. . . I shall not leave you as orphans. I am returning to you.’ (John 14:16, 18) Is it possible, and fair to state, that Jesus may be referring to his appearance after his resurrection? John 14:21 infers the same: ‘I shall love him and manifest myself to him.’ This word "manifest" is the Greek EMPHANISO and is variously rendered: manifest, make apparent, disclose, show, reveal. This same word group occurs in the Gospel of John after Our Lord is resurrected. Note John 21:1, ‘After all of this, Jesus manifested himself to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He made the manifestation in this way.’ Would this not seem to confirm that John 14:19 is talking about that period following the Resurrection and before the Ascension? Peter reveals this truth at Acts 10:40, 41, ‘God raised up Jesus the third day and granted him to become manifest not to all the people but to witnesses previously appointed by vote.’ Paul agrees with this, for he writes to the Corinthians: ‘After he was seen by upward of five hundred brothers.’ (1 Corinthians 15:6) Thus, it seems fair to conclude that John 14:19 is talking about the appearances of Jesus between his resurrection and ascension. Did Our Lord ever appear to unbelievers in the world following his resurrection? Paul says, yes. 1 Corinthians 15:7 reports: ‘But last of all Jesus was also seen by me.’ Is it fair to ask: in what state was Paul when the Lord appeared to him? As part of the world? Judging from the three accounts of Paul’s experience on the Damascus road we would have to answer that someone in the world did see the glorified Lord after his ascension. Regarding this Paul reminds the Corinthians: ‘Have I not seen the Lord?’ (1 Corinthians 9:1) However, we ask our sincere Bible student: What did Jesus Our Lord say elsewhere regarding his Parousia? Would it be visible or invisible? Did Jesus clearly state that his Parousia would be visible or invisible? Read the following and ask yourself how the Our Lord made it clearer: ‘And people will tell you: "See there!" and "See here!" Do not follow them! For as lightning flashes from under heaven to another part under heaven, so the Son of Man will be. . . So, it will be when the Son of man is unveiled. ... I tell you: in that night two will be on one bed; one will be received home and the other abandoned. There will be two grinding at the same mill; one will be received home and the other abandoned. ... For just as lightning arrives from the East and shines until the West, so the Parousia of the Son of Man will be... And then will appear in the atmosphere the Sign of the Son of Man and all the tribes of the earth will lament in grief. They will see 53

Reasoning The Scriptures the Son of man arriving on the clouds of the atmosphere.’ (Luke 17:23, 24, 3, 34, 35; Matthew 24:27, 30) How does this seem to read to you? In all fairness, reading the prophecy as it is presented without severe manipulation? Will mankind on the globe at the time of the Parousia not "see" this foretold Return? Do not all tribes lament in grief at the same time because they do "see" something? Our Lord’s example of two cases alive at his Coming, one at sleep and one at work, would seem to argue this Appearing occurs within a single day when its day on one side of the earth and night on the other. Compare Mark 13:35 where this time may be within any of four time periods: late afternoon, midnight, cock-crowing, or sunrise. This would compress the possibilities within a twelve-hour period! For these reasons we cannot view John 14:19 as proof of an invisible Return of Christ. The above should offer a strong bias that the Parousia is visible to the world in general and that John 14:19 does not prove an invisible Return but rather is dealing with those private appearances of the Lord following his resurrection and before his ascension. Appendix B Who is the "Only Potentate" of 1 Timothy 6:16? In defending the position regarding an invisible Parousia when the King Messiah returns, the following was offered. Please see a response from those who believe in a "visible" return of Christ. INVISIBLE PAROUSIA: As in Bible study on all topics, each passage using 'see' or 'look' should be interpreted in harmony not only with its immediate context, but also in a way that does not conflict with other inspired testimony. 1 Tim. 6:14-16 bears on the intended meaning of Revelation 1:7. Whether it should be "his times" (about the manifestation of "our Lord Jesus Christ") or "its times" (see Marshall Interlinear, the times of "the appearing"), that which will be shown and identified is the same: VISIBLE PAROUSIA: Without addressing "each passage using 'see' or 'look'" -- nor indicating the context of these verses -- an attempt is made to rely on one major text -- 1 Timothy 6:14-16 -- as proof that all these unstated verses are to be understood as referring to some symbolic seeing or mental discernment. Before addressing 1 Timothy 6:14-16 we wish to comment on Revelation 1:7 mentioned in passing above. We have not employed Revelation 1:7 as proof of a visible return of King Messiah because we do not believe it is to be applied that way. We believe Revelation 1:7 -"Look! (Jesus) is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him" -- amounts to a praisehymn combining two texts: Daniel 7:13 and Theodotion's version of the Septuagint at Zechariah 12:10. Compare John's own application at John 19:37.

54

Reasoning The Scriptures INVISIBLE PAROUSIA: "The blessed and only Potentate, the King of the [ones] reigning and Lord of the [ones] ruling, the only [one] having immortality, inhabiting light unapproachable, whom no one of men saw nor can see,"<> VISIBLE PAROUSIA: 1 Timothy 6:16 present an interesting problem. Indeed, two problems: a) to whom is the verse addressed; and, b) how are some of the phrases to be understood. It is be no means "clear and simple." The contextual phrase begins in 1 Timothy 6:13, "I am laying a charge upon you -- in the sight of The God (the One generating alive everything) and of Christ Jesus (the one who testified a fine confession before Pontious Pilate) -- to observe the commandment, spotless and irreprehensible, until the Appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Timothy 6:13-15) In these verses there are two persons: a) The God; and, b) Jesus Christ. Now one of these will one day Appear and he is identified as Jesus Christ. The word Appearing comes from the Greek EPI-PHANEIAS and is used often with regard to those appearances after his resurrection (John 21:1) and that future Appearing identified with his Parousia. (2 Thessalonians 2:1, 8; 1 John 2:28-3:2) This word is variously rendered: KJV: appearing; MOF: appearance; RHM: forth shining; NOR: until our Lord Jesus Christ shall make his appearance. From this it seems clear of the two persons mentioned above one is going to make an appearance. Now, in 1 Timothy 6:15 one of these two is described: " ... which (Appearing) the Happy and Only Potentate [MOF: only Sovereign] -- the King of those ruling as kings and Lord of those ruling as lords (the one alone possessing immorality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no one among men saw nor is able to see) -- will show [NASB: will bring about; NEB: will bring to pass; PME: the final denouement of God] at his own appointed times." Now brother Rice suggests this "Happy and Only Potentate" is Jesus Christ. Note the following: INVISIBLE PAROUSIA: ... is Jesus Christ our Lord. ("Kings" and "lords" used in this passage are words differently numbered, with different meanings, than those plurals used in Revelation 17:4 and 19:16). All other kings reigning and lords ruling are human fleshly potentates or fictional deities of human imagination, and thus all lacking eternal life. The Father is here excepted (otherwise the comparison implies that Jesus lacks immortality). Jesus is he of whom the Apostle affirms "no one of men ... can see." VISIBLE PAROUSIA: The context has suggested that one of the two persons named will Appear. This would infer that the "Only Potentate" is God Himself and some translations capitalize He and Him to indicate this. Is The God of our Lord the "only Potentate" in the absolute sense? The Greek is MONOS DYNASTE and is no where ever applied to Jesus Christ. It is true the title "King of kings and Lord of lords" is used of Jesus as shown above. However, the title in Timothy is slightly different: "The King of those ruling as kings and the

55

Reasoning The Scriptures Lord of those ruling as lords." Yehowah is described in a similar fashion in Deuteronomy 10:17. Judging from Psalm 110:1 and Revelation 11:15 the Father is King and Lord of Jesus Christ. (Psalm 136:3) That it is not actually clear that these phrase refer to Jesus is shown by the rendering in the New Jerusalem Bible: " .. who at the due time will be revealed by God, the blessed and only Ruler of all, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who alone is immortal, whose home is in inaccessible light, whom no human being has seen or is able to see: to him be honour and everlasting power. Amen." There a couple of interesting problems, however. First, in what way is The God "the only one having immortality"? This is cleared up if we view the "kings" and "lords" as human kings and lords. If we change the meaning to fit Jesus we still have the same problem. For if Jesus "is the only one having immorality" then we leave out God. So in either case the kings and lords must be viewed as those lesser than divine. For Paul makes it clear that both The God and the Risen Christ possess immortality. Next, is it true that the Risen Lord can be characterized by the phrase, "no one among men saw nor is able to see"? How could Paul himself make such a statement applying to Jesus when he himself claims: "Have I not seen our Lord?" (1 Corinthians 9:1) Did not Paul also stated that others saw the Risen Lord? (1 Corinthians 15:6-8) Now can it be said regarding The God of Jesus that "no one among men saw nor is able to see"? This is evident from Exodus 33:20, John 1:18, John 5:37, and 1 John 4:12. Based on the above the "only Potentate" will Himself show the Appearing of Jesus Christ who must of that necessity be visible. Never is Jesus described as The God is in 1 Timothy 1:17, "King of the Ages, incorruptible, invisible, Only God -- honour and glory into the Ages of the Ages. Amen." Another occasion where Paul prays concerning God. INVISIBLE PAROUSIA: To interpret "... every eye shall see him" (Revelation 1:7) to mean literal sight would be in direct conflict with 1 Timothy 6:14-16. I view that as clear, simple Bible teaching on the topic raised in Bro. Mark Miller's last post. If it is not so viewed by others, I shall continue to respect my dear devoted brethren in Christ. VISIBLE PAROUSIA: To clarify matters here, as above, we would not apply Revelation 1:7 to the Return of Christ. However, if I were, as many do, it would in no way be "in direct conflict with 1 Timothy 6:14-16." I suspect that others will see that this is not "clear, simple Bible teaching," but an attempt to use a text which is not applied to Jesus Christ as though it were. JWs follow the same line of reasoning.

56

Reasoning The Scriptures INVISIBLE PAROUSIA: Perhaps there is further testimony that will be helpful. "Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though [if indeed] we have known Christ after [according to] the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more." Since Jesus never lived to the flesh, or according to fleshly interests, I understand the reference to flesh refers to His nature as God's son living in the earth in a flesh and blood body. If we His faithful followers are to know him in flesh ever again henceforth no more, it is not with reason that any could say that Jesus will be seen again by the unbelieving world. I consider this clear, simple Bible teaching. It would not surprise me if all you dear brethren would also so consider it. VISIBLE PAROUSIA: It is unclear why this text would be resorted to since we would essentially agree that neither we nor mankind will ever know Christ after the flesh now. His flesh and blood he sacrificed once for all. That Jesus will not be "seen again by the unbelieving world" is made clear and simple by Our Lord himself: "Then all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves (in grief) and they will see [Greek: OPSONTAI] the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of the Sky with power and great glory." (Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27) Can anyone reasonable argue that the Lord does not state that he as the Son of Man will be seen by all the grieving tribes of earth? It plainly says they will. The scriptures never say a holy human being can never see God, it is understood from the logic a sinner can never and ever see almighty God, God intends all mankind be holy as he is to behold him, there is indeed sufficient testimony from the scriptures that any human being holy can see the almighty God Jehovah himself - Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see (optonomai)God. The verse implies that any that are pure in heart can see God. Job and David declared by faith that they indeed will see Jehovah Job 19:26, Psalms 17:15; 16:9, 11. There is a possible chance for mankind to see Jehovah after the completion of the 1000 year rule, we don’t know in what manner and way Jehovah will manifest to the world so that the pure in heart can behold him yet the scriptures assure that Job, David and many more holy beings will get an opportunity to see the face of God – Rev 22:3. Now our reason is when the only potent Immortal God can be seen by the ancient worthies How is it that Jesus Christ can’t be seen? When the scriptures are plain clear as crystal “every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Rev 1:7 It is asserted by many Bible students that hence Jesus Christ now a Divine being possessing Immortality can’t be seen by the world, our logic tells us that if angels had the power to materialize, why would not one with a higher position be able to do so if he wished, as Jesus (immortal at this time) did to the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus. There is much we don't know and will not know about what heavenly beings can do on this side of the veil. But whatever it is will be according to God's will.

57

Reasoning The Scriptures Appendix C “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:” – Luke 17:20, Does this verse proves the Invisible Presence of our Lord? As verse 20 relates, near the end of His ministry the Lord "was demanded of the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come." Notice that the Holy sprit has Luke say that the Lord "was demanded" of them. This is something the Pharisees did out of dishonesty of heart and not with sincerity of inquiry at all. They did not make this demand as ones who genuinely believed "the gospel of the kingdom." They did not believe that it was truly "at hand," having been persuaded by both the preaching and the evidential signs of the kingdom and "signs of the times" that had been given. Honesty was not what was behind their "demand." Instead, their "demand" was part and parcel of their continuing scorn, ridicule, and denial that the climactic stage in Israel’s program actually had arrived and that the "kingdom of God" therefore really was "at hand." The Pharisees made this demand in the same scornful and scoffing vein as when they tempted the Lord and "desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven." And they did this in the same vein as when they had earlier on denounced John the Baptist. It was therefore a hypocritical and scornful "demand" based primarily upon their firm refusal to honestly deal with the evidence that had been set before them. However it was also based upon their own preferred ideas as to how they thought the "kingdom of God" should come. And these preferred ideas carried more weight with them than the testimony of God’s word. In fact, what they preferred to think caused them to reject the overwhelming testimony that God gave to them. In connection with this the Pharisees thought that the "kingdom of God" should come with great pomp and circumstance, and with great fanfare feast Rom 14:17, and that they would be able to observe it as such. This is again affirmed by the meaning of the Greek word translated for Observation is παρατήρησις paratērēsis (Strong's #G3907 G3907 ) for which we quote the definition from the Vines Expository dictionary under the title Observation, Observe: "attentive watching" (akin to paratereo, "to observe"), is used in Luk 17:20, of the manner in which the kingdom of God (i.e., the operation of the spiritual kingdom in the hearts of men) does not come, "in such a manner that it can be watched with the eyes" (Grimm-Thayer), or, as AV marg., "with outward show." The Lord, however, was well aware of this. In fact, He took their misconception to task earlier on when He reproved the people for not responding properly to John the Baptist.

58

Reasoning The Scriptures 24 And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind? 25 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings’ courts. (Luke 7:2425) It was the contrary teachings of Israel’s apostate leadership, headed up by the Pharisees that taught the people that if John was the true herald of the kingdom he would have been "gorgeously apparelled." To their way of thinking God’s herald of the kingdom should naturally ‘look the part.’ That is, he should look like a royal emissary in dress, conduct, and ministry. He should at least rival, if not outdo, those in "kings’ courts." This, however, was only the imaginative and preferred ideas of the Pharisees. The prophets described the herald of the kingdom and his ministry in no such terms. Again, the Lord was well aware of the Pharisees’ preferred ideas. He knew with whom He was dealing and what was behind their "demand." The Lord’s Response Now the Lord’s response to the Pharisees’ "demand" takes all of this into account and is also consistent with all of it. Hence the Lord responded by first of all saying, "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation." In so doing He reproved their misconception of how they thought the kingdom should be coming, which was based upon their own imagined and preferred ideas as Paul stated in Rom 14:17. Therefore the kingdom wasn’t coming with the "observation" and the prestigious sorts of signs the Pharisees looked for. Likewise when the Lord went on to say, "Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there!" He reproved any idea that it would be the way they imagined in the future either. No one was going to come to them in the future and tell them to ‘Look here’ or ‘Look there’ and so have them observe the kingdom coming with the pomp and circumstance with which they thought it should come. The Jewish Pharisees also anticipated a Messiah who would free them from the Roman yoke and restore the kingdom of Israel. They completely misunderstood the reason Christ came. He did not come at that time as the conquering King of kings; He came as the sin-bearer of the world. The Pharisees misunderstood this purpose and so asked the question cited in the above paragraph. We notice Jesus' answer. He said the Kingdom of God would not come by "observation." Notice, the marginal rendering is "with outward show." Keep in mind; the Jews were continually looking for a sign. Jesus told the Pharisees that the Kingdom of God would not come in any physical manner that would allow them to observe its development gradually or stealthily. Rather, when the Kingdom of God comes, it will be sudden and dramatic (Math 24: 27, 30; Rev. 11:15).

59

Reasoning The Scriptures Some better translation of Luke 17:20 • "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; - New American Standard Bible • "The Kingdom of God does not so come that you can stealthily watch for it. Weymouth Translation • "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; - Revised Standard Version • “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, English Standard Version • The kingdom of God is not coming with something observable;- Holman NT • The kingdom of God cometh not with narrow watching; - Rotherham All the above translations suggest that the Kingdom of God will not come in an earthly manner so that we may observe its signs and developments gradually rather it will be unexpected, unobserved, sudden and spectacular filled with heavenly glory! Let the Kingdom come soon Another line of Comment The scripture "the kingdom of God cometh not with observation" in Luke 17: 20, 21 is applied to the Second Advent. But we forget that Jesus at this point is speaking of the kingdom in its embryonic state and not the kingdom in its glorious state at his Second Advent. The Pharisees and the Jews expected the Messiah to set his kingdom during his first advent itself. In fact Jesus was doing just that, but, in the hearts of the people then. This was not to be with outward show or pomp, but within the hearts and minds of the people"behold the kingdom of God is within you". It was this kingdom, which he said was "at hand" at the beginning of his ministry. It was the same kingdom that "suffereth violence" and which the "violent take it by force" and the kingdom to which we are already translated into- Col.1: 13. But what Jesus said here does not apply his glorious Kingdom that is to be set up at his Second Coming. Then he will come as the king of kings along with mighty hosts of angels to rule the world. That part of the kingdom is certainly going to be something to be observed. Else why should he say that it is to be like the lightning or that every eye should see him coming in great power and glory?

He that hath my word let him speak my word faithfully. . .” -Jeremiah 23:28 .

60