Christ's Appearance

When Jesus appears, faithful believers will rejoice exceedingly and participate fully in the glories of that day.

In his first epistle, John exhorts his congregations “to abide” in Jesus. This is necessary so that “whenever he is manifested, we may have boldness and not be shamed away from him at his arrival.” Believers are summoned to holy living because of the impending arrival of Jesus and the rewards that he will bring with him.

When the Son of Man appears, we will be found “like him” if we have remained faithful to him, namely, to his example and teachings. On that day, we will “see him just as he is.” Nothing will remain hidden.

[Sunrise, Sweden - Photo by Jaanus Jagomägi (Estonia) on Unsplash]

If we have this hope, we will endeavor to live righteously and in purity, just as Jesus is “pure.” All too easily, daily life dulls our spiritual senses. Fixing our attention on his future return keeps our wits sharp by reminding us of our real priorities.

• “And now, my little children, abide in him, that whenever he is manifested [‘phaneroô’], we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before him at his arrival [‘Parousia’]. <…>  Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we will be. We know that, whenever he is manifested [‘phaneroô’], we will be like him, for we will see him even as he is. And everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure” – (1 John 2:28 – 3:3).

• “Therefore, let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily entangles us. And let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of the faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” – (Hebrews 12:1-2).

In the preceding passage from 1 John, the English word “arrival” represents the Greek noun ‘Parousia,’ the same term applied frequently by the Apostle Paul to the “coming” or “arrival” of Jesus. It refers to the physical arrival or the actual presence of a person, not to the process of his coming - (e.g., 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

• “Now, we implore you, brethren, on behalf of the arrival [‘Parousia’] of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together unto him…” – (2 Thessalonians 2:1).

John also applies the verb “manifest” or ‘phaneroô’ to Christ’s arrival. This Greek word ‘phaneroô’ means “to appear; to manifest” (Strong’s - #G5319). Both Greek terms refer to the same final event in the passage, the return of Jesus. The related Greek verb, ‘phainô’ or “appear,” is found on the lips of Jesus in his discourse on the Mount of Olives:

• “And then will appear [‘phainô’] the sign of the Son of man in heaven. And then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” – (Matthew 24:30).

Several times, John applies this same verb or ‘phaneroô’ to the historical manifestation or appearance of Jesus. He was “the word of life,” and in him “life was manifested.” Christ came to “take away sins,” for “the Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the Devil” – (1 John 1:2, 3:4-8).

When John applies ‘phaneroô’ to Christ’s future coming, the context suggests it will be a day of evaluation. The faithfulness of believers will be rewarded, and alternatively, the unfaithful will suffer loss. This does not mean their destruction, but they will know “shame” when he does appear.

PAUL AND PETER

The Apostle Paul uses the related compound Greek noun ‘epiphaneia’ or “appearance” in combination with the noun ‘arrival’ (‘parousia’) when describing how Jesus will destroy “the Man of Lawlessness.” That deceiver will be defeated when Christ arrives. Paul also applies both Greek terms to the return of Jesus:

• “And then the lawless man will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the breath of his mouth, and paralyze with the appearance of his arrival” [‘epiphaneia’ and ‘parousia’, respectively] - (2 Thessalonians 2:8).

• “And his delight will be in the fear of Yahweh. And he will not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he will smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips, he will slay the wicked” - (Isaiah 11:4).

Years later, Paul commanded Timothy to hold fast to the Apostolic Traditions he had received. Throughout this life, we must strive for obedience and faithfulness until the moment of Christ’s appearance.

• “I charge you in the sight of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who, before Pontius Pilate, witnessed the good confession, that you keep the commandment without spot, without reproach, until the appearance [‘epiphaneia’] of our Lord Jesus Christ”– (1 Timothy 6:13-14).

• “And according as it is appointed to men to die, and after this, judgment, so also Christ, having been offered once for all to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time apart from sin to those who wait for him for salvation” – (Hebrews 9:28).

Paul also charged Timothy “in the sight of God and Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearance [‘epiphaneia’],” to continue preaching the gospel. Doing so is paramount since the time is coming when men will not “endure the sound doctrine,” and they will “turn away their ears from the truth and turn aside to fables” – (2 Timothy 4:1-8).

Likewise, Paul exhorts Titus to speak “sound teaching,” including principles on proper conduct between individuals. This will serve to “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things,” for His grace “appeared [‘epiphainô’], bringing salvation for all men.” If we live righteously, we will experience glory on the day of Christ’s arrival:

• “We must live soberly and justly and godly in this present age, looking for the blessed hope and appearance [‘epiphaneia’] of the glory of the great God, and of our savior, Jesus Christ” – (Titus 2:12-13).

In his first epistle, the Apostle Peter exhorts the elders of the Church “to shepherd God’s flock.” If they are faithful in their duties, they will receive a glorious crown on the last day when Jesus appears:

• “And when the chief Shepherd is manifested [‘phaneroô’], you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away” – (1 Peter 5:4).

When the Lord Jesus returns, his appearance will be glorious, and all men will see it. Believers who remain faithful will rejoice and participate in the glories of that day:

• “Whenever he comes to be made all-glorious in his saints, and to be marveled at in all who believed, because our witness to you was believed. On that day!” – (2 Thessalonians 1:10).

For those disciples who do not persevere by living soberly and righteously, including in times of hardship and persecution, his “appearance” will mean “shame” and loss. Obedience and deeds matter!

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SEE ALSO:

• Final Events - (The New Testament predicts several key events that will occur before the arrival of the Son of Man in glory)

• "Peace and Security!" - (Paul continued his discussion about Christ’s arrival by addressing what will occur on the Day of the Lord – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3)

• The Day of the Lord - (Jesus will arrive to gather his people to himself on the Day of the Lord, and in the New Testament, this event becomes the Day of Christ)

• La Manifestation de Jésus - (Lorsque Jésus apparaîtra, les croyants fidèles se réjouiront énormément et participeront pleinement aux gloires de ce jour-là)