The Disclosure of Christ

Below are 15 of the 24 verses in the NT that use the Greek word "parousia," which, in our modern translations, are usually rendered "coming." That use may have been a theological conclusion rather than an exact rendering, which might more clearly be "revelation" or even "presence." I inserted the word "disclosure" below as it is another synonym for revelation. When read, with this word inserted instead of "coming," with that word's theological implications, I see these verses taking on a different character.

In the first Matt. 24 verse I also inserted the word "Jewish" in parentheses, adjoined to the word "age." A futurist would place the word "church" here; but a preterist reads this as "Jewish." That is, to preterists, Jesus's disclosure to the world replaces God's Jewish emphasis. The disclosure of Jesus renders the old age as past, if not obsolete.

Futurists would see this disclosure of Christ as a future event, which I don't think is totally invalidated by the preterist view. In that case, the full disclosure doesn't occur until the end of this present "church age," instead of the Jewish age. That's why I'm also exploring an added, logical concept suggested here: the parousia is ongoing, or progressive in nature. That is, Jesus was disclosed in the ruination of Jerusalem and in the subsequent history of the church, culminating in the full disclosure at some future date, when all of mankind will actually see him at the resurrection.

Matt. 24:3 - "And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your disclosure (parousia), and of the end of the (Jewish) age?"

2. Matt. 24:27, 37, 39 - Jesus repeatedly said, "So shall the disclosure (parousia) of the Son of Man be."

3. 1 Cor. 15:23-25 - "But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, after that those who are at Christ's at His disclosure (parousia), then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet."

4. 1 Thes. 2:19 - "For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord at His disclosure (parousia)?"

5. 1 Thes. 3:13 - "So that He may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and Father at the disclosure (parousia) of our Lord with all His saints."

6. 1 Thes. 4:15-17 - "For we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the disclosure (parousia) of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord."

7. 1 Thes. 5:23 - "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the disclosure (parousia) of our Lord Jesus Christ."

8. 2 Thes. 2:1 - "Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the disclosure (parousia) of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him."

9. 2 Thes. 2:8 - "And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His disclosure (parousia)."

10. James 5:7 - "Be patient, therefore, brethren until the disclosure (parousia) of the Lord."

11. James 5:8 - "You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the disclosure (parousia) of the Lord is at hand."

12. 2 Peter 1:16 - "For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and disclosure (parousia) of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty."

13. 2 Peter 3:4 - "And saying, "where is the promise of His disclosure (parousia)? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation."

14. 2 Peter 3:12 - "Looking for and hastening the disclosure (parousia) of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning and the elements will melt with intense heat!"

15. 1 John 2:28 - "And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His disclosure (parousia)."

You could also place the word "presence" where I've placed "disclosure." These are meanings of the word parousia. When we do this, the meaning of each verse seems to transform from the theologically suggestive word "coming." "Coming" suggests a singular event: "disclosure" or "revelation" are words that suggest something that is happening. Christ is being revealed in the process of history. It isn't just tied to an event like the general resurrection or the razing of Jerusalem.

Disclosure of Messiah's Identity

The word "parousia" is a Greek word essentially meaning "the revealing of" or the "disclosure of" something. In the New Testament case, it is probably all about disclosing Jesus. Sometimes theologians speak of Jesus' "advent." I know I've used the terminology "second advent" in the past, meaning that at some time future Jesus is still expected to come back. But some challenge this "second coming" idea, saying it is nowhere found in the Bible. It's one of those terms like "rapture" which theologians use to describe something they think is in the text, though not specifically stated that way.

I've been thinking lately that the word parousia could be describing an array of possibilities that all relate to one thing. Those who point to a past parousia often call themselves "preterists." They point out that Jesus' Olivet Discourse was about a parousia that occurred in 70AD, 40 years after he stood on the Mount of Olives and said, essentially, that the temple would be demolished. To preterists, that was the moment in time that all Bible prophecy was fulfilled. What that means is that the coming of Jesus (the parousia) happened long ago. And at first that concept leaves a lot of Christians hanging, wondering, "Well, is he coming back future, then?"

Going back to the initial advent of Jesus, that was a parousia. The Son of God was exposed to the world, whether the Jews or the world knew it or believed it or not. In 70AD, when the Jews were dispersed and Jerusalem was trodden by the Gentile Romans, that might be an extension of parousia: God was no longer selectively involved only with the Jews. Post-Jesus, the world was now God's oyster. He had demonstrated a covenant with the human race. He had extended his contract and was no longer only concentrated on announcing Jesus to the Jews.

The rest of history, the age of the church, was a further parousia. The church has struggled to understand, but God was still in the business of disclosure. That disclosure was gradual and painful, but it was still the "revelation of Jesus Christ." I think it was progressive, meaning we haven't yet arrived at a "full" disclosure. We know in part.

So what of the future? Well, I have to assume that parousia is still active. Christ is still being revealed. And that means that he will be further disclosed to the world. Perhaps these mysteries also include a future full disclosure.

Widespread throughout the Christian world is the expectation of a future resurrection of the dead. At that point, it is assumed that "every eye shall see him." He will be disclosed even to those that didn't believe in him. But that's another subject.

I conclude then by positing that parousia is part of the process of God "saving" (fixing, rescuing, making-over) the world. This whole process is ongoing and progressive. It is accomplished through the progressive parousia of who Jesus is. It is more than just being about successive "comings." It is actively happening as we speak.

Getting Started

I'm a layman, not a cleric. I don't have a bone to pick here. I don't hate the church. I love it. But it sure ain't perfect.

What I do believe in is that Jesus is the Messiah (the savior of the world). Outside of that, the rest is up for grabs. I also want to say that I am not hostile to other religions just because I believe that. I'm not hostile to atheists (I was one once), I'm not hostile to people who sin (I'm one of them, too), and I think Jesus has been unworthily characterized as a hostile dude (closer examination does not paint God or Jesus as hostile). That's my basic platform. I'm not out to prove anything, and I don't have an agenda here.

Am I some kind of heretic? Probably. I am to somebody -- maybe even to people I go to church with. Paul said, "Test everything." That's what we're doing here. We (anybody who cares to join me for any reason) are testing Jesus.

I'm reading a book called "Misquoting Jesus" by a biblical historian who went from Moody to Wheaton to Princeton and is an expert on mistakes in the Bible text. My own journey through Christianity went from being an atheist at 19, to a flaming Pentecostal, to Charismatic, to the dark night of the soul, to the weirdo I am now. :-)

What we are doing here is plunging into the big text itself and no-holds-barred seeking to extract its essential meaning. I hope to start with a biblical word that in Greek is parousia. I hope your journey intersects with mine here at this blog. Love, Al