p. 6 | Parousia and Epiphany by W. N. Pile

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Sep 22, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 37.

Parousia and Epiphany

By W. N. Pile

By W. N. Pile, in “Herald of Life”

No doctrine has been more perverted than that of the second advent. While the Scriptures teach the literal and visible return of the “same Jesus” who ascended, the passages relating to it have been applied to the Day of Pentecost, the destruction of Jerusalem, death, to the appearance of some new teacher, or doctrine, etc. And even among those who repudiate these false theories of the coming, and adhere to its literal nature, the doctrine is perverted by making two future comings when there is but one, or, as some put it, two stages of one coming—the secret and the open. Notwithstanding the caution of Christ against all secret views of His return (See Matt. 24: 26), we are told that He will first descend from heaven to “the air,” secretly, and then raise the dead and translate the living saints, who will be caught away to the “secret chambers,” there to remain with him for a time; some believing it to be for a few years and some longer.

Of this secret stage of the coming, neither the waiting church nor the world is to have a moment’s warning, the saints being first apprised of it by their heavenward flight, and the world by the departure of “the missing ones.” After the pouring out of great judgments, and the conversion of great multitudes by unparalleled revivals of religion, Christ and His immortalized saints, with the angelic host, are to be manifested to the world by their visible descent in great power and glory to establish the kingdom of God upon earth. This view is said to be supported by the use of the two words parousia and epiphaneia as referring to the advent, the former applying to the secret, and the latter to the visible coming. So far as I can ascertain, there is not a trace of this two-stage view to be found in the writings of early Christians. I think it even more modern than Whitby’s theory of “the world’s conversion.” I have no doubt that it is one of the many delusions of “the last days.”

His Presence

Of the word parousia little need be said; it is conceded to refer to a personal coming or presence. It is used of the “coming” of Stephanus, Titus, and Paul. See 1 Cor. 16: 17; 2 Cor. 7: 6; 10: 10 (here rendered “presence”—see also Phil. 2: 12); Phil. 1: 26. Parousia is defined by Robinson, “the being or becoming present; presence; a coming advent;” by Liddell and Scott, “a being present; presence; arrival.” This word, then, so frequently used to express the “coming” of Christ, can only mean a personal coming.

As little need be said of the word epiphaneia. It occurs six times in the New Testament, and is rendered “appearing” five times, and “brightness” once. Robinson defines it thus: “an appearing; appearance.” The word is used in the New Testament only with reference to the appearing of Christ.

His Appearing

It will be seen from the foregoing that there is no more difference between parousia and epiphaneia, as applied to Christ’s coming, than between our English words “coming” and “appearing.” One states the action of the comer, by which he becomes present, while the other states, in addition to this, his appearance to those who witness it. The word parousia does not describe the coming, but simply announces it; hence its aspect must be decided by qualifying terms. It follows, therefore, that unless the parousia is somewhere described as secret, this modern idea can not be sustained. But, on the contrary, it is declared to be open and visible.

The disciples came privately to Jesus on the Mount of Olives, saying, “What shall be the sign of Thy coming [parousia], and of the end of the world?” Matt. 24: 3. It seems from this that the disciples believed that the parousia was to be open, visible, and announced by a “sign.” Instead of correcting this impression, Jesus says in reply, “If they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert, go not forth: behold, He is in the secret chamber; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth unto the west, so [visible] shall the coming [parousia] of the Son of Man be.” Verses 26, 27. This was said especially to guard believers against this very idea of a secret coming. As the lightning flash is visible to all, so is Christ’s parousia to be.

When His Presence

Again, the disciples associate in their question the “end of the world,” or age, with the parousia, but with those who believe in the secret coming the end does not come with the parousia, but with the subsequent epiphaneia. Both can not be right. Christ’s parallel also forbids the secret coming: “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming [parousia] of the Son of Man be. For as in the days that were before the Flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered 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.” Verses 37-39. The Flood did not come unperceived upon the world; nor was the destruction of the antediluvians postponed to some manifestation after the Flood. In the very nature of things, the Flood drowned them all; even so will the parousia bring the destruction of the wicked.

The parousia of Christ is admitted to bring the resurrection and translation of saints; but these events are heralded and accompanied by great physical demonstrations; therefore the parousia is not secret, but open. Christ’s resurrection was accompanied by “a great earthquake,” and the appearance of an angel who was seen not only by the women at the sepulcher, but also by the Roman “keepers,” who “became as dead men.” Matt. 28: 2-4. It is fair to infer, therefore, that the resurrection of the saints will be like that of their Lord. At the grave of Lazarus, Jesus “cried with a loud voice,” which was heard by saints and sinners present; and in response to this voice “Lazarus came forth.” All the dead whom Christ raised came in obedience to an audible voice. See Luke 7: 14; 8: 54.

A Glorious Presence

But we have more than type or inference for a demonstrative parousia. “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming [parousia] of the Lord, shall not prevent [go before] them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.” 1 Thess. 4: 15-17. If language can convey the idea of a noisy, trumpeted, visible coming, this does. Will Christ “shout” that His voice may die away in space, and reach no human ear? or will there be an answering shout of, “This is the Lord; we have waited for Him”? Will “the voice of the Archangel” reach only angels’ ears, or will it penetrate even to the caverns of the dead? Will the “trump of God” be muffled, or will it, as on Sinai’s top, “wax louder and louder,” till the earth trembles beneath the blast? There is no secrecy here! It is open, visible, noisy; yet it is Christ’s parousia, His coming for His saints, and not a subsequent epiphaneia.

But again, “For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Cor. 12: 52. And in verse 23 this is declared to be the parousia. Christ also teaches the same: “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. 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.” Matt. 24: 30, 31. As we have seen, this coming is thrice said to be the parousia (verses 27, 37, 39), and likened to the lightning flash. A “great sound of a trumpet,” then, is to precede the gathering of the elect; and yet these moderns tell us that these “elect” are to be the subjects of a secret rapture!

All these texts imply that the parousia is also the epiphaneia; for when Christ comes, His sign, His glory, and His person are seen, and His trumpet heard. But here, again, we are not left to inference, but have the most positive testimony to the fact. “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing [epiphaneia] and His kingdom; preach the word: be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke,” etc. We have already seen that the decisions concerning the quick (living) and

dead are given at the parousia, and the righteous are saved. The kingdom also, according to this passage, comes with the epiphaneia; but it also comes with the parousia; for, as we have seen, the parousia brings the resurrection, which is in response to the “last trump,” at the sounding of which “the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.” This is also “the time of the dead, that they should be judged.” Rev. 11: 15-18. Again, the commission to “preach the word,” “rebuke, exhort,” etc., does not expire until the epiphaneia; but all the preachers of God’s word are delivered at the parousia. It is certain, therefore, that they are simultaneous. Christ declared that “the wheat and tares” are to remain “together” in “the field” until “the harvest,” or “end of the age;” while this secret-rapture theory teaches that all the wheat is removed, and the tares left standing, before the end.

The Blessed Hope

Paul exhorts Timothy thus: “That thou keep this commandment [to follow righteousness, etc.] without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing [epiphaneia] of our Lord Jesus Christ.” It is evident from this that the saints’ probation continues until the epiphaneia, which could not be true if they are made immortal by a previous parousia. The “blessed hope,” for which we are to look, and until the consummation of which we are to “live soberly,” etc., is “the glorious [epiphaneia] appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” Titus 2: 11-13. “What a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?” The hope continues until the epiphaneia. There is a crown laid up for Paul, and for “all them also that love His [Christ’s] appearing [epiphaneia].” Will they then receive it at a previous parousia?—No!

The climax of the argument, however, on this point, is reached in 2 Thess. 2: 8: “And then shall that Wicked [the man of sin] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the [epiphaneia tees parousias autou] brightness of His coming.” Here both words are applied to one action, epiphaneia being rendered “brightness,” and parousia, “coming.” The idea is, that the power and glory, the lightning flash of His parousia, shall destroy the great papal hierarchy and church, when the rising church shall “rejoice over her.” Rev. 18: 20-24; 19: 1-7. This passage proves, first, that the parousia and epiphaneia are simultaneous; and, secondly, that the career of “the man of sin” ends (instead of begins) at the parousia, when the saints are delivered, and does not extend to a subsequent epiphaneia, as some of those secret-coming people believe.

From all the foregoing considerations, I can but characterize this “secret coming” as one of the most glaring of errors; and it is one that has already wrought much mischief. “Let no man deceive you!” If they say, “Behold, He is in the secret chambers, believe it not!” The mighty voice, the loud-sounding trumpet, the quaking earth, the passing away of the heavens “with a great noise,” the resurrection and translation of saints, and the destruction of sinners, will all attend the parousia of the Son of God. God grant that for that soon coming day we may all be ready.