What Is The Parousia?

What is the Parousia? What does it mean for believers and unbelievers?

The Meaning of Parousia

The Apostle Paul writes about the coming of Jesus Christ again, the Second Advent, in 1st Thessalonians 4:15-16 where he writes “For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” The Greek word Paul uses for the word “coming” is “Parousia” which means “coming, arrival” or “advent” so the word Parousia simply means “coming” in these verses with the coming referring to Jesus Christ’s Second Advent.

What is the Parousia?

We touched on the meaning of the world “Parousia” in 1st Thessalonians 4 but this word can be used for anyone or anything that’s coming as Paul did in 1st Corinthians 16:17-18 where he wrote “I rejoice at the coming (parousia) of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people.” Paul and the other authors of the New Testament use this same word as in “the coming of Titus” (2nd Cor 7:6) and where the Apostle John writes “And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming” (1st John 2:28) as well as where James writes “You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (James 5:8). Simply put, “Parousia” means “coming” or “a coming” if it is used in the future indicative.

Jesus’ Second Advent

Jesus promised the disciples before going to the cross to die and then returning to the Father that “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18) “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3) so Jesus taught, as well as the other Apostles, that He is coming again…a second time and this is called the Second Advent. It is the hope of every believer. Jesus promised that “For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matt 24:27) and “Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes” (Matt 24:346) however, “the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt 24:50-51). That servant would be you or anyone who’s never repented and trusted in Christ. He is coming again but the question is; how many believe it? How many today expect it? Even among Christians, do we really believe it? We had better believe it because Jesus promised it and even the angels proclaimed after Jesus’ ascension into heaven “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

Scoffers

In the last days, Peter knew that there would be skeptics and scoffers who would virtually laugh at people who believe in Jesus’ Second coming, so in Peter’s last letter before his death he wrote “This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires” (2nd Pet 2:1-3). Even people’s reaction to Jesus’ coming again, they are fulfilling this prophecy by scoffing at this and ridiculing those who believe it. Jude wrote that “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions” (Jude 1:18).

Conclusion

The more people ridicule those who know Jesus is coming again, the they are fulfilling prophecy by denying the Lord’s coming and even His own existence. That will be eternally regretful for them after their death (Heb 9:27; Rev 20:12-15, 21:8). Jesus Himself prophecies that “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming (parousia) of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming (parousia) of the Son of Man” (Matt 24:37-39).

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.