IN THE LAST TRUMP

        In this chapter I will consider some Greek words that refer to the coming of our Lord. These words are very forceful with reference to the time element of the Coming, and are all applicable to the Glory Coming and Revelation of the Lord.
        Before I became convinced that there will be only one phase of the Second Advent, I searched the Scriptures from the view-point of these Greek words many times without satisfaction. I felt that surely if there were two phases of the Second Advent it would be revealed. It is certainly true that these words are very revealing, but of one coming and not two.

        "Apokalupto" is a combination of two words. "Apo" which primarily means, from. It also means, to loose; liberate; ransom; remove; etc. "Kalupto" means, to hide; conceal; cover; throw a veil over; etc. The two words together mean, to uncover, reveal; disclose; distinctly declare; to be discovered in true character; to lay open what has been veiled or covered up.
        This word is used in II Thess. 2:3, 6, and 8 having reference to the revelation of the man of sin in his true character. The true character of the man of sin will be veiled over (covered up) at the time he makes the covenant with the Jews. It is when he breaks the covenant, causes the Jewish sacrifices to stop, and stands himself in the temple claiming that he is God that he is unveiled in true character.
        The word is also used many times of Christ. Rev. 1:1, "The revelation of Jesus Christ." Again in I Pet. 1:7, "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at (in) the appearing (revelation) of Jesus Christ." Peter is consoling those who are persecuted and tried by encouraging them to look toward the revelation of Jesus Christ at which time they will be rewarded. Mark that they are not told to look toward some secret, pre-revelation coming of Christ. Many teach that the resurrection, rapture, rewarding of the saints, and the marriage of the Lamb will take place before the revelation of Christ. If such were true, the saints would have been encouraged to look eagerly toward that time and not to the revelation. The Greek word translated "appearing" is actually "revelation." It has already been proven that the judgment seat of Christ is after He comes in glory (Matt. 16:27; Mark 8:38; and Luke 9:26); and after He begins to reign (Rev. 11:15-19).
        I Pet. 1:13 speaks with the same voice as verse 7. "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." The saints are told to maintain a posture of eager expectation of the revelation of Christ, not some appearing prior to that time. This looking for the revelation of Christ is for the benefit of all the saved (faithful especially). I call attention to this because some will be inclined to think that maybe the faithful would be taken out before this time. There will indeed be an exceeding great distinction made between the faithful and the unfaithful rightly enough, but that distinction will not be made until the revelation of Christ in glory.
        I Pet. 4:13 tells us to rejoice when we are partakers of Christ's sufferings, "that in the revelation of his glory" we may be glad also with exceeding joy. Here Peter again looks forward to the revelation of Jesus Christ for the rewarding day. The sufferings resulting from the bitter trials of the faith of many have many times been almost unbearable, yet, because they esteemed "the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt," they shall receive that cherished reward in the revelation of the glory of Christ.
        I Cor. 1:7 says, "So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming (revelation) of our Lord Jesus Christ." With reference to the words "waiting for," A. T. Robertson says, "This double compound is late and rare outside of Paul (I Cor. 1:7; Gal. 5:5; Rom. 8:19, 23, 25; Phil. 3:20), I Pet. 3:20; Heb. 9:28. It is an eager expectancy of the second coming of Christ here termed revelation like the eagerness in "prosdechomenoi" in Titus 2:13 for the same event. As if that attitude of expectation were the highest posture that can be attained here by the Christian (F. W. Robertson)." You will observe that the church at Corinth was not admonished to wait for a secret coming, but "the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ." The day of the Lord (revelation of the Lord) should not overtake us as a thief, I Thess. 5:4. Observe the reference to the "day of the Lord Jesus Christ" in verse 8. These two verses teach us that the "revelation of Christ," "the day of the Lord," and "the day of Christ," all occur at the same time; and it is that time that the saints are to be eagerly expecting.
        The same Greek word is used in Luke 17:30. It is at the revelation of the Son of man that God's people are going to realize that they have either saved their lives or lost their lives; when one is taken and the other left. It is with a view to the revelation of the Son of man that we need to remember Lot's wife whose affections were back in Sodom; making sure that our affections are set on things above and not on the "stuff" in the house, to the extent that our leap will be toward the Lord and not toward the "stuff" (jewels, clothing, bank account, etc.). The resurrection, the rapture, and the judgment seat of Christ, all take place at the revelation of Christ.
        We find some very revealing and comforting teachings from the words of Paul in II Thess. 1. As a servant of the Lord whose sufferings mounted exceedingly, he was well able to comfort others who were joyfully, but sometimes faintingly, bearing the reproach of Christ. Concerning such tribulations, he said, "Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer; seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day."
        The words "when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven," are actually, "in the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven." It is at the time of the revelation of Christ that God will "recompense tribulation to those who trouble the saints." It is at this same revelation of Christ that the troubled saints are going to rest. There are at least eight things of special note in these verses which I will give as follows:
        (1). These saints were undergoing severe "persecutions and tribulations" (verses 4-5). The tribulations of these saints, and the relationship of such tribulations to the return of the Lord, provided one of the occasions for the writing of the second epistle to the Thessalonians.
        (2). It is God's righteous judgment that the saints should undergo such sufferings in order to be "counted worthy of the kingdom of God" (verse 5). This harmonizes with Acts 14:22.
        (3). It is also God's righteous judgment to "recompense tribulation" to those who troubled the saints (verse 6), which will take place at the time of the revelation of Christ as the seventh verse shows.
        (4). The saints will rest "when the Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels" (verse 7). The apostle gives no encouragement to the saints to look for some earlier coming of the Lord than the revelation. The passage is most clear that in the revelation of Christ the saints will "rest" and receive their reward from their sufferings. This makes it necessary to understand that there will be no rest for the troubled saints on earth until the revelation of Christ. This further necessitates that the resurrection and rapture is at the time of the revelation. Of course, the saints are at rest in heaven at the present time, therefore, it is necessary to understand that this rest entertains the resurrection, rapture and glorification of the saints. At the present time the nations have the upper hand and are troubling the saints, but in the revelation of Christ the saints will be set at rest from the persecutions of the nations, and the time of trouble for the nations will have come.
        (5). The revelation of Christ is unquestionably world-wide. All who have not obeyed the gospel will receive this revelation of wrath. This is therefore the time when Christ begins to reign over the earth for one thousand years.
        (6). The wrath of God and Christ upon those who have troubled the saints will come at the time of the revelation of Christ from heaven (verses 7-9). It is necessary to associate this fact with all the scriptures dealing with the wrath of God. The vials of wrath (Rev. 15 and 16) must follow the revelation of Christ. This "recompense" of tribulation upon those who have troubled the saints comes at the time of the revelation of Christ, not before that time. How beautiful is this harmony of the Word!
        (7). All those who have not obeyed the gospel will be punished with everlasting destruction at this time (verses 7-8). This means that there will not be one lost person left upon the earth to proceed through the Millennium. There will be lost people on the earth soon after this time, but they will be born to saved people who enter the Millennium in physical bodies. Other scriptures, such as Isa. 13:9; Matt. 13:41-45; Matt. 25:31-46; Jude 14-15; etc., may be studied for additional proof that all lost people will be removed from the earth at the beginning of the Millennium.
        (8). Christ will be glorified in the saints also at the time of the revelation of Christ from heaven (verse 10). The word "when" of verse 10, translated from the Greek word "HOTAN," is very specific, and is joined also to the revelation of Christ in verse 7. Thus the saints were again encouraged to look for the revelation of Christ, and not toward some coming prior to that time.
        Now let us carry the discussion into II Thess. 2:1-3 for a moment. It is clear from verse 2 that these saints were somewhat troubled relative to the approach of the "day of Christ" (Lord -- Greek). These first two verses of chapter 2 also make it clear that the time when the saints are gathered together to the Lord is at the time that the day of Christ begins. We have just seen from I Cor. 1:7-8 that the "revelation of Christ," "the day of the Lord," "the day of the Lord Jesus," and "the day of the Lord Jesus Christ," all take place at the same time. It is quite needful that the student of the Word study carefully these two chapters in light of such thoughts.
        The spirits of the dead saints come with the Lord from heaven (I Thess. 4), while the bodies of the same saints leave the graves and ascend to meet the Lord in the air to be reunited with the spirits (I Thess. 4). The living saints also from around the globe will circle the earth to meet the Lord high above Jerusalem, where they are soon met by the remnant of Israel who have been kept in hiding by God through the reign of the Anti-Christ.

        "Epiphaino" is also a composite word. "Epi" means, upon; over; above; before; etc. "Phaino" means, to bring forth into the light; to cause to shine; to show; be bright or resplendent; etc. The two words together mean to shine upon; to shed light upon; to make clearly manifest; etc. It may add to our understanding if we think of this word as shining a spotlight upon something. When a light is turned on, our attention is not only called to the light but also to other things around about us which the light manifests. When a spotlight is turned on, our attention is especially called to whatever object it shines upon. When Christ shines upon something it means that He will manifest the true character, quality, etc., of that thing. Thus this word signifies the judgment of whatever is shined upon.
        The word is used in II Thess. 2:8; "and shall destroy with the brightness (shining upon) of his coming." Christ will destroy the Antichrist by putting him in the spotlight. When Christ shines upon the Antichrist He will manifest to all, the true character, quality, power, weakness, and complete destruction of the Antichrist. The Antichrist will be revealed to the saints and the Jews when he breaks the covenant in the midst of the week, but Christ will do a double first-class job of revealing him to all the world when He comes in glory. Christ will not only bring out the true character of the Antichrist, but will manifest his doom also. The Antichrist will be revealed in the midst of the week as the destroying one, but the shining upon of Christ shall reveal him as the one being destroyed.
        Paul used this word "shining upon" again in I Tim 4:14 by charging Timothy to keep a specified "commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing (shining upon) of our Lord Jesus Christ." Paul did not speak of a secret coming, but of the shining upon of our Lord Jesus Christ. The word "Epiphaino" speaks of judgment, and such can be seen from each of these references. The reason Paul used the word here is because Christ will determine whether or not Timothy has followed the charge Paul was giving in this verse.
        Again in II Tim 4:1 Paul says, "I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing (shining upon) and his kingdom." Here Paul charges Timothy with reference to three things: (1). The fact that Christ shall judge the living and the dead; (2). The fact that Christ shall shine upon him; (3). And the fact that the kingdom of Christ shall come. All three of these shall take place at the same time. The forward look is not toward a secret coming, but to the glorious shining upon of Christ.
        Paul says in II Timothy 4:8 that there is a crown of righteousness laid up for all who love the appearing (shining upon) of Christ. The word "shining upon" is used here because the element of rewards which requires judgment is significant. By this spotlight appearance, Christ will determine whether or not we have fought a good fight, finished our course, and kept the faith; and He shall reward us accordingly. The time of rewarding the saints is associated with the "shining upon" and the "revelation" with the same force and it is necessary for us to understand that these two words deal with the same time element.
        In Titus 2:13 we are also admonished to be "looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing (shining upon) of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." The word is also used in Acts 2:20: "that great and notable (shining upon) day of the Lord."

        "Phaino" (meaning given in Ephphaino). The word is sometimes used referring to the brightness of the sun, moon, stars and other lights (Rev. 1:16; 8:12; 18:23; 21:23; etc). One can get a blessing out of reading II Sam 23:4 and Ps 89:36-37 with this thought in mind.
        Jesus said that as the lightning comes out of the east, and "shines" even to the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be (Matt. 24:27). This set a good precedent in the usage of this word in relation to the Lord's coming. The context demands that this is the only coming of the Lord. Our Lord said for us never to heed the false claims of false prophets that he has made, or will make, a secret appearance somewhere, for His coming will be clearly manifested to all with no possibility for anyone being in doubt when it happens.
        Col 3:4 says, "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear (shine) then shall ye also appear (shine) with him in glory." This again refers to the glory coming of Christ. Observe that the saints will shine WITH Christ in glory. What is the extent of this shining? It is to the whole earth. This is what is meant in Jude 14-15 and the many related passages.
        I Pet. 5:4 says, "And when the chief shepherd shall appear (shine) ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." Peter again puts the judgment seat of Christ at the glory coming. When Christ shines in glory the saints will be received up into His presence and then they will shine with Him in the presence of all the earth.
        Observe also I John 2:28, "And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear (shine), we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." I John 3:2 follows the same thought; "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear (shine) what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear (shine), we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." Both of these last scriptures encourage us to look for the glory coming of our Lord. The force of the language is that we shall not go up until the glory coming. The glory coming is both for the saints and with the saints. These two verses, as well as I Pet. 5:4, deal with the receiving of rewards and therefore must be associated with the "shining upon" and the "revelation," both of which speak of the same time element.

        "Parousia" is also a composite word. "Para" means, beside; from beside; near; at; by; etc. "Eimi" means, to be; to exist; etc. The two words together mean, to be beside; to be present; body presence; etc. It carries the force of a lingering presence over a period of time; a short period, or maybe a longer period.
        II Thess. 2:8 says that the Antichrist will be destroyed by the shining upon of the body presence of our Lord. At one time I believed that Christ would destroy the Antichrist immediately at His coming, but such is not true. Christ begins to shine upon the Antichrist at the same time He begins to reign, and continues to do so through all seven vials, then casts him into the lake of fire at the consummation of the battle of Armageddon which is under the seventh vial. This phase of the body presence of our Lord embraces the entire period of God's wrath particularly (1335 days, Dan 12:12), and, of course, from that time on throughout the Millennium.
        The word "Paraousia" is used four times in Matt. 24, and is quite revealing when studied in the light of the whole chapter as well as the individual contexts. It is used first in verse 3 when the disciples asked, "and what shall be the sign of they coming?" (body presence). The next time the word is used is in verse 27 where Jesus compared His body presence to the lightning. We should quickly catch the connection of the "body presence" with the "shining" of the Lord. The body presence of the Lord is compared to the clearly manifested presence of lightning. The third and fourth times this word is used in Matt. 24 are in verses 37 and 39 in connection with the wrath of God which came upon the whole earth during the days of Noah. The flood did not come secretly some 3 1/2 or 7 years before it was made public to all the world. As the flood was observed and experienced by all the earth, so will the body presence of the Lord be observed and experienced by the earth.
        This word (Parousia) is used four times in I Thessalonians where it is also quite revealing when associated with other clear facts related to the Coming. It is first used in 2:19 concerning the crown which the faithful witnesses of the Lord will receive at the coming of the Lord. Here the body presence is associated with the rewarding of the saints which, as we have already seen, takes place "in the revelation of Christ," "the day of the Lord Jesus Christ," "the shining upon," "the shining," "the last (seventh) trump," etc.
        The other three places the word is used in I Thessalonians are in 2:13; 4:15; and 5:23. The same truths are forcefully conspicuous in all four of these passages. The saints will be sanctified wholly (body, soul, and spirit) and presented "Unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming (Parousia) of our Lord Jesus Christ." This also speaks of the judgment seat of Christ and rewards which take place at the same time that the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord (Rev. 11:15-19), at which time the saints will rest with Christ as He (with and through them, and the angels) rewards tribulation to the inhabitants of the earth (II Thess. 1). Since the "parousia" is the time of the receiving of rewards, then we must associate it with the "shining upon," the "shining," and the "revelation;" and the result is that we have the same time element in each.
        We find the word "parousia" used three times in II Thess. 2. It is used once of the Antichrist in verse 9, and used twice of Christ in verses 1 and 8. Paul says that the "body presence" is the time of our gathering together to the Lord (verse 1), and that it is by this same "body presence" that Christ "shines upon" the Antichrist to destroy him. It is quite necessary to associate the "parousia" of II Thess. 2 with the "apokalupto" of II Thess. 1:7; and also the "epiphaino" of II Thess. 2:8. We must associate it also with "the day of Christ" of II Thess. 2:2; and with the "shining" of the Lord in I John 2:28.
        I ask that James 5:7-8; II Pet. 1:16; II Pet. 3:4; and I John 2:28 also be studied in the light of the comments already given concerning the holy presence of the Lord. Peter used the word especially in connection with the coming kingdom of Christ into which we will enter abundantly, or, "so as by fire;" depending upon whether or not we have added the virtues and built with the proper materials (II Pet. 1:1-16; I Cor. 3:9-15). The entrance into the kingdom will not be until the seventh trumpet, for not until then will the kingdoms (singular in the Greek) of this world become the kingdom of Christ (Rev. 11:15-19). Christ will not judge His saints, nor the kingdoms of this earth, until the time these kingdoms become His kingdom.