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A -- I have collected together various items that constitute the
immediate contexts of the word parousia in its various occurrences and should
be pleased for any help you can give me as to their effect upon our
understanding of the Lord's Coming.
B -- Will you go over the list first so that we may have the scope of
the inquiry before us?
A
Scripture Reference
Immediate Context
(1)
Matt. 24:3
`The end of the world'.
(2)
Matt. 24:27,29
`As the lightning'.
`Immediately after the tribulation'.
(3)
Matt. 24:37
`The days of Noah'.
(4)
Matt. 24:39
`The flood'.
(5)
1 Cor. 15:28
`The end ... God all in all'.
(6)
1 Thess. 2:19
`The crown of rejoicing'.
(7)
1 Thess. 3:13
`Coming with all His saints'.
(8)
1 Thess. 4:15
`Those alive and waiting shall not prevent
those who are asleep'.
(9)
1 Thess. 5:23
`The whole spirit and soul and body preserved
blameless'.
(10)
2 Thess. 2:2
`The day of the Lord'.
(11)
2 Thess. 2:8
`The destruction of the wicked'.
(12)
James 5:7
`Patience needed'.
`The early and latter rain'.
(13)
2 Pet. 1:16 -19
`The transfiguration'.
`Prophecy'.
(14)
2 Pet. 3:4
`Scoffers in the last days deny'.
B -- This is a fairly formidable list, and will occupy more time than
we can give at one sitting. Let us however make a commencement with the
references in Matthew 24:
`Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy
coming, and of the end of the world?' (verse 3).
`These things' have reference to the destruction of the temple
buildings. `The end of the world' would be better translated `the gathering
point just before the end of the age'. This latter passage we may have to
consider more carefully at another time. The immediate question is What
shall be the sign of Thy coming? The very first thing the Lord does in
answering this threefold question is to warn against deception:
`Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name,
saying, I am Christ (the Messiah); and shall deceive many' (verses 4
and 5).
A -- What do you think will be the character of their deception:
B -- These false christs will have false signs, `And shall show great
signs' (24).