Olivet Discourse Part 8

The MANIFESTATION of His Coming [Advent]

Matthew 24:23-35

At this point we will take a slight digression from the parables of the Olivet Discourse to consider the visible aspect of Jesus’ Second Advent. As we have seen “the coming of the Son of Man”[1] covers an extended period. His coming begins with the Rapture just as God’s judgments start to fall on a world unprepared for them.[2] The process of that coming continues through the period of “travail” on the earth.[3] When the abomination of desolation stands in the rebuilt Jewish Temple, Jesus’ Israeli disciples will know (like the 10 virgins) that the Bridegroom is on His way and getting close![4] Therefore, the Lord’s descent in the clouds to rapture the Christian Church[5] is only the first phase of His return from heaven to earth.[6] The Church is then with Him “in the clouds”.[7] But it is also “in the clouds” that He is revealed to all men on earth at the end of the Great Travail.[8] Jesus’ words clearly suggest that “the coming [advent] of the Son of Man” will have a manifestation at the conclusion of the Great Travail.[9] The Apostle Paul also understood Jesus’ words in this way when he writes:

And then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the manifestation of His presence.[10]

The sudden appearance of the Son of Man in the clouds of heaven is nothing less than a “revelation from heaven [sky]”[11] of His hidden “coming” or “presence”. The manifestation of His coming on the clouds of the sky will be visible to everyone on earth.[12] When this glorious revelation of His coming takes place, the Church will already be with her Bridegroom in the clouds.[13] But His believing people, who were saved during the birth pangs of the new age, will be here on earth to see Him coming on those very clouds.[14] They will welcome Him back to earth as their King.[15]

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[1] Cf. Matt. 24:27, 37, 39.

[2] Matt. 24:36-44.

[3] Cf. Matt. 24:15-22.

[4] Cf. Matt. 24:15-19, 25:6.

[5] 1 Thess. 4:16-17.

[6] From a human perspective, after catching up the Church (His Bride) to Himself, He slows down. But no doubt this is only from a human perspective.

[7] 1 Thess. 4:17.

[8] Matt. 24:29-30; Cf. Rev. 1:7. In other words, mankind sees Him already on the clouds where His Church has already met Him! The “coming” [advent] which began quite some time before [humanly speaking] is now manifest to all humanity.

[9] Note Matt. 24:23-28. In those verses, Jesus teaches that during the Great Travail He will not be secretly revealed to men (vs. 23-26) but He will be known openly just like lightning flashes across the entire sky (vs. 27). Jesus then describes this manifestation in verses 29-30.

[10] 2 Thess. 2:8. “manifestation” is a translation of the Greek word ἐπιφάνεια epiphaneia which refers to “a visible and sudden manifestation of a hidden divinity” [BDAG].  “presense” here is the Greek word παρουσία parousia = advent which “served as a sacred expression for the coming of a hidden divinity who makes his presence felt by a revelation of his power” [BDAG]. So Paul’s words can refer to the sudden manifestation of the previously concealed arrival of the King of Kings. His hidden arrival is suddenly revealed to the doom of “the lawless one” [that is, the first “Beast” of Revelation 13]. Thus the “advent (coming) of the Son of Man” that began when earthly life was proceeding as normal is abruptly manifested.

[11] See 2 Thess. 1:7-8.

[12] Matt. 24:30, Rev. 1:7.

[13] 1 Thess. 4:17. Cf. Eph. 5:22-33, Rev. 19:6-9.

[14] Matt. 24:30.

[15] Luke 1:32-33, Rev. 12:5.