Letters to the Church

The arrival of Jesus will mean vindication and rest for the righteous, but everlasting loss for the wicked - 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10. The “ Revelation ” of Jesus “ from Heaven ” will mean vindication and reward for his faithful followers but a great loss to all men and women who reject the Gospel, especially those who persecute the Church. The return of the Lord will generate “ just judgment ” for the righteous and the wicked.

The saints will be assembled before Jesus on the Last Day, and the wicked will be collected for judgment and cast from his presence . On the Last Day, the righteous and the unrighteous are “ gathered ” before Jesus, the former for vindication and salvation, and the latter for judgment and condemnation. This event is linked in the New Testament to Christ’s “ arrival ” at the end of the age. On that day, he will resurrect the dead, judge the dead and living, terminate the “ Last Enemy, Death ,” and consummate the Kingdom of God.

Several Greek terms are applied by the New Testament to the return of Jesus, including ‘ Parousia ’ (“arrival”), ‘ erchomai ’ (“coming”), and ‘ epiphaneia ’ (“appearance”). Regardless of which is used, it is always singular in number, referring to only one future “ arrival ,” “ appearance ,” or “ coming .” The term ‘ Parousia ’ is used most often in the letters of Paul, though not exclusively so. It denotes an “arrival” rather than the process of someone or something “coming.”

At the revelation of Jesus from Heaven, the saints will experience glory, but the wicked will receive everlasting destruction . The Apostle Paul describes members of the Corinthian congregation as those “ eagerly waiting for the Revelation of our Lord Jesus ,” which he connects to the “ Day of the Lord .” In his letters, Paul refers to Christ’s return as the ‘ Parousia ’ (“ arrival ”), the ‘ erchomai ’ (“ coming ”), and the ‘ epiphaneia ’ (“ manifestation ”) of Jesus, as well as his “ Revelation ” or ‘ apocalypsis .”