We are not to look for Christ to be visible to human eyes when he comes again but we should not even think of his leaving heaven and coming within the confines of earth’s atmosphere for him to be present. He returns or “visits” the earth as did Jehovah in times past, by turning his attention to things of earth. Thus Jehovah did not literally come down or “visit” (
King James Version) the Israelites while they were in Egypt or at the time of the birth of John the Baptist; rather, he “turned his attention” to them. Likewise, when he began to call out a people from the nations for his name he did not literally “visit” but “turned his attention to the nations.” (Ex 4:31
; Luke 1:68
; Acts 15: 14,
NW) See also
An American Translation
With this thought we must disagree,
As is per the usual with most beliefs the pendulum tends to swing a bit too far one way or another, as there are those who advocate an actual visible appearance of our returned Lord, whether in spirit or in flesh so too there are those of the other extreme who claim that our Lord’s Second Advent does not involve his actual presence here on earth at all, but rather as was alluded to by our friend here, he simply intervenes in the affairs of earth, that is to say he turns his face or attention earthward to finish the work appointed. He himself remains in heaven sitting upon his throne even as the Father sits upon his throne, and from there he employs various agencies at his disposal whether human or angelic, animate or inanimate to accomplish the work.
The scriptures however contradict this idea altogether, three of noteworthy are the following,
“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence (face) of the Lord (GOD), and that He may
send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must
receive (retain) until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” (
Acts 3:19-21)
Here we have the Word of the Lord which clearly states that at the time appointed God will
send his Son once more to accomplish his will.
“This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven,
will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” (
Acts 1:11)
This “
same Jesus” howbeit now highly exalted, (a spirit being of the very same nature as that of the Father)
will come again in like manner as he left, quietly, secretly, without great show or fanfare known (seen) only by his faithful and watchful servants, but of prime importance here is the fact that
HE will come again.
“
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to
meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (
1 Thess 4:16, 17)
Here once again a physical appearance of the Lord is prophesied. Although this particular text uses highly figurative language it nevertheless depicts the Lord as descending from the heavens which heretofore had retained him until the appointed time. Here the last members of the body, the “
feet of him” are joined with him in the air,
not in heaven (at least not right away), but in the air, in the earth’s atmosphere.