Parousia

Parousia

Parousia (or "presence") of the Lord commences with the first rapture to the throne (Rev. 7.9). "Until the parousia of our Lord" of both the early rain and latter rain (James 5.7). 7 times parousia is applied to man in the Scriptures, 17 times refer to the Lord. Parousia caries with its meaning a very broad scope.

We deduce from the Scriptures that parousia includes both the throne and the air. It begins with the first rapture and ends with the appearing of Christ and His saints on earth. Thus parousia actually stands between the church and the kingdom. It comprises,

1) those worthy and ready to be raptured alive ("received") at first rapture to the throne (Matt. 24.37,40-41; Rev. 3.10, Luke 21.36); do remember that the throne is in heaven (Rev. 4.1-2).
2) tribulation and the Great Tribulation (see Daniel 9.27).
3a) the Lord descending to the air (1 Thess. 4.15-17; 1 Cor. 15.23).
3b) the dead shall rise; the general rapture of believers to the air (1 Thess. 4.15-17; 1 Cor. 15.50-52).
4) the appearing of Christ with His saints on earth (Jude 1.14,15) and bringing to nought the Antichrist (2 Thess. 2.8-9).

Apokalupsis (meaning "uncovering" or "revelation", that is to say, the Lord "reveals" Himself by uncovering the veil around Him; 1 Peter 1.7,13; 4.13; 1 Cor. 1.7; 2 Thess. 1.7) is included in the parousia. To have this revelation is to help people understand. Epiphaneia (meaning "appearing" is so that we can see Him after the curtain is raised, and we may see the Lord who has "appeared" and "seen" by us; 1 Tim. 6.14; 2 Tim. 1.10, 4.18,8; Tit. 2.13; 2 Thess. 2.8) is also included in the Lord's parousia. We do not wait for His coming to Earth. Though we do have the presence of the Lord today, this is spiritual and by faith. We look forward to that day when we shall see Him face to face. In other words, we shall see the Lord face to face at first rapture, for those of us who are ready to be received, otherwise we shall see His face when He steps down on the mount of olives, one way or another. This type of parousia of Christ returning with His saints literally to Earth, is shown in the type - 2 Peter 1.16,18 of eyewitnesses and of a voice of the Lord; that is both by eye and by ear. There is no mistaking it.

Parousia means presence so it takes two persons. Both the Person of the Christ and Christians being raptured to the air to meet Him there.

The Bible uses many different terms in Matt. 24 and 25: "come forward" (proserchomai), "come here" or "come hither" (deute), "to be present" or "to come upon" (heko), and "to come" (erchomai). To come in the latter instance does not include rapture of believers. All these terms show how accurately the Bible chooses its words.