Theology of Jesus’ Advents

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1. Introduction

We hear many references to Jesus’ Advents. In particular, we hear references to the Second Coming (the parousia) of Jesus Christ, as if parousia is Jesus’ Final Coming. If we quickly search the Bible for the words ‘Second Coming’, we will find no mention of them. In this lesson, we will learn that the word parousia is not limited to Jesus’ final return.

A. Danger of Thinking There Are Only Two Comings of Jesus

So how many advents (parousia) are there? Commonly taught, there are two comings of Christ in the New Testament. However, there are many more than two – there are six. Four of these relate to the time Jesus spent on earth, from 3 BCE to 30 CE. There were also Pre-Incarnations of Jesus in the Old Testament, like with Joshua, when He appeared as the Commander of the Host.

Awakening Impact Ministries believes that Jesus will return at the end of this age and hand the kingdom back to the Father.

2. What Does Coming in the Greek Language Mean?

A. Erchomai

This word for ‘coming’ is used 599 times in the New Testament and refers to many different comings, not only to Jesus.

ἔρχομαι erchomai; to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively): — accompany, appear,
bring, come, enter, fall out, go, grow, x light, x next, pass, resort, be set.

For example:

Jesus said to him , “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Matthew 26:64

C. Parousia

The second word for coming in Greek is Parousia, which is more specific;

παρουσία parousia; being near, i.e. advent (often, return; especially, of Christ to punish Jerusalem, or finally the wicked); (by implication) physically, aspect: — coming, presence.

Parousia refers to a conquering army general coming into the capital city.
Parousia is used 24 times in the New Testament to refer to different comings (advents), not just the Second Coming of Christ.

3. Erroneous Teaching Around the Final Coming of Jesus.

A. Error #1. Parousia Only Refers to Jesus’ Final Return

As we examine the different times of parousia, we will see that parousia does not only refer to Jesus’s final return.

Many theologians and teachers describe the Futurist view as biblically naive, inaccurate, and dangerous to the kingdom of God.

B. Error #2. The Final Parousia of Jesus Christ Occurred in 70CE

Preterists believe that Jesus’ Second Parousia, the resurrection of the dead, and Judgment Day have all occurred at the destruction of Jerusalem.

We will now look at the parousia through a partial preterist mindset, which I believe is a biblically accurate view.

4. Parousia: Used for Ordinary People.

Contrary to what some people say, parousia not only refers to His Second coming. Like erchomai, parousia describes ‘coming’ in a very usual way:

A. Friendship

I am glad about the parousia of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, for what was lacking on your part they supplied.

1 Corinthians 16:17

B. Ministerial Support

For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts; inside were fears. Nevertheless, God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the parousia of Titus,

2 Corinthians 7:5-6

C. Paul’s Presence Amongst Believers

“For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but his bodily parousia is weak, and his speech contemptible.”

2 Corinthians 10:10

D. The “Parousia” of the Lawless One

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The parousia of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,

2 Thessalonians 2:8-9

So we see that parousia was a common word NOT SPECIFIC to Jesus’ physical appearance at the end of the age.

5. Jesus’ Comings

Now that we have determined that neither parousia nor erchomai is specific to Jesus’ return at the end of the age, we can examine the different times Jesus came.

A. His Virgin Birth.

All faithful theologians agree that Jesus’s first coming as the Son of God was at His birth in a manger. Jesus’s first coming in 3 BCE occurred during Herod’s reign and before 1 BCE, the time of Herod’s death and Jesus reaching two years of age.

B. The Commencement of His Ministry

The next coming of Jesus was when He started His earthly three-and-a-half-year ministry in late 26 CE.

From this man’s seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Saviour—Jesus— after John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

Acts 13:23-24

We know this reference to Jesus’ coming is not His birth because it occurs after John commenced his ministry. The context and timing are related to Jesus’ baptisms.

C. His Coming at the Transfiguration

Here, Peter refers to Jesus, glorious transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13).

For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming (parousia) of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honour and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

2 Peter 1:16-18

Some have disputed that Peter indeed wrote this epistle. In 2 Peter, Peter writes that he was on the Mount of Transfiguration. Peter wrote this epistle before his death in 64 CE. Therefore, like John’s epistles, the epistle dates before the destruction of Jerusalem. Understanding this is vital because Peter refers to being in the last days, which ended in 70 CE.

knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,

2 Peter 3:3

D. Jesus’ Coming for His Enthronement

Thrones (Dan 7 v10ff) were set in place for His ascension and enthronement after His resurrection in 30 CE.

“I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.

Daniel 7:13

E. Jesus Parousia in Judgment on Israel in 66 CE.

Jesus said He would return on the clouds of glory within one generation of His prophecy.

For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

Matthew 24:27-28

Saying this scripture refers to a future event is saying Jesus is a false prophet. Jesus links it to the armies surrounding Jerusalem on November 16, 66 CE and April 14, 70 CE. The eagle refers to the Roman armies.

“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.

Luke 21:20

F. Jesus Returns in the Future

so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

1 Thessalonians 3:13

Here are some other references to His final coming in the future.

For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

1 Corinthians 11:26

There are many other references to the future return of Jesus, including 1 Cor.
11:26; 15:23–24; 1 Thes. 4:14–17; 2 Thes. 1:7–8; 2 Tim. 4:1; Titus 2:13; Heb. 9:28
We need to be careful not to assume that what we have understood about the coming of
Jesus is correct. We do know He is coming again.

6. Three Historians’ Account of Jesus’ Coming in 66 CE

Jesus appeared over Jerusalem on 21st May, 66 CE, four years before its destruction in September 70 CE. This is the 9th day of Sivan, 3826 in the Hebrew Calendar. We will look at His coming in detail in a separate study, but here are three accounts by different historians:

A. Josephus

On the twenty-first day of the month of Artemisius [Jyar], a certain prodigious and incredible phenomenon appeared; I suppose the account of it would seem to be a fable, were it not related by those that saw it, and were not the events that followed it of so considerable a nature as to deserve such signals; for, before sunsetting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding of cities

Josephus The Wars of the Jews 6.5.3

B. Tacitus

“In the sky appeared a vision of armies in conflict, of glittering armour.”

Tacitus The Histories 5.13

C. Pseudo-Hegesippus

“A certain figure appeared of tremendous size, which many saw, just as the books of the Jews have disclosed, and before the setting of the sun there were suddenly seen in the clouds chariots in the clouds and armed battle arrays by which the cities of all Iudaea and its territories were invaded.”

Pseudo-Hegesippus 44.

7. Sign of the Son of Man

A. At the Time of the Tribulation

When we read the NKJV, it seems that Jesus will come after the tribulation finishes. However, a careful look at the Greek shows a different sequence in the coming of the Son of Man.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Matthew 24:29

The first word in this verse is immediately, but the second word is mistranslated as ” after”. The Greek word here is μετά meta denoting accompaniment; “amid”.

It teaches us that immediately at the same time as the tribulation the sun will be darkened and the moon will lose its light.

In the next verse we read the following:

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Matthew 24:30

The first word in this verse is τότε tote, which is more correctly translated as “then, at that time”. In other words, this verse does not imply a sequential relationship. The sign of the Son of Man will be at the time of the Great Tribulation.

B. Sign of the Son of Man

We need to realise that this is the sign of the Son of Man coming in the clouds, it is not the actual or final coming of Jesus Christ. So when a sign of Jesus came in 66 CE, it was a sign of the impending judgment on Jerusalem and the surrounding cities. It was a sign that He was coming with His army.

C. Tribes of the Earth

In this same verse, it says that all the tribes of the earth will see the sign.

The term used here for tribes refers to the Jewish tribes spread across the earth of that time.

The word tribes is φυλή phylē; a tribe in the NT, all the persons descended from one of the twelve sons of the patriarch, Jacob

So Jesus is saying that all the Jewish tribes from across the earth gathered after Pentecost will see it.

D. Pentecost: A Celebration by Tribes of Nations

The Book of acts tells us that Pentecost was a time when people of all iffernet nations gathereed together to celebrate this Jewish festival:

And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.

Acts 2:5

Later in that chapter we fin that they come from great distances:

Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,

Acts 2:9-10

8. Tribes of the Earth in Jerusalem, 66 CE.

A. Passover Population 66 CE

The Passover of 66 CE was potentially the largest population Jerusalem had experienced in its history. Josephus tells us that there were 256,500 sacrifices on the first day of Passover. Given the requirement of ten people for the meal, it follows that there must have been at least 2,700,200 people in Jerusalem two months before Jesus made His appearance.

B. Josephus’ Calculation:

So these high priests, upon the coming of their feast which is called the Passover, when they slay their sacrifices, from the ninth hour till the eleventh, but so that a company not less than ten belong to every sacrifice (for it is not lawful for them to feast singly by themselves), and many of us are twenty in a company, found the number of sacrifices was two hundred and fifty-six thousand five hundred; which, upon the allowance of no more than ten that feast together, amounts to two million seven hundred thousand and two hundred persons that were pure and holy; for as to those that have the leprosy, or the gonorrhea, or women that have their monthly courses, or such as are otherwise polluted, it is not lawful for them to be partakers of this sacrifice nor indeed for any foreigners either, who come hither to worship.

Josephus 6.424

It is quite possible that nearly three million people from different tribes across the known world were there when Jesus made an appearance over Jerusalem and the cities of Judea a fortnight after Pentecost.

C. Table of Events of 66 CE

The unrest started on the 16th of May

9. Joel’s Promise of Pentecost and the Destruction of Jerusalem

On the day of Pentecost, Peter, talking to the Jews, quoted Joel in his reference to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.

Acts 2:17

To the Jews, this would have been not just a tremendous promise but also a warning. Peter continued telling them to repent, warning the Jews of what was going to happen to that wicked generation:

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”

Acts 2:38-40

Why was it a warning? Because it tells them what is about to happen to those who do not repent:

Before them, the people writhe in pain;
All faces are drained of colour.
They run like mighty men,
They climb the wall like men of war;
Everyone marches in formation,
And they do not break ranks.
They do not push one another.
Everyone marches in his own column.
Though they lunge between the weapons,
They are not cut down.
They run to and fro in the city,
They run on the wall;
They climb into the houses,
They enter through the windows like thieves.
The earth quakes before them,
The heavens tremble;
The sun and moon grow dark,
And the stars diminish their brightness.
The LORD gives voice before His army,
For His camp is very great;
For strong is the One who executes His word.
For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible;
Who can endure it?

Joel 2:6-11

It is essential to understand that Joel is saying the Roman army conquering Jerusalem and destroying the Temple was God’s army fulfilling that Day of the Lord in that time in history.

10. Caiaphas Will See His Coming

Jesus promised Caiaphas would see His coming on the clouds.

A. Family History

Caiaphas was one of six brothers. His brother Ananus was High Priest until 68 CE when He was killed by John the Zealot and the Moabites. Although some sources say Caiaphas was born in 14 BCE, and died in 46 CE, there are no records detailing his birth or death. The only record is Jesus’ own words, saying that Caiaphas would see the Son of Man, sitting at the right hand of God, and coming on the clouds of heaven. As Christians, we must take this as the best source of all. So let’s look at what his age could have been and when he could have died.

B. Caiaphas Age Consideration

If he were indeed born in 14 BCE, then he would be seventy when Jesus came in the clouds. This is not too old as we know that the Apostle John lived into his nineties. However, it is unlikely that he was that old.

C. Caiaphas’ Marriage

The High Priest required that they be married to fulfil their priestly duties. So much so that before the Day of Atonement, there was always a second woman ready for him to marry should his wife die before the Day of Atonement, so he could enter the Holy of Holies.

The High Priest from Annas was born in 22 BCE. Caiaphas was married to the daughter of Annas:

And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year.

John 18:13

There is no mention of Caiaphas having more than one wife. Because we know Annas was born in 23-22 BCE, then his daughter would have been born sometime after 6 BCE. It is therefore more likely that Ananias was born around the time of Jesus’ birth in 4 BCE. This would make him around 60 to 65 years of age when He saw Jesus coming in the clouds, just as Jesus prophesied.

D. Caiaphas’ Death

We do not know when Caiaphas died. Josephus refers to high priests (plural). For example:

The best esteemed also of the high priests, Jesus the son of Gamala, and Ananus the son of Ananus, when they were at their assemblies, bitterly reproached the people for their sloth, and excited them against the zealots;

Josephus 4.160

Even after they were no longer in office, high priests still retained their name. They were no longer high priest until they died, as during the times of Moses:

And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.”

John 11:49-50

Their priesthood was decided on a year-by-year basis. Originally, the decision of who would be the high priest was made by the Jews, but over time, it became more of a religious and political decision.

I assert that Caiaphas died with his nephew Ananus in 67 CE at the hands of John the Zealot and the Idumeans (Moabites) after seeing Jesus in the clouds. Jesus is a true prophet!

8. Summary of Jesus’ Comings

• Jesus has come five times.
• Jesus is yet to return for His final return.
• Parousia is not limited to the Second Coming.
• The Tribes of the Earth that Jesus said would see him were the two to three million Jews from many nations in Jerusalem after Passover.
• Jesus came on the clouds with His armies over Jerusalem as He prophesied He would within one generation, seen by Caiaphas as He promised.

© Use by Permission Awakening Impact Ministries/Dr Neville Westerbeek van Eerten D.Miss. 2026