Page 165 - The Rapture Question by John F. Walvoord

The Rapture Question: Revised and Enlarged Edition

Argument From Terminology for the
Return of Christ
Both pretribulationists and posttribulationists have been
guilty of confusing the real issue by injecting technical mean­
ing for certain words referring to the return of Christ. The
principal words cited arc parousia, usually translated “com­
ing,” apokalupsis. translated "revelation,” and epiphancia.
translated “appearing.”
Posttribulationists have argued that all three of these
terms arc used in connection with the return of Christ after
the Tribulation. The error lies in the attempt to make these
words technical expressions referring to the Second Advent.
A simple concordance study will demonstrate that these arc
general rather than specific terms and that all three of them
are used of the coming of Christ at the translation and may
also refer to His coming at the Second Advent. Their common
use no more proves that the two events are one and the same
than the use of any other ordinary word.40
The "coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achai-
cus,” Paul's friends (1 Cor. 16:17 Kjv), "the coming of Titus’’
(2 Cor. 7:6-7). the "coming” of Paul himself (Phil. 1:26 Kjv),
and the “coming" of the lawless one (2 Thess. 2:9), and the
“coming” of the “day of God” (2 Peter 3:12 Kjv) arc
certainly not one and die same “coming.” The use ofparousia
in these passages proves it is not a technical word. The same
word is used of the coming of the Lord at the translation
(1 Cor. 15:23; 1 Thess. 2:19; 4:15; 5:23; 2 Thess. 2:1; James
5:7-8; 1 John 2:28). Some pretribulationists have erred in
claiming the word parousia as a technical word referring to the
Rapture. That this is not correct is shown by its usage in
passages referring to the coming of Christ after the Tribula­
tion (Matt. 24:3, 27, 37, 39; 1 Thess. 3:13; 2 Thess. 2:8; 2 Peter
1:16).
The word apokalupsis, translated “revelation,” is likewise
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