The Blessed Hope and Glorious Appearing
What is the Blessed Hope that is promised to us in Titus 2:13? Is it a promise that we will be "Raptured" out of the earth prior to the Seven Year Tribulation period explained to us in Daniel and Revelation?
Titus 2:11-15
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, 13looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 14who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. 15These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority Let no one disregard you.
Please be aware that though there are many Christians that believe that they will NOT be here during the last days, the truth is that the scriptures simply do not provide any kind of evidence that a "Pre-Tribulation" rapture will take place. The Scriptures and the Church for nearly 1900 years never taught such an event.
As you will see in this study the scriptures overwhelmingly provide a clear and precise description of what will happen prior to the return of our Great God and Saviour Christ Jesus, and that we must endure to the end, which is the last day exactly as Jesus said.
Above in Titus 2 verse 13 we see Jesus' appearing we will look into the meaning of the word and then study the scriptures that are woven around its use and understand more fully the message that wraps itself around this subject.
The Greek word for appearing is epiphaneia, which is where we get the word epiphany which means “an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being”
G2015 – epiphaneia- e-pē-fä'-nā-ä
an appearing, appearance.
Note This word was often used by the Greeks of a glorious manifestation of their gods, and especially of their advent to help.
The very first time the appearing or epiphaneia is used is in II Thessalonians 2, and here we will find clear prerequisites that must occur prior to the appearing and second coming of the Lord.
II Thessalonians 2:1-8
1Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 5Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;
In First Timothy we find the exhortation that we keep ourselves without stain or reproach until the appearing, which he will bring about at the proper time who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
I Timothy 6:12-16
12Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15which He will bring about at the proper time--He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
In Second Timothy we see the power of the Holy Spirit in Paul and he calls us to join him in the suffering for the gospel according to the power of God. Which was revealed at the first appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus.
II Timothy 1:7-12
7For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. 8Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, 9who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, 10but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. 12For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.
In Chapter 4 we see Jesus “who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:” then you have a warning of those that do not follow sound doctrine, and then the crown of righteousness that the Lord will give him on that day!
II Timothy 4:1-5
1I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 6For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
In review of the previous scriptures it is clear that the Appearing and Coming of the Lord does not occur till the end and in First and Second Timothy we see term on "That Day". Lets take a clear look exactly when Jesus said he would raise us and how the word is what will be our judge.
John 6:39-40
39"This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40"For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.
John 12:47-48
47"If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48"He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.
There is also one additional verse within the scriptures that uses a the root word for epiphaneia that provides additional insight.
Acts 2:20
‘THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME.
The word above translated as Glorious is actually Epiphanes
G2016 –epiphanēs - e-pē-fä-nā's
1) conspicuous, manifest, illustrious
This provides us with an awesome ending of this study for now in Matthew 24 we find the same cosmic disturbances as in Acts 2.
Matthew 24:29
29"But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And the final culmination of this study of the Appearing of the Glory, with "the sign of the Son of Man will APPEAR" and "With power and Great or "Mega" Glory!
Matthew 24:30-31
30"And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. 31"And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.