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one we choose to use (it makes no difference), we find it refers back to the subject

under discussion---the ―parousia of the Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together
unto Him.‖ The proper use of language forbids any other conclusion. But the
pre-tribulation rapture theorists do not hesitate to commit any violence against the
laws of language to evade the obvious meaning of the text. They are forced to allege

that that having announced as the subject of his discussion ―the parousia and our
gathering together unto Him,‖ the apostle proceeds to discuss an entirely different
event and occasion, separated by years of time. The people of God, instead of not
being “deceived by any means,” have been deceived by every means possible.

Nothing could be plainer that that ―the parousia,‖ our gathering tighter unto Him, and
the day of Christ or day of the Lord are identical, and that none can occur until the
apostasy comes on and is consummated in the revelation of antichrist. The only uses
of parousia in the gospels, are found in the Olivet discourse of Matt. 24. The disciples

ask Him, ―…What shall be the sign of Thy parousia and the end of the age? In answer,
the Savior gives a series of sign of his parousia.
The theorists insist that the parousia is a pretribulation rapture that is signless, and
yet the Lord, on request, gives a set of signs for the parousia!

In Matt. 24:27 He says: ―as the lightning cometh out of east and shineth even unto
the west; so shall also the parousia of the Son of man be.‖ Here in the words of the
Lord, His parousia is coupled with an ―outshining‖ as wide as heaven itself, even as
in 2 Thess. 2:8. There is no suggestion of secrecy or privacy.

Again in verse 37-39: ―But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the parousia of
the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
and knew not until the flood came and took them all away, so shall also the parousia

of the Son of man be.‖ This is judgment upon a wicked world that is marked by the
parousia---coming of Christ, so it is not a secret or private occasion that will concern
Christians only.
Now let us see whether Christians are seen in connection with the

epiphaneia─appearing of Christ and His apokaluosis─revelation. Let us bear in mind
that the epistles, though addressed to Christians and churches of the first century
directly, are equally addressed to Christians through the whole course of the age. Let
us look at 1 Tim. 6:14. Paul here exhorts Timothy,‖…that thou keep this

commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the epiphaneia of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Certainly Timonthy himself has not survived until the epiphaneia─appearing
of Christ.‖ , but that Timothy represented Christians who will survive until the
appearing of Christ, is unmistakable. We see again the falsity of the idea that

Christians will be raptured and removed from the earth before the epiphaneia ― or

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