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―ortshining‖ of Christ. See also 2 Tim. 4:1,8, and Titus 2:13, where the same
epiphaneia appears as related to believers of this age. In Titus 2:13 the ―blessed hope‖
of the Christian is seen to be, not his own deliverance from tribulation for Christ‘s
sake, but the ―epiphaneia― appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus
Christ.‖ It is a Christ-centered not a self-centered hope.
The rapture theorists also contend that the apokalupsis ―revelation or unveiling of
Christ― is used in relation to the world, Christians having been previously removed.
This again can be shown to be incorrect in the uses of this word by Peter as directly
related to Christians in 1 Pet. 1:7, 13 and 4:13. ―That the trial of your faith … might
be found unto praise and honour and glory at the apokalupsis― unveiling of Jesus
Christ. (1 Pet. 1:7). Here some suffering saints are seen to be present at the
apokalupsis of Jesus Christ. Also Paul, in Cor.1:7, counsels the saints of Corinth
―…that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the apokalupsis― unveiling of our
Lord Jesus Christ.‖ In the verse following we read ―who shall also confirm you unto
the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the verse Christians are seen as present ―unto the end‖ and ―blameless in the day
of the Lord Jesus Christ.‖ Christ said in His interpretation of the parable of the tares:
―The harvest is the end of age‖ and ―let both grow together until the harvest: and in
the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, ‗gather ye together first the tares, and bind
them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn‘.‖ Here there is no
suggestion that there will be a preliminary out-gathering of the wheat, but on the
contrary the tares are first ―bound in bundles‖ for burning, as the wheat is gathered
into the barn, There is not only no comfort for the rapturists in the parable of the tares,
but a complete rebuttal of their theory.
There is also an attempt to establish a distinction between ―the day of Christ‖ and
―the day of the Lord‖ to serve the ends of this unscriptural theory. The note in the
Scofield Reference Bible on 1 Cor. 1:8 states: ―The ‗day of Christ‘relates wholly to
the reward and blessing of saints at His coming, as ‗day of the Lord ‗is connected
with judgment. ‖ In its attempt to show that the ― day of Christ ‖ and the ―day of the
Lord‖ are two separate and distinct days, the statement is misleading and false. There
is nothing in language, logic, or sound hermeneutics to warrant such a distinction. It is
another one of the many meaningless and confusing hair-splittings which characterize
the dispensational school. In the same note we read: ―The expression ‗day of Christ‘
occurs in the following passages: 1 Cor. 1:8;5:5 ; 2 Cor.1:14; Phil. 1:6. 10 ;2:16. The
authorized version has ‗day of the Christ,‘ Thess. 2:2 incorrectly for ‗day of the
Lord‘(Isa. 2:12; Rev. 19:11-21).‖ If one is trying to make such a fine distinction in
words as between the phrases ‗day of Christ‘ and ‗day of the Lord,‘ we should at least
expect meticulous accuracy, but a glance at the references cited shows that the
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