Matt. 24:3, “….Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱❞”

Let me attempt a few more verses of scripture in relation to the above subject matter as it relates to the statements of Peter in his second epistle such as the scoffers asking,

“Where is the promise of his coming?” “The elements shall melt.” What exactly are these elements, etc.

And so we read in 2Pet. 3: 3;

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

4 And saying, 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚 for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

𝙎𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙨

2 Pet. 3:10, “But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

This is the same class of people that Jude wrote about. Jude 1:4,

“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

𝟭𝟵 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀, 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹, 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁.❞

Now the above people called “,𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙨❞ 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨, but those who such as being brethren and 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 and started believing in some humanistic doctrines, using the Bible as a coverup and giving their petty interpretation to scriptures, even the ones that they can’t truly understand.

They lacked the influence and wisdom of the Holy Spirit in their walk. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦.

Paul would describe such a one as Demas.

“For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia” (2Tim. 4:10).

These are the ones that ended up asking in mockery form, “Where be the promise of His coming” (2 Pet. 3:4).

The word “𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴” here is 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗿-𝗼𝗼-𝘀𝗲𝗲❜-𝗮𝗵, which means a being near; i.e., advent (often, return; specially, 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗝𝗲𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗺, 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱); 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲!

‘COMING is PAROUSIA,’ meaning ‘PRESENCE’ but translated “coming” by the KJV and some others. THE ‘PAROUSIA’ OF CHRIST MEANS HIS ‘PRESENCE.’ It is taken from the word PARA (“with”) and OU-SIA (“being” – derived from “ei-mi” “to be). Therefore, PAROUSIA should literally mean “a being with” that is a “presence,” “at hand.”

The verb form actually speaks of the very personal presence of the one who comes. 𝙄𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙖 𝙞𝙣 𝙣𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝘾𝙏 𝙤𝙧 𝙈𝘼𝙉𝙉𝙀𝙍 𝙤𝙛 𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. It is used 24 times in the New Testament.

Now going by the word Parousia (presence) of necessity ought to mean the arrival of Christ at the very place He is present. But the problem of the Church is the translation of Parousia as “coming” and so placing the emphasis on the arrival, such as an event that is about to take place. Therefore, the presence that ought to follow the arrival of such a person is hidden.

So we keep on thinking and talking of His “coming” as an event and not that which has arrived and the activities following the arrival because of His presence. Do you see it?

Now, this very word is what is used in Matt. 24:3 which should read, “𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 ❜𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲❜❞ (𝗜ternliear Trans.) and not “coming” as seen in the King James Version.

So the scoffers where mocking as to where is the promise of His coming in Matt. 24,❞…𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴-𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲,” and of the end of the world since some 40 years ago?

They never understood that His presence will culminate in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

Peter wrote in AD 62-64, some six to eight years before the fall. The Book of Matthew was written in AD 61, some nine years before the fall.

So 2Peter 3 was addressing the questions raised by the scoffers in relation to Matt. 24, by Apostle Peter, providing answers to their question-mockery and warning them of the impending doom to come a few years ahead.

To be continued…