'The godly light...is exactly the beginning of parousia in the ...

[Guest guest]

In shriadishakti , jagbir singh

<adishakti_org> wrote:

>

> A few months ago i asked my ten-year-old daughter Lalita what that

> immensely brilliant Light above the Adi Shakti in her Sahasrara

> is. She replied " God! "

>

> i remained silent for a long time to absorb the immensity of that

> single word answer.

 

Dear Jagbir,

Children are able to express the profound truth in innocence and

simplicity, and I begin to understand the teaching of Jesus that to

enter the Kingdom of Heaven we are to be as a child again. To

perceive the truth we have to leave aside all the clutter and

complications of our lives and simply be purely in the present

moment.

I quote from below: " The Bible is seen to be full of terms about

light. Lossky tells

us that " for the mystical theology of the eastern Church these are

not metaphors, rhetorical figures but words expressing a real aspect

of godliness. " " The godly light does not have an abstract and

allegorical meaning. It is a data of the mystical experience. " The

author then referred to " Gnostics " , the highest level of godly

knowledge [that] is an experience (a living) of the noncreated

light, where the experience itself is the light: in lumine tuo

videbimus lumen (in Your Light we shall see light.) "

This quote and your daughter's experience have a lot of meaning for

me, because this is how I saw and felt the Divine Energy. I could

not understand and explain what I had experienced at the time as I

was Christian and did not know anything about the Energy. I saw and

felt it as a powerful vibrating light Energy of infinite source,

which I just could not make sense of. I was not able to explain what

I had seen and felt because of all the prelearning and

preconditioning about how things should be, and what is possible or

not.

Also from below: " It is the beginning of the revealing of the end of

times "

Truly we are in the days of the Last Judgement and Resurrection; the

Second Coming; as is revealed by the presence of the Holy Spirit

among us. It is our duty to protect this Divine Message, and to

overcome all obstacles of doubt and fear, to spread it among all

humanity so that all may know. The message has been revealed to us

that we may share it with everyone.

Regards, Semira

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having the glory of God: And His Light was like unto a stone most

precious,

Even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal . . .

And I saw no temple therein: For the Lord God Almighty,

And the Lamb are the Temple of it.

And the City had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in

it:

For the glory of God did lighten it: And the Lamb is the Light

thereof.

And the nations of them which are saved, shall walk in the Light of

it:

And the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day:

For there shall be no night there.

And they shall bring the glory, and honour of the nations into it.

And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth,

Neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie:

But they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

 

Revelation 21:1-27

 

 

--------------

 

Your eye is the lamp of your body;

When your eye is sound, your whole boy is full of light;

But when it is not sound, your body is full of darkness.

Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness.

If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it

will be wholly bright,

As when a lamp with its rays gives you light.

 

Luke 11.34-36

 

 

------------

 

There is Light within a man of Light,

and it lights up the whole world.

If he does not shine, he is darkness. (4)

 

(4. Gospel of Thomas 38.4-10 in NHL 433.)

 

Elaine Pagels, The Gnostic Gospels, 1989, p. 120.

 

 

----------

 

I am Protennoia, the Thought that dwells in the Light.

I am the movement that dwells in the All, She in whom the All takes

its stand,

The first-born among those who came to be, She who exists before the

All.

She (Protennoia) is called by three names, although she dwells

alone,

Since She is perfect.

I am invisible within the Thought of the Invisible One.

I am revealed in the immeasurable, ineffable (things).

I am incomprehensible, dwelling in the incomprehensible. I move in

every creature.

I am the life of my Epinoia that dwells within every Power,

And every eternal movement, and (in) invisible Lights,

And within the Archons and Angels and Demons,

And every soul dwelling in Tartaros, and (in) every material soul.

I dwell in those who came to be.

I move in everyone and I delve into them all.

I walk uprightly, and those who sleep, I awaken.

And I am the sight of those who dwell in sleep.

I am the Invisible One within the All.

It is I who counsel those who are hidden, since I know the All that

exists in it.

I am numberless beyond everyone.

I am immeasurable, ineffable, yet whenever I wish,

I shall reveal myself of my own accord.

I am the head of the All. I exist before the All, and I am the All,

Since I exist in everyone.

I am a Voice speaking softly. I exist from the first.

I dwell within the Silence that surrounds every one of them.

And it is the hidden Voice that dwells within my,

Within the incomprehensible, immeasurable Thought,

Within the immeasurable Silence.

I descended to the midst of the underworld, and I shone down upon

the darkness.

It is I who poured forth the water.

It is I who am hidden within radiant waters.

I am the one who gradually put forth the All by my Thought.

It is I who am laden with the Voice. It is through me that Gnosis

comes forth.

I dwell in the ineffable and unknowable ones.

I am perception and knowledge, uttering a Voice by means of thought.

I am the real Voice.

I cry out in everyone, and they recognize it (the voice),

Since a seed indwells them.

I am the Thought of the Father, and through me proceeded the Voice,

That is, the knowledge of the everlasting things.

I exist as Thought for the All — being joined,

To the unknowable and incomprehensible Thought —

I revealed myself, yes, I among all those who recognize me.

For it is I who am joined with everyone by virtue of the hidden

Thought,

And an exalted Voice, even a Voice from the invisible Thought.

And it is immeasurable, since it dwells in the Immeasurable One.

It is a mystery; It is unrestrainable by the Incomprehensible One.

It is invisible to all those who are visible in the All.

It is a Light dwelling in Light. . . .

 

Trimorphic Protennoia (Translated by John D. Turner)

 

 

-----------------

 

" The Bible is seen to be full of terms about light. Lossky tells

us that " for the mystical theology of the eastern Church these are

not metaphors, rhetorical figures but words expressing a real aspect

of godliness. " " The godly light does not have an abstract and

allegorical meaning. It is a data of the mystical experience. " The

author then referred to " Gnostics " , the highest level of godly

knowledge [that] is an experience (a living) of the noncreated

light, where the experience itself is the light: in lumine tuo

videbimus lumen (in Your Light we shall see light.) "

 

Eternal, endless, existing beyond time and space, it appeared in the

theophanies of the Old Testament as the Glory of God. The Glory

is " the Uncreated Light, His Eternal Kingdom. " Being bestowed to the

Christians by the Holy Spirit, the energies appear no longer as

external causes but as grace, as inner light. " Makarius the Egyptian

wrote: " It is . . . the enlightenment of the holy souls, the

steadiness of the heavenly powers " (Spiritual Homilies V.8.)

 

" The godly light appears here, in this world, in time. It is

disclosed in the history but it is not of this world; it is eternal,

it means going out from the historical existence: `the secret of

the eight day', the secret of the true knowledge, the fulfillment

of

the Gnosis . . . It is exactly the beginning of parousia in the holy

souls, the beginning of the revealing at the end of times, when God

will be disclosed to everyone in this distant Light. " "

 

Dan Costian, Bible Enlightened

 

 

----------------

 

Word Study on " Parousia "

by John Edmiston

 

( " Parousia " is a Greek word meaning " personal presence " and relates

to the Second Coming)

 

Its Greek To Me!

 

Parousia is a Greek word used 24 times in the New Testament to

mean " coming, arrival, personal presence " . It is most often used to

indicate the second coming and the arrival of the Son of Man though

it can also indicate a visit by a Christian worker, apostle or even

the " man of lawlessness " . In the Greek world of the New Testament

it meant among other things a) A State visit or b) The presence or

appearance of a deity during worship e.g. by divine fire. It has a

range of meaning to that of the archaic English word " visitation " .

Here is a definition from Strong's concordance:

 

Definition

 

3952. parousia, par-oo-see'-ah; from the pres. part. of G3918; a

being near, i.e. advent (often, return; spec. of Christ to punish

Jerusalem, or finally the wicked); (by impl.) phys. aspect:--coming,

presence.

 

There are six uses of the word to describe a visit by a person or

their personal " presence " (1 Cor 16;17; 2Cor6:6, 2Cor 6;7; 2Cor

10:10; Phil 1:26; 2:12) this combination of " arrival " plus " personal

presence " gives the flavour to the word even when it is being used

theologically. The Parousia of Jesus Christ is both His arrival and

the manifestation of His " presence " to all mankind. We shall

concentrate on this aspect for the rest of the word study.

 

Jesus' use of " parousia "

 

The word is only used 4 times in the gospels - all in Matthew

chapter 24 the " Little Apocalypse " when Jesus discusses the signs of

His coming. The references are Matthew 24:3, 27, 37 and 39. In verse

3 the disciples ask " Tell us, when will these things be? And what

will be the sign of Your coming,( parousia) and of the end of the

age? Jesus then replies:

 

(Matthew 24:27 NKJV) " For as the lightning comes from the east and

flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

 

(Matthew 24:37-39 NKJV) " But as the days of Noah were, so also will

the coming (parousia) of the Son of Man be. {38} " For as in the days

before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving

in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, {39} " and did

not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will

the coming (parousia)of the Son of Man be.

 

Jesus emphasis is that His return will be sudden and surprising. It

will be as sudden as a lightning flash and it will catch a

preoccupied and self-centred world quite unawares. It is pre-

eminently a sudden dramatic divine intervention in history for

salvation of the elect and judgement of those who have rejected

God's rulership over their lives.

 

Parousia as the hope and goal of the Christian life

The apostles seem to have had a single minded devotion to the return

of the Lord. As a child I waited for Christmas with single-minded

tenacity, wanting to be good and to be rewarded for it. And

Christmas seemed such a long way away each year. But it was certain

and it was wonderful. This is a pale but accurate reflection of the

apostolic hope which was a certain hope of a glorious reward. There

are 11 main passages and they can be grouped under four headings:

 

i. Resurrection and blessing 1 Cor 15:23, 1 Thess 4:15,

(1 Corinthians 15:23 NKJV) But each one in his own order: Christ the

firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.

(1 Thessalonians 4:15 NKJV) For this we say to you by the word of

the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the

Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

 

ii. Holiness /Christian character 1 Thess 2:19,3:13,5:23, 1 John 2:28

(1 Thessalonians 2:19 NKJV) For what is our hope, or joy, or crown

of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus

Christ at His coming?

(1 Thessalonians 3:13 NKJV) so that He may establish your hearts

blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our

Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

(1 Thessalonians 5:23 NKJV) Now may the God of peace Himself

sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body

be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(1 John 2:28 NKJV) And now, little children, abide in Him, that when

He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at

His coming.

 

iii. The destruction of the wicked 2 Thess 2:8,9 2 Peter 3:12

(2 Thessalonians 2:8-9 NKJV) And then the lawless one will be

revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth

and destroy with the brightness of His coming. {9} The coming of the

lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power,

signs, and lying wonders, (2 Peter 3:12 NKJV) looking for and

hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens

will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with

fervent heat?

 

iv. The patient endurance of the saints 2 Thess 2:1, James 5:7,8;

2Peter 3:4 (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 NKJV) Now, brethren, concerning

the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to

Him, we ask you, {2} not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled,

either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though

the day of Christ had come.

(James 5:7-8 NKJV) Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming

of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the

earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and

latter rain. {8} You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the

coming of the Lord is at hand.

(2 Peter 3:3-4 NKJV) knowing this first: that scoffers will come in

the last days, walking according to 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

creation. "

 

For the Christian the Second Coming will be a joyous royal visit. It

is " The day " for which we strain forward with eager anticipation.

For the wicked it will be when God arrives in fire and declares His

personal Presence to a rebellious world which will then be under the

deception and dominion of a man of lawlessness inspired by Satan .

This man of lawlessness will be destroyed and God's Kingdom

rulership declared. Christians will be gathered up to be with God

and resurrected from the dead to receive an eternal reward. The

elements will melt with the heat and the universe as we know it will

perish. This is also the only day that matters for the Christian -

it is the day for which we are keeping ourselves holy, pure and

blameless. It is the end of the race when we receive the prize. If

we abide in Christ we will have no reason to be ashamed on that day.

(1 John 2:28) The manifest Presence of God will re-order all

Creation and we are to wait for this with patient and certain

expectation similar to that of a farmer waiting for his crop to

mature. We are not to be like the mockers who deride the second

coming as due to God being tardy or non-existent. Rather we are

to " hasten the day " this may mean that we are to engage in mission

for it is when the gospel has been preached to all the nations that

the end will come and this, in Matthew 24 is the pre-eminent sign

Jesus gave of His coming. (Matthew 24:14 NKJV) " And this gospel of

the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all

the nations, and then the end will come.

 

Word Study on " Parousia " by John Edmiston

www.aibi.gospelcom.net/aibi/parousia.htm

 

 

 

 

Having the glory of God: And His Light was like unto a stone most

precious,

Even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal . . .

And I saw no temple therein: For the Lord God Almighty,

And the Lamb are the Temple of it.

And the City had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in

it:

For the glory of God did lighten it: And the Lamb is the Light

thereof.

And the nations of them which are saved, shall walk in the Light of

it:

And the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day:

For there shall be no night there.

And they shall bring the glory, and honour of the nations into it.

And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth,

Neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie:

But they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

 

Revelation 21:1-27

 

 

--------------

 

Your eye is the lamp of your body;

When your eye is sound, your whole boy is full of light;

But when it is not sound, your body is full of darkness.

Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness.

If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it

will be wholly bright,

As when a lamp with its rays gives you light.

 

Luke 11.34-36

 

 

------------

 

There is Light within a man of Light,

and it lights up the whole world.

If he does not shine, he is darkness. (4)

 

(4. Gospel of Thomas 38.4-10 in NHL 433.)

 

Elaine Pagels, The Gnostic Gospels, 1989, p. 120.

 

 

----------

 

I am Protennoia, the Thought that dwells in the Light.

I am the movement that dwells in the All, She in whom the All takes

its stand,

The first-born among those who came to be, She who exists before the

All.

She (Protennoia) is called by three names, although she dwells

alone,

Since She is perfect.

I am invisible within the Thought of the Invisible One.

I am revealed in the immeasurable, ineffable (things).

I am incomprehensible, dwelling in the incomprehensible. I move in

every creature.

I am the life of my Epinoia that dwells within every Power,

And every eternal movement, and (in) invisible Lights,

And within the Archons and Angels and Demons,

And every soul dwelling in Tartaros, and (in) every material soul.

I dwell in those who came to be.

I move in everyone and I delve into them all.

I walk uprightly, and those who sleep, I awaken.

And I am the sight of those who dwell in sleep.

I am the Invisible One within the All.

It is I who counsel those who are hidden, since I know the All that

exists in it.

I am numberless beyond everyone.

I am immeasurable, ineffable, yet whenever I wish,

I shall reveal myself of my own accord.

I am the head of the All. I exist before the All, and I am the All,

Since I exist in everyone.

I am a Voice speaking softly. I exist from the first.

I dwell within the Silence that surrounds every one of them.

And it is the hidden Voice that dwells within my,

Within the incomprehensible, immeasurable Thought,

Within the immeasurable Silence.

I descended to the midst of the underworld, and I shone down upon

the darkness.

It is I who poured forth the water.

It is I who am hidden within radiant waters.

I am the one who gradually put forth the All by my Thought.

It is I who am laden with the Voice. It is through me that Gnosis

comes forth.

I dwell in the ineffable and unknowable ones.

I am perception and knowledge, uttering a Voice by means of thought.

I am the real Voice.

I cry out in everyone, and they recognize it (the voice),

Since a seed indwells them.

I am the Thought of the Father, and through me proceeded the Voice,

That is, the knowledge of the everlasting things.

I exist as Thought for the All — being joined,

To the unknowable and incomprehensible Thought —

I revealed myself, yes, I among all those who recognize me.

For it is I who am joined with everyone by virtue of the hidden

Thought,

And an exalted Voice, even a Voice from the invisible Thought.

And it is immeasurable, since it dwells in the Immeasurable One.

It is a mystery; It is unrestrainable by the Incomprehensible One.

It is invisible to all those who are visible in the All.

It is a Light dwelling in Light. . . .

 

Trimorphic Protennoia (Translated by John D. Turner)

 

 

-----------------

 

" The Bible is seen to be full of terms about light. Lossky tells

us that " for the mystical theology of the eastern Church these are

not metaphors, rhetorical figures but words expressing a real aspect

of godliness. " " The godly light does not have an abstract and

allegorical meaning. It is a data of the mystical experience. " The

author then referred to " Gnostics " , the highest level of godly

knowledge [that] is an experience (a living) of the noncreated

light, where the experience itself is the light: in lumine tuo

videbimus lumen (in Your Light we shall see light.) "

 

Eternal, endless, existing beyond time and space, it appeared in the

theophanies of the Old Testament as the Glory of God. The Glory

is " the Uncreated Light, His Eternal Kingdom. " Being bestowed to the

Christians by the Holy Spirit, the energies appear no longer as

external causes but as grace, as inner light. " Makarius the Egyptian

wrote: " It is . . . the enlightenment of the holy souls, the

steadiness of the heavenly powers " (Spiritual Homilies V.8.)

 

" The godly light appears here, in this world, in time. It is

disclosed in the history but it is not of this world; it is eternal,

it means going out from the historical existence: `the secret of

the eight day', the secret of the true knowledge, the fulfillment

of

the Gnosis . . . It is exactly the beginning of parousia in the holy

souls, the beginning of the revealing at the end of times, when God

will be disclosed to everyone in this distant Light. " "

 

Dan Costian, Bible Enlightened

 

 

----------------

 

Word Study on " Parousia "

by John Edmiston

 

( " Parousia " is a Greek word meaning " personal presence " and relates

to the Second Coming)

 

Its Greek To Me!

 

Parousia is a Greek word used 24 times in the New Testament to

mean " coming, arrival, personal presence " . It is most often used to

indicate the second coming and the arrival of the Son of Man though

it can also indicate a visit by a Christian worker, apostle or even

the " man of lawlessness " . In the Greek world of the New Testament

it meant among other things a) A State visit or b) The presence or

appearance of a deity during worship e.g. by divine fire. It has a

range of meaning to that of the archaic English word " visitation " .

Here is a definition from Strong's concordance:

 

Definition

 

3952. parousia, par-oo-see'-ah; from the pres. part. of G3918; a

being near, i.e. advent (often, return; spec. of Christ to punish

Jerusalem, or finally the wicked); (by impl.) phys. aspect:--coming,

presence.

 

There are six uses of the word to describe a visit by a person or

their personal " presence " (1 Cor 16;17; 2Cor6:6, 2Cor 6;7; 2Cor

10:10; Phil 1:26; 2:12) this combination of " arrival " plus " personal

presence " gives the flavour to the word even when it is being used

theologically. The Parousia of Jesus Christ is both His arrival and

the manifestation of His " presence " to all mankind. We shall

concentrate on this aspect for the rest of the word study.

 

Jesus' use of " parousia "

 

The word is only used 4 times in the gospels - all in Matthew

chapter 24 the " Little Apocalypse " when Jesus discusses the signs of

His coming. The references are Matthew 24:3, 27, 37 and 39. In verse

3 the disciples ask " Tell us, when will these things be? And what

will be the sign of Your coming,( parousia) and of the end of the

age? Jesus then replies:

 

(Matthew 24:27 NKJV) " For as the lightning comes from the east and

flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

 

(Matthew 24:37-39 NKJV) " But as the days of Noah were, so also will

the coming (parousia) of the Son of Man be. {38} " For as in the days

before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving

in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, {39} " and did

not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will

the coming (parousia)of the Son of Man be.

 

Jesus emphasis is that His return will be sudden and surprising. It

will be as sudden as a lightning flash and it will catch a

preoccupied and self-centred world quite unawares. It is pre-

eminently a sudden dramatic divine intervention in history for

salvation of the elect and judgement of those who have rejected

God's rulership over their lives.

 

Parousia as the hope and goal of the Christian life

The apostles seem to have had a single minded devotion to the return

of the Lord. As a child I waited for Christmas with single-minded

tenacity, wanting to be good and to be rewarded for it. And

Christmas seemed such a long way away each year. But it was certain

and it was wonderful. This is a pale but accurate reflection of the

apostolic hope which was a certain hope of a glorious reward. There

are 11 main passages and they can be grouped under four headings:

 

i. Resurrection and blessing 1 Cor 15:23, 1 Thess 4:15,

(1 Corinthians 15:23 NKJV) But each one in his own order: Christ the

firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.

(1 Thessalonians 4:15 NKJV) For this we say to you by the word of

the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the

Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

 

ii. Holiness /Christian character 1 Thess 2:19,3:13,5:23, 1 John 2:28

(1 Thessalonians 2:19 NKJV) For what is our hope, or joy, or crown

of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus

Christ at His coming?

(1 Thessalonians 3:13 NKJV) so that He may establish your hearts

blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our

Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

(1 Thessalonians 5:23 NKJV) Now may the God of peace Himself

sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body

be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(1 John 2:28 NKJV) And now, little children, abide in Him, that when

He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at

His coming.

 

iii. The destruction of the wicked 2 Thess 2:8,9 2 Peter 3:12

(2 Thessalonians 2:8-9 NKJV) And then the lawless one will be

revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth

and destroy with the brightness of His coming. {9} The coming of the

lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power,

signs, and lying wonders, (2 Peter 3:12 NKJV) looking for and

hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens

will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with

fervent heat?

 

iv. The patient endurance of the saints 2 Thess 2:1, James 5:7,8;

2Peter 3:4 (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 NKJV) Now, brethren, concerning

the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to

Him, we ask you, {2} not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled,

either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though

the day of Christ had come.

(James 5:7-8 NKJV) Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming

of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the

earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and

latter rain. {8} You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the

coming of the Lord is at hand.

(2 Peter 3:3-4 NKJV) knowing this first: that scoffers will come in

the last days, walking according to 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

creation. "

 

For the Christian the Second Coming will be a joyous royal visit. It

is " The day " for which we strain forward with eager anticipation.

For the wicked it will be when God arrives in fire and declares His

personal Presence to a rebellious world which will then be under the

deception and dominion of a man of lawlessness inspired by Satan .

This man of lawlessness will be destroyed and God's Kingdom

rulership declared. Christians will be gathered up to be with God

and resurrected from the dead to receive an eternal reward. The

elements will melt with the heat and the universe as we know it will

perish. This is also the only day that matters for the Christian -

it is the day for which we are keeping ourselves holy, pure and

blameless. It is the end of the race when we receive the prize. If

we abide in Christ we will have no reason to be ashamed on that day.

(1 John 2:28) The manifest Presence of God will re-order all

Creation and we are to wait for this with patient and certain

expectation similar to that of a farmer waiting for his crop to

mature. We are not to be like the mockers who deride the second

coming as due to God being tardy or non-existent. Rather we are

to " hasten the day " this may mean that we are to engage in mission

for it is when the gospel has been preached to all the nations that

the end will come and this, in Matthew 24 is the pre-eminent sign

Jesus gave of His coming. (Matthew 24:14 NKJV) " And this gospel of

the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all

the nations, and then the end will come.

 

Word Study on " Parousia " by John Edmiston

www.aibi.gospelcom.net/aibi/parousia.htm

[Guest guest]

Dear Semira,

 

i look forward to hear more of your spiritual experiences at the new

forum. Since there are categories for exactly such topics it will

encourage more people to come forward and let others know about Shri

Mataji. The recording of such personal experiences are very important

for spreading the Divine Message in future.

 

i believe the set-up of the new forum will for the first time ever

allow visitors/SYs to comprehend the broad vision of Shri Mataji,

instead of the limitations of present sites/forums. Ana has indeed

done an excellent job of including all aspects of Shri Mataji's

teachings. i think the bar has now been set on how to REALLY promote

Her message to humanity. And if we have more people/SYs as convinced

as you are regarding the Divine Message this Truth will never die. On

the contrary, it will attract more and more people who will join

Sahaja Yoga for what it really is all about - the Last Judgment and

Resurrection. That is the only way Sahaja Yoga will spread in future.

 

regards,

 

jagbir

 

>

> In shriadishakti , jagbir singh

> <adishakti_org> wrote:

> >

> > A few months ago i asked my ten-year-old daughter Lalita what that

> > immensely brilliant Light above the Adi Shakti in her Sahasrara

> > is. She replied " God! "

> >

> > i remained silent for a long time to absorb the immensity of that

> > single word answer.

>

, " semirafields "

<semirafields> wrote:

>

> Dear Jagbir,

> Children are able to express the profound truth in innocence and

> simplicity, and I begin to understand the teaching of Jesus that to

> enter the Kingdom of Heaven we are to be as a child again. To

> perceive the truth we have to leave aside all the clutter and

> complications of our lives and simply be purely in the present

> moment.

> I quote from below: " The Bible is seen to be full of terms about

> light. Lossky tells

> us that " for the mystical theology of the eastern Church these are

> not metaphors, rhetorical figures but words expressing a real aspect

> of godliness. " " The godly light does not have an abstract and

> allegorical meaning. It is a data of the mystical experience. " The

> author then referred to " Gnostics " , the highest level of godly

> knowledge [that] is an experience (a living) of the noncreated

> light, where the experience itself is the light: in lumine tuo

> videbimus lumen (in Your Light we shall see light.) "

> This quote and your daughter's experience have a lot of meaning for

> me, because this is how I saw and felt the Divine Energy. I could

> not understand and explain what I had experienced at the time as I

> was Christian and did not know anything about the Energy. I saw and

> felt it as a powerful vibrating light Energy of infinite source,

> which I just could not make sense of. I was not able to explain

what I had seen and felt because of all the prelearning and

> preconditioning about how things should be, and what is possible or

> not.

> Also from below: " It is the beginning of the revealing of the end

of times "

> Truly we are in the days of the Last Judgement and Resurrection;

the Second Coming; as is revealed by the presence of the Holy Spirit

> among us. It is our duty to protect this Divine Message, and to

> overcome all obstacles of doubt and fear, to spread it among all

> humanity so that all may know. The message has been revealed to us

> that we may share it with everyone.

> Regards, Semira

>

[Guest guest]

, " semirafields "

<semirafields> wrote:

>

> In shriadishakti , jagbir singh

> <adishakti_org> wrote:

> >

> > A few months ago i asked my ten-year-old daughter Lalita what

that

> > immensely brilliant Light above the Adi Shakti in her Sahasrara

> > is. She replied " God! "

> >

> > i remained silent for a long time to absorb the immensity of that

> > single word answer.

>

> Dear Jagbir,

> Children are able to express the profound truth in innocence and

> simplicity, and I begin to understand the teaching of Jesus that

to

> enter the Kingdom of Heaven we are to be as a child again. To

> perceive the truth we have to leave aside all the clutter and

> complications of our lives and simply be purely in the present

> moment.

> I quote from below: " The Bible is seen to be full of terms about

> light. Lossky tells

> us that " for the mystical theology of the eastern Church these are

> not metaphors, rhetorical figures but words expressing a real

aspect

> of godliness. " " The godly light does not have an abstract and

> allegorical meaning. It is a data of the mystical experience. " The

> author then referred to " Gnostics " , the highest level of godly

> knowledge [that] is an experience (a living) of the noncreated

> light, where the experience itself is the light: in lumine tuo

> videbimus lumen (in Your Light we shall see light.) "

> This quote and your daughter's experience have a lot of meaning

for

> me, because this is how I saw and felt the Divine Energy. I could

> not understand and explain what I had experienced at the time as I

> was Christian and did not know anything about the Energy. I saw

and

> felt it as a powerful vibrating light Energy of infinite source,

> which I just could not make sense of. I was not able to explain

what

> I had seen and felt because of all the prelearning and

> preconditioning about how things should be, and what is possible

or

> not.

> Also from below: " It is the beginning of the revealing of the end

of

> times "

> Truly we are in the days of the Last Judgement and Resurrection;

the

> Second Coming; as is revealed by the presence of the Holy Spirit

> among us. It is our duty to protect this Divine Message, and to

> overcome all obstacles of doubt and fear, to spread it among all

> humanity so that all may know. The message has been revealed to us

> that we may share it with everyone.

> Regards, Semira

Having the glory of God: And His Light was like unto a stone most

> precious,

> Even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal . . .

> And I saw no temple therein: For the Lord God Almighty,

> And the Lamb are the Temple of it.

> And the City had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine

in

> it:

> For the glory of God did lighten it: And the Lamb is the Light

> thereof.

> And the nations of them which are saved, shall walk in the Light of

> it:

> And the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

> And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day:

> For there shall be no night there.

> And they shall bring the glory, and honour of the nations into it.

> And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth,

> Neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie:

> But they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

>

> Revelation 21:1-27

>

>

> --------------

>

> Your eye is the lamp of your body;

> When your eye is sound, your whole boy is full of light;

> But when it is not sound, your body is full of darkness.

> Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness.

> If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it

> will be wholly bright,

> As when a lamp with its rays gives you light.

>

> Luke 11.34-36

>

>

> ------------

>

> There is Light within a man of Light,

> and it lights up the whole world.

> If he does not shine, he is darkness. (4)

>

> (4. Gospel of Thomas 38.4-10 in NHL 433.)

>

> Elaine Pagels, The Gnostic Gospels, 1989, p. 120.

>

>

> ----------

>

> I am Protennoia, the Thought that dwells in the Light.

> I am the movement that dwells in the All, She in whom the All takes

> its stand,

> The first-born among those who came to be, She who exists before

the

> All.

> She (Protennoia) is called by three names, although she dwells

> alone,

> Since She is perfect.

> I am invisible within the Thought of the Invisible One.

> I am revealed in the immeasurable, ineffable (things).

> I am incomprehensible, dwelling in the incomprehensible. I move in

> every creature.

> I am the life of my Epinoia that dwells within every Power,

> And every eternal movement, and (in) invisible Lights,

> And within the Archons and Angels and Demons,

> And every soul dwelling in Tartaros, and (in) every material soul.

> I dwell in those who came to be.

> I move in everyone and I delve into them all.

> I walk uprightly, and those who sleep, I awaken.

> And I am the sight of those who dwell in sleep.

> I am the Invisible One within the All.

> It is I who counsel those who are hidden, since I know the All that

> exists in it.

> I am numberless beyond everyone.

> I am immeasurable, ineffable, yet whenever I wish,

> I shall reveal myself of my own accord.

> I am the head of the All. I exist before the All, and I am the All,

> Since I exist in everyone.

> I am a Voice speaking softly. I exist from the first.

> I dwell within the Silence that surrounds every one of them.

> And it is the hidden Voice that dwells within my,

> Within the incomprehensible, immeasurable Thought,

> Within the immeasurable Silence.

> I descended to the midst of the underworld, and I shone down upon

> the darkness.

> It is I who poured forth the water.

> It is I who am hidden within radiant waters.

> I am the one who gradually put forth the All by my Thought.

> It is I who am laden with the Voice. It is through me that Gnosis

> comes forth.

> I dwell in the ineffable and unknowable ones.

> I am perception and knowledge, uttering a Voice by means of

thought.

> I am the real Voice.

> I cry out in everyone, and they recognize it (the voice),

> Since a seed indwells them.

> I am the Thought of the Father, and through me proceeded the Voice,

> That is, the knowledge of the everlasting things.

> I exist as Thought for the All — being joined,

> To the unknowable and incomprehensible Thought —

> I revealed myself, yes, I among all those who recognize me.

> For it is I who am joined with everyone by virtue of the hidden

> Thought,

> And an exalted Voice, even a Voice from the invisible Thought.

> And it is immeasurable, since it dwells in the Immeasurable One.

> It is a mystery; It is unrestrainable by the Incomprehensible One.

> It is invisible to all those who are visible in the All.

> It is a Light dwelling in Light. . . .

>

> Trimorphic Protennoia (Translated by John D. Turner)

>

>

> -----------------

>

> " The Bible is seen to be full of terms about light. Lossky tells

> us that " for the mystical theology of the eastern Church these are

> not metaphors, rhetorical figures but words expressing a real

aspect

> of godliness. " " The godly light does not have an abstract and

> allegorical meaning. It is a data of the mystical experience. " The

> author then referred to " Gnostics " , the highest level of godly

> knowledge [that] is an experience (a living) of the noncreated

> light, where the experience itself is the light: in lumine tuo

> videbimus lumen (in Your Light we shall see light.) "

>

> Eternal, endless, existing beyond time and space, it appeared in

the

> theophanies of the Old Testament as the Glory of God. The Glory

> is " the Uncreated Light, His Eternal Kingdom. " Being bestowed to

the

> Christians by the Holy Spirit, the energies appear no longer as

> external causes but as grace, as inner light. " Makarius the

Egyptian

> wrote: " It is . . . the enlightenment of the holy souls, the

> steadiness of the heavenly powers " (Spiritual Homilies V.8.)

>

> " The godly light appears here, in this world, in time. It is

> disclosed in the history but it is not of this world; it is

eternal,

> it means going out from the historical existence: `the secret of

> the eight day', the secret of the true knowledge, the fulfillment

> of

> the Gnosis . . . It is exactly the beginning of parousia in the

holy

> souls, the beginning of the revealing at the end of times, when God

> will be disclosed to everyone in this distant Light. " "

>

> Dan Costian, Bible Enlightened

>

>

> ----------------

>

> Word Study on " Parousia "

> by John Edmiston

>

> ( " Parousia " is a Greek word meaning " personal presence " and relates

> to the Second Coming)

>

> Its Greek To Me!

>

> Parousia is a Greek word used 24 times in the New Testament to

> mean " coming, arrival, personal presence " . It is most often used to

> indicate the second coming and the arrival of the Son of Man though

> it can also indicate a visit by a Christian worker, apostle or even

> the " man of lawlessness " . In the Greek world of the New Testament

> it meant among other things a) A State visit or b) The presence or

> appearance of a deity during worship e.g. by divine fire. It has a

> range of meaning to that of the archaic English word " visitation " .

> Here is a definition from Strong's concordance:

>

> Definition

>

> 3952. parousia, par-oo-see'-ah; from the pres. part. of G3918; a

> being near, i.e. advent (often, return; spec. of Christ to punish

> Jerusalem, or finally the wicked); (by impl.) phys. aspect:--

coming,

> presence.

>

> There are six uses of the word to describe a visit by a person or

> their personal " presence " (1 Cor 16;17; 2Cor6:6, 2Cor 6;7; 2Cor

> 10:10; Phil 1:26; 2:12) this combination of " arrival "

plus " personal

> presence " gives the flavour to the word even when it is being used

> theologically. The Parousia of Jesus Christ is both His arrival and

> the manifestation of His " presence " to all mankind. We shall

> concentrate on this aspect for the rest of the word study.

>

> Jesus' use of " parousia "

>

> The word is only used 4 times in the gospels - all in Matthew

> chapter 24 the " Little Apocalypse " when Jesus discusses the signs

of

> His coming. The references are Matthew 24:3, 27, 37 and 39. In

verse

> 3 the disciples ask " Tell us, when will these things be? And what

> will be the sign of Your coming,( parousia) and of the end of the

> age? Jesus then replies:

>

> (Matthew 24:27 NKJV) " For as the lightning comes from the east and

> flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

>

> (Matthew 24:37-39 NKJV) " But as the days of Noah were, so also will

> the coming (parousia) of the Son of Man be. {38} " For as in the

days

> before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and

giving

> in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, {39} " and did

> not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will

> the coming (parousia)of the Son of Man be.

>

> Jesus emphasis is that His return will be sudden and surprising. It

> will be as sudden as a lightning flash and it will catch a

> preoccupied and self-centred world quite unawares. It is pre-

> eminently a sudden dramatic divine intervention in history for

> salvation of the elect and judgement of those who have rejected

> God's rulership over their lives.

>

> Parousia as the hope and goal of the Christian life

> The apostles seem to have had a single minded devotion to the

return

> of the Lord. As a child I waited for Christmas with single-minded

> tenacity, wanting to be good and to be rewarded for it. And

> Christmas seemed such a long way away each year. But it was certain

> and it was wonderful. This is a pale but accurate reflection of the

> apostolic hope which was a certain hope of a glorious reward. There

> are 11 main passages and they can be grouped under four headings:

>

> i. Resurrection and blessing 1 Cor 15:23, 1 Thess 4:15,

> (1 Corinthians 15:23 NKJV) But each one in his own order: Christ

the

> firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.

> (1 Thessalonians 4:15 NKJV) For this we say to you by the word of

> the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the

> Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

>

> ii. Holiness /Christian character 1 Thess 2:19,3:13,5:23, 1 John

2:28

> (1 Thessalonians 2:19 NKJV) For what is our hope, or joy, or crown

> of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus

> Christ at His coming?

> (1 Thessalonians 3:13 NKJV) so that He may establish your hearts

> blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of

our

> Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

> (1 Thessalonians 5:23 NKJV) Now may the God of peace Himself

> sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body

> be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

> (1 John 2:28 NKJV) And now, little children, abide in Him, that

when

> He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at

> His coming.

>

> iii. The destruction of the wicked 2 Thess 2:8,9 2 Peter 3:12

> (2 Thessalonians 2:8-9 NKJV) And then the lawless one will be

> revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth

> and destroy with the brightness of His coming. {9} The coming of

the

> lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power,

> signs, and lying wonders, (2 Peter 3:12 NKJV) looking for and

> hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the

heavens

> will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with

> fervent heat?

>

> iv. The patient endurance of the saints 2 Thess 2:1, James 5:7,8;

> 2Peter 3:4 (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 NKJV) Now, brethren, concerning

> the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to

> Him, we ask you, {2} not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled,

> either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though

> the day of Christ had come.

> (James 5:7-8 NKJV) Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming

> of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the

> earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and

> latter rain. {8} You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for

the

> coming of the Lord is at hand.

> (2 Peter 3:3-4 NKJV) knowing this first: that scoffers will come in

> the last days, walking according to 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

> creation. "

>

> For the Christian the Second Coming will be a joyous royal visit.

It

> is " The day " for which we strain forward with eager anticipation.

> For the wicked it will be when God arrives in fire and declares His

> personal Presence to a rebellious world which will then be under

the

> deception and dominion of a man of lawlessness inspired by Satan .

> This man of lawlessness will be destroyed and God's Kingdom

> rulership declared. Christians will be gathered up to be with God

> and resurrected from the dead to receive an eternal reward. The

> elements will melt with the heat and the universe as we know it

will

> perish. This is also the only day that matters for the Christian -

> it is the day for which we are keeping ourselves holy, pure and

> blameless. It is the end of the race when we receive the prize. If

> we abide in Christ we will have no reason to be ashamed on that

day.

> (1 John 2:28) The manifest Presence of God will re-order all

> Creation and we are to wait for this with patient and certain

> expectation similar to that of a farmer waiting for his crop to

> mature. We are not to be like the mockers who deride the second

> coming as due to God being tardy or non-existent. Rather we are

> to " hasten the day " this may mean that we are to engage in mission

> for it is when the gospel has been preached to all the nations that

> the end will come and this, in Matthew 24 is the pre-eminent sign

> Jesus gave of His coming. (Matthew 24:14 NKJV) " And this gospel of

> the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all

> the nations, and then the end will come.

>

> Word Study on " Parousia " by John Edmiston

> www.aibi.gospelcom.net/aibi/parousia.htm

>

>

>

>

> Having the glory of God: And His Light was like unto a stone most

> precious,

> Even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal . . .

> And I saw no temple therein: For the Lord God Almighty,

> And the Lamb are the Temple of it.

> And the City had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine

in

> it:

> For the glory of God did lighten it: And the Lamb is the Light

> thereof.

> And the nations of them which are saved, shall walk in the Light of

> it:

> And the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

> And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day:

> For there shall be no night there.

> And they shall bring the glory, and honour of the nations into it.

> And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth,

> Neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie:

> But they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

>

> Revelation 21:1-27

>

>

> --------------

>

> Your eye is the lamp of your body;

> When your eye is sound, your whole boy is full of light;

> But when it is not sound, your body is full of darkness.

> Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness.

> If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it

> will be wholly bright,

> As when a lamp with its rays gives you light.

>

> Luke 11.34-36

>

>

> ------------

>

> There is Light within a man of Light,

> and it lights up the whole world.

> If he does not shine, he is darkness. (4)

>

> (4. Gospel of Thomas 38.4-10 in NHL 433.)

>

> Elaine Pagels, The Gnostic Gospels, 1989, p. 120.

>

>

> ----------

>

> I am Protennoia, the Thought that dwells in the Light.

> I am the movement that dwells in the All, She in whom the All takes

> its stand,

> The first-born among those who came to be, She who exists before

the

> All.

> She (Protennoia) is called by three names, although she dwells

> alone,

> Since She is perfect.

> I am invisible within the Thought of the Invisible One.

> I am revealed in the immeasurable, ineffable (things).

> I am incomprehensible, dwelling in the incomprehensible. I move in

> every creature.

> I am the life of my Epinoia that dwells within every Power,

> And every eternal movement, and (in) invisible Lights,

> And within the Archons and Angels and Demons,

> And every soul dwelling in Tartaros, and (in) every material soul.

> I dwell in those who came to be.

> I move in everyone and I delve into them all.

> I walk uprightly, and those who sleep, I awaken.

> And I am the sight of those who dwell in sleep.

> I am the Invisible One within the All.

> It is I who counsel those who are hidden, since I know the All that

> exists in it.

> I am numberless beyond everyone.

> I am immeasurable, ineffable, yet whenever I wish,

> I shall reveal myself of my own accord.

> I am the head of the All. I exist before the All, and I am the All,

> Since I exist in everyone.

> I am a Voice speaking softly. I exist from the first.

> I dwell within the Silence that surrounds every one of them.

> And it is the hidden Voice that dwells within my,

> Within the incomprehensible, immeasurable Thought,

> Within the immeasurable Silence.

> I descended to the midst of the underworld, and I shone down upon

> the darkness.

> It is I who poured forth the water.

> It is I who am hidden within radiant waters.

> I am the one who gradually put forth the All by my Thought.

> It is I who am laden with the Voice. It is through me that Gnosis

> comes forth.

> I dwell in the ineffable and unknowable ones.

> I am perception and knowledge, uttering a Voice by means of

thought.

> I am the real Voice.

> I cry out in everyone, and they recognize it (the voice),

> Since a seed indwells them.

> I am the Thought of the Father, and through me proceeded the Voice,

> That is, the knowledge of the everlasting things.

> I exist as Thought for the All — being joined,

> To the unknowable and incomprehensible Thought —

> I revealed myself, yes, I among all those who recognize me.

> For it is I who am joined with everyone by virtue of the hidden

> Thought,

> And an exalted Voice, even a Voice from the invisible Thought.

> And it is immeasurable, since it dwells in the Immeasurable One.

> It is a mystery; It is unrestrainable by the Incomprehensible One.

> It is invisible to all those who are visible in the All.

> It is a Light dwelling in Light. . . .

>

> Trimorphic Protennoia (Translated by John D. Turner)

>

>

> -----------------

>

> " The Bible is seen to be full of terms about light. Lossky tells

> us that " for the mystical theology of the eastern Church these are

> not metaphors, rhetorical figures but words expressing a real

aspect

> of godliness. " " The godly light does not have an abstract and

> allegorical meaning. It is a data of the mystical experience. " The

> author then referred to " Gnostics " , the highest level of godly

> knowledge [that] is an experience (a living) of the noncreated

> light, where the experience itself is the light: in lumine tuo

> videbimus lumen (in Your Light we shall see light.) "

>

> Eternal, endless, existing beyond time and space, it appeared in

the

> theophanies of the Old Testament as the Glory of God. The Glory

> is " the Uncreated Light, His Eternal Kingdom. " Being bestowed to

the

> Christians by the Holy Spirit, the energies appear no longer as

> external causes but as grace, as inner light. " Makarius the

Egyptian

> wrote: " It is . . . the enlightenment of the holy souls, the

> steadiness of the heavenly powers " (Spiritual Homilies V.8.)

>

> " The godly light appears here, in this world, in time. It is

> disclosed in the history but it is not of this world; it is

eternal,

> it means going out from the historical existence: `the secret of

> the eight day', the secret of the true knowledge, the fulfillment

> of

> the Gnosis . . . It is exactly the beginning of parousia in the

holy

> souls, the beginning of the revealing at the end of times, when God

> will be disclosed to everyone in this distant Light. " "

>

> Dan Costian, Bible Enlightened

>

>

> ----------------

>

> Word Study on " Parousia "

> by John Edmiston

>

> ( " Parousia " is a Greek word meaning " personal presence " and relates

> to the Second Coming)

>

> Its Greek To Me!

>

> Parousia is a Greek word used 24 times in the New Testament to

> mean " coming, arrival, personal presence " . It is most often used to

> indicate the second coming and the arrival of the Son of Man though

> it can also indicate a visit by a Christian worker, apostle or even

> the " man of lawlessness " . In the Greek world of the New Testament

> it meant among other things a) A State visit or b) The presence or

> appearance of a deity during worship e.g. by divine fire. It has a

> range of meaning to that of the archaic English word " visitation " .

> Here is a definition from Strong's concordance:

>

> Definition

>

> 3952. parousia, par-oo-see'-ah; from the pres. part. of G3918; a

> being near, i.e. advent (often, return; spec. of Christ to punish

> Jerusalem, or finally the wicked); (by impl.) phys. aspect:--

coming,

> presence.

>

> There are six uses of the word to describe a visit by a person or

> their personal " presence " (1 Cor 16;17; 2Cor6:6, 2Cor 6;7; 2Cor

> 10:10; Phil 1:26; 2:12) this combination of " arrival "

plus " personal

> presence " gives the flavour to the word even when it is being used

> theologically. The Parousia of Jesus Christ is both His arrival and

> the manifestation of His " presence " to all mankind. We shall

> concentrate on this aspect for the rest of the word study.

>

> Jesus' use of " parousia "

>

> The word is only used 4 times in the gospels - all in Matthew

> chapter 24 the " Little Apocalypse " when Jesus discusses the signs

of

> His coming. The references are Matthew 24:3, 27, 37 and 39. In

verse

> 3 the disciples ask " Tell us, when will these things be? And what

> will be the sign of Your coming,( parousia) and of the end of the

> age? Jesus then replies:

>

> (Matthew 24:27 NKJV) " For as the lightning comes from the east and

> flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

>

> (Matthew 24:37-39 NKJV) " But as the days of Noah were, so also will

> the coming (parousia) of the Son of Man be. {38} " For as in the

days

> before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and

giving

> in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, {39} " and did

> not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will

> the coming (parousia)of the Son of Man be.

>

> Jesus emphasis is that His return will be sudden and surprising. It

> will be as sudden as a lightning flash and it will catch a

> preoccupied and self-centred world quite unawares. It is pre-

> eminently a sudden dramatic divine intervention in history for

> salvation of the elect and judgement of those who have rejected

> God's rulership over their lives.

>

> Parousia as the hope and goal of the Christian life

> The apostles seem to have had a single minded devotion to the

return

> of the Lord. As a child I waited for Christmas with single-minded

> tenacity, wanting to be good and to be rewarded for it. And

> Christmas seemed such a long way away each year. But it was certain

> and it was wonderful. This is a pale but accurate reflection of the

> apostolic hope which was a certain hope of a glorious reward. There

> are 11 main passages and they can be grouped under four headings:

>

> i. Resurrection and blessing 1 Cor 15:23, 1 Thess 4:15,

> (1 Corinthians 15:23 NKJV) But each one in his own order: Christ

the

> firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.

> (1 Thessalonians 4:15 NKJV) For this we say to you by the word of

> the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the

> Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

>

> ii. Holiness /Christian character 1 Thess 2:19,3:13,5:23, 1 John

2:28

> (1 Thessalonians 2:19 NKJV) For what is our hope, or joy, or crown

> of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus

> Christ at His coming?

> (1 Thessalonians 3:13 NKJV) so that He may establish your hearts

> blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of

our

> Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

> (1 Thessalonians 5:23 NKJV) Now may the God of peace Himself

> sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body

> be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

> (1 John 2:28 NKJV) And now, little children, abide in Him, that

when

> He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at

> His coming.

>

> iii. The destruction of the wicked 2 Thess 2:8,9 2 Peter 3:12

> (2 Thessalonians 2:8-9 NKJV) And then the lawless one will be

> revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth

> and destroy with the brightness of His coming. {9} The coming of

the

> lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power,

> signs, and lying wonders, (2 Peter 3:12 NKJV) looking for and

> hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the

heavens

> will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with

> fervent heat?

>

> iv. The patient endurance of the saints 2 Thess 2:1, James 5:7,8;

> 2Peter 3:4 (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 NKJV) Now, brethren, concerning

> the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to

> Him, we ask you, {2} not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled,

> either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though

> the day of Christ had come.

> (James 5:7-8 NKJV) Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming

> of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the

> earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and

> latter rain. {8} You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for

the

> coming of the Lord is at hand.

> (2 Peter 3:3-4 NKJV) knowing this first: that scoffers will come in

> the last days, walking according to 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

> creation. "

>

> For the Christian the Second Coming will be a joyous royal visit.

It

> is " The day " for which we strain forward with eager anticipation.

> For the wicked it will be when God arrives in fire and declares His

> personal Presence to a rebellious world which will then be under

the

> deception and dominion of a man of lawlessness inspired by Satan .

> This man of lawlessness will be destroyed and God's Kingdom

> rulership declared. Christians will be gathered up to be with God

> and resurrected from the dead to receive an eternal reward. The

> elements will melt with the heat and the universe as we know it

will

> perish. This is also the only day that matters for the Christian -

> it is the day for which we are keeping ourselves holy, pure and

> blameless. It is the end of the race when we receive the prize. If

> we abide in Christ we will have no reason to be ashamed on that

day.

> (1 John 2:28) The manifest Presence of God will re-order all

> Creation and we are to wait for this with patient and certain

> expectation similar to that of a farmer waiting for his crop to

> mature. We are not to be like the mockers who deride the second

> coming as due to God being tardy or non-existent. Rather we are

> to " hasten the day " this may mean that we are to engage in mission

> for it is when the gospel has been preached to all the nations that

> the end will come and this, in Matthew 24 is the pre-eminent sign

> Jesus gave of His coming. (Matthew 24:14 NKJV) " And this gospel of

> the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all

> the nations, and then the end will come.

>

> Word Study on " Parousia " by John Edmiston

> www.aibi.gospelcom.net/aibi/parousia.htm