So, is it fair to say that JWs have never claimed Jesus has arrived here invisibly?

Question

And they are still waiting for the second coming of Christ?

Answer 1

There is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that when the authors of the various books of the Bible speak of a resurrection, do they ever mention that it is exclusively a spiritual one. You will never find any of the original Hebrew Aramaic, and Greek words for "soul" or "spirit" used in conjunction with the word "resurrection". This is then quite inconsistent of Jehovah Witnesses, since they say that since the word "Trinity" is not in the Bible, that God can't be divinely Triune. So why are they saying that Jesus' resurrection was only a spiritual one, when there is absolutely no Biblical terminology to indicate this, such as "spiritual resurrection" or "soul resurrection"?

In addition, to deny that Jesus was raised physically and ascended into Heaven in His physical form (yet a glorified one) goes against all four accounts of the gospels, the Davidic prophecy from Psalm 16:8-11, and Peter's address in the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2, verses 24 through 32. Of course, if He just rose spiritually, that means that Jesus' body would have still been laying in the tomb enshrouded when Mary Magdala, the other women, Peter and John came to the tomb. So then, why did they all believe that someone must've taken Him away? (John 20:1-15) And, how could have "doubting" Thomas touched our Lord's side and His Hands, if He were not? How could Jesus have eaten a piece of broiled fish, if He were not? (Luke 24:42-43)

Did any of the angels ever do this? Absolutely not! And the context of this account says that Jesus actually ate the fish in order to prove that He had risen physically, since they were still doubting (Luke 24:41). And, the real kicker here is Jesus' very statements saying that His body was physical! "They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, 'Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.'" (Luke 24:37-40)

Case closed; all doubters are reproved and cynical skeptics are refuted. We can all go home now! The evidence is incontrovertible, being absolutely not in question here and not debatable, unless you believe that Jesus was deceiving them by playing some kind of supernatural trick! And, I guess that any proponent of this spurious conditional immortalist and annihilationist doctrine would'nt accuse Jesus of doing such a thing? I sure hope not.

Lastly, since Jesus did rise from the dead physically, and ascended into Heaven in the same manner, how can anyone claim that He'll be returning invisibly (only spiritually), when the two angels told all the witnesses of His ascension the following: "This same Jesus, Who has been taken from you into Heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into Heaven."(Acts 1:11b)????

Answer 2

Originally, Jonas Wendell, an Adventist preacher and mentor of Charles T. Russell, taught that Jesus was expected to return in 1874. When this return didn't materialize, the teaching was revamped to indicate that the return was an invisible one--that way, the original false prophecy would be tougher to refute.

After Russell parted ways with his Adventist mentors, he got into the theory of Pyramidology and, through his calculations, based on the measurements of the internal passageway of the Great Pyramid at Gaza, came up with 1914.

The WT publications subsequently taught 1914 as the return of Christ and, once again, when this event did not come to pass, the "invisible return" concept was trotted out. This concept has been promoted ever since.

So what was actually supposed to happen when Christ returned (invisibly or visibly, it was the same claims)?

* Armegeddon would take place
* God's kingdom was to take full control of the earth
* Human governments would be overthrown
* Christendom would be destroyed
* Christ would return to collect His own (JWs believed in the rapture at that time)

Even after Christ did not visibly return in 1914, the WTS continued to promote the date by switching tactics to the "invisible return" concept, as can be seen by the following quote:

"Our eyes of understanding should discern clearly the Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty, now in progress" (WT 9/1/16, p. 5951.

Answer 3

In 1914 he began ruling from heaven, at his Fathers right hand.
He has not returned here to earth since his assenction to heaven in 33 c. e. as of yet.
Nobody knows the time but one. His Father Jehovah, is the only one that knows the time of his return.
Matthew 24: 36, Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father.

All of us are waiting, aren't you also waiting.
This is bitter sweet news to all those of Christendom!

Answer 4

Matthew 24:3-14

3 While he was sitting upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately, saying: “Tell us, When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?”

4 And in answer Jesus said to them: “Look out that nobody misleads YOU; 5 for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6 YOU are going to hear of wars and reports of wars; see that YOU are not terrified. For these things must take place, but the end is not yet.

7 “For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another. 8 All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress.

9 “Then people will deliver YOU up to tribulation and will kill YOU, and YOU will be objects of hatred by all the nations on account of my name. 10 Then, also, many will be stumbled and will betray one another and will hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and mislead many; 12 and because of the increasing of lawlessness the love of the greater number will cool off. 13 But he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved. 14 And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.


Revelation 12:7-12

7 And war broke out in heaven: Mi´cha·el and his angels battled with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled 8 but it did not prevail, neither was a place found for them any longer in heaven. 9 So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

“Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down, who accuses them day and night before our God! 11 And they conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their witnessing, and they did not love their souls even in the face of death. 12 On this account be glad, YOU heavens and YOU who reside in them! Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to YOU, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time.”

John 14:19
19 A little longer and the world will behold me no more, but YOU will behold me, because I live and YOU will live.

Answer 5

Jesus is ruling in heaven and has turned his attention to the earth to separate out from them the sheep from the goats, when Jesus returns in all his glory with his angels it will be to destroy this wicked system of things, his return will be just as he left the earth to return to his Father, invisible.

Answer 6

No.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe the bible to teach that Jesus' "[second] coming" or "[second] presence" began in 1914. The Scriptures do show that Jesus sat on the throne of the Messianic Kingship that year. In hindsight, most of humankind can see the historic upheaval that began with World War I. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that mankind in general has seen a wide range of specific signs since 1914, and that anyone can perceive these as significant without even opening a bible.

Yet the bible DOES comment upon it! Jesus foretold this specific collection of signs as evidence that his "presence" or so-called 'second coming' had arrived. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that "presence" to be Jesus' presence as the King of God's Kingdom. Citations are from both New World Translation (NWT) and Youngs Literal Translation (YLT).

(Matthew 24:3, NWT) disciples approached [Jesus] privately, saying: "Tell us, When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence
(Matthew 24:3, YLT) the disciples came near to [Jesus], saying, 'Tell us, when shall these be? and what is the sign of thy presence...?

(Luke 21:7,24, NWT) Teacher, when will these things actually be, and what will be the sign when these things are destined to occur?
(Luke 21:7,24, YLT) Teacher, when, then, shall these things be? and what is the sign when these things may be about to happen?'

Amazingly, since the 1870's, Jehovah's Witnesses had recognized 1914 as a significant year according to the chronology indicated in bible prophecy. Decades before 1914, Witnesses noted that Jesus' discussion of his second "coming", or second "presence" specifically mentions "the appointed times of the nations", which Jehovah's Witnesses believe to be a centuries-long period of relative godlessness when God's rulership through the Davidic kingship was interrupted (the line of hereditary kings beginning with King David of Israel). Jehovah's Witnesses recognize that the Davidic kingship ended in 607 BCE when Jerusalem fell to Babylon, and would begin again during the fulfillment of the composite "sign" of Matthew 24 and Luke 21.

(Luke 21:24, NWT) Jerusalem [or 'Davidic kingship'] will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled.
(Luke 21:24, YLT) Jerusalem [or 'Davidic kingship'] shall be trodden down by nations, till the times of nations be fulfilled.

How long would "the appointed times of the nations" last? Daniel chapter 4 contains a prophecy in which God's rulership, through the Davidic kings is represented by a "tree". That tree is kept down for "seven times", which seems to be seven periods of 360 "days" (See Rev 12:6,14). So Daniel 4:15 seems to be referring to 2520 "days" when God's governmental rulership would not be seen.

(Daniel 4:11-17, NWT) The tree grew up and became strong, and its very height finally reached the heavens, and it was visible to the extremity of the whole earth. ...14 He ["a holy one"] was calling out loudly, and this is what he was saying: "CHOP the tree down... 15 However, LEAVE its rootstock itself in the earth... let seven times pass over it. 17 ...that people living may know that the Most High is Ruler in the kingdom of mankind and that to the one whom he wants to, he gives it and he sets up over it even the lowliest one of mankind.
(Daniel 4:11-17, YLT) Become great hath the tree, yea, strong, and its height doth reach to the heavens, and its vision to the end of the whole land...14 He ["a holy one"] is calling mightily, and thus hath said, Cut down the tree...15 but the stump of its roots leave in the earth...and seven times pass over him; 17 ...that the living may know that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and to whom He willeth He giveth it, and the lowest of men He doth raise up over it.



But in history, 2520 days is not a significant amount of time. Jehovah's Witnesses look to Scriptures such as Num 14:34 and Ez 4:6 and re-examine the history using 2520 YEARS instead. From 607 BCE to 1914 CE is 2520 years; so many significant things happened that year, and World War I was only one part!.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/dg/index.htm?article=article_09.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_10.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_02.htm

Answer 7

Patricia answered it