Parousia (par-oo-see'-ah): Coming, presence, arrival
Everyone studies this word as "the Second Coming," but its ordinary, everyday meaning is so much simpler than that: it's presence or arrival.
This week's Greek word is parousia and Paul uses it for his own physical presence with the Philippians! There, he's not talking about the end times at all, he's just talking about physical location.
That changes how I read every verse about Christ's return, because that shows how we actually get to be with Him, not receiving a message about Him, but face to face with Him.
As a kid I pictured heaven as "babys"(cheribs) on harps and I didn't understand why I was supposed to look forward to it. But when you understand that Heaven is the restoration of the presence of God in the garden of Eden....only better.... then you understand what we are looking forward to.
If you're in a hard season and you feel distant from God right now, the ache you feel isn't proof that He's far away, it's proof you were made for a nearness that's coming. Actually, it's promised! And that's a life-changing truth, isn't it?
We're not just looking forward to heaven as a nice place, we are looking forward to being with Christ Himself! Eden restored.
So friend, let that change how you're waiting right now because you're waiting on Him. That's a bride waiting for her bridegroom. That's presence and joy that's not just tied up with babies and harps and a nice place. That's your Savior!
Scriptures where we find "parousia":
1 Corinthians 15:23 — "Christ the firstfruits; then at his coming..."
Philippians 2:12 — "not only as in my presence, but now much more in my absence..."
1 Thessalonians 4:15 — "until the coming of the Lord..."
