Coming and Going
By Jonathan Mitchell
In this essay, we will explore other options for understanding "the coming of the Lord" than what various traditions of Christianity have normally promoted.
First of all, the most common Greek word for "coming," which is used in the NT, is the present participle of the verb "erchomai," which means both "to come" and "to go." The context, of course, guides the translator as to which meaning to employ. However, when used in more abstract statements about the Lord, we observe that it seems most appropriate to conflate these two meaning, especially when the present tense (a tense indicating continual, repeated, or habitual, action) is being used, and when it makes sense to the context.
For example, consider the visionary experience of John, in the Unveiling (Revelation). In 1:4, we have this participial phrase:
"the One continuously existing (or: unceasingly being; Who continuously IS), even the One Who was, and continued being, and the One Who is continuously (or: repeatedly; habitually; progressively) coming or going."
On the day of the resurrection of Jesus, we find a lived out example of this in Jn. 20:19,
"Then, it being late in that day (or: evening on that day) - on one of the sabbaths - and the doors having been shut and locked (or: barred) where the disciples were gathered together, because of the fear of the Judeans (= the Judean religious authorities), Jesus came and suddenly stepped into the midst and took a stand (or: suddenly came into the midst and stood) and then He is proceeding to say to them, 'Peace, from the Joining, (or: = Shalom) to, and for, you folks!'"
From that text, we can infer that He did not stay with them, but went away. A similar situation of Jesus just "showing up" is seen in Jn. 21. Verse 4 simply records that,
"Now already, with [the] progressive birthing of morning coming to be, Jesus [comes] to the seashore (or: unto the beach) [and] stands [there]. The disciples, however (or: of course), had not clearly seen or perceived, so as to know that it is Jesus."
It is obvious that after these times of coming to them, there followed His going away. The incident involving two of His disciples, on their way to Emmaus, is recorded in Lu. 24:13-32. There, in vs. 15, Jesus simply joined their journey, and then, in vs. 31,
"He vanished out of their sight."
These momentary visits, by Jesus, happened over a period of forty days (Acts 1:3), and then, in Acts 1:9, they were allowed to observe Him leaving their visual presence, and,
"Next, as they were continuing in staring intently, straining and stretching with a fixed gaze into the sky (or: the atmosphere; heaven) during His progressively going on His way - and now look and consider! - two adult men (males of the human race; or: husbands) had taken a position and now stand beside them in bright white garments..." (vs. 10)
In our book, The Spoken and Lived-out Parables of Jesus, we took note of how the Gospel writers included what could be considered "insignificant" details of the actions and movements of Jesus. Was Luke (the author of Luke and Acts - considered by many to have been like part 1 and part 2 of what he wrote) perhaps giving us another "lived-out parable" from Jesus' post-resurrection comings and goings? Was this giving us a "pattern" of what He would continue to do? What we will observe in the Unveiling, would seem to affirm this.
So, let us now return to Rev. 1, where again we see what we read in 1:4, above:
8. "I am continuously (or: repeatedly) the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord [= Christ or Yahweh] God, "the One continuously being, even the One Who was and continued being, and the One presently and continuously (or: progressively) coming and going, the Almighty."(or: The Owner is laying out these thoughts: "I Myself exist being the Alpha and the Omega - the continuously existing God, even the One Who continued existing [as] Being, as well as the One habitually being on the go and repeatedly moving about - the All-Strong." [cf Isa. 41:4])
We will return to the Unveiling, and consider both His declared movement among the called out assemblies, and the warnings about His coming to them in judgment (chapters 2 and 3). But first, let us look at what Jesus said about Himself, and the Father, "coming" to His followers. In Jn. 14:2 He mentioned His Father's House - that House being the Temple (cf Mat. 21:13 where Jesus refers to the temple as being His Father's house). Later, Paul would instruct us that Christ's followers are God's Temple (1 Cor. 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16) - both individually, and corporately.
Continuing on, in Jn. 14, we read a continuation of what Jesus was saying in vs. 2, with the context still being His Father's House:3. "Even if I should journey on and prepare (make suitable, fit and appropriate) a place (or: a spot; a position; a role) in you folks (or: with, among and for you), I am now presently (or: progressively; repeatedly; habitually) going and coming again, and then, I will progressively take you folks in My arms and receive you to Myself, directing you toward Myself so as to be face to face with Me, to the end that where I, Myself, am (or: exist) you folks also can continue being (or: would ongoingly exist).
Then, in 14:18b, He told them,
"I am repeatedly (or: habitually) and now progressively coming to (or: face to face with; toward) you people."
In 14:22, Judah asks,
"Lord (Master), what has come to be (or: has happened) that you are now about to progressively and continually show Yourself plainly (make Yourself to be inwardly seen in clear light) to us (or: in us) and not to (or: in) the world (or: domination System; ordered arrangement of the religious and political culture; aggregate of humanity)?"
In vs. 23, Jesus answered:
"If anyone continues (or: may be habitually) loving, accepting, fully giving himself to, and urging toward union with, Me, he WILL continue constantly watching over so as to observe, guard, preserve keep and maintain My word (logos: thought, idea; blueprint; message; laid-out, patterned information), and My Father will continue loving, fully giving Himself to, and urging toward union with, him, AND, facing toward him, WE will continue coming to him and will be progressively making (constructing; forming; creating; producing) a home (abode; dwelling place; place to stay) with him (or: at his side and in his presence)."
Further on, in Jn. 17:17, it should be noted that in His prayer to the Father, Jesus said concerning His disciples:
"I am NOT now making a request to the end that You should pick them up and carry (or: remove; take) them out of the System (world; ordered arrangement of culture, religion, economy and government; human aggregate), but rather that You should observe, guard, protect, maintain, care for and keep them out of the worthless or bad situation, the sorry plight, the effect of the knavish and good-for-nothing person, the oppressive toil and the base or evil influence."
Our place is to be here, representing God's realm to, and Life for, the world. What Jesus said was that He and the Father would come here, to us. Consider Jn. 14:18, above: He said that He would come to us. So Jesus would be "going" from them, but this was a part of His "coming" to them, and to us. He would be both going, and then coming. This speaks of the journeying of the main character in some of Jesus' parables.
In considering this topic of Christ's "coming and going," it behooves us to remember Paul's instruction in 2 Cor. 5:16,
"so that we, from the present moment (or: from now) [on], have seen and thus know (or: perceive; or: are acquainted [with]) no one on the level of flesh (= in the sphere of the natural realm of estranged human nature; = in correspondence to the self that is enslaved to the System; = according to the old covenant), if even we have intimately, by experience, known Christ ([the] Anointed One) on the level of flesh (or: = in the sphere of the natural realm of estranged humanity; or: = in correspondence to a self that is oriented to the System; = according to the old covenant), nevertheless we now (in the present moment) no longer continue [thus] knowing [Him or anyone]."
This means that we only know Him by His Spirit. Saul experienced this, when Jesus came and encountered him while he was on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). Jesus came to him and countered his intentions - knocking him to the ground and temporarily blinding him. We suggest that, in that experience, Saul was experiencing "the Judgment Seat of Christ." The risen Jesus made a decision about Saul (whom we now know as Paul - a slave of Jesus Christ, Rom. 1:1). Dan Kaplan points us to a lived-out parable by Paul, where Luke records him with Barnabas among the sent-forth folks in Jerusalem. Barnabas declared to them the incident of Paul on that road, and how he had seen the Lord. And then, Paul was with them "coming in and going out" at Jerusalem (Acts 9:27-28). Paul later followed the Lord's pattern of ministry, completing at least three missionary journeys to the called-out folks to whom he later wrote his letters. So was the small detail, which Luke included in Acts 9:28, a subtle hint the Paul was being led (cf Rom. 8:14) by Christ, Who was incarnated in him by the Spirit of God, and thus was he imitating the "Pattern Son" by the life that he now led?
With these thoughts in mind, let us return to the Unveiling, in order to investigate the various "comings and goings" of the risen Jesus, as John was given to record them. In Rev. 1:20b, we are informed:
"the seven lampstands are the seven covenant communities (or: summoned-forth congregations)." In the very next verse, 2:1b, we are further informed that the risen Christ is:"the One continuously walking about within the midst of, and in the sphere of, the seven golden lampstands."
This means that Christ is "coming and going" within the midst of, and in the sphere of, the seven covenant communities! In the layout of the temple, the lampstand was located within the holy place of the Temple. There the lampstand was the Light of that realm (a figure of the believing community; cf Mat. 5:14a).
Next, let us observe what He had John write to the first of those seven communities:
"You [assembly] must be remembering, then, whence you [as a single entity] have fallen, and you must change your way of thinking and feeling (change your frame of mind and your perceptions), and you [group] must do (perform; construct; produce) the first works (deeds; actions). Yet if not, I am continuously (repeatedly; habitually) COMING to you [as a group], and I will proceed removing (or: moving) your lampstand out of its place, if ever you [as a group] may not change your way of thinking (your mind-set, paradigm and state of consciousness)" - 2:7.
That was written to the called-out in Ephesus. His "coming" to act, among them, would also imply His "going," as He metaphorically took the lampstand away from their midst. This, dear friends, would be one of "the comings of the Lord." By the way, nowhere in the NT does it speak of "the second coming." See my rendering of Heb. 9:29. There, it speaks of Him being made visible from out of the midst of the second part of the tabernacle (Heb. 9:3), i.e., from out of the Holy of holies. In Heb. 9:29, the word "time" is not in the Greek text.
Next, we find His saying to those in Pergamos (2:16),
"You must change your mind (your way of thinking, attitude, mindset and state of consciousness), therefore! Yet if not, I am repeatedly (habitually) COMING swiftly in you (or: GOING to you) [again: you, singular], and I will proceed waging war (doing battle) with them within the broadsword of My mouth." [cf Isa. 11:4; 2 Thes. 2:8]
Then, in 3:3, He uses a different verb (exo) to warn them:
"If ever, then, you should not be watching, I will proceed ARRIVING (or: may arrive) upon you as a thief, and under no circumstances would you know what hour I will (or: might) be ARRIVING upon you." Notice how He described His potential "arrival" - "as a thief." A thief normally "comes and goes."
His last use of "coming" in these letters to the ekklesias, is found in 3:11,
"I am repeatedly (habitually; constantly) coming and going swiftly (or: progressively coming soon)!"
Returning to Rev. 1:7, we read this proclamation:
"Consider (or: Look; Behold, and see)! He is continuously (or: presently; repeatedly; habitually; progressively) coming and going with the clouds..."
In the natural realm, clouds do come and go. It is not a one-time thing that they come, and after they come, then they normally go. God is always on the move. This has to do with His Kingdom activity and His service to us, as our Paraclete. Yet, in another sense, He is always here, and we live our lives with the midst of Him (Acts 17:28). Observe the metaphor which Jesus used when speaking with Nicodemus, in Jn. 3:8. What He said applies both to God and to us:
"The Spirit (or: Breath-effect, or, exhaled Breath; Attitude) habitually breathes or blows where It (or: He) is presently intending (willing; purposing), and you continually hear Its (or: His) voice, but yet you have not seen, and thus do not know, from what source It continuously comes, and where It progressively goes and habitually brings [things and folks] under [Its] control. (or: The wind constantly blows where it presently sets its will, and you constantly hear its sound, but yet you have not seen and do not know from where it is coming, nor where it is going; or: = The wind continuously blows and the Spirit normally breathes {respires} - in the place that each has purpose. And so you are often hearing the sound that either makes, although you have not perceived from what place it is presently coming, as well as to what place it is presently leading, under [its influence or control].)
Thus is everyone (or: does everyone constantly exist being) - the person (or: the [corporate] Person [= the Second Humanity]) being birthed, having been born forth from out of the midst of the Spirit (or: In this manner exists all mankind, which is in the state of being born from the Breath-effect)."
We, too, are always present on earth, during our lives here. But we are far from static; we are constantly on the move doing this or that, often affecting the lives others and working on projects. The works that Jesus did we also do, as He said that we would (Jn. 14:12).
We see Christ fulfilling Mal. 3:1-6, with the judgment aspect (Mal. 3:5) being His coming to Jerusalem in AD 70, but His acts of purification began with John, the immerser, and continued with Jesus (corresponding to Mal. 3:2, 3; 4:1, 5 and 6). In Mat. 3:11-12, John informs us:
[cf Ezk. 36:26-27; 37:14; 39:29; Isa. 44:3; Joel 2:28; comment: a prophecy aimed at the Judean leadership. Chaff, a figure of the old covenant and the first Adam (1 Cor. 15:45), is the part of the plant that bore the Grain, but is no longer useful, as food]
This prophecy, by John, indicated a personal involvement by Christ, in the purification process for both societies and individuals. There is always a specific purpose for God, or Christ, "coming" to us. We can observe this throughout the OT. But a "coming" does not imply that He is not always here with us, and in us. It simply speaks to us metaphorically, indicating that His presence will do a specific task.
We experience God as dynamic, continuously being involved with the aggregate of humanity. Ps. 46 offers a beautiful picture of our God - "our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.... [He is] with us..."
Jonathan
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