Parousia

“Tell us, when will these things happen?” and “What will be the sign of your coming [parousia] and of the end of the age?” (Matt. 24:3).

The Greek noun for “coming” is parousia, which means “an arrival and a continuing presence.” It is the term behind the expression “second coming” or “second advent.” Yeshua's second coming [parousia] will be a comprehensive-complex whole. It will span various events that will fulfill Divine purposes including the beginning of the Day of the Lord. Parousia can also carry the sense, “the coming of a hidden divinity, who makes his presence felt by a revelation of his power.” Jesus will manifest Himself when He returns, making His presence felt throughout the revelation of the Day of the Lord judgments. When trying to determine the timeframe of our rapture to Yeshua, many get stuck trying to reconcile His "coming".

Does He come once to rapture us pre-wrath, and then come a THIRD time to physically set foot on earth? My answer is: NO. Yeshua's "second coming" occurs at the sixth seal and He is "present" throughout all remaining events of Daniel's 70th week and afterwards.

Parousia (Greek: παρουσία, Strong's G3952) is a noun derived from the verb "pareimi" (to be present) and the prefix "para" (beside/near). Its core meaning is "presence" or "being alongside", often implying arrival or advent as the initial stage of that presence (e.g., a person's coming to a place followed by their ongoing presence there).

In classical Greek and Hellenistic usage (e.g., in papyri and secular literature), it frequently referred to the official visit or arrival of a king, emperor, or dignitary—carrying connotations of honor, power, and sometimes judgment. In the New Testament, it retains this sense of arrival/presence, but context determines the nuance:

• In non-eschatological uses: Simply a person's arrival or presence (contrasted with absence).
• In eschatological uses: Primarily the future coming/presence of Christ (the Second Coming or Advent), often with triumphant, visible, and judgmental implications. It emphasizes not just a momentary event but the inaugurated presence of Christ in glory.

The word occurs 24 times in the Greek New Testament (no occurrences in the Septuagint/Old Testament). English translations (e.g., KJV, NIV, ESV) usually render it as "coming" in eschatological contexts and "coming" or "presence" in ordinary ones.

[1Co 15:22-28 LSB]  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. [23]  But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming [parousia]. [24]  Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. [25]  For He must reign UNTIL HE HAS PUT ALL HIS ENEMIES UNDER HIS FEET. [26]  The last enemy to be abolished is death. [27]  For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. [28]  And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.

Paul states that when the series of resurrections is accomplished, Christ will “reign until” all his enemies, especially death, are defeated. He will hand over the kingdom to God the Father when everything is put into subjection.

Paul teaches that the first divine purpose of the parousia will be the resurrection and harpazo of the Church. After the day of the Lord’s judgment, the parousia will extend into his rule in the physical glorified kingdom, eventuating in all enemies being eliminated. Accordingly, his parousia will not be an instantaneous event; it will be a multi-phased, complex-whole.
There is one last point to be made about the word parousia. The term is co-referential with the expression “the Day of the Lord.” These are not two separate events, but one and the same. However, each expression can have its own nuance depending on the context: the Day of the Lord expressing generally a negative-judgment aspect of our Lord’s return and parousia expressing a generally positive-redemptive aspect of our Lord’s return. Both Peter and Paul understood these terms to be co-referential. [2Pe 3:10-12 LSB]  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be found out. [11]  Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, [12]  looking for and hastening the coming [parousia] of the day of God, because of which the heavens burning will be destroyed, and the elements will melt with intense heat!

He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ [1 Cor 1:8]. So that your hearts are strengthened in holiness to be blameless before our God and Father at the coming [parousia] of our Lord Jesus with all his saints (1 Thess. 3:13, emphasis mine; cf. 5:23). Conclusion Yeshua is only coming again once. He will be present for all events from the rapture until the end. Including when He sets foot physically on the earth.

Similarly, the second coming will begin with Yeshua's arrival in the clouds to resurrect the dead and rapture them along with believers who are still alive at that time (1 Thess. 4:13–18) before God's wrath begins.

The Biblical writers often emphasized the arrival aspect of the parousia because they wanted to induce Godly living in their listeners. But it would be a mistake to think they viewed the parousia as limited only to his glorious appearing in the sky resulting in the resurrection of the dead and the rapture. His subsequent presence will encompass major events such as the day of the Lord’s wrath, bringing the remnant of Israel to salvation, and reclaiming his earthly rule that will extend through the millennium. In short, Christ is coming back as Deliverer, Judge, and King.