What Is the Coming of Christ?

This article exposes the Watchtower Society's false teachings regarding the coming of Yeshua HaMashiach, contrasting their 1914 invisible presence doctrine with the clear, visible return described in Hebraic scripture.

Quick Answer

What Is the Coming of Christ? Exposing Watchtower's False Doctrine Quick Answer Quick Answer: The coming of Christ, or Yeshua HaMashiach, is understood as a future, visible, and glorious return to Earth, as detailed in both Tanakh prophecy and Brit Chadashah accounts. This perspective stands in direct opposition to the Watchtower Society's 1914 invisible presence…

What Is the Coming of Christ? Exposing Watchtower's False Doctrine

Quick Answer

Quick Answer: The coming of Christ, or Yeshua HaMashiach, is understood as a future, visible, and glorious return to Earth, as detailed in both Tanakh prophecy and Brit Chadashah accounts. This perspective stands in direct opposition to the Watchtower Society's 1914 invisible presence doctrine, which lacks broad scriptural or historical support.

The Scholarly Case

The Hebraic understanding of the coming of Yeshua HaMashiach, often referred to as the "Second Coming," is rooted deeply in the prophetic texts of the Tanakh and affirmed in the Brit Chadashah. This coming is generally viewed not as a secret, invisible event, but as a public, unmistakable manifestation of divine power and authority. From the Tanakh, the prophet Daniel provides a foundational vision: "In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed" (Daniel 7:13-14 BSB). This vision depicts a figure, the Son of Man, receiving dominion and kingship. While this passage describes an enthronement in heaven, the Brit Chadashah connects this figure to Yeshua's return to Earth in power and glory. Zechariah further elaborates on the physicality and location of this return: "Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half the mountain moving to the north and half to the south" (Zechariah 14:3-4 BSB). This is described as a tangible, geographical event, not an ethereal, unobservable one. The "coming" here is presented as an act of divine intervention on Earth, with Yeshua's physical presence on a specific landmark. The Brit Chadashah consistently reinforces this visible and undeniable nature of Yeshua's return. Yeshua Himself states, "For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man" (Matthew 24:27 BSB). Lightning is not invisible; it is a sudden, brilliant, and universally observed phenomenon. He continues, "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory" (Matthew 24:30 BSB). The emphasis is on universal visibility—"all the tribes of the earth will mourn" because "They will see." This is generally understood as a public spectacle, not a private, spiritual manifestation. The apostles, who were eyewitnesses to Yeshua's ascension, received a promise regarding the manner of His return. After Yeshua was taken up, "they were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? 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 1:9-11 BSB). The phrase "in the same way" is often considered crucial; Yeshua ascended visibly, physically, and in the clouds. Therefore, His return is often interpreted as being visible, physical, and in the clouds. This reading suggests limited room for an "invisible presence" doctrine. Paul affirms this expectation, describing Yeshua's return as a direct descent from heaven: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise" (1 Thessalonians 4:16 BSB). This is portrayed as a noisy, audible, and dramatic event, not a silent, hidden one. The "glorious appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13 BSB) further underscores the visible and majestic nature of this event. The Hebraic concept of YHWH's presence often involves a visible manifestation, whether through the pillar of cloud and fire (Exodus 13:21) or His glory filling the Temple (1 Kings 8:11). The idea of a divine agent, distinct yet inherently YHWH, is found in ancient Jewish thought. The Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 45:12 speaks of YHWH creating the earth "by His Memra," where Memra (Word) functions as an active agent of YHWH, demonstrating a plurality within the divine unity. This concept of "Two Powers in Heaven" was a recognized rabbinic discussion, as attested in b. Sanhedrin 38b, which discusses the possibility of two divine figures in heaven, one being the Messiah. Yeshua, as the Memra, the Angel of YHWH who bears His Name (Exodus 23:21), is understood by some as the visible manifestation of YHWH's authority and presence. His return will therefore often be seen as a visible manifestation of that very authority. The Brit Chadashah consistently presents Yeshua as "God and Savior" (Titus 2:13 BSB), affirming His divine nature. This is not necessarily a contradiction to the Shema, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One" (Deuteronomy 6:4 BSB), but an understanding of God's compound unity (echad), as seen in "one flesh" (Genesis 2:24 BSB) or "one cluster" (Numbers 13:23). Yeshua's coming is understood as the return of the divine King, who will establish His kingdom on Earth, as prophesied in Isaiah 2:2-4 and Zechariah 8:20-23. This is often interpreted as a physical kingdom, with Jerusalem as its center, not an invisible spiritual reign.

Adversary Teardown: Watchtower (jw.org)

The Watchtower Society, the organizational arm of the Jehovah's Witnesses, propagates a doctrine regarding the coming of Yeshua HaMashiach that diverges from a traditional understanding. Their central claim is that Yeshua returned invisibly in 1914, marking the beginning of His "invisible presence" and heavenly rule. This doctrine represents a departure from some biblical interpretations and an example of tradition-driven readings. This teaching traces its lineage directly back to Charles Taze Russell, the founder of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Russell, influenced by Adventist chronology, particularly that of Nelson Barbour (who in turn was influenced by William Miller's failed 1844 predictions), initially predicted Yeshua's return in 1874. When this did not occur as predicted, he reinterpreted the "return" as an invisible presence, shifting the date to 1914. This date was then proclaimed by Joseph F. Rutherford, Russell's successor, as the beginning of Yeshua's invisible heavenly reign. Subsequent failed predictions in 1925 and 1975 highlight the speculative nature of their chronology, yet the 1914 invisible presence remains a cornerstone of Watchtower theology. The Watchtower's "invisible presence" doctrine appears to contrast with the language of the Brit Chadashah. While the Watchtower's New World Translation (NWT) attempts to support their invisible notion by rendering the Greek word parousia (presence, coming) as "presence," the context of verses like Matthew 24:27 and Acts 1:11 suggests a different interpretation. Matthew 24:27 states, "For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." Lightning is by definition visible. Acts 1:11 explicitly states, "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.” Yeshua ascended visibly; therefore, it is argued that He must return visibly. The NWT's rendering is viewed by critics as not aligning with the plain meaning of these texts. Furthermore, the Watchtower's doctrine of Yeshua as "a god" rather than fully God, as seen in their translation of John 1:1 ("the Word was a god"), is understood by many as undermining His divine authority and the very nature of His glorious return. Scholarly critiques, such as those by Bruce Metzger in "The Jehovah's Witnesses and Jesus Christ" (1953) and Robert Countess in "The Jehovah's Witness New Testament" (1982), meticulously document what they describe as deliberate mistranslations designed to support their unique theology. The Watchtower also inserts the word "[other]" into Colossians 1:16-17 to diminish Yeshua's role as creator of all things, claiming He created "all [other] things." This manipulation is seen by critics as an attempt to portray Yeshua as a created being, rather than the co-creator with YHWH, which contrasts with the Hebraic understanding of YHWH's creative power (Isaiah 45:12) and Yeshua's role as the Memra, the divine agent of creation (Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 45:12). The Watchtower's 1914 invisible coming is a theological invention, an attempt to reconcile prophetic predictions by redefining "coming" to mean something different from its traditional biblical usage. It is described as standing in contrast to the Torah-observant faith of Yeshua and the apostles, who anticipated a literal, physical, and glorious return. A brief mention must also be made of other traditions that promote a secret or partial coming, such as certain dispensationalist interpretations of a pre-tribulation rapture. While distinct from the Watchtower's 1914 doctrine, these also deviate from a unified Hebraic expectation of a singular, globally visible return of Yeshua, often relying on a fragmented reading of scripture rather than its holistic prophetic narrative.

Counter-Arguments Anticipated

Objection 1: Yeshua's kingdom is not of this world, so His coming must be spiritual or invisible.

This objection interprets Yeshua's statement in John 18:36, "My kingdom is not of this world; if it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews. But now My kingdom is not of this realm.” Yeshua was not denying a future earthly reign but clarifying that His initial kingdom establishment was not by worldly means or human warfare. The Brit Chadashah states that according to some interpretations, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever" (Revelation 11:15 BSB). This future reign is understood by many to be a physical, earthly one, as prophesied in Isaiah 2:2-4, where the nations stream to Jerusalem to learn Torah from Yeshua. His initial coming did not establish a worldly kingdom, but His second coming is expected to establish His kingdom on Earth, fulfilling the Tanakh prophecies.

Objection 2: The "rapture" is a separate, invisible event where believers are secretly taken away before Yeshua's visible return.

This concept, largely popularized by John Nelson Darby in the 19th century and later by the Scofield Reference Bible, introduces a two-stage coming that some argue is absent from a unified Hebraic understanding. The scriptures describe a single, glorious event where believers meet Yeshua "in the air" as He descends to Earth. "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 BSB). This is generally not presented as a secret snatching away, but a public, noisy gathering associated with Yeshua's visible descent, followed by His immediate establishment of His kingdom on Earth, as depicted in Zechariah 14:3-4.

Objection 3: Matthew 24:36 states "No one knows about that day or hour," implying a hidden or unknown nature to the coming.

This verse, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Matthew 24:36 BSB), refers to the *timing* of Yeshua's return, not its *visibility* or *nature*. It is generally understood as a warning against date-setting and speculation, not an indication that the event itself will be unobservable. In fact, Yeshua immediately follows this with descriptions of clear signs and what is interpreted as a universally visible return (Matthew 24:27, 30). The lack of knowledge regarding the exact moment does not negate the explicit descriptions of a manifest, glorious, and undeniable appearance when it is believed to occur.

Position Lock

Position Lock: The coming of Yeshua HaMashiach is generally understood to be a future, physical, and globally visible event, where He will descend from heaven to establish His righteous kingdom on Earth, fulfilling what are considered explicit Tanakh prophecies and Brit Chadashah declarations, refuting claims of an invisible or secret return.