’Έρχομαι as wederkomswoord en die telos van die gebruik daarvan in die boek Openbaring

Abstract

’Έρχομαι as a word denoting the second coming in the New Testament and the telos of its use in the book of Revelation. The purpose of this article is to exegetically determine the meaning and use of ἒρχομαι as a word denoting the second coming, in the revelation-historical tradition. A definition of the meaning of ἒρχομαι is formulated after a word study has been done in a diachronic and synchronic way. In this article it is also established what the telos of the revelation of the second coming is, where ἒρχομαι is used in the book of Revelation. The findings of the research are summed in a definition of the meaning of ἒρχομαι as a word denoting the second coming, and which is formulated as follows: It is the physical coming of Jesus Christ with his second coming, from heaven to earth, during which He will appear publicly in power and glory, to judge and to save the faithful. The telos of the revelation of the second coming by means of ἒρχομαι, is determined as the kerugma that God in Jesus is ὁ ἐρχόμενος, coming to mankind; the manner in which He will come; and that his second coming forms an essential part of God’s counsel. A second purpose for proclaiming the second coming, is to state that it is Jesus Christ himself that is coming and to direct the focus of the believers to him. Thirdly, the second coming is proclaimed to call unbelievers to repentance and to encourage believers to stay faithful. The final telos is determined as encouragement for the believers to remain faithful, to take heart in the promise of everlasting life in God’s presence, to pray for the return of Christ and to believe and obey Scripture, the written word of God.

Contribution: By means of exegesis in the revelation-historical tradition, an original theological definition of meaning of ἒρχομαι as a word, denoting the second coming of Christ, is provided and the telos for the revelation of the second coming, by means of ἒρχομαι in the book of Revelation, is determined.