he “turned his attention” to them. Likewise, when he began to call out a people from the nations for his name he did not literally “visit” but “turned his attention to the nations.” (Ex. 4:31; Luke 1:68; Acts 15:14, NW) See also An American Translation and Moffatt.

THE TIME OF CHRIST’S SECOND PRESENCE

The Scriptures indicate three features to follow Christ’s second coming and use three Greek words to refer to them: his parousia, or presence; his epiphaneia, or “manifestation”; and his apokalypsis, or “revelation.” Many Scriptures speak of the act of Christ’s second “coming” (eʹlevsis), such as Acts 7:52; but the Christian Greek Scriptures speak also many times of his second presence (par·ou·sía), his being invisibly here, not his being on the way.

In answer to his apostles’ question as to the sign of his second parousia or presence Jesus did not tell them to look in the sky but gave them a composite sign by which they could tell he was present. All the physical facts indicate that this sign has been seen since 1914. Has it not been since that year that we have seen warfare, earthquakes, pestilences and famine to an unprecedented extent? And have we not since then seen persecution of Christians in all nations and the preaching of the good news of God’s kingdom in all the inhabited earth?—Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21.

Additionally, Bible chronology, based on Daniel’s prophecy regarding the “seven times,” when viewed in the light of God’s measuring rule of a “day for a year,” corroborates 1914 as the time for the coming of him “whose right it is,” namely, Christ Jesus.—Dan. 4:1-37; Ezek. 4:6; 21:27.

All these facts regarding Christ’s second presence expose the fallacy of the teaching that Christ comes again in that man applies Christ’s principles to his problems. Jesus told us to expect just the opposite: his parousia would be marked by “increasing of lawlessness,” and it would be a question as to whether he found “faith on the earth.” And Paul foretold that the last days would be “critical times hard to deal with.” For Christ’s return to wait upon man’s applying his principles would mean for Christ never to come.—Matt. 24:12; Luke 18:8; 2 Tim. 3:1, NW.

FEATURES OF CHRIST’S PRESENCE

Having noted how Christ comes, as an invisible spirit and by his turning his attention to the affairs of earth, and that his presence began in 1914, by what actions has he shown that he has turned his attention to the affairs of earth? Revelation 11:15-18 and Re 12:1-12 show that Jehovah began to rule by means of his Son, Christ Jesus, when the nations became angry, namely, in 1914, and that thereafter followed a war in heaven resulting in Satan and his demons’ being cast out. From the time Jesus ascended into heaven he patiently waited until 1914 to begin ruling thus in the midst of his enemies.—Ps. 110:1-6; Heb. 10:13.

Having cleared his enemies out of heaven Christ next turned his attention to his followers on earth, both those sleeping in death and those living, to proceed with his epiphaneia, or “manifestation.” The physical facts indicate that, just as Christ came to the Jewish temple three and a half years after he came as the Messiah, so in 1918, three and a half years after his presence began, he came to his spiritual temple for judging and rewarding. That meant a resurrection and the giving of the “crown of righteousness” to Paul and “all those who have loved his manifestation,” and who were asleep in death, and it meant Jehovah’s favor and increased privileges of Kingdom service for those Christians still living and who had been found faithful.—2 Tim. 4:8, NW.

Since then Christ has been supervising a work of dividing the “sheep” from the “goats” even as he foretold, a work of educating the sheeplike ones so that they can seek Jehovah, righteousness and meekness and thus be hidden in the day of his anger. This feature of Christ’s presence is really a time of favor for his followers on earth and will continue until the time for his apokalypsis, or his revealing, the “revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels in a flaming fire, as he brings due punishment upon those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus.” Other scriptures refer to this “revelation” as Armageddon, “the war of the great day of God the Almighty.”—2 Thess. 1:7, 8; Rev. 16:14, 16, NW.

Following the destruction of all the visible enemies of righteousness and the abyssing of Satan and his demons at Armageddon, the thousand-year reign of Christ will begin. He, together with his body or bride, will, as the seed of Abraham, bless all the families of the earth and will continue to rule until even death is destroyed and there is no more pain, outcry or mourning and God’s will is done on earth as in heaven. With that God’s purpose for Christ’s second presence will have been fully accomplished. To sum up: We have seen that Jesus came the first time as a human to bear witness to the truth, to prove his integrity under test and to give his life a ransom for man, and that he really was flesh and blood; that he was raised from the dead as a spirit; that he could not have inherited heaven had he remained a human nor, much less, as such, accomplish the glorious purposes of his second presence; that he came as an invisible spirit and in the sense that he directed his attention to earth’s affairs, and that after his second coming three features appear, the first, the parousia, or presence, beginning in 1914. Those who are wise will take advantage of his present manifestation of favor before his revelation in fiery destruction upon his enemies at Armageddon

Hay for the Vulture

As late as the nineteenth century it was generally asserted that birds of prey were gifted with a keen sense of smell and thus were able to search out their food at a distance. But experiments by Audubon showed otherwise. One time he procured the skin of a deer. Stuffing it full of hay, he placed it in the middle of a field, laying it down to resemble a dead animal. In a few minutes a hungry vulture appeared. Unsuspiciously, the bird proceeded to attack the “carcass,” as usual, in the most vulnerable points. Failing in this, the vulture, with much exertion, tore open the seams, earnestly intent on getting at the succulent “flesh.” Finding that his efforts led to no other result than the pulling out of huge quantities of hay, the vexed vulture, with some reluctance, gave up and took flight to search elsewhere for dinner. And so Audubon proved that it was not smell but sight by which the vulture hunted.

But Bible readers, without knowledge of Audubon’s experiments or any others, have always known the truth of the matter. For Job 39:27-29 (AT) says: “Does the vulture fly high at your command, when he sets his nest aloft? He occupies the cliff and makes a lodging upon the peak of the cliff and the rocky hold. Thence he searches for food; his eyes look afar off.” The careful, literal translation of verse 29 by Rotherham reads: “He searcheth out food, far away his eyes do pierce.”