Next in the study is the Greek word ginomai--pronounced: ghin'-om-ahee (G1096) translated cometh in verse 6. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. A better translation for the word instead of must come to pass is those things must happen. However, Jesus said that they were not signs of the end (telos-- pronounced: tel'-os G5056. (See Matthew 24:14, verse 6, points to 14 and the destruction of the Mosaic Law). The word ginomai in verse 6 indicates that the events of which Jesus spoke are literal natural events, not figurative and had nothing to do with end of the world (age).

Another Greek word heko--pronounced: hay'-ko (G2240) is used in verse 14 and 50. The word is used to refer to the actual arrival of persons or things rather than figurative in verse 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.  In the context, it literally means that the end will arrive at some future date after the gospel is preached to then existing world known as the Roman Empire. Another way of saying it is shall have come referring to the arrival of the end. But in verse 50, Jesus spoke of the servant’s lord arriving. The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,… The servant is literal but the verb doesn’t tell how the servant will arrive, though it is apparent from the context of the chapter that Jesus spoke of himself. It must be concluded that Jesus did not indicate he would literally arrive; rather, when the whole context of his speaking is taken into account, some type of literal arrival by a representative was going to take place. 

Then in verse 17, come (down) is the translation of katabaino--pronounced: kat-ab-ah'-ee-no (G2597) Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Literally means to step down or go down. They were being told not to do so. The action of the verb in imperative; in other words, it was necessary for them to do as instructed to escape the carnage. Additionally, this has nothing to do with the second coming. If it meant that Jesus literally was returning, there would be no possibility of escaping the final end.  

One more English word, cometh, is used to translate the Greek erchomai--pronounced: er'-khom-ahee (G2064) in verse 44. (Comes is the same as cometh in some translations. The meaning is the same.) Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. The verb form and meaning is the same as used in verse 42 and the only difference is Son of Man instead of Lord in verse 42. Verse 46 has the verb erchomai with a different form. The arrival will be instant, but there is no indication of the time for the arrival or that it is literally Jesus instead of a representative. In the context of the chapter, the verse must be regarded as figurative with Jesus having a representative appearing for him. (There is one other Greek word translated cometh. It will be discussed with the word coming.)         

Last is the English word coming, the translation of two Greek words. The first word is erchomai in verse 30. In alphabetical order, the use of coming is found in verse 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. The voice of the verb is Middle Passive Deponent. In the other verses studied so far where the form is the same, it only indicates that some representative of Jesus will be doing the arrival, so the use in verse 30 is figurative due to someone/something acting on his behalf.  The King James version has coming in verse 48, but the best manuscripts do not have the word erchomai or any of its forms. The fourth to last word in the Greek is chronizo--pronounced: khron-id'-zo be late, delayed, tarry, linger (G5549). The last word is lord, kurios--pronounced--koo'-ree-os (G2962). The literal translation is But if the bad slave said in the heart of him the Lord of him be late … Coming (erchomai) has been added to the translations.

Part IX will look at parousia--pronounced: par-oo-see'-ah G3952), the last word translated coming in Chapter 24. The word has generated much discussion and division in regard to whether the coming of Jesus is literal or figurative.

© 09-18-2012 DEC