Christians are looking for Jesus to return—bodily and visibly.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe Jesus is a spirit and that he will never again have a physical body.

Moreover, they believe that he already has returned—that he has been invisibly present since 1914.

If Christians are right, when Jesus does return, Jehovah’s Witnesses will be terribly confused, perhaps in denial.

In this post, I want to look at some Scriptures so you can see the divergent interpretations.

Zechariah 14:3-5

Jehovah will go out and war against those nations as when he fights in the day of a battle. In that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in half, from east to west, forming a very great valley; and half of the mountain will move to the north, and half of it to the south. You will flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains will extend all the way to Azel. You will have to flee, just as you fled because of the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. And Jehovah my God will come, and all the holy ones will be with him.

Christian interpretation: Literal and future

“Our Lord ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:9-12), and when He returns to earth, He will stand on the Mount of Olives and cause a great earthquake to change the terrain (Isa. 29:6; Rev. 16:18-19). This will create a new valley that will provide an escape route for many of the people.” (Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Prophets, p. 471)

Watchtower interpretation: Symbolic and past

The Watchtower takes this as symbolic of the creation of Jehovah’s heavenly and earthly kingdoms which took place when the Messianic Kingdom was established in heaven when the Gentile Times ended in 1914. (The Watchtower, “Stay in Jehovah’s Valley of Protection,” 2/15/2013, p. 19)

Acts 1:9-11

While they [Jesus’ apostles] were looking on, he was lifted up and a cloud caught him up from their vision. And as they were gazing into the sky while he was on his way, also, look! two men in white garments stood alongside them, and they said: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus who was received up from you into the sky will come thus in the same manner as you have beheld him going into the sky.” (Watchtower translation)

Christian interpretation: The return will be visible

“The two messengers gave the believers the assurance that Jesus Christ would come again, just as he had been taken from them. This seems to refer to His public ‘coming in clouds.’ (Matt. 24:30; 26:64)…” (Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, New Testament, Volume 1, p. 404)

Watchtower interpretation: The return will be invisible

“What was the ‘manner’ of his ascent? As verse 9 shows, he disappeared from view, his departure being observed only by his disciples. The world in general was not aware of what happened. The same would be true of Christ’s return.) (Reasoning From the Scriptures, p. 342)

My response

Note that the passage doesn’t say that Jesus dematerialized. It says that a cloud hid him from their sight.

Ask, “If you see an airplane take off and disappear into a cloud, do you conclude that it has dematerialized? Do you expect that when it returns in the same way in which you saw it go, it will come back invisibly?”

Revelation 1:7

“Look! He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, and those who pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in grief because of him.” (Watchtower translation)

Christian interpretation: The return will be visible to the whole world

“The statement in Revelation 1:7: ‘Behold, he cometh with clouds,” describes our Lord’s return to the earth, and in amplified in Revelation 19:11ff. This is not the same as His return in the air to catch away His people (1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:51ff.) When he comes to catch away (rapture) His church, He will come ‘as a thief’ (Rev. 3:3; 16:15) and only those who are born again will see Him. The event described in Revelation 1:7 will be witnessed by the whole world, and especially by a repentant nation of Israel (see Dan. 7:13; Zech. 12:7-12). It will be public, not secret (Matt. 24:30-31), and will climax the Tribulation period described in Revelation 6-19.” (Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, New Testament, Volume 2, p. 569, italics original)

 Watchtower interpretation: The return will be invisible but its effects will be discernable

What is meant by his “coming on the clouds” and “every eye seeing him”?

What is indicated by “clouds”? Invisibility. When an airplane is in a thick cloud or above the clouds, people on the ground usually cannot see it, although they may hear the roar of the engines. Jehovah told Moses: “I am coming to you in a dark cloud.” Moses did not see God, but that cloud indicated Jehovah’s invisible presence. (Ex. 19:9; see also Leviticus 16:2; Numbers 11:25.) If Christ were to appear visibly in the heavens, it is obvious that not “every eye” would see him. If he appeared over Australia, for example, he would not be visible in Europe, Africa, and the Americas, would he?

In what sense will ‘every eye see him’? They will discern from events on earth that he is invisibly present. Also referring to sight that is not physical, John 9:41 reports: “Jesus said to [the Pharisees]: ‘If you were blind, you would have no sin. But now you say, “We see.” Your sin remains.’” (Compare Romans 1:20.) Following Christ’s return, some persons show faith; they recognize the sign of his presence. Others reject the evidence, but when Christ goes into action as God’s executioner of the wicked, even they will discern from the manifestation of his power that the destruction is not from men but from heaven. They will know what is happening because they were warned in advance. Because of what is overtaking them, they will “beat themselves in grief.”

Who are “those who pierced him”? Literally, Roman soldiers did this at the time of Jesus’ execution. But they have long been dead. So this must refer to people who similarly mistreat, or ‘pierce,’ Christ’s true followers during “the last days.”—Matt. 25:40, 45. (Reasoning From the Scriptures, pp. 342-343)

…

When Jesus ascended into heaven, according to the record, “a cloud caught him up from their vision.” (Ac 1:9) The disciples did not see Jesu riding away on a cloud, but rather, the cloud obscured their vision of him. This helps us to understand Jesus’ words concerning his presence: “They will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory,” and Revelation’s statement: “He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him.” (Lu 21:27; Mt 24:30; Re 1:7) In past cases clouds represented invisible presence; but observers could “see” the meaning with their mental “eyes.” In this case the physical occurrences that are visible would cause the one looking to “see” or realize that Christ is invisibly present.—See also Mt 24; Mr 13; Re 14:14.” (Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 1, p. 484)

Finding common ground

From the foregoing, it seems that the Christian position and the Watchtower position are diametrically opposed, and in many ways they are.

However, both agree on the following:

  • Jesus is coming (in some manner) in judgment on the unrepentant.
  • Jesus is coming (in some manner) to save the faithful.
  • The time is short.
  • Now is the time to make peace with God through Jesus Christ.

When we talk with Jehovah’s Witnesses, we can stress this common ground and focus our discussions on what we need to do to be saved.

The key area on which to focus is usually the extent to which our salvation depends on ourselves or on Jesus.