Jehovah Witnesses claim Jesus already returned invisibly

2. How do we know Jesus has not already returned? & How will Jesus return?

There are those that claim that Jesus has already returned. One such group is the Jehovah Witnesses. They claim that
Jesus returned invisibly in 1914. Following are two quotes by them.

The Greatest Man, 1991 page 132 (by the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society)
After the passing of many more years, Jesus provides a series of visions to his beloved apostle, John. By means of these
visions that John describes in the Bible book of Revelation, he, in effect, lives to see Jesus return in Kingdom power. John says
that "by inspiration" he was transported forward in time to "the Lord's day." What is this "day"?
A careful study of Bible prophecies, including Jesus' own prophecy regarding the last days, reveals that "the Lord's day" began
in the history-making year 1914, yes, within this generation! So it was in 1914 that Jesus returned invisibly, without public
fanfare and with only his faithful servants being aware of his return. In that year Jehovah gave Jesus the command to go
subduing in the midst of his enemies!

Reasoning from the scriptures page 343 (by the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society)
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

There are a couple of reasons why we should not accept the previous quotes by the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society. The
Jehovah Witnesses teach that Jesus is Michael the archangel who is a created being and inferior to Jehovah. They also teach
that Jehovah is the only Almighty God while Jesus is only a mighty god who should not be worshipped. In the Bible we are
warned of false Christs.

Matt 24:4-5 And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. "For many will come in My name,
saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many.

The Jesus in the bible is not Michael the archangel or a created being. In fact he is the creator, almighty God one with Jehovah.
Jesus is also worshipped in the bible in fact the Father told the angels to worship him. References for all of this have already
been made in the Jehovah Witness section so I will not go into it now. The point is that since the Jehovah Witnesses do not
teach the Jesus of the bible they in fact teach another Jesus or a false Christ. Therefore we should not trust their doctrine when
they are so far off on the fundamentals.
The bible gives us information as to how Jesus will return. When we look at how Jesus will return it gives us insight to judge as
to whether or not he returned invisibly in 1914 as claimed by the Jehovah Witnesses.

Jesus will return on a cloud.
This was actually first foretold by Daniel before Jesus was born, crucified and resurrected from the dead.

Dan 7:13-14 "I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and
He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. "And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that
all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not
pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.

Matt 24:30 and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will
see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.
(See also Matt 26:64, Mark 13:26, Luke 21:27, Rev 1:7)

Jesus left bodily and visibly with a cloud and will return the same way.
Acts 1:9-11 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of
their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood
beside them; and they also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up
from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."

How did Jesus leave? He left bodily and visibly with a cloud. Whether they could see Jesus in or on the cloud this passage
does not actually say. Jesus did go out of their sight, but was it immediately upon being received by the cloud or as they were
"gazing intently into the sky while He was departing"? They obviously saw something that they were watching as Jesus
departed. The two men in white clothing even acknowledged that they "watched" Him go into heaven. For clarification we will
have to look at other scripture on the same subject. We are told here that this same Jesus that went into heaven will come back
in the same manner in which he left. The reason why I stated that Jesus left bodily is because we are told that "this Jesus" is the
one that will return.

The Bible teaches that Jesus rose from the dead in the same physical body in which he died.
John 2:18-22 "The Jews therefore answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, seeing that You do these things?"
Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews therefore said, "It took
forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
When therefore He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture,
and the word which Jesus had spoken.

When Jesus made this statement he had a physical body of flesh and bones. This is the temple or body that he said he would
raise in 3 days. Since Jesus said he would raise this physical body, reason and logic tells us it was a physical body not a
spiritual body that was to be resurrected. We can see in Ps.16:10, Acts 2:27-32 & 13:34-38 this body would never undergo
decay. What is the purpose of preserving the body if it is not raised from the dead and being used? Jesus took great pains to
show them that it was he himself that rose from the dead and not a spirit. Let us consider the following scripture.

Luke 24:39-43 "See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as
you see that I have." And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. And while they still could not believe
it for joy and were marveling, He said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish;
and He took it and ate it before them."

Everything Jesus offered them for evidence of his resurrection was of the physical nature. He spoke to them to them so they
could hear and recognize his voice. Jesus showed his wounds from the crucifixion inviting them to touch him. In John 20:27
Jesus told Thomas to put his finger into the wounds in his hands and to put his hand into his side. Jesus purposely asked them
for something to eat and ate fish in front of them. Jesus declared that a spirit did not have a body of flesh and bones as he had.
He did things like this on several occasions over a period of 40 days. It is this Jesus who had his same physical body in which
he died that they watched bodily ascend into heaven Acts 1:9.

I also stated that we would look at other scripture to show his return is visible.
Rev 1:7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of
the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen.

Following is the definition of the word "every" in Rev. 1:7 in Strong's Greek Dictionary.
3956 pas (pas); including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole: KJV-- all (manner
of, means), alway (-s), any (one), X daily, + ever, every (one, way), as many as, + no (-thing), X thoroughly, whatsoever, whole,
whosoever.

"Every" eye will see him includes everyone even unbelievers. This includes "even those who pierced him". How can this be
"only his faithful servants being aware of his return" as we are told in The Greatest Man, 1991 page 132 by the Watchtower?
If the seeing is not literal then the phrase "every eye shall see him" means nothing. This passage also tells us that at his return
"all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him." Why would "all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him" if they had no idea
that Jesus returned and did not even believe in him? All of the tribes of the earth did not mourn over Jesus in 1914 when the
Watchtower tells us he returned.
In the bible Peter connects the fact that they were eyewitnesses of the resurrection of Jesus with his coming again. The Greek
word that Peter chose to use and is translated as "coming" in the following passage indicates a physical coming.

2 Pet 1:16 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

Following is the definition of the word "coming" in 2 Pet. 1:16 by the Strong's Greek Dictionary
3952 parousia (par-oo-see'-ah); from the present participle of 3918; a being near, i.e. advent (often, return; specifically, of
Christ to punish Jerusalem, or finally the wicked); (by implication) physically, aspect :KJV-- coming, presence.

Following is the definition of this same Greek word by Thayer's Greek Lexicon
3952 parousia-
1) presence
2) a coming, an arrival, an advent;
the future visible return from heaven of Jesus, to raise the dead, to hold the last judgment and set up formally and gloriously the
kingdom of God

The Apostle Paul used this same Greek word when telling the Corinthians of the coming of his friend Titus.
(3952)
2 Cor 7:6-7 But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus; and not only by his coming, but also
by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that
I rejoiced even more.

Clearly the return of Jesus Christ will be physical in nature the same as the coming of Titus to see the Apostle Paul was
physical in nature. The point is that which is physical in nature can be literally seen. To see the return of Jesus Christ will not be
just a matter of faith. Believers and unbelievers alike will literally be able to see his return.

Matt 24:26-27 "If therefore they say to you, 'Behold, He is in the wilderness,' do not go forth, or, 'Behold, He is in the inner
rooms,' do not believe them. "For just as the lightning comes from the east, and flashes even to the west, so shall the coming of
the Son of Man be. (See also Luke 17:22-24)

In this passage the disciples were told not to believe someone who says that Jesus is over here or over there. Why shouldn't
they believe them? The passage describes that his coming is like the lightening will be sudden and visible. If this is not the
point that Jesus is trying to get across then it makes no sense. Jesus used this example for them to know for sure if he has
already returned or not.
In Reasoning from the scriptures page 343 by the Watchtower we were told;
"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?

At first glance this sounds like a reasonable argument. The only problem is that it limits God to what we seem to be able to
understand. In the beginning of the bible we are told how God spoke and the universe came into existence. I do not know
anybody that can explain how this really worked. We do know that this is what the bible teaches. We also know that many
scientist also believe in a beginning of the universe. They call it "the big bang theory." Well the bible knew of the beginning of
the universe long before scientist even imagined such a possibility. The bible is confirmed by archeology and fulfilled prophecy
giving us reasonable evidence to trust it. The question is does the bible teach that the return of Jesus Christ will be a secret to
many? Or does the bible teach that every eye shall literally see him when he returns including unbelievers? And finally can God
accomplish something that goes beyond our understanding?

The Watchtower also used the argument that clouds in the bible indicated invisibility.
Does a cloud necessarily mean invisibility?

Luke 21:27 "And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
If the cloud means invisibility then how is it that they see the Son of Man coming in the cloud?

Rev 14:14 And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown
on His head, and a sharp sickle in His hand.
If the cloud here meant invisibility how would John see one like the son of man sitting on the cloud?

Rev 10:1 And I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head,
and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire;
If the cloud here meant invisibility how would John see the angel clothed with a cloud?

Rev 11:11-12 And after the three and a half days the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and
great fear fell upon those who were beholding them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here."
And they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies beheld them.

If the cloud here meant invisibility how would their enemies have beheld them when they went up into heaven in a cloud?
Obviously the use of the word "cloud" does not necessarily mean that something is hidden or invisible.