“I WILL COME AGAIN” (John 14:3)

The context concerns the Lord leaving the disciples, by way of death and resurrection, to prepare a dwelling place for His own in the Father’s house. They would be left alone and desolate by the circumstances of His going and it is with touching concern that He prepares them for their time of sorrow, saying, “Let not your heart be troubled …..” The tacit implication of these words is that their sorrow would be short-lived because He would return to them.

His going would be for a positive reason with the promise that He would return, “I will not leave you (the disciples) orphans; I will come to you” v.18. Some have thought, in view of vs.16 & 17, that this coming relates to the Spirit but the following v.19 would appear to indicate it is the Lord, “A little while longer and the world will see me no more, but you will see me ….” v.19.

The Lord repeated His words of comfort, as if to reassure the disciples, saying, “Let not your heart be troubled ….”, v.27, and, “… I am going away and coming back to you“, v.28.

It is commonly thought that the Lord was referring to the rapture in these verses, His coming to the air for all His saints at an indeterminate time. But if that were the case His words of comfort would ring a little hollow to disciples traumatised by the manner of His leaving them. Further, His promise was to them and in a little while, and that of course is precisely what happened – He returned to them in a little while.

Again, some have construed the Lord’s words in ch.21:22 concerning John, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to thee”, as supporting the rapture interpretation in ch.14. Spoken in resurrection, these words clearly relate to the rapture, which He no doubt revealed to the disciples during His forty days with them (Acts 1:3). However, the coming in ch.14 had already taken place when He addressed these words to Peter. Their hearts were no longer troubled for He had received them to Himself.

It might be thought that His words “…. Receive you to Myself that where I am there you might be also”, pose a difficulty. However, “Receive you to Myself” surely means just what it says, viz. that He would receive them in a private, not public, capacity when He returned to them consequent upon His resurrection, while “Where I am there you may be also” speaks of fitting proximity and fellowship.

The theme continues in ch.16:16 with the same words, “A little while and you will not see me; and again a little while and you will see me ….” The disciples were puzzled and reasoned among themselves what He meant. The Lord knew they wished to ask Him and He repeated His words, v.19, expanding on them in v.20, “I say to you that you will weep and lament but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful but your sorrow will be turned to joy“, and in v.22, “Therefore you now have sorrow but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice….”. Again, some have suggested that while the coming in ch.16 is undoubtedly His coming to the disciples in resurrection, the coming in ch.14 is the rapture, but this is hardly sound exegesis considering the inescapable similarity of the language in the two contexts.

Taking due account of the Lord’s expressed concern for His followers, it must surely be the case that the Lord intended these soon-to-be-troubled and sorrowing disciples should be reassured by the prospect of seeing Him again soon in joyful reunion on earth, not meeting Him in the air at some undefined time in the future. The context would appear favour this interpretation.

“Note: The rapture of the church is taught in 1 Thess.4”