“‘Every Eye will See Him’: A Biblical and Theological Analysis of Revelation 1:7 and the Identity of Those Who Witness the Second Coming”

Abstract

The apostle John, in Rev 1:7, declares that “every eye will see” Jesus when He returns the second time to this earth. This text is understood by some in the Trans Pacific Union Mission region to mean that both the righteous and wicked dead, including all who have ever lived, will be raised at the Second Coming solely to witness Christ’s return. Then the wicked (including those who pierced Him) will be destroyed by the brightness of His coming (2 Thess 2:8). This article argues that the phrase “every eye” refers primarily to those living on the earth at the time of Christ’s return, and does not include the entire dead of all ages. The clause “even they who pierced Him” refers to a special resurrection that provides for specific individuals from the dead, both righteous and wicked (Dan 12:1-2) during the “time of trouble.” 
However, the general resurrection of the wicked does not occur until after the millennium (Rev 20:5). This paper aims to correct this misconception by examining Rev 1:7 in the context of the broader biblical narrative of eschatology.