The Apostle Paul reminds us that before our salvation we were “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1), but now Jesus is our life. When Jesus appears, we will appear with Him. “Phaneroo” is the Greek word for “appear,” and it means to lay bare, uncover, make visible, and to make known what has been hidden or unknown previously. It describes Christ’s appearing, when we will see Him in the full expression of His glorious character. We will not just see the King of kings in the clouds. We will see the God of glory revealed in all of His love, mercy, justice, and power.
The same word applies to us. We “will appear with Him in glory.” What is to be revealed in us is the work the Holy Spirit performed through us. As we have “set [our] mind on things above,” hidden our life in Christ, died to our fleshly desires, and “put on the new man” in Christ (Col. 3:2-10), we will bear striking resemblance to our Lord, with whom we will appear.
