THE MEANING OF MARANATHA

Maranatha comes to us from the language of Jesus, Aramaic. It is a two-word Aramaic formula that was transliterated into Greek as Maranatha and which was not translated into English. You can find Maranatha used by St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians 16:22. The word can have a double meaning depending on how the greek word Maranatha is parsed. If we read it as Maran - atha it means "Our Lord has come" and is thus used as a creedal statement, a statement of faith as is written in 1 Corinthians 12:3 and Romans 10:9 - Jesus is Lord. If we read it as Marana - tha it reads as a command, "Lord, Come". Or as it is written in Revelation 22:20 in response to Jesus promise to come quickly, "Even so, Come, Lord Jesus". From this understanding we see that the word was meant to have a double meaning; "The Lord has come" and "Come, Lord Jesus" or "The Lord is Coming Again".

In the early church "Maranatha" was a watchword used as a greeting to remind one another that the Lord has come, and that the Lord is coming again. Simultaneously "Maranatha" is a greeting and a prayer. "Maranatha" is a word of encouragement and a bold declaration of triumphant faith and eternal hope - Jesus is coming!

In the early days of Christianity believers lived under adverse conditions of persecution, even martyrdom. The believer’s faith was energized by the hope of the coming again of Jesus. They were reminded that the Lord Jesus would be returning from heaven to establish His kingdom forever. From this Gospel truth the believers drew great comfort.

Today, we live on the brink of the revealing of the Antichrist, the son of perdition, that Wicked one whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, whose use of super deceptions will bring a great delusion upon the earth that even the Elect could believe the lie and fall away. Already many antichrists roam the globe spawning philosophies and religions contrary to the Truth of Jesus the Messiah and Savior of the world. In the face of these ominous end time realities we take heart in the knowledge of Jesus's promises to come again to judge the living and the dead and to create a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness, and peace forever. Shout Maranatha!

Let us reclaim this mighty greeting and prayer proclamation - MARANATHA - May all the believers of Greensburg and the surrounding countryside have this powerful word upon their lips. MARANATHA! MARANATHA! MARANATHA!