ANOTHER TECHNICAL NOTE: LIGHTNING
YOU SAID:
As Jesus passed through Samaria for the last time he said "even as the lightening by its flashing shines from one part under heaven to another part under heaven so the son of man will be" Luke 17:22
In these and in other references to his return there is nothing that would cause the disciples to ask for signs so that they could discern when Jesus would be invisibly present.
Since Jesus had used language like coming in the glory of his father with the angels and spoken of being like lightening shining from one horizon to the other is it really likely that the disciples meant what we have assumed them to mean when they asked "what will be the sign of your parousi'a?"
LARS:
You are confusing the brightness of lightning with his glory. No can do. Please note, therefore, that Jesus' reference to lightning, while it does shine from horizon to horizon is very SHORT! It's just a flash. Christ arrives "in the clouds" which means privately. That is, even though he is visible and physical, he is not in the open for the most part. He's there, but you can't see him, much like you can hear a jet plane in the clouds but you can't see the jet. But lightning comes out of the clouds and can be seen for miles around, but only for a split second!
So what Jesus was telling his disciples is that his followers while not seeing him in person for the majority of the time, for a brief point in time, he would become a public figure and could be seen over a very wide area. That is, he would come out of the clouds and make a brief public appearance and could be seen in a very wide area. But after that brief appearance, he would vanish again into privacy into the clouds.
In addition, when they saw him they would 'beat themselves in lamentation" over him. This means that when he does make this public appearance, he will be a carcass, spiritually dead. So this means his public appearance would not be after he returns to God's house and God's favor, but during the time he is cast out of God's favor and spiritually dead. Thus when they see him, they mourn over him.
The fulfillment of this part of the prophecy takes place due to the modern invention of television! Sounds corny, but that's how you can be seen over a vast area for a flash of time like lightning. So this person who becomes the Christ in 1992 did appear on international television on two shows: "The Gong Show" and "20/20", each time dressed as a woman. So all seeing him would mourn over him since if he was dressed as a woman he would still be in a spiritually dead state.
In the meantime, Christ coming on the clouds with great glory and with his angels is more associated with the actual 2nd coming. That is, when the prodigal son returns and becomes the Christ and Christ returns to a fleshly form via this individual. So his appearance like "lightning" is specifically not to be associated with the brightness of his GLORY at the time of the second coming. The emphasis on the lightning, therefore, is not its brightness, but its briefness! During his appearance like lightning, the elect mourn over him; that's not glorious, it's shameful. When he arrives at the second coming, he has returned to spiritual life and acceptance by God and when the Christ in heaven and this individual become one, then that is glorious and that is a time of great rejoicing, not mourning.
So in summary, the messiah does return in the flesh and does lead a private life for the most part except for one brief moment in time when he appears on television and can be seen by all the elect. This fulfills his appearing like lightning, which is bright but brief. Even so, when he is seen, it is during his prodigal son phase and he appears at a time when he is considered to be spiritually dead, he is a disfellowshipped JW at the time, appearing in drag. Thus when he is seen at this time, the elect who know he's the messiah mourn over him and his spiritual death.
So in relation to the parousia, the messiah does appear in the flesh, but "in the clouds" meaning he is a private individual and doesn't start a public movement. He is unseen for the most part except for a very brief time when he can be seen by the public which is made possible by two television appearances. But after that, he returns to a private life away from the public and thus "in the clouds." His appearance like lightning is thus not his moment of glory which occurs at the time of the actual second coming. He is born in early 1950 but doesn't combine with Christ in heaven until December 25, 1992. So for a period of time, there are actually two messiahs and you have to figure out which messiah the Bible is talking about separately or when combined!
You've come this far to understand scripture and realize the WTS doesn't have it right -- you may as well go all the way. The Bible is true and everything is fulfilled, just not the way most people would imagine.