MARANATHA

[mar a NATH a] (Our Lord, come!)-- an Aramaic expression written by the apostle Paul as he concluded his first letter to the Corinthians <1 Cor. 16:22>, (KJV). The meaning seems to be, "Our Lord is coming soon, and he will judge all those who do not love him." The fact that Paul used an Aramaic expression in addressing the Gentile Christians of Corinth indicates that maranatha had become a familiar expression of Christian hope-- a watchword of the imminent SECOND COMING of the Lord.

(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

(Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)


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