What Does Maranatha Mean in the Bible?

　　If you’ve been in Christian circles long enough, you may have heard the word “Maranatha” used in songs or in conversation. This phrase, Μαρὰν μαράνα θά, is in Aramaic (the language spoken by the Jews at the time of the writing of the New Testament).

　　This phrase occurs once in 1 Corinthians 16:22: “If any man does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord!” According to International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, the phrase “[maranatha] was used by early Christians to add solemn emphasis to previous statement, injunction or adjuration, and seems to have become a sort of watchword; possibly forming part of an early liturgy.”

　　There are some parallels between the Aramaic “Maranatha” and the Greek phrase ἔρχου, κύριε Ἰησοῦ (“Come, Lord Jesus.”) used in the last verse of the New Testament: “‘He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).

What Does Maranatha Mean?

Depending on how it’s translated, the phrase “Maranatha” can mean “Our Lord has come,” “Come, Lord!” or “Our Lord is coming.” Scholars have debated which meaning is most accurate, but all are congruent with Paul’s understanding of Christ’s first and second coming, each bringing out a unique aspect of His past, present, or future work.

　　If we read the phrase as “Our Lord has come,” it is a creedal declaration of what Jesus has done for us in his incarnated birth, earthly life, and sacrificial death on our behalf. It brings to mind the magnificent words of John 1:14-8:

　　“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth…Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.”

　　If we read the phrase as “Come, Lord!” it expresses the longing of believers’ hearts that Jesus would return a second time, not as a helpless baby entering into our pain but as a victorious king who comes to set all things right and make all things new. This phrasing reminds us of what the angels told the disciples in Acts 1:

　　“They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.’”

　　This phrasing of “Maranatha” also urges us to our knees in prayer, following Peter’s exhortation to believers: “The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray” (1 Peter 4:7).

　　If we read the phrase as “Our Lord is coming,” then it is a beautiful assurance of future reality for believers. Indeed, Jesus himself says:

　　“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (Revelation 22:12-15).

　　The contrast between God’s response to the righteous versus the unrighteous in the previous passage (Revelation 22:12-15) as well as in the original “Maranatha” passage quoted (1 Corinthians 16:22) is stark enough to be jarring. Judgment will be swift and terrible for those who have lived in disobedience; comfort and joy will be eternally flowing for those who have followed God.

　　It is strikingly beautiful to note the compassion for sinful humanity shown in the reference to washing robes in verse 14 and combine it with another reference using “come” that comes later. In the context of the Lord “coming soon,” we have these words: “Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life” (Revelation 22:17). Even in the description of the judgment that is coming for those who rebel against God, people are still asked if they are thirsty and are invited to drink freely and be satisfied for eternity, as Jesus said to the Samaritan woman: “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14).

Why Is Maranatha Important?

The idea of “Maranatha” is important because keeping “minds [set] on things above” (Colossians 3:1) will give us the perspective we need to move through life with joy and peace even when things are hard. We are assured: “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:4).

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　　In contrast, C.S. Lewis speaks to the cynicism that earthly suffering with no heavenly perspective can create, saying that many think that since they are suffering now, “No future bliss can make up for it” They don’t know, he says, “that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory.”

　　Indeed, the promise of Christ’s second coming and the eternal bliss that is awaiting us is sure and trustworthy despite the trials we may be currently experiencing in the fallen world. Paul says:

　　“But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not ‘Yes’ and ‘No.’ ….For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ….Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 1:18-22).

　　Why has this phrase —“Maranatha”—become so important in the Christian imagination? Regardless of how we choose to interpret it, it is a reference to some of the most important truths of our faith: Christ has come, and Christ will come again!

　　Jesus’ first coming gave hope, and his second coming will bring a joy that will last forever for those who are following him. We live in the messy middle between these two points. We look back and praise God that Christ has come. And we look forward and trust God that Christ will come again. By balancing our lives between these two comings, we find perspective for this momentary existence we find ourselves in, and we find ourselves moved to pray, “Come, Lord Jesus!” and feel glorious anticipation with each beat of our hearts that gets us closer to the day that “we shall see [him] face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12).