Arrival, coming, presence. In secular Greek, parousia described the official visit of a king or dignitary. The NT adopted it for Christ's second coming — His royal return in glory. It means not just 'coming' but 'being present' — the arrival that transforms everything.
The parousia is the church's great hope: Christ will return visibly, personally, and gloriously. 'The Lord himself will descend from heaven' (1 Thessalonians 4:16). It will be sudden ('like a thief,' 1 Thessalonians 5:2), visible ('every eye will see,' Revelation 1:7), and transformative ('we will all be changed,' 1 Corinthians 15:51). The early church prayed 'Maranatha' — 'Come, Lord!' The parousia is not escape from the world but its liberation.