I was waiting for this scripture to pop up.
The final nail in the coffin of AlanF's and other opposition to JWs interpretation of parousia. Luke 17 offers a parallel of Matthew 24. An examination of it will reveal the true meaning of parousia. Luke 17: 26 Moreover, just as it occurred in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of man: 27 they were eating, they were drinking, men were marrying, women were being given in marriage, until that day when Noah entered into the ark, and the flood arrived and destroyed them all. Note that 'the days of Noah' = 'the days of the Son of man'. The days of Noah was a time when people were carrying on the everyday affairs of life and took no note of their impending destruction. They took no note of what Noah was saying and doing. How long were the days of Noah when men were taking no note until the flood came? According to Genesis 6:3 Jehovah says of wicked mankind in the days of Noah: "... his days shall amount to a hundred and twenty years.” So the days of Noah before the flood, specified by Jehovah, when men were taking no note of Jehovah was at the very least 120 years. Quite an extended period of time.
3rdWitness conveniently stops quoting this parallel account at Luke 17:27. Read on. Luke 17:28 Likewise, just as it occurred in the days of lot: they were , they were drinking... Luke 17:29 But on the day that Lot came out of Sodom it rained fire and sulphur from heaven and destroyed them all. Luke 17:30 The same way it will be on that day when the the Son of man is to be revealed. How long were the days of Lot. Does it mean ALL the days of Lot or is it just a way to refer to an ambiguous time period with certain characteristics that puts an event in context. When Jesus comes he will be present and at that time there will be people going about their business in ignorance of the tribulation that will break out. After that tribulation there will be some sort of visible celestial sign that Jesus is about to execute judgement on the nations. At the last minute he sends his angels to gather the chosen from one extremity of the heavens to their other extremity. This mass resurrection has yet to occur because the antecedent events have not taken place namely - great tribulation, sign of the son of man in heaven. The Watchtower has "deviated from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already occurred." 2Timothy 2:18