Second Coming

For other uses, see Second Coming (disambiguation).

The Second Coming refers to the Christian and Islamic belief in the return of Jesus Christ from heaven to earth, an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic prophecy, such as the general resurrection of the dead, last judgment of the dead and the living and the full establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth (also called the "Reign of God"), including the Messianic Age. Views about the nature of this return vary among Christian denominations. The original Greek of the New Testament uses the term Parousia (παρουσία), the "appearance and subsequent presence with" (in the ancient world referring to official visits by royalty). The Second Coming is also referred to as the Second Advent, from the Latin term "adventus," for "coming." Teachings about the last days comprise Christian eschatology.

Terminology

Christians use a range of names for this concept of Jesus Christ's second coming or return, drawing on a range of Biblical images. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia article on General Judgment:

"In the New Testament the second Parousia, or coming of Christ as Judge of the world, is an oft-repeated doctrine. The Saviour Himself not only foretells the event but graphically portrays its circumstances (Matthew 24:27 sqq. [Olivet discourse]; 25:31 sqq. [Judgment of the Nations]). The Apostles give a most prominent place to this doctrine in their preaching (Acts 10:42,17:31) and writings (Romans 2:5–16, 14:10; 1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Tim. 4:1; 2 Thess. 1:5; James 5:7). Besides the name Parusia (parousia), or Advent (1 Cor. 15:23; 2 Thess. 2:1–9), the second coming is also called Epiphany, epiphaneia, or Appearance (2 Thess 2:8; 1 Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 4:1; Titus 2:13), and Apocalypse (apokalypsis), or Revelation (2 Thess. 2:7; 1 Peter 4:13). The time of the second coming is spoken of as "that Day" (2 Tim. 4:8), "the day of the Lord" (1 Thess. 5:2), "the day of Christ" (Philemon 1:6), "the day of the Son of Man" (Luke 17:30), "the last day" (John 6:39–40)."

The phrase Second Coming is not used in the Bible. It comes from the life or incarnation of Jesus of Nazareth as being his first coming to earth. Some Christians refer to the Second Coming as the last coming because of scripture referring to him as being the "First and the Last," "The Beginning and End," "The Alpha to Omega." and others do not define it by number, highlighting Christ's coming as an ongoing process.

The Parousia is the term used in the Bible, see Strong's G3952 for details, which includes the Thayer's Lexicon definition: "In the N.T. especially of the advent, i.e., the future, visible, return from heaven of Jesus, the Messiah, to raise the dead, hold the last judgment, and set up formally and gloriously the kingdom of God." According to the Bauer lexicon: "of Christ, and nearly always of his Messianic Advent in glory to judge the world at the end of this age."

Jesus Christ, the Son of Man

In the Bible, the synoptic Gospels contain several examples of Jesus referring to himself as the Son of Man or talking about the climactic role of the Son of Man coming (often in "glory" or in "his kingdom") and Jesus' own impending suffering and execution, and similar persecution of his disciples: Matt 10:17–42, 13:40–43, 16:24–28, Mark 8:34–9:1, Luke 9:23–27, 17:20–37; the apocalyptic chapters set on the Mount of Olives called the Olivet discourse (Mark 13, Matthew 24, Luke 21) and The Sheep and the Goats or "Judgement of the Nations" (Matthew 25:31–46); and again when he was on trial before the Jewish high priests (Mark 14:62, Matt 26:64); and the "Twelve thrones of judgment" (Matthew 19:28–30, Luke 22:28–30). Most scholars interpret Jesus' use of the title Son of Man as self referential – applying to himself a significant messianic image from the apocalyptic sections of the book of Daniel. Daniel 7:13–14 refers to a "human one" who will come on the clouds in "glory" and in "his kingdom" and be given dominion to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. This is presented as the eschaton and an end of the world:

As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.

— Daniel 7:13-14, NRSV

In the Gospel of John Jesus also employs the image of the Son of Man when talking about "the last day" John 6:39–54. Here it is linked with "being raised up" – the resurrection of the dead. A theme reinforced in 11:24 where Martha describes Jesus' coming both in terms of resurrection and as an ongoing process, and in 14:3 where Jesus says "I will come again" so his disciples may live with him in his Father's house.

Timing

In the gospels Jesus often referred to the Kingdom of God being right "at hand" and "these things" – including the Son of Man's coming in his kingdom - occurring with immediacy to his listeners. "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom" (Matthew 16:28, Mark 9:1, Luke 9:27). Both Matthew and Luke also include the statement, "This generation (γενεά) will not pass away until all these things have taken place" (Matthew 24:34, Luke 21:32).

Some Christian theologians (Preterists) see this "coming of the Son of Man in glory" primarily fulfilled in Jesus' death on the cross. During his ministry Jesus continually linked the Son of Man sayings with his own forthcoming suffering, death and resurrection, which can be understood symbolically as applying equally to the struggles of everyone - following "the way" demonstrated for others in his spiritual journey. Some theologians purport that some or all of the prophecies laid out in the Olivet discourse are then fulfilled within the narrative of Jesus' passion, for example:

1. The need for disciples to "keep alert and pray" and "stay awake" is demonstrated literally on the same mountain two nights later when Jesus interrupts his disciples' sleep to explicitly say "the hour has come".
2. The time frame of significant hours as spelled out in the apocalypse "you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, at cockcrow or at dawn"Mark 13:35 is mimicked in the passion narrative "when it was evening Jesus came" (Mark 14:17), praying in the garden in the middle of the night, "at that moment the cock crowed for the second time" (Mark 14:72) and "As soon as it was morning the chief priests ... bound Jesus and led him away"(Mark 15:1).
3. The apocalyptic signs are fulfilled including "the sun will be dark" (compare Mark 13:24 to Mark 15:33), the "powers ... will be shaken" (compare Mark 13:25 to Mark 14:63 and Mark 15:5), and "then they will see" (compare Mark 13:26 to Mark 15:31 and Mark 15:39).

They further claim that such an interpretation highlights the Christian claim that the "glory" and "dominion" of God is best seen in the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus crucified.

Greek icon of Second Coming, c.1700

Eastern Orthodox Church theologians believe the Son of Man's glory is seen in the gift of the Holy Spirit to their church members and so does not refer to the second coming. They say this γενεά ("generation" or "age") is the current unrestored age, distinct from the age to come; the age of restoration.

Other theologians point to other Biblical images that better match their idea of "coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory" (Matthew 24:30), such as the transfiguration witnessed by three of Jesus' disciples, which follows directly after the "there are some standing here..." verse in all three synoptic Gospels, or John of Patmos's heavenly visions described in the book of Revelation.

Some interpret the phrase "this generation" to mean lifetime or race; or see it applying to a generation of future readers rather than the generation of people Jesus was addressing within the narrative.

Another resolution of the statement is suggested by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, that John the Apostle had the nature of his body changed and was allowed to "tarry" on the earth until the coming of Christ and thus at least one person of that generation might still be living. Still others say they are unable to explain this verse in the light of what they see as a delay. C.S. Lewis called this "the most embarrassing verse in the Bible" .

According to historian Charles Freeman, Early Christians expected Jesus to return within a generation of his death. When the second coming did not occur, the early Christian communities were thrown into turmoil

See also Prester John, Wandering Jew, Preterism, New Covenant.

Other Biblical images

In Acts 1:6–12 Jesus' Ascension is linked to him coming again:

So when the apostles had come together, they asked Jesus, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’

He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

While he was going and they were gazing up towards the sky, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken away from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go to heaven.’

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away.

The apocalyptic book of Revelation includes images of the last judgment and the victory of the Kingdom of God, including the Messianic Age, and ends with the prayer: "Come, Lord Jesus" Revelation 22:20. See also Maranatha.

Unrealized eschatology

See also: Christian eschatology

To other Christians these verses highlight aspects of the Eschaton that have not yet happened or not yet been fully realized. Drawing on the images from Acts, these Christians expect Jesus' coming to fulfill some or all of these criteria:

1. occur specifically at the Mount of Olives;
2. on a cloud; descending through the sky - or, conversely, while being "lifted up" while disciples are looking up to the sky.

They may also expect Jesus to come only as or after some or all of these aspects have been realised:

1. Jesus' disciples learn to stop confusing the Kingdom of God with a nationalistic campaign to "restore the kingdom to Israel";
2. Jesus' disciples stop trying to define God's Kingdom by chronologies of "times and periods";
3. "the Holy Spirit has come upon" Jesus' disciples and they "receive power"; and
4. people have witnessed Jesus "in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth".

Mainstream Christianity

The many denominations of Christianity have differing views on the exact details of Christ's second coming. Only a handful of Christian Organizations claim complete and authoritative interpretation of the typically symbolic and prophetic biblical sources. A common thread is the belief that Jesus will return to judge the world and to establish the Kingdom of God (fulfilling the rest of Messianic prophecy). A short reference to the Second Coming is contained in the Nicene Creed, a widespread Christian statement of faith: "He [Jesus] shall come again in glory to judge the living and the dead; of His kingdom shall have no end". An analogous statement is also in the earlier Pauline Creed, 1 Cor 15:23. The Roman Catholic and Anglican and United Methodist liturgy proclaims the Mystery of Faith to be: "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again". Generally, mainstream Christianity does not offer predictions on the date of the Second Coming, though some mainstream Christians may also form their own ideas of how and where it will happen. Such information, however is not considered essential to receiving "salvation."

Non-Orthodox Esoteric or Gnostic tradition

In the Esoteric Christian tradition, claimed by its adherents to originate with the Essenes and later among the Rosicrucians, there is a distinction to be made between Jesus the man, and the Christ or true nature. Jesus is considered a high Initiate of the human life wave (which evolves under the cycle of rebirth) and of a singularly pure type of mind, vastly superior to the great majority of the present humanity. He was educated during his youth among the Essenes and thus prepared himself for the greatest honor ever bestowed upon a human being: to deliver his pure, passionless, highly evolved physical body and vital body (already attuned to the high vibrations of the 'life spirit'), in the moment of the Baptism, to the Christ being for His ministry in the physical world. Christ is described as the highest Spiritual Being of the life wave called Archangels, and has completed His union ("the Son") with the second aspect of God.

In this western tradition, there is a clear distinction between the Cosmic Christ, or Christ without, and the Christ Within: the Cosmic Christ, the 'Regent of the Earth' , aids each individual in the formation of the Christ Within, the Golden Wedding Garment (Matthew 22:2–11 KJV), also called "Soul body", the correct translation of Paul of Tarsus "soma psuchicon" (Greek "soma" [body] and "psuchicon" [psu(y)che – soul], "It is sown a soul body; it is raised a spiritual body ...": 1Cor 15:44; distinction of "spirit and soul and body": 1Thess 5:23).

According to this tradition, the Christ Within is regarded as the true Saviour who needs to be born within each individual (Galatians 4:19) in order to evolve toward the future Sixth Epoch in the Earth's etheric plane, that is, toward the "new heavens and a new earth" (2Pet 3:13, 2Pet 3:7): the New Galilee . The Second Coming or Advent of the Christ is not in a physical body (1Cor 15:50, John 18:36), but in the new soul body of each individual in the etheric region of the planet (2Cor 5:1–3, Greek "politeuma" [commonwealth], "Our commonwealth is in heaven ...": Phil 3:20–21) where man "shall be caught up IN THE CLOUDS to meet the Lord IN THE AIR" (Matthew 24:30, 1Thess 4:17, Acts 1:10–11, 1John 3:2). The "day and hour" when this event shall be, as described in the Bible, is not in the human knowledge domain (Matthew 24:36, Matthew 24:23–27). The esoteric Christian tradition teaches that first there will be a preparatory period as the Sun enters Aquarius by precession: the coming Age of Aquarius.

Islam

Main article: Islamic view of Jesus

The mainstream Islamic view of the second coming maintains Jesus did not die (see Islamic view of Jesus' death) and was lifted up to Heaven by God, where he is waiting to descend during the “last days” when corruption and perversity are rife on Earth. Jesus, along with the Mahdi, will return to wage a battle against the false Messiah (Dajjal, or Anti-Christ), break the cross, kill swine and call all humanity to Islam, as originally called upon by all the prophets including himself. Jesus shall be accompanied by an army of the righteous, and the Dajjal will wage war with his army of corrupt followers and mischief-makers and those have fallen under his deception.

Date Setting/Predictions

Main article: Unfulfilled religious prophecies

Date of the Second Coming	Author	Notes
1745 - 1770	Emanuel Swedenborg	Emanuel Swedenborg witnessed the Last Judgment in 1757 as one of many events recounted in his works resulting from visions of Jesus Christ returned. He tells of almost daily interaction with the returned Christ over the course of almost 30 years.
October 22, 1844	William Miller and the Millerite Movement	The fact that this failed to happen the way people were expecting was later referred to as the Great Disappointment. Some Millerites continued to set dates; others founded the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Advent Christian Church, which continued to expect the Second Coming but no longer set dates for it.
1874	Charles Taze Russell	Russell was the first person to successfully publicize to the world discussion about the Parousia. He taught that the invisible Parousia of Christ began in 1874 while stating that the sudden increase in knowledge, travel and worldwide inventions was directly related to this event.
1914	Jehovah's Witnesses	The interpretation of the Second Coming is important in the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, as these hold that it occurred in 1914, and instead of an apocalyptic Second Coming it is to be interpreted as an unseen presence, and the visible events of the final times will occur at a later date.
1917-1930	Sun Myung Moon	The followers of Reverend Sun Myung Moon consider Rev. Moon to be the Lord of the Second Advent called by Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday at the age of 15 on a Korean Mountainside. (See Divine Principle)
1930s	Rudolf Steiner	Steiner described the physical incarnation of Christ as a unique event, but predicted that Christ would reappear in the etheric, or lowest spiritual, plane beginning in the 1930s. This would manifest in various ways: as a new spiritual approach to community life and between individuals; in more and more individuals discovering fully conscious access to the etheric plane (clairvoyance); and in Christ's appearance to groups of seekers gathered together.[6]
mid-1940s through 1975	Herbert W. Armstrong	Armstrong, Pastor-General of the Radio Church of God, and then the Worldwide Church of God, predicted the return of Jesus Christ in various iterations between the mid-1940s and 1975. Of particular note was the book 1975 in Prophecy! written by Armstrong and published by the Radio Church of God in 1956.
1994	Harold Camping	Harold Camping, WFME radio Bible founder and teacher, published a book, "1994", a prediction of Christ's return for that year..
1999 through 2009	Jerry Falwell	Fundamentalist preacher Jerry Falwell predicted in 1999 that the Second Coming would probably be within 10 years.
1999	Nostradamus	Nostradamus predicted that "from the sky will come a great King of Terror" in 1999 . This was interpreted by some as a prophecy about the second coming of Jesus. When this didn't occur, some of his followers and those of Edgar Cayce claimed that Jesus was conceived in 1998, born in 1999, and is currently living on Earth as a reincarnated person. However, it did occur, it was reffering to Spongebob Squarepants.
September 13, 2007	Paul Sides	Paul Sides[7] predicted that September 13, 2007 marks the end of 7 years of "wars and rumors of war" that erupted when The Oslo Accords were annulled. Then he predicts a final 7 year "tribulation period" that culminates in a war over the Holy Land that brings back the Messiah.
2012	Jack Van Impe	Televangelist Jack Van Impe has, over the years, predicted many specific years and dates for the second coming of Jesus, but has continued to move his prediction later. Many of these dates have already passed, and he recently pointed to 2012 as a possible date for the second coming. Van Impe no longer claims to know the exact date of the Second Coming, but quotes verses which imply that mankind should know when the second coming is near.
2034	Joseph Nathan Smith	The group at www.2034AD.com has documented the discovery of the year for the second coming of Jesus in the Bible. (Joseph Nathan Smith, Rest Unto The Land, ISBN 978-0-6151-6189-1, [8], 2007, USA)
Unknown	Master Beinsa Douno	Master Beinsa Douno prediction for the Second Appearance of Christ: "Christ Impulse will gradually penetrate into the human being and will take over guidance during the further development of the humankind (sic.). We are still in the beginning of all this now." (Master Beinsa Douno, The Master, The Life of the Sixth Race', ISBN 954-744-050-0, [9], 1900-1946, Society Byalo Bratstvo - Bulgaria)
Unknown	Rastafari movement	The Rastafari movement believes Haile Selassie is the second coming (although he himself did not encourage this belief). He embodied this when he became Emperor of Ethiopia, but is also expected to return a second time to initiate the apocalyptic day of judgment. Haile Selassie, also called Jah Ras Tafari, is often considered to be alive by members of the Rastafari movement.

Claims

See also: List of messiah claimants and Olivet discourse § Imminence

• Emanuel Swedenborg and those in the New Church believe Jesus has already made his second advent through the ideas revealed in Swedenborg's theological works. They believe that the Last Judgment was commenced in the beginning of the year 1757, and was fully accomplished at the end of that year. Last Judgment passage number 45

• Bahá'u'lláh claimed to be the Return of Christ. Followers of the Bahá'í Faith believe that the fulfillment of the prophecies of the second coming of Jesus, as well as the prophecies of the 5th Buddha Maitreya and many other religious prophecies, were begun by the Báb in 1844 and then by Bahá'u'lláh. They commonly compare the fulfillment of Christian prophecies to Jesus' fulfillment of Jewish prophecies, where in both cases people were expecting the literal fulfillment of apocalyptic statements. [10] [11].

• Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, A 19th century Islamic figure from India, who claimed to be the divine reformer of the modern age, the promised Messiah of the end times and second coming of Jesus, as well as being the promised Mahdi. He preached the supremecy of Islam and promoted the spread of Islam through peaceful means, writing around 80 books and his vast oral output, he gathered thousands of followers within his lifetime and founded the Ahmadiyya community which is today guided by his successors (referred to as "Caliphs"). [12]

Contemporary American politics

See also: Dispensationalism

The rise of fundamentalist Christianity as a political force in the United States, especially within the Republican Party, has allegedly had an influence upon political decisions on the global stage. The majority of fundamentalist Christians in America subscribe to dispensationalist theology and biblical literalism, which predicts that at the second coming Jesus Christ will commence his reign over a re-established Jewish nation in the Middle East. The belief that the Jews must be returned to the Biblical lands of Judaea and Samaria before the world can end has, according to some, driven up American support for an aggressive Israeli approach to its neighbours in the Holy Land. These views have been propagated by Christian Zionist preachers such as Tim LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins, Pat Robertson and Hal Lindsey. However, the majority of the Christian world both within and outside of America, including the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and most Presbyterian churches, rejects dispensationalism as a valid belief system.

See also

• Avatar
• Apocalypse
• Christian eschatology
• Kalki
• Saoshyant
• Last judgment
• Maitreya
• Messiah
• Millennialism
• Moshiach
• Preterism
• Rapture
• Second Coming (LDS Church)
• Summary of Christian eschatological differences
• Sun Myung Moon
• Unfulfilled historical predictions by Christians
• List of people who have claimed to be Jesus
• New World Order (conspiracy)
• Christianity and Islam
• The Second Coming, a poem by William Butler Yeats
• Christianese

References

• Explanatory text in The New Jerusalem Bible (1990). Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-14264-1
• Lewis, C.S. (1960). The World's Last Night and Other Essays. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. ISBN 0-15-698360-5
• Heindel, Max, How Shall We Know Christ at His Coming?, May 1913 (stenographic report of a lecture, Los Angeles), ISBN 0-911274-64-2 www
• James Stuart Russell. The Parousia, A Careful Look at the New Testament Doctrine of the Lord's Second Coming
• Martin Gardner. The Second Coming of Jesus. Skeptical Inquirer, Volume 24, Number 1.
• Frederic J. Baumgartner. Longing for the End: A History of Millennialism in Western Civilization. St. Martin's Press, 1999.
• Robert Surgenor's review of 'The Second Coming' 1999. [13]
• Pedersen, Kenth. A Strange American: Chatting with God, March 25, 2005. ISBN 0-9776867-2-8 (www.astrangeamerican.com)
• Timothy P. Martin The Engine of Theology – Hermeneutics. http://www.preteristplanet.com/id103.html
• Harun Yahya jesus will return