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In Christian doctrine, the Second Coming of Christ, the Second Advent, or the Parousia, is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven, where he sits at the Right Hand of God, to Earth. This prophecy is found in the canonical gospels and in most Christian and Islamic eschatologies. Christians generally believe the anticipated event is predicted in Biblical Messianic prophecy. Views about the nature of Jesus' Second Coming vary among Christian denominations and sometimes among individual Christians within these denominations.
For example, in most English versions of the Nicene Creed in current use is the phrase: "He [Jesus] will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. ... We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen."
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Several different terms are used to refer to the second coming of Christ.
In the New Testament the Greek word ἐπιφάνεια (epiphaneia, appearing) is used five times to refer to the return of Christ.[1]
The Greek New Testament uses the Greek term parousia (παρουσία, meaning "arrival", "coming", or "presence") twenty-four times, seventeen of them concerning Christ.[2] The word is also used six times referring to individuals: Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus [1Co.16:17], Titus[2Co. 7:6-72] and of Paul himself [2Co. 10:10] [Phil 1:26] [2:12] and one time referring to the "coming of the lawless one".[2Thes 2:9]
The etymology of Greek word parousia is related to para "beside" ousia "presence". In English "parousia" always has a special, Christian, meaning.[3]
| Major events in Jesus' life from the Gospels |
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In Thayer's Lexicon, the Greek word parousia is defined as Strong's G3952:
And in the Bauer-Danker Lexicon:
...of Christ, and nearly always of his Messianic Advent in glory to judge the world at the end of this age.
And in the Catholic Encyclopedia article on General Judgment:[4]
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]; Matthew sqq. [Judgment of the Nations]). The Apostles give a most prominent place to this doctrine in their preaching (Acts 10:42, Acts) 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 Thes. 2:1-9), the second coming is also called Epiphany, epiphaneia, or Appearance (2 Thes. 2:8; 1 Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 4:1; Titus 2:13) and Apocalypse (apokalypsis), or Revelation (2 Thess. 2:7 1 Pet. 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" (Phil 1:6), "the day of the Son of Man" (Luke 17:30), and "the last day" (John 6:39-40).
Adolf Deissmann (1908)[5] showed that the Greek word "parousia" was used as early as the 3rd century BC to describe the visit of a king or dignitary to a city arranged in order the show his magnificence to the people. The Roman Advent Coins struck by the cities of Corinth and Patras for Nero's visit reveals the correspondence between the Greek "parousia" and the Latin "Adventus" and their relationship to the Greek word "epiphany" that means "appearing".
The Book of Acts states:
Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."—Acts 1:9-11
Other signs:
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According to historian Charles Freeman, early Christians expected Jesus to return within a generation of his death. The non-occurance of the second coming surprised the early Christian communities, but they quickly began to understand Christ's warning not to speculate "the day or the hour." [6]
Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.
It is the traditional view of Catholics and Orthodox Christians, preserved from the early Church, that the second coming will be a sudden and unmistakable incident, like "a flash of lightning".[Mt 24:27] They hold the general view that Jesus will not spend any time on the earth in ministry or preaching.[7][8] They also agree that the ministry of the antichrist will take place right before the second coming.[7]
Respected Orthodox layman Alexander Kalomiros explains the original Church's position regarding the Second Coming in River of Fire and Against False Union, stating that those who contend that Christ will reign on earth for a thousand years "do not wait for Christ, but for the Antichrist." The idea of Jesus returning to this earth as a kingly is a heretical concept to the Church, equated to "the expectations of the Jews who wanted the Messiah to be an earthly King." The Church instead teaches that which it has taught since the beginning -- Christ will not return to earth, rather the Kingdom of Heaven, the New Jerusalem, will be established through the General Resurrection.
The position associating the Second Coming with 1st century events such as the destruction of Jerusalem and of the Jewish Temple in AD 70 is known as Preterism.[9]
Some preterists see this "coming of the Son of Man in glory" primarily fulfilled in Jesus' death on the cross. They believe the apocalyptic signs are already fulfilled including "the sun will be dark",[10] the "powers ... will be shaken,"[11] and "then they will see".[12] Yet some critics note many are missing such as "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." (2 Peter 3:10)[13] And "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." (Matthew 24:30)[14]
Some, such as Jerome, interpret the phrase "this generation" to mean lifetime of the Jewish race; however, if Jesus meant "race" he would have used genos (race) not genea (generation).[15][16] However, most scholars don't think Jesus spoke Greek, but instead that he spoke Aramaic.
The many denominations of Protestantism 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 prominent Christian statement of faith: "He [Jesus] shall come again in glory to judge the living and the dead; and His kingdom shall have no end." An analogous statement is also in the biblical Pauline Creed, in 1 Corinthians 15:23.
Some Lutheran, Anglican and United Methodist liturgies proclaim the Mystery of Faith to be: "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again."
Generally, mainline Protestant Christianity does not offer predictions on the date of the second coming, though some may form their own ideas of how and where it will happen.
Fundamental Belief # 25 of the Seventh Day Adventist Church states
The second coming of Christ is the blessed hope of the church, the grand climax of the gospel. The Saviour's coming will be literal, personal, visible, and worldwide. When He returns, the righteous dead will be resurrected, and together with the righteous living will be glorified and taken to heaven, but the unrighteous will die. The almost complete fulfillment of most lines of prophecy, together with the present condition of the world, indicates that Christ's coming is imminent. The time of that event has not been revealed, and we are therefore exhorted to be ready at all times. (Titus 2:13; Heb. 9:28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11; Matt. 24:14; Rev. 1:7; Matt. 24:43, 44; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-54; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; 2:8; Rev. 14:14-20; 19:11-21; Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 21; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1 Thess. 5:1-6.) [17]
Jehovah's Witnesses rarely use the term "second coming", preferring the term "presence" as a translation of parousia.[18] They believe that Jesus' comparison of "the presence of the Son of man" with "the days of Noah" at Matthew 24:37-39 and Luke 17:26-30 suggests a duration rather than a moment of arrival.[19]
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that biblical chronology points to 1914[20] as the start of Christ's "presence", which continues until Armageddon. Other biblical expressions they correlate with this period include "the time of the end" (Dan 12:4), "the conclusion of the system of things" (Matt 13:40,49; 24:3) and "the last days" (2 Tim 3:1; 2 Peter 3:3).[21][22] Witnesses believe Christ's millennial reign begins after Armageddon.[23]
Notably those of the Latter Day Saint movement have particularly distinct and specific interpretations as to various signs presented in the Book of Revelation.
In Rosicrucian esoteric Christian teaching, authors such as Max Heindel draw a distinction between Jesus the man, and the Christ, the true or divine nature.[24] He considers Jesus to be a high initiate of the human life wave (which evolves under the cycle of rebirth), 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 with the second aspect of God (Christ the Son):[25] Wisdom (Christ the [solar] Logos; distinct from "the Word", Logos, of Whom John speaks, "The Only Begotten").[26]
In these esoteric Christian teachings, also known as Western Wisdom Teachings, there is a clear distinction between the cosmic Christ, or Christ without, and the Christ within: the cosmic Christ, the 'Regent of the Earth',[27] aids each individual in the formation of the Christ within, the golden wedding garment.[28] 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…,"[29] distinction of "spirit and soul and body".[30]
According to this tradition, the Christ within is regarded as the true Saviour who needs to be born within each individual[31] 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":[32] the New Galilee.[33] The Second Coming or Advent of the Christ is not in a physical body,[34] but in the new soul body of each individual in the etheric region of the planet[35] where man "shall be caught up IN THE CLOUDS to meet the Lord IN THE AIR."[36] The "day and hour" when this event shall be, as described in the Bible, is not in the human knowledge domain.[37] 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.[38]
Dispensationalists believe:
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 Maitreya and many other religious prophecies, were begun by the Báb in 1844 and then by Bahá'u'lláh.[39] 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.[40][41]
In modern times some traditional Indian religious leaders have since moved to embrace Jesus as an Avatar, or incarnation, of God.[42] In light of this, the Indian guru Paramahansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi, scribed an extensive commentary on the Gospels published in the two-volume set The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You.[43] In the tradition of the Gnostic Gospels, the book offers a mystical interpretation of the Second Coming in which it is understood to be an inner experience, something that takes place within the individual heart.
Stating that "Paramahansa Yogananda was sent to the West by Jesus Christ himself" with the said intent to "restore the original Christian teachings among his followers", in Revelations of Christ Swami Kriyananda, Yogananda's disciple and Ex-minister of the Self-Realization Fellowship, provides a distilled commentary on the life and teachings of Christ, all of which is meant to serve as an anticipatory primer to Yogananda's more philosophically nuanced treatment in The Second Coming of Christ. Turning directly to The Bible, Kriyananda argues for a more scripturally mature Christianity in which The Second Coming is treated not in terms of a profane materialism - one which favors a literal, physical and subsequently anti-spiritual resurrection - but rather unfolds in accordance with the more spiritual aspirations of The Book of Luke; for "Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21)
Thus Hinduism's consideration of itself as an Eastern extension of the Christian Gospel, however, is neither unique to Yogananda or his disciple, Swami Kriyananda. Similarly, Srila Prabhupada, author Bhagavad Gita As It Is and founder of the Hare Krishna Movement, has propounded the same pluralistic, nonsecular view: that "'Christ' is another way of saying Krsta and Krsta is another way of pronouncing Krishna, the name of God." Stating that "A son may call his father 'Father', but the father also has a specific name. Similarly, God is the general name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose specific name is Krishna", "Therefore", he writes, "whether you call God 'Christ', 'Krsta', or 'Krishna', ultimately you are addressing the same Supreme Personality of Godhead. "[44]
Muslims believe that Isa (Jesus) will return at a time close to the end of the world. The Qur'anic verse they allude to as an indicator to Isa' future return is as follows:[45]
According to Islamic tradition, Isa' descent will be in the midst of wars fought by the Mahdi (lit. "the rightly guided one"), known in Islamic eschatology as the redeemer of Islam, against the al-Masīh ad-Dajjāl ("false messiah") and his followers.[46] Isa will descend at the point of a white arcade, east of Damascus, dressed in yellow robes—his head anointed. He will then join the Mahdi in his war against the Dajjal. Isa, considered in Islam as a Muslim (one who submits to God) and one of God's messengers, will abide by the Islamic teachings. Eventually, Isa will slay the Dajjal, and then everyone from the People of the Book (ahl al-kitāb, referring to Jews and Christians) will believe in him. Thus, there will be one community, that of Islam. Sahih Muslim, 41:7023
Sahih al-Bukhari, 3:43:656: Narrated Abu Hurairah:
"Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be established until the son of Mary (Mariam) (i.e. Isa) descends amongst you as a just ruler, he will break the cross, kill the pigs, and abolish the Jizya tax. Money will be in abundance so that nobody will accept it (as charitable gifts)."
After the death of the Mahdi, Isa will assume leadership. This is a time associated in Islamic narrative with universal peace and justice. Islamic texts also allude to the appearance of Ya'juj and Ma'juj (known also as Gog and Magog), ancient tribes which will disperse and cause disturbance on earth. God, in response to Isa' prayers, will kill them by sending a type of worm in the napes of their necks.[46] Isa' rule is said to be around forty years, after which he will die. Muslims will then perform the Salat al-Janazah (funeral prayer) for him and bury him in the city of Medina in a grave left vacant beside Muhammad.[45]
The Ahmadis believe that the promised Mahdi and Messiah (being one and the same person) has already arrived in the person of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835–1908).
The hadith (sayings of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad) and the Bible indicated that Isa would return during the latter days. Islamic tradition commonly depicts that Isa, upon his second coming, would be an Ummati (Muslim) and a follower of Muhammad and that he would revive the truth of Islam rather than fostering a new religion.[47]
The Ahmadiyya movement interpret the Second Coming of Isa prophesied as being that of a person "similar to Isa" (mathīl-i ʿIsā) and not his physical return, in the same way as John the Baptist resembled the character of the Biblical prophet Elijah in Christianity. Ahmadis believe that Ghulam Ahmad demonstrated that the prophecy in Muslim and Christian religious texts were traditionally misunderstood to suggest that Jesus of Nazareth himself would return, and hold that Jesus had survived the crucifixion and had died a natural death. Ahmadi's consider the founder of the movement, in both his character and teachings to be representative of Jesus, and subsequently he attained the same spiritual rank of Prophethood as Jesus. Thus, Ahmadis believe this prediction was fulfilled and continued by his movement.[48][49]
Judaism believes that Jesus is one of the false Jewish Messiah claimants because he failed to fulfill any Messianic prophecies, which include:
- Build the Third Temple (Ezekiel 37:26-28).
- Gather all Jews back to the Land of Israel (Isaiah 43:5-6).
- Usher in an era of world peace, and end all hatred, oppression, suffering and disease. As it says: "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall man learn war anymore." (Isaiah 2:4)
- Spread universal knowledge of the God of Israel, which will unite humanity as one. As it says: "God will be King over all the world ― on that day, God will be One and His Name will be One" (Zechariah 14:9).[50]
Regarding the Christian idea that these prophecies will be fulfilled during a "second coming," Ohr Samayach states "we find this to be a contrived answer, since there is no mention of a second coming in the Jewish Bible. Second, why couldn't G-d accomplish His goals the first time round?"[51] Rabbi David Wolpe believes that the Second Coming was "grown out of genuine disappointment" and invented by Christians to theologically compensate for Jesus' death.[52]
In January 1946, Theosophist Alice A. Bailey prophesied that Christ (who is regarded by Theosophists as being identical with the being known by Theosophists as the Maitreya) would return "sometime after AD 2025".[53]
Many Christians believe there will be a great deception before the coming of Christ. In Matthew 24 Jesus states
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.—Matthew 24:21, 24 NKJV
These false Christs will perform great signs and are no ordinary people "For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." (Revelation 16:14) Satan's angels will also appear as godly clergymen, and Satan will appear as an angel of light.[54] "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works." (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will impersonate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Saviour's advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. (Revelation 1:13-15). The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air: "Christ has come! Christ has come!" The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed His disciples when He was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed.—The Great Controversy, p. 624[55]
A number of specific dates have been suggested for the Second Coming of Christ. Some of these predictions have passed many decades ago and some are decades away.
A number of people have also claimed to have fulfilled the Second Coming of Christ.
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