One of the religious ideas of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, based on the interpretation of the holy book of Christians, the Bible. We found this article on the Internet and considered it worthwhile to publish it with minor edits in the “Christianity” section. An analytical approach to considering such a significant event must be as versatile as possible, in our opinion, and therefore an outside opinion, although justified within the framework of a narrowly religious and selective point of view, should take place. I would like to believe that the person who wrote these lines really sincerely believes in the coming of Christ, and not just uses this “fashionable holy legend” as a habitual tool for strengthening a small earthly power. Although, to be more precise, the holy books of Christians speak about the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, and not again Jesus Christ, because Christ himself spoke to the apostles about this in the Gospel of John 14:15, therefore, we will try to treat the following condescendingly.
How is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ fundamentally different from the First?
The First Coming of Christ into our world happened about 2000 years ago and is described in the Gospel. At that time, Christ came to accomplish the salvation of all people from death, sin and the devil. For this purpose, He gave people commandments, taught them to fulfill them, founded the Church, revealed His Kingdom, performing many miracles. And most importantly, he accepted an innocent death to atone for human sins, after which he was resurrected and ascended to God the Father in a human body, thereby paving the way to the Kingdom of Heaven for anyone who wants to follow Him.
The second time Christ will come to earth to put an end to all the evil that persists in the world and often takes precedence over good. He will bring judgment on all people - both individually and entire nations. At the same time, the entire universe will be transformed: the dead will be resurrected, and those who have been faithful to the Lord will enter eternal and blessed life.
About God's mercy towards sinners
But the Lord is not only a Terrible Judge, He is also a Merciful Father, and of course He, out of mercy, will use opportunities not to condemn, but to justify a person.
Saint Theophan the Recluse writes about this:
“The Lord wants everyone to be saved, therefore, you too... The Lord at the Last Judgment will not only demand how to condemn, but how to justify everyone. And he will justify everyone, as long as there is even the slightest opportunity.”
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What will the Second Coming look like?
Two thousand years ago, Christ appeared on earth as a humble and meek man - in the eyes of people He was completely different from the King of Heaven and earth. But Christ will return to earth in glory as Lord and Judge. His Second Coming will be impossible to miss: For as lightning flashes from one side of the sky and shines to the other side of the sky, so will the Son of Man be on His day (Luke 17:24 ). The Holy Apostle John the Theologian speaks about it this way: Behold, he comes with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the families of the earth will mourn before Him (Rev 1 :7). Christ will come, accompanied by an army of angels, sit on the Throne as King and execute judgment on all nations, separating the saved from the lost: He Himself spoke about this in the parable of the Last Judgment (Matthew 25 :31-46). Moreover, not only the living will appear before the Lord, but also the long dead, who will be resurrected just before the Last Judgment: Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell gave up the dead that were in them; and each one was judged according to his works (Rev 20:13 ).
Bible prophecies about the Second Coming
There are few prophecies about the Second Coming in the Old Testament. In pre-Christian times, the chosen people awaited the first appearance of the Messiah. But the prophet Joel foretells:
“Before them the earth will shake, the sky will shake; the sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars will lose their light. And the Lord will give His voice before His army, for His army is very numerous and the doer of His word is mighty; For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible, and who can endure it?” (Joel 2:10-11) .
Interpreters agree that these words mark the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Also in the book of the prophet Daniel you can find the words:
“I saw in the night visions, behold, one like the Son of man walked with the clouds of heaven... And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom... His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and His kingdom will not be destroyed” (Dan. 7:13- 14).
In the Gospel, the Savior Himself, when asked by the disciples about the last days, explained to them the signs preceding the Second Coming. The apostle Paul later wrote in his letter to the Hebrews:
“Just a little while, a very little, and He who comes will come and will not tarry” (Heb. 10:37).
The apostles expected the Savior and the End of the World. The times of the reign of the Antichrist, the Second Coming of Christ, the Last Judgment and the advent of the Kingdom of God are described in most detail in the last book of the Bible: the Revelation of John the Theologian, which he received from God Himself.
“And I saw an angel descending from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. He took the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and cast him into the abyss, and shut him up, and put a seal over him, so that he would no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years were ended; after this he must be released for a little while” (Rev. 20:1-3).
When will the Second Coming occur?
Here the answer is the same as to the question about the day of our physical death. We know only one thing: that the day of the end of this world (as well as our lives) will one day come. But we don't know when. We have only a few indirect signs indicating its approach. The last peoples who wished to be baptized will enter the Church; the Apostle Paul assumed that Jews might be among them: the hardening occurred in Israel in part, until the full number of the pagans entered; and so all Israel will be saved (Rom 11 :25-26). Following this, a cooling of faith will begin throughout the world: When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? (Luke 18 :8); and in the end people will lose the last remnants of love for each other: due to the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold (Matthew 24:12 ). Preserving such a world further, obviously, will no longer make any sense.
Although the first Christians, who lived in the 1st–2nd centuries, expected the Lord to return to earth very soon, even during their lifetime, many of His parables, metaphorically depicting the advent of the Kingdom of Heaven (about leaven, about the mustard seed, about the slowly ripening harvest) indicate that that between the First and Second Comings a considerable time will pass. In the history of the Church, expectations of an immediate end to the world have repeatedly arisen—most often as a result of certain natural or social disasters—but they have not been justified.
The Lord warned that His Second Coming would not occur at the peak of general tense anticipation, but, on the contrary, in an atmosphere of some drowsiness and spiritual relaxation: And as the bridegroom slowed down, they all dozed off and fell asleep (Matthew 25:5).
Problematic issues of the Second Coming
“Look around the whole world in which you live, and judge that everything visible is mortal, that everything is subject to decay. Look at the sky, and it will one day be destroyed; look at the sun and it will not stand; all the stars, animals living on land and in water, all the decoration of the earth, the earth itself - everything is perishable; a little more time, and all this will not happen” (St. Basil the Great).
When should we expect the Second Coming of Christ? Its exact time and the timing of the subsequent End of the World is known to no one except God.
“But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but only My Father” (Matthew 24:36).
Therefore, any dates are fiction, and those who predict them are false prophets or simply deceivers. But at the same time, the Lord does not leave people in complete ignorance and lifts the veil of secrecy in the form of signs of the Second Coming.
The Second Coming was expected by the apostles and the first Christians during the days of persecution. It was expected in the Middle Ages, when various diseases claimed millions of lives. They expected it in the 20th century in Russia, when the atheistic government destroyed many believers. When the Great Patriotic War claimed millions of lives, leaving behind a devastated land. They expect it even today, when sin becomes the norm and pious life is ridiculed, the line between good and evil is blurred.
But one should not be so impudent about the Holy Scriptures as to literally project the words of the Savior onto modern life. And even more so, you should stay as far away as possible from various false prophets. From those who endlessly talk about the End of the World, forgetting to think about saving their souls.
But could it still happen that we will experience the Coming of Christ during our lifetime?
It is possible that we will catch him. But we will witness this event in any case - whether we are alive at this moment or are already outside the body. On the day of His Second Coming, the Lord promised to resurrect all the dead: The time is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who have done good will come forth into the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil into the resurrection of condemnation (John 5: 28–29).
Christians should be ready at all times to meet the Lord and give an account to Him. This is His commandment to us: Watch, because you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man will come (Matt. 25:13).
The awareness of the transience of this world, its fundamental temporality, the insignificance of all its temptations and trials against the background of the future eternal life with God is an important part of the Christian view of life.
What work will Christ do at His second coming?
“I still have much to tell you; but now you cannot contain it. But when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak from Himself, but whatever He hears, He will speak, and He will tell you things to come” (Jonah 16:12-13).
“And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him, for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not accept My words has one who judges him: the word that I have spoken will judge him at the last day” (John 12:47-48).
“For it is time for judgment to begin at the house of God...” (1 Pet 4:7).
"(74-3) 'When I choose the time, I will execute judgment with righteousness" (Ps 75:2).
“For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son...” (Jonah 5:22).
“And he gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man” (Jonah 5:27).
“And he said with a loud voice: Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come, and worship Him who made heaven and earth, and the sea and the springs of water” (Rev 14:7).
“And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from what was written in the books, according to their works” (Rev 20:12).
“And the Gentiles were enraged; and Thy wrath has come, and the time to judge the dead, and to give retribution to Thy servants, the prophets and saints, and to them that fear Thy name, both small and great, and to destroy them that destroy the earth” (Rev 11:18).
Helpful information:
Christian film “WAKING UP FROM SLEEP” (fragment 3/4)
What will the world look like after the Second Coming?
It is difficult for us to imagine the fullness of joy and bliss of life in the next century. But Scripture does reveal something to us. In this world there will no longer be evil and sin, pain and grief. As Saint John the Theologian says, God will wipe away every tear from the eyes of [Christians who suffered torment in earthly life. — Approx. ed.], and there will be no more death; There will be no more mourning, nor crying, nor pain, for the former things have passed away (Rev. 21:4).
Universal and eternal peace will come, which was announced by the prophet Isaiah, who lived 700 years before Christ: Then the wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the ox will be together, and a little child will lead them. And the cow will feed with the she-bear, and their cubs will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. And the child will play over the asp's hole, and the child will stretch out his hand into the snake's nest. They will not do evil or harm in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea (Isa. 11:6–9).
Will all people end up in this world of the next century?
One thing is clear: God wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2 :4). However, in the Kingdom of God - the Kingdom of love - coercion is unthinkable, and no one can be brought into it against their will. It depends only on ourselves whether to turn to our Lord Jesus Christ with repentance and faith, whether to join His Church or not. The door of the kingdom is open to everyone, but if we refuse to enter it, we will remain behind the door. Moreover - an important nuance! - at the time of the Second Coming, it will be too late to make such a decision. Each of us will be caught in the choice that he made earlier.
To fear or not to fear the Second Coming?
From the Holy Scriptures we know quite a lot about the Second Coming, the Last Judgment and the end of the world. But is it worth panicking about future events? Indeed, the righteous and sinners will be judged and receive retribution according to their deeds. God gave each of us earthly life. And during it we can repent of our sins, begin to lead a godly life, and do good deeds.
And most importantly, we can participate in the Eucharist, in the sacrament, without which the salvation of the soul is impossible. All of the above gives us hope of being among those who will inherit the Kingdom of God and eternal bliss.
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What will people be like after the Second Coming? What will they look like?
Our bodies will be similar to the body of the resurrected Christ, Who could freely pass through locked doors, appear in different places and different people at the same time (not as a spirit, but in a human body!), no longer needed food as a necessary source of energy (but at the same time could eat with the apostles), could take on different appearances, so that He was not immediately recognized... The most important thing is that our bodies will become “incorruptible,” that is, indestructible, not subject to disease, damage, death, and inexpressibly beautiful.
As the holy Apostle Paul says: There is another glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, another of the stars; and star differs from star in glory. So it is with the resurrection of the dead: it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; sown in humiliation, raised in glory; sown in weakness but raised in strength (1 Cor. 15:41–43).
Some Predictions about the Second Coming
1000 year. Pope Sylvester II was an authoritative medieval scholar. He claimed that the world would end on January 1, 1000. Many believed him. When the Advent did not happen, a clarifying version was put forward. Allegedly, the pope made an inaccurate prediction, and the end of the world was supposed to be the coming of the millennium, not the birth, but the death of Jesus Christ. That is, the date of the second coming of Christ was supposed to be 1033. But after this prediction did not come true, they decided to forget about Sylvester II’s calculations.
1284 Pope Innocent III set the Second Coming for 1284. He connected this expected event with the emergence of Islam. He believed that in the year 666 after the appearance of this new religion, the last times would come. The Pope made his prediction during the Crusades, times of interreligious hostility. The pontiff himself did not live to see 1284.
1988 Predictions by Edgar Viznant, a scientist from NASA. His book "88 Reasons Why the Second Coming Will Be in 1988" became a bestseller.
1992 Predictions of the American preacher Lee Yang Rim. His preaching brought him fabulous wealth in the form of donations from his frightened followers.
year 2000. Expectation of the end of the world on a “round” date, including the computer “Problem 2000”. A certain number of people believed this, they bought bunkers and stocked up on provisions.
Maybe Christ has already returned and we haven’t noticed?
This is completely out of the question. The Second Coming will be an event of cosmic proportions that will be impossible to ignore - even if we wanted to. Let us remember once again what the Lord Himself says about this: as lightning that flashes from one end of the sky shines to the other end of the sky, so will the Son of Man be on His day (Lk 17:24).
All people who have ever pretended to be Christ are undoubtedly deceivers, against whom the Lord directly warns in the Gospel: Then if anyone says to you: behold, here is Christ, or there, do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect... So, if they say to you, “Behold, [He] is in the wilderness,” do not go out; “Behold, [He] is in the secret chambers,” do not believe it; For just as lightning comes from the east and is visible even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man (Matt. 24:23–27).
The return of the Lord in glory and as the King of the world, the general resurrection of the dead, the judgment of the nations - all this will be clear and undoubted for everyone, believers and non-believers. That is why it will be too late to become believers at that moment: everything will become obvious. The Lord expects from us a feat of faith, but this feat can only be accomplished before His Second Coming.
WHEN WILL CHRIST COM?
The approach of the Second Coming is determined by special signs in nature, society, politics, and religion.
1. NATURAL DISASTER. MASS DEATH
Jesus predicted that before His coming there would be numerous natural disasters, epidemics and famines on earth:
“...and there will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various places” (Gospel of Matthew 24:7).
“...and the sea will roar and be troubled” (Gospel of Luke 21:25).
The British Association for the Advancement of Science noted that every century AD is marked by a steady increase in the number of destructive earthquakes. The Lisbon earthquake of 1755 killed about 60 thousand people. Then “the sea became noisy and indignant,” washing into the ocean with a 10-meter wave everyone who tried to find salvation in the harbor. The strongest earthquake that occurred in 1976 in the Chinese city of Tangshan killed more than 200 thousand people. A record earthquake in terms of the number of victims, estimated at 9 points on the Richter scale, occurred on the morning of December 26, 2004, near the Indonesian island of Sumatra. As a result of underground vibrations, a tsunami wave up to 11 meters high was formed. At a speed of about 800 kilometers per hour, it hit the coasts of Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Thailand, the Maldives, Myanmar and Somalia. According to the Indonesian Ministry of Health, at least 242,530 people were killed or missing as a result of the earthquake in Southeast Asia. In central Africa, famine caused by prolonged droughts and floods is killing thousands of people, most of them children. The last century has been characterized by the emergence of new viruses that cause dangerous, intractable and rapidly spreading diseases. For example, the influenza epidemic at the beginning of the 20th century killed about 20 million people. The emergence of HIV infection, SARS and other infectious diseases - all this is also a sign of the approach of the Second Coming.
Jesus described other signs: “And suddenly, after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken ” (Matthew 24:29).
Has this prophecy of Christ been fulfilled? From eyewitness accounts we learn that on May 19, 1780, the sun actually darkened. Suddenly, in the middle of a clear day, darkness suddenly fell over North America, which lasted about 14 hours. The darkness was so thick that people could not carry out their usual activities. The birds huddled together in fear. At a short distance it was impossible to distinguish a single object. Everything looked as if it was a deep moonless and starless night. The reasons for this phenomenon still remain unknown. Only one thing is clear: this was not an ordinary solar eclipse. People who found themselves in the darkness of the night during the day waited for the moon to rise. And although it was full moon time, they were never able to see the moonlight. Only at two o’clock in the morning did a foggy bloody glow become noticeable, fulfilling the prediction of the Old Testament prophet Joel: “The sun will turn into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes” (Book of the Prophet Joel 2:31).
Half a century later, on November 13, 1833, the stars “fell from heaven,” just as Jesus predicted. The meteor shower observed then in the United States is still considered to this day one of the most grandiose events that has ever happened on the earth's horizon. Over a vast area, people could see a unique phenomenon: the entire sky was “pierced” by meteorites, leaving luminous paths behind them. The speed, size and abundance of falling celestial bodies were amazing. Myriads of bright sparkling balls rushed across the majestic cloudless sky. Only the coming day could extinguish this mesmerizing fireworks display, which lasted more than four hours. The light of the meteorites falling to the ground was so bright that you could read a newspaper. The world had never seen anything like this before, but all attentive Bible students recognized this event as the fulfillment of prophecy. Notice that the signs of the approaching coming of Jesus were to appear “after the tribulation of those days” (Matthew 24:29). What days? 500 years before Christ, the prophet Daniel predicted the persecution that would fall on God's people from the side of the religious authorities: “And he will speak words against the Most High and oppress the saints of the Most High ” (Book of the Prophet Daniel 7:25). This prophecy came true during the Dark Middle Ages, when millions of people who did not want to give up their faith were tortured in the dungeons of the Inquisition. By the middle of the 18th century, the persecution ceased, and, according to the prophecy of Jesus, immediately after the “tribulation of those days” the signs discussed above appeared in the heavens.
2. SIGNS IN THE POLITICAL WORLD
Describing the signs of the Second Coming, Jesus continued: “You will also hear of wars and rumors of wars... for nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matthew 24:6,7).
After World War II, the world's population witnessed military conflicts in the countries of the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The political horizon is most often overcast, and government officials peer into it with constant anxiety, trying to determine where the next cloud will come from. Until now, the main danger for humans remains the threat of nuclear war, and the main hope is the hope for peace. For many centuries, humanity did not know world wars. In the twentieth century there were two of them. One of the Bible prophecies says that the Lord will come to “ destroy those who destroy the earth ” (Revelation 11:18). Indeed, in recent years, the environmental crisis has been especially noticeable, inevitably leading to irreversible global catastrophes. The Holy Scriptures give an accurate picture of the last days. Jesus says: “And there will be... on the earth the despondency of the nations and bewilderment... People will die out of fear and anticipation of the disasters coming on the world " (Gospel of Luke 21:25,26).
Before the coming of Christ, politicians will still try to find ways to peacefully resolve conflicts. But we observe with regret how all the efforts of the international community are unsuccessful. In the Bible we read about this: “They heal the wounds of My people lightly, saying: “Peace!” peace!”, but there is no peace ” (Book of the Prophet Jeremiah 6:14). “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety,’ then destruction will suddenly come upon them ” (1 Thessalonians 5:3).
It is not only government officials who care about global security. The word “peace” has become the password of the younger generation. We read it on cars, clothes, buildings. A man finds himself in a strange situation: he constantly dreams of peace, but lives in a society full of violence and incessant wars. The Bible predicted this state of sinful humanity, revealing to us that eternal peace would be established on earth only after the Second Coming of Christ. Thus, the political development of human society has come to that extreme point when the only way out and hope for the world really remains - the speedy return of the Lord.
3. MORAL STATE OF SOCIETY
Jesus told His disciples that iniquities would increase in the last days. Indeed, in modern society, shadow business is thriving, there is a merging of state and criminal structures, crime has increased incredibly, taking on increasingly cruel forms. Alcoholism no longer seems so scary compared to the ever-increasing scale of drug addiction. A significant portion of drug addicts are teenagers. Drugs have infiltrated families and schools. A huge network that destroys the moral foundations of man and society works with diabolical sophistication. Jesus compares the level of moral decline in today's world with the condition of the inhabitants of the sinful city of Sodom, destroyed by the Lord:
“Just as it was in the days of Lot... so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed ” (Gospel of Luke 17:28,30).
Today we see that pornography is already quite commonplace. No one is surprised anymore by erotic photographs on advertising posters and magazine covers. The norm is an abundance of sex on film and television screens. The display of intimate relationships becomes a commodity that can be marketed well. Sexual perversions have caused the spread of AIDS and other dangerous diseases. The facts of violence, sadism, prostitution, including children's, are multiplying. Homosexual marriage is being introduced into the laws of some states. In many countries, such relationships are widely promoted on television and in the press. Can Sodom and Gomorrah compare to today's society? It seems that modern humanity in its licentiousness has left them far behind. The only thing that can save the earth from its final fall is the return of Christ. Helping the poor, increasing the level of well-being, and promoting moral principles, although they bring relief, cannot in themselves highly raise the moral state of society. The main reason for the degradation of people is the rejection of God and His law. Sin causes entire races and peoples to hate and kill each other. It is he who is the cause of disease, poverty and moral decline. But since most people, despite any calls, refuse the Savior, the only way out is the return of Jesus and the destruction of sin by Divine power.
“This is the judgment,” said Jesus, “that light has come into the world; but people loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed, because they are evil” (Gospel of John 3:19,20).
The Apostle Paul also spoke about the state of society on the eve of the Second Coming. He predicted that the time before the coming of the Lord would be extremely difficult, marked by extreme human selfishness, materialism and a complete breakdown of morals.
“Know this that in the last days perilous times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unfriendly, unforgiving, slanderers, intemperate, cruel, not loving what is good, traitors, insolent, pompous, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God who have a form of godliness, and denied his powers ” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
