The Second Coming: Christ’s Promised Return

“For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:27).

The Second Coming—the doctrine that Jesus Christ will return to earth visibly, gloriously, and bodily at the end of the age—stands as Christianity’s ultimate hope and Islam’s eschatological expectation. From the moment Jesus ascended into heaven, the early church lived in eager anticipation: “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). For two millennia, Christians have confessed in the creeds, “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.” The Second Coming is not peripheral speculation but central affirmation—the day when faith becomes sight, when the risen Lord returns to consummate His kingdom, when history reaches its divinely appointed climax. Islam too awaits Jesus’ return, though interpreting his role differently—Isa descending to defeat the Dajjal (Antichrist), restore justice, and confirm Islam. Across traditions, the Second Coming represents divine vindication, cosmic renewal, final judgment, and the establishment of God’s ultimate reign.

The Promise of Return

Jesus’ Own Words

John 14:1-3: “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Jesus explicitly promised He would return. This was not a metaphor but a personal commitment—He will come again.

Matthew 24:30-31: “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, 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. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

Timing: “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36).

Jesus affirmed He would return but refused to specify when—the timing remains a divine secret.

The Ascension Promise

Acts 1:9-11: “And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’”

Key Elements:

• Visible return: Just as the disciples saw Jesus ascend, all will see Him descend
• Bodily return: The same Jesus who walked on earth will return in resurrected body
• Clouds: Symbolizing divine presence and glory

Apostolic Teaching

The apostles consistently taught the Second Coming:

Paul (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17): “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

Peter (2 Peter 3:10): “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.”

John (Revelation 1:7): “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.”

Old Testament Background

Daniel’s Vision (Daniel 7:13-14)

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

Christian Interpretation:

• “Son of Man” is Jesus’ favorite self-designation
• Coming on clouds signifies divine authority
• Receives eternal kingdom from God the Father
• Jesus claimed this identity (Mark 14:62)

Zechariah’s Prophecy (Zechariah 14:3-4)

“Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley.”

Christian Interpretation:

• The LORD (Yahweh) will return to the Mount of Olives
• Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives; He will return there
• Physical, visible, geographic return

The Nature of the Second Coming

Visible and Glorious

Not Secret: Unlike false teachers who claim Christ has secretly returned, Scripture emphasizes visibility:

“For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:27).

Everyone will see. No one will miss it.

Bodily and Personal

The Same Jesus: Not a spiritual presence or a principle but the actual, bodily, resurrected Jesus:

“This Jesus… will come in the same way” (Acts 1:11).

With Power and Glory

Contrast to First Coming:

• First Coming: In humility, as a servant, born in a manger, dying on a cross
• Second Coming: In glory, as King, riding the clouds, judging the nations

“For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done” (Matthew 16:27).

Unexpected Timing

Like a Thief in the Night: “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2).

While certain signs precede it, the exact moment is unknown. Believers are called to watchfulness and readiness.

Signs Preceding the Second Coming

The Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21)

Jesus describes events that will precede His return:

1. False Christs and False Prophets (Matthew 24:4-5, 11, 24): “For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.”

2. Wars and Rumors of Wars (Matthew 24:6-7): “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.”

3. Famines, Earthquakes, Pestilences (Matthew 24:7): “And there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.”

4. Persecution of Believers (Matthew 24:9-10): “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.”

5. Apostasy and Betrayal (Matthew 24:10-12): “And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.”

6. Gospel Preached to All Nations (Matthew 24:14): “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

7. The Abomination of Desolation (Matthew 24:15): “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)…”

8. Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21): “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.”

9. Cosmic Disturbances (Matthew 24:29): “Immediately 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 heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

Then: “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:30).

Paul’s “Man of Lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12)

Paul warns that before Christ’s return, the “man of lawlessness” (Antichrist) will be revealed:

“Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

This figure will perform counterfeit signs and wonders, deceiving many. Christ will destroy him with “the breath of his mouth” at His coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8).

Israel’s Role

Many Christians see the restoration of Israel and the return of Jews to the land as a sign:

“And Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:24).

Debate:

• Dispensationalists: Israel’s return to the land in 1948 is prophetic fulfillment
• Others: Luke refers to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, not modern events

The Events of the Second Coming

1. The Rapture (Disputed Timing)

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

The Rapture (Latin rapere, “to catch up”): Believers, both dead and living, will be taken up to meet Christ.

Timing Debate:

Pre-Tribulation Rapture:

• Rapture occurs before the seven-year tribulation
• Church is removed before God’s wrath
• Popularized by dispensationalism, Left Behind series

Mid-Tribulation Rapture:

• Rapture occurs halfway through tribulation

Post-Tribulation Rapture:

• Rapture occurs at the end, immediately before Christ’s visible return
• Church endures tribulation but protected from God’s wrath
• Historic position of most Christians

Amillennial View:

• No literal seven-year tribulation
• Rapture and Second Coming are one simultaneous event
• 1 Thessalonians 4 describes the Second Coming, not a secret prior event

2. The Resurrection of the Dead

“For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52).

At Christ’s return, the dead in Christ will be resurrected with glorified, immortal bodies. Believers still alive will be transformed.

3. The Defeat of Evil

Binding of Satan (Revelation 20:1-3): An angel seizes Satan and binds him for a thousand years (interpreted literally by premillennialists, symbolically by amillennialists).

Destruction of the Beast and False Prophet (Revelation 19:20): “And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet… These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.”

4. The Final Judgment

The Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10): “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

Believers’ works will be evaluated (not for salvation but for rewards).

The Judgment of the Nations (Matthew 25:31-46): “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”

Criteria: How they treated “the least of these my brothers” (Matthew 25:40)—interpreted as either care for the poor or treatment of Christians.

The Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15): Final judgment of the wicked:

“And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).

5. The New Heaven and New Earth

Revelation 21:1-4: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’”

The ultimate goal: Not believers going to heaven, but heaven coming to earth—a renewed creation where God dwells with humanity forever.

Millennial Views

Christians disagree on the “millennium”—the thousand years mentioned in Revelation 20:

Premillennialism

Sequence:

1. Christ returns
2. Satan bound for 1,000 years
3. Christ reigns on earth literally for 1,000 years
4. Satan released briefly
5. Final rebellion crushed
6. Great White Throne Judgment
7. New heaven and new earth

Subdivisions:

• Historic Premillennialism: Church goes through tribulation, then Christ returns
• Dispensational Premillennialism: Pretribulation rapture, then Christ returns for millennium

Strengths: Takes Revelation 20 literally Weaknesses: Requires complex timeline, two resurrections separated by 1,000 years

Postmillennialism

Sequence:

1. Gospel spreads, world increasingly Christianized
2. Long golden age (millennium) of peace and righteousness
3. After this period, Christ returns
4. Judgment, new creation

Optimistic View: The world will get better through the church’s influence before Christ returns.

Strengths: Encourages cultural engagement and transformation Weaknesses: Hard to sustain given world’s condition; less popular today

Amillennialism

Sequence:

1. Millennium is symbolic, representing the church age
2. Satan is currently bound (limited, not eliminated)
3. Christ reigns spiritually in heaven and in believers’ hearts
4. At the end of the age, Christ returns
5. Single resurrection and judgment
6. New heaven and new earth

Non-Literal Thousand Years: “Thousand” symbolizes completeness—the entire period between Christ’s first and second comings.

Strengths: Simpler timeline, emphasizes spiritual reign of Christ now Weaknesses: Requires symbolic reading of Revelation 20

Purposes of the Second Coming

1. Vindication of Christ

At His first coming, Jesus was rejected, mocked, crucified. At His second coming, every knee will bow:

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

2. Rescue and Reward of Believers

Christ returns to gather His people, resurrect the dead, transform the living, and bring them into eternal glory.

3. Judgment of the Wicked

Those who rejected Christ will face judgment:

“When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).

4. Defeat of Evil

Satan, the Antichrist, the False Prophet, death itself—all defeated:

“The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:26).

5. Restoration of Creation

The curse of the Fall reversed, the groaning creation liberated:

“For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:19-21).

6. Establishment of God’s Eternal Kingdom

“Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power” (1 Corinthians 15:24).

The kingdom of God fully consummated, God dwelling with humanity forever.

The Second Coming in the Creeds

Nicene Creed (325 CE): “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.”

Apostles’ Creed: “He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.”

The Second Coming is essential Christian doctrine, universally confessed.

The Second Coming in Islam

Isa (Jesus) Will Return

Islam affirms that Jesus will return at the end of time:

Quran 43:61: “And indeed, Jesus will be [a sign for] knowledge of the Hour, so be not in doubt of it, and follow Me. This is a straight path.”

Hadith (Sahih Muslim): “By Him in Whose hand is my soul, surely the son of Mary (Jesus) will soon descend among you as a just ruler. He will break the cross, kill the swine, and abolish the jizyah [tax on non-Muslims]. Wealth will be in such abundance that no one will accept it.”

The Role of Isa in Islamic Eschatology

1. Descends at the White Minaret in Damascus: According to Hadith, Jesus will descend at the white minaret in Damascus, dressed in saffron robes, with his hands on the wings of two angels.

2. Defeats the Dajjal (Antichrist): The Dajjal, a false messiah who deceives many, will arise before the end. Jesus will kill him at the gate of Lod (near Jerusalem).

3. Breaks the Cross and Abolishes Christianity: Jesus will correct Christian beliefs, proclaiming that he was not divine and not crucified. He will establish Islam as the true religion.

4. Rules Justly: Jesus will rule as a just Muslim leader, following Islamic law (Sharia). His reign will be a time of peace and prosperity.

5. Marries and Has Children: Some Hadiths say Jesus will marry and have children.

6. Dies and Is Buried: Unlike Christianity’s eternal reign, Islam teaches Jesus will die a natural death and be buried next to Muhammad in Medina.

Similarities and Differences

Similarities:

• Both Christianity and Islam affirm Jesus returns physically
• Both see him defeating evil (Antichrist/Dajjal)
• Both envision a period of peace and justice

Differences:

• Christianity: Jesus returns as God incarnate, King of Kings, eternal ruler

• Islam: Jesus returns as Muslim prophet, corrects Christian errors, eventually dies

• Christianity: Jesus judges all humanity, establishes eternal kingdom

• Islam: Jesus confirms Islam, rules temporarily, then dies

• Christianity: Second Coming is climax of redemption

• Islam: Jesus’ return is one event among end-time signs, subordinate to Allah

Practical Implications for Believers

Watchfulness

“Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42).

Believers should live in constant readiness, not setting dates but always prepared.

Holiness

“Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God” (2 Peter 3:11-12).

Expectation of Christ’s return motivates holy living.

Comfort

“Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

In suffering and persecution, the Second Coming is hope and consolation—this world is not the end.

Evangelism

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).

The church’s mission is urgent—proclaim Christ to all nations before He returns.

Patience

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

The delay is mercy—God giving time for more to be saved.

Failed Predictions and Date-Setting

Throughout history, many have attempted to calculate the date of Christ’s return:

• Montanus (2nd century): Claimed Christ would return in his lifetime
• Various medieval preachers: Set dates around the year 1000, 1260, etc.
• William Miller (1840s): Predicted 1843, then 1844 (led to Great Disappointment, rise of Seventh-day Adventism)
• Jehovah’s Witnesses: 1914, 1925, 1975
• Hal Lindsey (The Late Great Planet Earth, 1970): Suggested 1980s
• Harold Camping: May 21, 2011

Jesus’ Warning: “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36).

Date-setting contradicts Scripture and brings discredit to the faith when predictions fail.

Contemporary Challenges

Skepticism About Supernatural Return

Objection: Modern scientific worldview makes literal return implausible.

Response: Christianity is inherently supernatural. If Jesus rose from the dead, His return is no more miraculous.

Delay of Two Millennia

Objection: “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:4).

Response: Peter anticipated this objection. God’s timing is not ours: “With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8). The delay is mercy, giving time for repentance.

Symbolic vs. Literal Interpretation

Liberal Christianity: Second Coming is symbolic of Christ’s spiritual presence, not literal future event.

Orthodox Christianity: Scripture clearly teaches visible, bodily return. Symbolizing it away undermines the gospel.

Artistic and Cultural Impact

In Christian Art

Medieval Depictions:

• Christ as Judge in the Last Judgment (Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel)
• Separating sheep and goats
• Angels blowing trumpets

Hymns:

• “Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending”
• “Jesus Shall Reign Where’er the Sun”
• “When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder”

In Literature

Dante’s Divine Comedy: Ends with vision of heavenly paradise Milton’s Paradise Regained: Anticipates Christ’s ultimate victory C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle: Narnia’s end mirrors Christian eschatology

In Popular Culture

Left Behind series (Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins): Premillennial, pretribulation rapture fiction Movies: Revelation (1999), Left Behind (2000, 2014) Debates: Millennialism, rapture timing, Israel’s role

Significance

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:12-13).

The Second Coming is Christianity’s ultimate hope—the day when every promise is fulfilled, every tear wiped away, every enemy defeated, every wrong made right. It is the vindication of Christ—the one mocked and crucified will return in power and glory, and every knee will bow. It is the rescue of the saints—the dead raised, the living transformed, the bride united with the Bridegroom. It is the judgment of the wicked—justice finally, fully, eternally administered. It is the renewal of creation—not destruction but restoration, not escape from earth but earth made new, heaven and earth joined, God dwelling with humanity forever.

For two thousand years, the church has prayed, “Marana tha”—“Our Lord, come!” (1 Corinthians 16:22). In suffering and persecution, in doubt and darkness, in joy and triumph, believers have looked to the sky, knowing that one day—perhaps today—the clouds will part, the trumpet will sound, and the King will return. This expectation has sustained martyrs, motivated missionaries, comforted the grieving, and inspired holiness. The Second Coming is not escapist fantasy but certain reality—as certain as His first coming, as certain as the resurrection, as certain as God’s faithfulness.

The delay is not denial but mercy—“The Lord is… patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Every day the gospel goes forth, every moment of waiting is grace, giving more time for more to be saved. But the day will come when the door closes, the harvest ends, and the King appears. On that day, history reaches its goal, creation finds its fulfillment, God’s plan reaches consummation.

And so the Bible ends not with “The End” but with an invitation and a promise:

“The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price… He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:17, 20).

Until that day, the church waits, watches, works, and worships—confident that the one who promised is faithful, that the King will return, that the story will end not in tragedy but in triumph, not in defeat but in the eternal reign of Jesus Christ, the Lord of lords and King of kings.

“Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”