Second Coming

Second Coming, also Parousia, return of Jesus Christ in visible form to Earth. On the basis of certain sayings of Jesus, the early Church expected that within a comparatively short period after the ascension he would come again and usher in the full glory of the messianic age (see Matthew 24:29-31; Mark 13:24-27; Luke 21:25-28). As the years passed, many leaders of the Church came to feel that the true meaning of Jesus' words and realization of his promises were to be found in the spiritual life rather than in an earthly kingdom.

In later times the doctrine of Christ's return has been held in one of two forms: the first, that it will be premillennial, that is, before the age of the great prosperity and triumph of the Church; or the second, that it will be postmillennial—after this age and immediately before the general judgement. The first view is based on certain interpretations of Revelation 20:4-7, supported by other passages of Scripture, and more particularly by the general conception, believed to be derived from the Scriptures, that the present divine order does not contain in it, according to the plans of God, the means necessary to bring the world to Christ. Thus, it will be necessary that Christ himself come to rule.