Second Coming of Christ
An Apologetics Index research resource

Second Coming, The
biblical teaching on the return of Jesus to earth at the end of earthly history. In the latter portion of His ministry, Jesus told His followers that He would be leaving them but would return again to the earth. This message of the second coming is referred to as the Blessed Hope (Titus 2:13 ). Jesus warned His followers that they should be prepared to welcome Him back (Matt. 24-25 ; compare Mark 13 ). In the upper room with His disciples, Jesus told them He was going away but promised that He would come again one day (John 14:3 ). At His ascension, the two angels declared that He would return (Acts 1:11 ).

Jesus' Form in His Coming
Many who agree about the fact of Jesus's second coming are not sure about the form it will take. Some say He was referring to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, others that He was referring to His resurrection, others to the fact that He was going to be spiritually present with us (Matt. 28:20 ), others to an individual's conversion experience (see Rev. 3:20 ).

All of these are incomplete at best. Jesus warned of misrepresentations (Matt. 24:4-5 , 11 , 23-26 ) and said His appearance would be bodily and unmistakable (Matt. 24:27,30 ; compare Acts 1:11 ).

Effects of Christ's Second Coming
The second coming is to effect believers in a number of different ways:

Believers are to be watchful. There being no certainty as to the time of Jesus's return, it is important that we be on the alert as to the possibility that it may come at anytime (Matt. 24:42 ). However, they are not to believe that Christ must return in a given space of time, on a specific date. In His parable of the foolish virgins (Matt. 25:1-13 ) Jesus told of them sleeping and not being ready when the Bridegroom came (compare Jas. 5:7-8 . Peter warned against unbelief that could blunt the expectant spirit and cause people to say, ''Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation'' (2 Pet. 3:3-4 ).