Second Coming

{{Short description|Belief regarding the return of Jesus "E.g." Luke 12:39-40}}
{{Other uses}}
[[Image:John Tokhabi, Last Judgment, around 1100. Icon, tempera. St Catherine monastery on Sinai, Egypt.jpg|thumb|300px|''The Last Judgement'', {{circa|1100 AD}} icon, by [[John Tohabi]], kept at the [[Saint Catherine's Monastery]].]]
{{Jesus}}
{{Gospel Jesus}}
The '''Second Coming''' (sometimes called the '''Second Advent''' or the '''Parousia''') is the [[Christianity|Christian]] belief that [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] will return to Earth after his [[Ascension of Jesus|ascension]] to [[Heaven (Christianity)|Heaven]] (which is said to have occurred about two thousand years ago). The idea is based on [[Jesus and messianic prophecy|messianic prophecies]] and is part of most [[Christian eschatologies]]. Other faiths have various interpretations of it.

==Terminology==
{{See also|Theophany|Christophany}}
{{religious text|section|date=February 2024}}
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 six times to refer to the return of Christ.<ref>{{cite web |title=Greek Lexicon: G2015 (KJV) |url=http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2015&t=KJV |work=[[Blue Letter Bible]]}}</ref>

The [[Novum Testamentum Graece|Greek New Testament]] uses the Greek term ''parousia'' (παρουσία, meaning "arrival", "coming", or "presence") 24 times, seventeen of them concerning Christ. However, parousia has the distinct reference to a period of time rather than an instance in time. At {{bibleverse|Matthew|24:37|KJV}}, the word ''parousia'' is used to clearly describe the period of time in which [[Noah]] lived. The Greek word ''eleusi''s, which means "coming", is not interchangeable with ''parousia''. So this parousia or "presence" would be unique and distinct from anything that had occurred before.<ref name=G3952>{{cite web |url=http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/strongs.pl?strongs=3952 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100825135034/http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/strongs.pl?strongs=3952 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2010-08-25 |title=Strong's G3952 |publisher=Blueletterbible.org |access-date=2009-11-21 }}</ref> The word is also used six times referring to individuals ([[Stephanas]], [[Fortunatus the Apostle|Fortunatus]] and [[Achaicus of Corinth|Achaicus]],<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Cor.|16:17|esv|1 Cor. 16:17}}</ref> [[Titus]],<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Cor.|7:6–72}}</ref> and [[Paul the Apostle]]<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Cor.|10:10}}, {{bibleverse|Phil|1:26}}, {{bibleverse|Phil|2:12||2:12}}</ref>) and once referring to the "coming of the [[Man of Lawlessness|lawless one]]".<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Thes.|2:9}}</ref>

[[Gustav Adolf Deissmann]] (1908)<ref>
{{cite book
|title= Light from the Ancient East:The New Testament Illustrated by Recently Discovered Texts of the Graeco-Roman World
|year= 1908
|author= Gustav Adolf Deissmann
}}</ref> showed that the Greek word ''parousia'' occurred as early as the 3rd century BC to describe the visit of a king or dignitary to a city – a visit arranged in order to show the visitor's magnificence to the people.

In Islam, the term [[Rajʽa]] ({{Lang-ar|الرجعة|lit=Return|translit=al-rajʿah}}) refers to the Second Coming.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Momen|first=Moojan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B0OL5Z8S-V0C|title=An Introduction to Shiʻi Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelver Shiʻism|date=1987-09-10|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-03531-5|language=en}}</ref> The term is most commonly used by [[Shia Islam|Shia Muslims]].<ref name=":0" />

==Specific date predictions and claims==
{{Main|Predictions and claims for the Second Coming}}
Views about the nature of the Second Coming vary among Christian denominations and among individual Christians. Many specific dates have been predicted for the Second Coming, some now in the distant past, others still in the future.

==Christianity==
{{Main|Christian eschatology}}
{{Further|Katechon}}
{{Christian Eschatology}}
Most [[English versions of the Nicene Creed]] include the following statements:{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}
{{blockquote|...he [[Ascension of Christ|ascended into heaven]] and is [[Session of Christ|seated]] at the [[Right Hand of God|right hand]] of the [[God the Father|Father]]. He will come again in his glory to [[Last Judgment|judge the living and the dead]], and [[Kingdom of God|his kingdom]] will have no end. ... We look for the [[resurrection of the dead]], and the life of the [[world to come]].}}

A 2010 survey showed that about 40% of Americans believe that Jesus is likely to return by 2050. This varies from 58% of white evangelical Christians, through 32% of Catholics to 27% of white mainline Protestants.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Public Sees a Future Full of Promise and Peril Section 3: War, Terrorism and Global Trends|url=http://www.people-press.org/2010/06/22/section-3-war-terrorism-and-global-trends/|date=June 22, 2010|publisher=Pew Research Center|access-date=Feb 1, 2016}}</ref> Belief in the Second Coming was popularised in the US in the late nineteenth century by the evangelist [[Dwight L. Moody]] and the [[Premillennialism|premillennial interpretation]] became one of the core components of [[Christian fundamentalism]] in the 1920s.

===Early Christianity===
{{see also|Olivet Discourse#Imminence|Historical Jesus#Apocalyptic prophet}}
Jesus told his [[Disciple (Christianity)|disciples]],

{{blockquote|Truly I tell you, this generation [greek: ''genea''] will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.|Matthew 24:34–35, Mark 13:30–31, Luke 21:32–33<ref>{{bibleverse|Matt. 24:34–35; Mark 13:30–31; Luke 21:32–33|multi=yes}}</ref>}}

The most common English translation of ''genea'' is "generation",<ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew|24:34|ISV|Matthew 24:34 (ISV)}}</ref> which lead some to conclude that the Second Coming was to be witnessed by the people living in the same generation as Jesus. According to historian [[Charles Freeman (historian)|Charles Freeman]], [[early Christians]] expected Jesus to return within a generation of his death, and the non-occurrence of the second coming surprised them.<ref>Freeman, Charles. ''[[The Closing of the Western Mind]]'', p. 133. Vintage. 2002.</ref> [[N. T. Wright]] disputes this.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Hope Deferred? Against the Dogma of Delay |journal=Early Christianity |url=https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/files/252715705/Wright_2018_EC_Hopedeferred_37.pdf |last=Wright |first=N.T. |issue=1 |volume=9 |pages=37–82 |doi=10.1628/ec-2018-0003 |year=2018 |issn=1868-7032}}</ref>

In most German Bibles, ''genea'' is instead translated as "family/lineage" (Geschlecht).<ref name="Bible Gateway (German)2">{{cite web|title=Schlachter 2000|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matth%C3%A4us%2024%3A34&version=SCH2000|access-date=2021-03-16|website=Bible Gateway (German)}}</ref> Likewise for Danish, Swedish and Norwegian (slægt, släkte and slekt, respectively).<ref name="Bible Gateway (Danish)2">{{cite web|title=Dette er Biblen på dansk|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matth%C3%A6us%2024%3A34&version=DN1933|access-date=2021-03-16|website=Bible Gateway (Danish)}}</ref><ref name="Bible Gateway (Swedish)2">{{cite web|title=Svenska 1917|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matteus%2024%3A34&version=SV1917|access-date=2021-03-16|website=Bible Gateway (Swedish)}}</ref><ref name="Bible Gateway (Norwegian)2">{{cite web|title=Det Norsk Bibelselskap 1930|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matteus%2024%3A34&version=DNB1930|access-date=2021-03-16|website=Bible Gateway (Norwegian)}}</ref> The Danish linguist Iver Larsen argues that the word "generation" as it was used in the [[King James Version]] of the Bible (1611) had a wider meaning than it has today, and that the correct translation of ''genea'' in the context of the second coming is "kind of people" (specifically the "good" kind of people; the disciple's kind of people, who, like the words of Jesus, will endure through all the tribulations). In [[Psalm 14]], the King James version uses "generation" in this wide and outdated sense, when it declares that "God is in the generation of the righteous".<ref>{{bibleverse|Psalm|14|KJV|Psalm 14 (KJV)}}</ref> According to Larsen, the ''[[Oxford Universal Dictionary]]'' states that the latest attested use of ''genea'' in the sense of "class, kind or set of persons" dates from 1727. Larsen concludes that the meaning of "generation" in the English language has narrowed considerably since then.<ref name="Larsen 20102">{{cite journal|last=Larsen|first=Iver|date=2010-01-28|title=Generation is a wrong translation choice for Greek genea|url=https://www.academia.edu/37043228|access-date=2021-03-16|website=Academia.edu}}</ref>

Bible scholar Philip La Grange du Toit argues that ''genea'' is mostly used to describe a timeless and spiritual family/lineage of good or bad people in the New Testament, and that this is the case also for the second coming discourse in [[Matthew 24]]. In contrast to Larsen however, he argues that the word ''genea'' here denotes the "bad kind of people", because Jesus had used the word in that pejorative sense in the preceding context (chapter 23). He also lists the main competing translation alternatives, and some of the scholars who support the different views:

* "This generation" refers to Jesus's contemporaries who would witness "all these things" [πάντα ταῦτα] as outlined in verses 4–31, including Jesus' second coming (Davies & Allison 1997: 367–368; Hare 1993: 281; Maddox 1982: 111–115). Because Jesus' contemporaries did not witness his second coming, some contend that Jesus erred in his predictions (Luz 2005: 209; cf. Schweitzer 1910: 356–364).
* "This generation" refers to Jesus's contemporaries who would witness "all these things" as outlined in verses 4–22 or 4–28, pointing to the destruction of the temple in 70 CE and everything leading up to it. Jesus' second coming (vv. 29–31) is thus excluded from "all these things" (Blomberg 1992: 364; Carson 1984: 507; France 2007: 930; Hagner 1995: 715).
* "This generation" points to the Ἰουδαῖοι [Jews or Judaeans], implying that they as a race would last until the Parousia (Hendriksen 1973: 868–869; Schweizer 1976: 458).
* In [[patristic]] opinion, "this generation" points to the church against which the gates of [[Hades]] would not prevail (cf. [[Chrysostom]], Hom. Matt. 77:1; [[Eusebius]], Frag. in Lc. ad loc).
* 'This generation' points to some future generation, from Matthew's perspective, that sees "all these things" (Bock 1996: 538–539; Conzelmann 1982: 105).
* The words "take place" or "have happened" [γένηται] are interpreted as an ingressive [[aorist]]: "to begin" or "to have a beginning". In other words, "all these things" would start to happen in the generation of Jesus' present disciples, but would not necessarily finish in their time (Cranfield 1954: 291; Talbert 2010: 270).
* "This generation" points to a certain kind of people in accordance with the pejorative connotations to "generation" [γενεά] elsewhere in the gospel (Morris 1992: 613; Nelson 1996: 385; Rieske 2008: 225; see, e.g., Mt 11:16; 12:39, 41–42, 45; 16:4; 17:17; 23:36). While DeBruyn (2010: 190) and Lenski (1943: 953) interpret the expression in a similar way, they connect "this generation" to a certain kind of people from the Ἰουδαῖοι who resisted Jesus (cf. view 3 discussed earlier).<ref name="Du Toit p.2">{{cite journal|last=Du Toit|first=Philip La Grange|date=2018-08-15|title='This generation' in Matthew 24:34 as a timeless, spiritual generation akin to Genesis 3:15|journal=Verbum et Ecclesia|publisher=AOSIS|volume=39|issue=1|page=|doi=10.4102/ve.v39i1.1850|issn=2074-7705|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Jesus is also recorded as saying,
{{blockquote|there are some standing here, which shall not taste death, till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.|Matthew 16:28<ref>{{bibleverse||Matt|16:28}}</ref>}}

He makes similar predictions in five other places in the Gospels.<ref>{{bibleverse||Mark|9:1}}, {{bibleverse||Mark|13:30}}, {{bibleverse||Matt|24:34}}, {{bibleverse||Luke|9:27}}, {{bibleverse||Luke|21:32.}}</ref> In religious sceptic [[Victor J. Stenger]]'s view, when the coming did not happen within the life-times of his disciples, Christianity changed its emphasis to the [[resurrection]] and promise of [[Eternal life (Christianity)|eternal life]].<ref>Victor J. Stenger (2009). Chapter 2, 'The Folly of Faith', p. 54 in "The New Atheism", published by [[Prometheus Books]], {{ISBN|978-1-59102-751-5}}.</ref> A competing view is that it is Jesus' [[Transfiguration of Jesus|coming in power on the mountain]] that provides the correct interpretative frame for the "not taste death" statement. The author of [[Second Peter]] describes the event:

{{blockquote|For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.|2 Peter 1:16–18<ref>{{bibleverse||2 Peter|1:16–18}}</ref>}}

===Preterism===
{{Main|Preterism}}
The position associating the Second Coming with [[Christianity in the 1st century|1st century events]] such as the [[Siege of Jerusalem (AD 70)|destruction of Jerusalem and of the Jewish Temple in AD 70]] is known as Preterism.<ref>1) Future Survival, [[Chuck Smith (pastor)|Chuck Smith]], The Word for Today, Costa Mesa, California, 1978, page 17

2) The Life of Jesus Critically Examined, [[David Strauss]], Sigler Press, Ramsey, New Jersey, 1994, page 587

3) Jesus and The Last Days, George Murray, [[Hendrickson Publisher]], Peabody, Massachusetts, 1993, pages 443–444

4) [[The Quest of the Historical Jesus]], Albert Schweitzer, [[Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan]], New York, 1968, page 240

5) Last Days Madness, Gary DeMar, American Vision Inc., Atlanta, Georgia, 1994, page 114

6) The Parousia, Stuart Russell, [[T. Fisher Unwin]] Pub., London, England, 1887, page 84

7) The Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon, [[Penguin Books]], New York, 1985, page 276

8) Apocalypse of The Gospels, [[Milton Terry]], (1819), chapter 18 reprinted and its pages renumbered in 1992 by John Bray, Post Office Box 90129, Lakeland, Florida 33804, pages 34 & 38
</ref>

Some Preterists see this "coming of the Son of Man in glory" primarily fulfilled in Jesus's death on the cross. They believe the apocalyptic signs are already fulfilled including "[[Crucifixion darkness and eclipse|the sun will be dark]]",<ref>cf. {{bibleref2|Mark|13:24–15:33}}</ref> the "powers ... will be shaken",<ref>cf. {{bibleref2|Mark|13:25–14:63, 15:5}}</ref> and "then they will see".<ref>cf. {{bibleref2|Mark|13:26–15:31, 15:39}}</ref> Yet some critics note that 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."<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Peter|3:10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Best |first=Austin |title=White Horse Media |url=http://www.whitehorsemedia.com/articles/?d=27 |work=whitehorsemedia.com}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew|24:30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Best |first=Austin |title=White Horse Media |url=http://www.whitehorsemedia.com/articles/?d=61 |work=whitehorsemedia.com}}</ref>

===Catholicism===
[[Image:Last Judgement (Michelangelo).jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|''[[The Last Judgment (Michelangelo)|The Last Judgment]]'' by [[Michelangelo]] (1541) in the [[Sistine Chapel]], Rome]]
According to the [[Catholic Church]], the second coming will happen in a single moment, suddenly and unexpectedly (not even the angels, saints, or demons know when it will occur).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church – PART 1 SECTION 2 CHAPTER 3 ARTICLE 12 |url=http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a12.htm#1040 |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.scborromeo.org}}</ref> It will cause the fullness of the reign of God and the consummation of the [[universe]] and mankind.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a12.htm#1042| title = Catechism of the Catholic Church 1042–1050}}</ref>

The fullness of the reign of God means God fully manifests the victory he won over his enemies (sin, suffering, and Satan) on the Cross.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church – PART 1 SECTION 2 CHAPTER 2 ARTICLE 7 |url=http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s2c2a7.htm#671 |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.scborromeo.org}}</ref> Just as God gradually revealed himself to Israel until the birth of Jesus,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church – PART 1 SECTION 1 CHAPTER 2 ARTICLE 1 |url=http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s1c2a1.htm#69 |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.scborromeo.org}}</ref> so God gradually manifests his victory through the church's sacraments (baptism forgiving sin and exorcising Satan, holy unction relieving suffering, etc.),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church – PART 2 SECTION 1 CHAPTER 1 ARTICLE 2 |url=http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s1c1a2.htm#1130 |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.scborromeo.org}}</ref> until the moment when he will fully manifest his victory through the consummation of the universe and mankind, e.g., by granting the universe and mankind a share in Jesus' resurrection (the universe being transfigured and the dead being resurrected, judged, and recompensed).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church – PART 1 SECTION 2 CHAPTER 3 ARTICLE 12 |url=http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a12.htm#1042 |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.scborromeo.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church – PART 1 SECTION 2 CHAPTER 3 ARTICLE 12 |url=http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a12.htm#1038 |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.scborromeo.org}}</ref>

The church does not believe the second coming will happen via a catastrophe (such as a [[nuclear war]] or [[extinction event]]),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church – PART 1 SECTION 2 CHAPTER 2 ARTICLE 7 |url=http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s2c2a7.htm#677 |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.scborromeo.org}}</ref> reincarnation (such as someone claiming to be Jesus),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church – PART 1 SECTION 2 CHAPTER 3 ARTICLE 11 |url=http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a11.htm#1013 |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.scborromeo.org}}</ref> social or technological progress (such as mankind abolishing slavery or curing disease) or ascendancy (such as the church having political power).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church – PART 1 SECTION 2 CHAPTER 2 ARTICLE 7 |url=http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s2c2a7.htm#678 |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.scborromeo.org}}</ref> Nor does the church believe in [[double predestination]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church – PART 1 SECTION 2 CHAPTER 3 ARTICLE 12 |url=http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a12.htm#1037 |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.scborromeo.org}}</ref>

At the moment of Jesus' arrival, three events will happen all at once in an instant, in the blink of an eye: the living will die, the universe will be transfigured, and the dead will be resurrected, judged, and recompensed. After this single instant or moment, the church does not know what will happen for the rest of eternity – only that the damned will continue to be in hell and the saved will continue to experience the [[beatific vision]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church – PART 1 SECTION 2 CHAPTER 2 ARTICLE 7 |url=http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s2c2a7.htm |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.scborromeo.org}}</ref>

The second coming is suspended until Jesus is recognized by "all of Israel",<ref>{{Cite web |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church – PART 1 SECTION 2 CHAPTER 2 ARTICLE 7 |url=http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s2c2a7.htm#674 |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.scborromeo.org}}</ref> and it will be followed by a final and ultimate temptation to sin – in this case, [[apostasy]] – caused by the [[antichrist]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church – PART 1 SECTION 2 CHAPTER 2 ARTICLE 7 |url=http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s2c2a7.htm |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.scborromeo.org}}</ref> Yet there are three things that hasten the second coming: the celebration of the [[Eucharist]];<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s1c1a1.htm#1107| title = Catechism of the Catholic Church 1107}}</ref> Christians living with the mind of Jesus;<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s1c3a3.htm#2046| title = Catechism of the Catholic Church 2046}}</ref> and Christians praying for the Second Coming.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s2c2a7.htm#671| title = Catechism of the Catholic Church 671}}</ref>

Like many Christian denominations, the church considers this second coming of Christ to be the final and eternal judgment by [[God]] of the people in every [[nation]]<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08552a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: General Judgment]: "Few truths are more often or more clearly proclaimed in Scripture than that of the general judgment. To it the prophets of the Old Testament refer when they speak of the '[[Day of the Lord]]' ({{bibleverse|Joel|2:31|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|Ezekiel|13:5|KJV}}; 93-231700-6 register Holy BIBLE service name number Jermaine Thomas McCoy 93-231700-6 {{bibleverse|Isaiah|2:12|KJV}}), in which the nations will be summoned to judgment by the Fathers. In the New Testament the 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 ({{bibleverse|Matthew|24:27|KJV}} sqq.;SGT john 1:18 Parish all world threw Justice hall Dean Jermaine Thomas McCoy {{bibleverse-nb|Matthew|25:31|KJV}} sqq.). The Apostles Malachi peter phophet labour give a most prominent place to this doctrine in their preaching ({{bibleverse|Acts|10:42|KJV}}; {{bibleverse-nb|Acts|17:31|KJV}}) and writings ({{bibleverse|Romans|2:5–16|KJV}}; {{bibleverse-nb|Romans|14:10|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|1 Corinthians|4:5|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|2 Corinthians|5:10|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|2 Timothy|4:1|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|2 Thessalonians|1:5|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|James|5:7|KJV}}). Besides the name Parusia (parousia), or Advent ({{bibleverse|1 Corinthians|15:23|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|2 Thessalonians|2:19}}), the Second Coming is also called Epiphany, epiphaneia, or Appearance ({{bibleverse|2 Thessalonians|2:8}}; {{bibleverse|1 Timothy|6:14|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|2 Timothy|4:1|KJV}}; {{bibleverse||Titus|2:13}}), and [[Apocalypse]] (apokalypsis), or Revelation ({{bibleverse|2 Thessalonians|2:7|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|1|Peter|4:13}}). The time of the Second Coming is spoken of as 'that Day' ({{bibleverse|2 Timothy|4:8|KJV}}), 'the day of the Lord' ({{bibleverse|1 Thessalonians|5:2|KJV}}), 'the day of Christ' ({{bibleverse|Philemon|1:6|KJV}}), 'the day of the Son of Man' ({{bibleverse|Luke|17:30|KJV}}), 'the last day' ({{bibleverse|John|6:39–40|KJV}}). The belief in the general judgment has prevailed at all times and in all places within the Church. It is contained as an article of faith in all the ancient creeds: 'He ascended into heaven. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead' ([[Apostles' Creed]]). The two shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead' ([[Nicene Creed]]). 'From thence they shall come to judge the living and the dead, at whose coming all men must rise with their bodies and are to render an account of their deeds' ([[Athanasian Creed]]). Relying on the authority of [[Papias of Hierapolis|Papias]], several Fathers of the first four centuries advanced the theory of a thousand years' terrestrial reign of Christ with the saints to precede the end of the World (see article on MILLENNIUM). Though this idea is interwoven with the eschatological teachings of those writers, it in no way detracted from their belief in a universal world-judgment. Patristic testimony to this dogma is clear and unanimous."</ref> resulting in the glorification of some and the punishment of others. The concept is found in all the [[Canonical gospels]], particularly the [[Gospel of Matthew]].

A decisive factor in this Last Judgment during the second coming of Christ will be the question, if the corporal and spiritual [[works of mercy]] were practised or not during lifetime. They rate as important acts of mercy, charity and justice. Therefore, and according to the Biblical sources ([[Matthew 25:31]]–[[Matthew 25:46|46]]), the conjunction of the Last Judgment and the [[works of mercy]] is very frequent in the pictorial tradition of [[Christian art]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bühren |first=Ralf van |date=January 2017 |title=Caravaggio's 'Seven Works of Mercy' in Naples. The relevance of art history to cultural journalism |journal=Church, Communication and Culture |language=en |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=63–87 |doi=10.1080/23753234.2017.1287283 |s2cid=194755813 |issn=2375-3234|doi-access=free }}</ref>

===Oriental Orthodoxy and Eastern Orthodoxy===
[[Image:T'oros Roslin Gospels, The Last Judgment, Walters Manuscript W.539, fol. 109v.jpg|thumb|300px|''The Last Judgement'' by the [[Armenian illuminated manuscripts|Armenian manuscript illuminator]] [[Toros Roslin]], 1262.]]
It is the traditional view of [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christians]], preserved from the early Church, that the Second Coming will be a sudden and unmistakable incident, like "a flash of lightning".<ref>{{bibleverse|Mt|24:27}}</ref> They hold the general view that Jesus will not spend any time on the earth in ministry or preaching, but come to judge mankind.<ref name="orthodoxphotos%252Ecom">{{cite web|url=http://www.orthodoxphotos.com/readings/sign/coming.shtml |title=Jesus is Coming Soon |publisher=Orthodoxphotos.com |access-date=2009-11-21}}</ref> They teach that the ministry of the Antichrist will take place right before the Second Coming.<ref name="orthodoxphotos%252Ecom" />

The [[Ethiopian Orthodox Church]], a part of the [[Oriental Orthodox]] communion of churches, teaches that the second coming of Jesus will be radically different from his first coming, which "was to save the lost world".<ref name="Melketsedek1997">{{cite book |last1=Melketsedek |first1=Abba |title=The Teaching of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church |date=1997 |publisher=Alem Publishers |page=33 |language=English}}</ref>

Orthodox layman Alexander Kalomiros explains the original Church's position regarding the Second Coming in ''River of Fire''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stnectariospress.com/the-river-of-fire|title=THE RIVER OF FIRE|work=Saint Nectarios Press and Book Center}}</ref> and ''Against False Union'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roacusa.org/htdocs/Catechism/AGAINST%20FALSE%20UNION.pdf|title=Against False Union|publisher=[[Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church]] (ROAC) of America}}</ref> 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 king 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.{{clarify|date=February 2024}}

===Lutheranism and Anglicanism===
[[Image:Second Coming of Christ window.jpg|thumb|The ''Second Coming of Christ'' [[stained glass]] window at [[St. Matthew's German Evangelical Lutheran Church]] in [[Charleston, South Carolina]], [[United States]]]]
A reference to the second coming is contained in the [[Nicene Creed]] and [[Apostles Creed]], which is recited during the Lutheran and Anglican liturgies: "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 ({{bibleverse|1 Corinthians|15:23|KJV}}).<ref>{{cite web |title=What Lutherans Teach about Christ's Second Coming |url=https://blog.cph.org/read/everyday-faith/what-lutherans-teach/what-lutherans-teach-about-christs-second-coming |publisher=[[Concordia Publishing House]] |access-date=18 May 2021 |language=English |date=4 January 2016}}</ref>

The Lutheran and Anglican churches proclaim the [[Memorial Acclamation|Mystery of Faith]] in their liturgies: "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again."<ref>Anglican Church of Canada, ''Book of Alternative Services'', p. 195.</ref><ref>Paul E. Engle and John H. Armstrong, eds., Understanding Four Views on the Lord's Supper, Zondervan Counterpoints Collection (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2007), p. 46.</ref><ref>Tabletalk Magazine, March 2005, The Exaltation of Christ (Lake Mary, Florida: Ligonier Ministries, 2005), p. 11.</ref>

===Methodism===
[[Methodist]] denominations teach that the Second Coming is connected with the Last Judgment, as professed in the Creeds.<ref name="Gorrie1852">{{cite book |last1=Gorrie |first1=Peter Douglass |title=Episcopal Methodism |date=1852 |publisher=Derby and Miller |page=148 |language=English}}</ref> The [[United Methodist Church]] does not teach that there will be a "[[rapture]]" or otherwise speculate on the nature of the Second Coming.<ref>{{cite web |title=What does the UMC teach about the second coming? |url=https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-what-does-the-united-methodist-church-teach-about-the-second-coming |publisher=The United Methodist Church |access-date=31 December 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

===Latter Day Saint movement===
{{main|Second Coming in Mormonism}}
The [[standard works]] of the largest denomination in the [[Latter Day Saint movement]], [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church), say that Christ will return, as stated in the Bible. They also teach that {{blockquote|When the Savior comes again, He will come in power and glory to claim the earth as His kingdom. His Second Coming will mark the beginning of the Millennium. The Second Coming will be a fearful, mournful time for the wicked, but it will be a day of peace for the righteous.<ref>{{citation |contribution-url= https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/second-coming-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng |contribution= Second Coming of Jesus Christ |title= Study Helps: Gospel Topics |publisher= LDS Church |access-date= 2014-07-09 }}.</ref>}} The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its leaders do not make predictions of the actual date of the Second Coming. Mormons believe Jesus appeared to his "new world disciples" in South America sometime after his crucifixion. This is a central tenant of the religion. https://rsc.byu.edu/jerusalem-zarahemla/when-did-jesus-visit-americas

[[Latter-day Saints]] have particularly distinct and specific interpretations of what are considered to be signs stated in the [[Book of Revelation]].<ref>{{citation |contribution-url= https://www.lds.org/manual/gospel-principles/chapter-43-signs-of-the-second-coming |contribution= Chapter 43: Signs of the Second Coming |title= Gospel Principles |place= [[Salt Lake City]], Utah |publisher= [[LDS Church]] |year= 2011 |pages= 251–256 |title-link= Gospel Principles }}.</ref>
According to the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the restored [[gospel]] will be taught in all parts of the world prior to the Second Coming.<ref name="Matthew 24:14">{{Cite web |title=Matthew 24 |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/eng/scriptures/nt/matt/24 |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.churchofjesuschrist.org |language=en}}</ref> Church members believe that there will be increasingly severe wars, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other man-made and natural disasters prior to the Second Coming.<ref>{{lds|Doctrine and Covenants|dc|45|26}}</ref>

===Seventh-day Adventists===
{{main|Seventh-day Adventist eschatology}}
Fundamental Belief #25 of the [[Seventh-day Adventist Church]] states:
{{Blockquote|
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.<ref>{{bibleverse|Titus|2:13|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|Hebrews|9:28|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|John|14:1–3|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|Acts|1:9-11|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|Matthew|24:14|KJV}}; [[Revelation 1:7]]; {{bibleverse|Matthew|24:43, 44|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|1 Thessalonians|4:13–18|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|1 Corinthians|15:51–54|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|2 Thessalonians|1:7–10|KJV}}; {{bibleverse-nb|2 Thessalonians|2:8|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|Revelation|14:14–20|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|Revelation|19:11–21|KJV}}; [[Matthew 24]]; [[Mark 13]]; [[Luke 21]]; {{bibleverse|2 Timothy|3:1–5|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|1 Thessalonians|5:1–6|KJV}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adventist.org/fileadmin/adventist.org/files/articles/official-statements/28Beliefs-Web.pdf|title=28 Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventists|page=11 (last page) of the pdf file}}</ref>|}}

===Jehovah's Witnesses===
[[Jehovah's Witnesses]] rarely use the term "second coming", preferring the term "presence" as a translation of ''parousia''.<ref>"Appendix 5B Christ's Presence (Parousia)", ''New World Translation—Large Reference Edition'', [[Watch Tower Society]], 1984.</ref> They believe that Jesus' comparison of ''"the presence of the Son of man"'' with ''"the days of Noah"'' at {{bibleverse|Matthew|24:37–39|KJV}} and {{bibleverse|Luke|17:26–30|KJV}} suggests a duration rather than a moment of arrival.<ref>"Presence", ''Insight on the Scriptures – Volume 2'', ©1988 Watch Tower, p. 677.</ref> They also believe that biblical chronology points to 1914<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Awake!|title=1900 Onward—Skirts Splattered With Blood|date=November 8, 1989|page=22}}</ref> as the start of Christ's "presence", which continues until the final battle of [[Armageddon]]. Other biblical expressions they correlate with this period include "the time of the end" ({{bibleverse|Daniel|12:4|KJV}}), "the conclusion of the system of things" ({{bibleverse|Matthew|13:40|KJV}}, {{bibleverse|Matthew|13:49|KJV|49}}; {{bibleverse-nb|Matthew|24:3|KJV}}) and "the last days" ({{bibleverse|2 Timothy|3:1|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|2 Peter|3:3|KJV}})<!-- Note that preceding Scriptural citations are needed since these terms are far from universal across various Bible translations. -->.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Keep Jehovah's Day Close in Mind|journal=The Watchtower|date=September 1, 1997|page=21}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|journal=The Watchtower|title=No Peace for the Wicked Ones|date=July 1, 1987|page=13}}</ref> Witnesses believe Christ's [[millennialism|millennial reign]] begins after Armageddon.<ref>{{cite journal|title=There Is a Future for the Dead|journal=The Watchtower|date=April 1, 1968|page=200}}</ref>

===Emanuel Swedenborg and the New Church===
[[Emanuel Swedenborg]], an 18th-century scientist turned theologian, taught that his time (that historians have called the [[Age of Enlightenment]]) was an age of darkness and doubt for the Christian church. Historian Marguerite Beck Block writes,

{{blockquote|Now therefore it was time for a new church to be founded upon the earth, and for this purpose it was necessary for the Lord Himself to make his Second Coming to the sons of men.

"The night is followed by a morning which is the coming of the Lord. ... The prevailing opinion in the churches at the present day is, that when the Lord shall come for the last judgment. He will appear in the clouds of heaven with angels and the sound of trumpets, etc.," but this opinion is erroneous. The Second Coming of the Lord is not a coming in person, but in spirit and in the Word, which is from 
Him, and is Himself. ... Heretofore it has not been known that 'the clouds of heaven' mean the Word in the sense of the letter, and that the 'glory and power' in which He is then to come, mean the spiritual sense of the Word, because no one as yet has had the least conjecture that there is a spiritual sense in the Word, such as this sense is in itself. But as the Lord has now opened to me the spiritual sense of the Word, and has granted me to be associated with angels and spirits in their world as one of them, it is now disclosed.

... This Second Coming of the Lord is effected by means of a man to whom the Lord has manifested Himself in Person, and whom He has filled with His Spirit, that he may teach the doctrines of the New Church from the Lord by means of the Word. ... That the Lord manifested Himself before me. His servant, and sent me to this office, ... I affirm in truth."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Block |first1=Marguerite Beck |title=The New Church in the New World |date=1932 |publisher=Henry Holt and Company |location=New York |page=38}}</ref>}}

===Esoteric Christian teachings===
<!-- This section is linked from [[Last Judgment]] and [[Rosicrucian Fellowship]] -->
{{See also|Last Judgment#Esoteric Christian tradition|l1=Last Judgment (Esoteric Christian tradition)}}
In [[Max Heindel]]'s teaching, there is a distinction between the cosmic Christ, or Christ without, and the Christ within.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eastern and Western Spiritual Alternatives |url=https://www.rosicrucian.com/zineen/pamen016.htm |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.rosicrucian.com}}</ref> According to this tradition, the Christ within is regarded as the true Saviour who needs to be born within each individual<ref>{{Bibleref2|Galatians|4:19}}</ref> in order to evolve toward the future Sixth [[Root Race|Epoch]] in the Earth's [[etheric plane]], that is, toward the "new heavens and a new earth":<ref>{{Bibleref2|2 Pet.|3:13}}, {{Bibleref2-nb|2Pet|3:7}}</ref> the ''[[New Galilee (Sixth Epoch)|New Galilee]].''<ref>{{Cite web |title=How Shall We Know Christ At His Coming, by Max Heindel |url=https://www.rosicrucian.com/hkc/hkceng01.htm |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.rosicrucian.com}}</ref> The Second Coming or Advent of the Christ is not in a physical body,<ref>{{Bibleref2|1 Cor.|15:50}}, {{Bibleref2|John|18:36}}</ref> but in the new ''soul body'' of each individual in the etheric plane of the planet<ref>{{Bibleref2|2 Cor.|5:1–3}}, Greek "politeuma" [commonwealth], "Our commonwealth is in heaven ...": {{Bibleref2|Philippians|3:20–21}}</ref> where man "shall be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air."<ref>{{Bibleref2|Matthew|24:30}}, {{Bibleref2|1 Thess.|4:17}}, {{Bibleref2|Acts|1:10–11}}, {{Bibleref2|1 John|3:2}}</ref> The "day and hour" of this event is not known.<ref>{{Bibleref2|Matthew|24:23–27}}</ref> The esoteric Christian tradition teaches that first there will be a preparatory period as the [[Sun]] enters [[Aquarius (astrology)|Aquarius]], an [[Astrology|astrological]] concept, by precession: the coming [[Age of Aquarius]].<ref>[http://www.rosicrucian.com/zineen/magen119.htm The Aquarian Age] (cf. {{Bibleref2|1 Cor.|2:6–16}})</ref>

==Islam==

===Traditional view===
{{Main|Jesus in Islam|Islamic eschatology}}
In Islam, Jesus (or [[Isa (name)|Isa]]; {{lang-ar|عيسى}} {{transliteration|ar|DIN|ʿĪsā}}) is considered to be a [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|Messenger of God]] and the ''[[Messiah#Islam|masih]]'' (messiah) who was sent to guide ''[[Israelites|banī isrā'īl]]'' (the Israelites) with a new scripture, the ''[[Gospel in Islam|Injīl]]'' (Gospel).<ref>[[The Oxford Dictionary of Islam]], p. 158.</ref> The belief in Jesus (and all other messengers of God) is required in [[Islam]], and a requirement of being a [[Muslim]]. However, Muslims believe that Jesus was never [[Crucifixion of Jesus|crucified]] or resurrected, instead ascending directly into heaven. Additionally, they do not recognize Jesus as the [[Son of God (Christianity)|Son of God]], as they believe God has no equals, but rather that he was a prophet. The [[Quran]] states that Jesus was born of the [[Mary in Islam|Virgin Mary]]. Muslims believe that Jesus performed all the miracles in the [[Gospels]] (with God's permission). The pertinent verses in [[Sura]] [[An-Nisa]] 4:157 reads "And for their saying, 'Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.' And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but another was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain." 4:158 continues "rather, Allah raised him to Himself. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise."

The Quran refers to a conversation between Jesus and God on judgement day in Sura [[Al-Ma'idah]] 5:116, 5:117. Jesus is questioned 5:116 "Did you ever ask the people to worship you and your mother as gods besides Allah?" To which Jesus replies 5:117 "I never told them anything except what You ordered me to say: "Worship Allah—my Lord and your Lord!" And I was witness over them as long as I remained among them."

{{blockquote|And ˹on Judgment Day˺ Allah will say, "O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you ever ask the people to worship you and your mother as gods besides Allah?" He will answer, "Glory be to You! How could I ever say what I had no right to say? If I had said such a thing, you would have certainly known it. You know what is ˹hidden˺ within me, but I do not know what is within You. Indeed, You ˹alone˺ are the Knower of all unseen. 5:116}}

{{blockquote|I never told them anything except what You ordered me to say: "Worship Allah—my Lord and your Lord!" And I was witness over them as long as I remained among them. But when You took me, You were the Witness over them—and You are a Witness over all things. 5:117}}

In the Quran, the second coming of Jesus is heralded in Sura [[Az-Zukhruf]] as a sign of the [[Day of Judgment]].
{{blockquote|And (Jesus) shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment): therefore have no doubt about the (Hour), but follow ye Me: this is a Straight Way. 43:61<ref>{{cite web|last1=Yusuf Ali|first1=Abdullah|title=Surah Az-zukhruf|url=http://www.islam101.com/quran/yusufAli/QURAN/43.htm}}</ref>}}

[[Ibn Kathir]] presents this verse as proof of Jesus' second coming in the Quran in his [[exegesis]] ''Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim''.<ref>{{cite web|last1=kathir|first1=Ibn|title=Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim|url=http://www.qtafsir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2076&Itemid=99}}</ref>

There are also [[hadith]]s that foretell Jesus' future return such as:<ref name="EoI-Isa">"Isa", Encyclopedia of Islam</ref> ''[[Sahih al-Bukhari]]'', Volume 3, Book 43: ''Kitab-ul-`Ilm'' (Book of Knowledge), Hadith Number 656:
{{blockquote|Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be established until the son of Mary (i.e. Jesus) 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).<ref>{{Hadith-usc|bukhari|usc=yes|3|43|656}}</ref>}}

According to Islamic tradition, Jesus' 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-Masih ad-Dajjal]] (literally "the false messiah", synonymous with the [[Antichrist]]) and his followers.<ref name="S209">{{cite book|last=Sonn|first=Tamara|title=Islam: History, Religion, and Politics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nPNmCgAAQBAJ|date=2015|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-118-97230-4|page=209}}</ref> Jesus will descend at the point of a white arcade, east of [[Damascus]], dressed in saffron robes — his head anointed. He will then join the Mahdi in his war against the Dajjal. Jesus, considered in Islam as a Muslim (one who submits to God) and one of God's messengers, will abide by the Islamic teachings. Eventually, Jesus will slay the Antichrist 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. {{Hadith-usc|muslim|usc=yes|41|7023}}

After the death of the Mahdi, Jesus will assume leadership. This is a time associated in Islamic narrative with universal peace and justice. Islamic texts also allude to the appearance of [[Gog and Magog#Qur'an|Ya'juj and Ma'juj]] (Gog and Magog), ancient tribes that will disperse and cause disturbance on earth. God, in response to Jesus' prayers, will kill them by sending a type of worm in the napes of their necks.<ref name="S209"/> Jesus' rule is said to be around forty years, after which he will die (since according to Islam, Jesus did not die on the cross but was taken up to heaven and continues to live until his return in the second coming). 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]].<ref name="EoI-Isa"/>

===Ahmadiyya===
[[File:Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad2.jpg|thumb|[[Mirza Ghulam Ahmad]]|left|upright=0.7]]
{{main|Jesus in Ahmadiyya Islam}}
The [[Ahmadiyya]] movement believe that the promised [[Mahdi]] and Messiah arrived in the person of [[Mirza Ghulam Ahmad]] (1835–1908). This is widely rejected by other Muslims, who do not regard Ahmadis as a legitimate sect of Islam.

The ''[[hadith]]'' (sayings of the Islamic prophet Muhammad) and the [[Bible]] indicated that Jesus would return during the latter days. Islamic tradition commonly depicts that Jesus, 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.

The Ahmadiyya movement interpret the Second Coming of Jesus prophesied as being that of a person "similar to Jesus" (''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 Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (the founder of the movement) 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 survived the [[Crucifixion of Jesus|crucifixion]] and later died a natural death. Ahmadis consider Ghulam Ahmad, in both his character and teachings, to be representative of Jesus, and that he attained the same spiritual rank of Prophethood as Jesus. Thus, Ahmadis believe this prediction was fulfilled and continued by his movement.<ref>[http://www.alislam.org/library/books/promisedmessiah/index.htm?page=63 "A Prophet Like Unto Moses"], The Promised Mehdi and Messiha, by Aziz Ahmad Chaudhry, Islam International Publications Limited</ref><ref name="muslim.org">[http://www.muslim.org/bookspdf/fourques.pdf The Four Questions Answered], by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, AAIIL 1996</ref>

==Baháʼí Faith==
[[File:Shrine-of-Bahaullah.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|[[Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh|The Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh]]]]
According to the [[Baháʼí Faith]], the Second Coming is a gradual process that coincides with the advancement of human civilization from the beginning of humanity. It teaches that the founders of the major world religions each represent a return of the Word and Spirit of God as a new, unique personification sent by God, who introduces new teachings, laws and revelations, such that all major religions are part of a [[progressive revelation (Baháʼí)|progressive revelation]]. Each Coming is said to build upon the major world religions emerging from earlier ages, verifying previous spiritual truths, and fulfilling its prophesies regarding a future return or coming. In this context, the Second Coming is depicted as a continuation of God's will in one continuous faith, with different names as presented by the founders of each religion as the voice of God at different times in history.

[[Bahá'u'lláh]] announced that he was a manifestation of the returned Christ, understood as a reappearance of the Word and Spirit of God:{{blockquote|O thou who art waiting, tarry no longer, for He is come.  Behold His Tabernacle and His Glory dwelling therein.  It is the Ancient Glory, with a new Manifestation.<ref>{{cite book|author=J. E. Esslemont|title=Baha'u'llah and the New Era|date=2006|publisher=[[Baháʼí World Centre]] |location=Baháʼí World Centre|isbn=0-87743-136-1|pages=23|url=https://www.bahai.org/library/other-literature/publications-individual-authors/bahaullah-new-era/}}</ref>}} He wrote to [[Pope Pius IX]], {{blockquote|He Who is the Lord of Lords is come overshadowed with clouds... He, verily, hath again come down from Heaven even as He came down from it the first time. Beware that thou dispute not with Him even as the Pharisees disputed with Him without a clear token or proof.<ref>{{cite book|author=Baha'u'llah|title=The Summons of the Lord of Hosts|date=2002|publisher=[[Baháʼí World Centre]] |location=Bahá'í World Centre|isbn=978-1-931847-33-9|pages=54–55|url=http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/SLH/slh-5.html}}</ref>}} He referred to himself as the ''[[Ancient of Days]]'' and the ''Pen of Glory'',<ref name="summonspage57">{{cite book|author=Baha'u'llah|title=The Summons of the Lord of Hosts|date=2002|publisher=[[Baháʼí World Centre]]|location=[[Haifa]], Israel|isbn=978-1-931847-33-9|page=57|url=http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/SLH/slh-5.html}}</ref> and also claimed:{{blockquote|This is the Father foretold by Isaiah, and the Comforter concerning Whom the Spirit had covenanted with you. Open your eyes, O concourse of bishops, that ye may behold your Lord seated upon the Throne of might and glory.<ref>{{cite book|author=Baha'u'llah|title=The Summons of the Lord of Hosts|date=2002|publisher=[[Baháʼí World Centre]] |location=[[Haifa]], Israel|isbn=978-1-931847-33-9|pages=63|url=http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/SLH/slh-5.html}}</ref>}} Baha'u'llah also wrote, {{Blockquote|Say: We, in truth, have given Ourself as a ransom for your own lives. Alas, when We came once again, We beheld you fleeing from Us, whereat the eye of My loving-kindness wept sore over My people."<ref name="summonspage57"/>}}

Followers of the Baháʼí Faith believe that prophecies of the second coming of Jesus (along with prophecies from other religions) were fulfilled by his forerunner the [[Báb]] in 1844 and then by the events occurring during the days of Bahá'u'lláh.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Buck |first=Christopher |title=Studies in Modern Religions, Religious Movements and the Bābī-Bahā'ī Faiths |publisher=Brill |year=2004 |isbn=978-90-04-13904-6 |editor=Sharon |editor-first=Moshe |location=Boston, Massachusetts |pages=143–178 |language=en-us |chapter=The eschatology of Globalization: The multiple-messiahship of Bahā'u'llāh revisited |chapter-url=http://bahai-library.com/buck_eschatology_globalization}}</ref> They believe that the fulfillment of Christian prophecies by Baha'u'llah is similar to Jesus' fulfillment of Jewish prophecies, where in both cases people were expecting the literal fulfillment of apocalyptic statements that led to rejections of the Return, instead of accepting fulfillment in symbolic and spiritual ways. Baháʼís understand that the return of the Christ with a new name was intended by Jesus to be a Return in a spiritual sense, due to Jesus explaining in the Gospels that the return of Elijah in John the Baptist was a return in a spiritual sense.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://www.bci.org/prophecy-fulfilled/|title=Baha'i: Prophecy Fulfilled Homepage|work=bci.org|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990508221018/http://bci.org/prophecy-fulfilled/|archive-date=1999-05-08}}</ref><ref name="bahai-library1">{{cite web|first=Stephen |last=Lambden |url=http://bahai-library.com/bsr/bsr09/9B3_lambden_armageddon.htm |title=Catastrophe, Armageddon and Millennium: some aspects of the Bábí-Baháʼí exegesis of apocalyptic symbolism |publisher=Bahai-library.com |access-date=2009-11-21}}</ref>

==Judaism==
{{Main|Judaism's view of Jesus}}
{{See also|Rejection of Jesus}}
[[Judaism]] teaches that Jesus is one of the false [[Jewish Messiah claimants]] because he failed to fulfill any [[Jewish messianism|Messianic prophecies]], which include:
<blockquote>
# Build the [[Third Temple]] ({{bibleverse|Ezekiel|37:26–28|KJV}}).
# Gather all Jews back to the Land of Israel ({{bibleverse|Isaiah|43:5–6|KJV}}).
# 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." ({{bibleverse|Isaiah|2:4|KJV}})
# 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" ({{bibleverse|Zechariah|14:9|KJV}}).<ref name="simmons">{{Cite web |last=Tzvi |date=2009-05-09 |title=Do Jews Believe In Jesus? {{!}} Aish |url=https://aish.com/why-jews-dont-believe-in-jesus/ |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=Aish.com |language=en-US}}</ref></blockquote> Regarding the Christian idea that these prophecies will be fulfilled during a "second coming," ''[[Ohr Somayach, Jerusalem|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 God accomplish His goals the first time round?"<ref name="ohr">{{Cite web |title=Why Jews Don't Believe in Jesus |url=https://ohr.edu/ask_db/ask_main.php/2637/Q1/ |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=Ohr Somayach}}</ref> Rabbi [[David Wolpe]] believes that the Second Coming was "grown out of genuine disappointment. [...] When Jesus died, true believers had to theologically compensate for the disaster."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wolpe |first=Rabbi David |date=2003-01-09 |title=Why Jews Don't Accept Jesus – Jewish Journal |language=en-US |work=Jewish Journal |url=http://jewishjournal.com/opinion/7255/ |access-date=2017-07-12}}</ref>

==Rastafari==
In the early developments of the [[Rastafari]] religion, [[Haile Selassie]] (the Ethiopian Emperor) was regarded as a member of the [[Davidic line|House of David]], is worshipped as God [[incarnate]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/rastafari/beliefs/beliefs_1.shtml |title= Rastafarian beliefs |publisher=BBC  |date=9 October 2009 |access-date=12 September 2010}}</ref> and is thought to be the "black Jesus" and "black messiah" – the second coming of Christ.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RcBkDlJ7qjwC|title=Encyclopedia of Black Studies|isbn=9780761927624|last1=Asante|first1=Molefi Kete|last2=Mazama|first2=Ama|year=2005}}</ref> It was claimed that [[Marcus Garvey]] preached the coming of the black messiah on the eve of Selassie's coronation. Due to this prophecy, Selassie was the source of inspiration of the poor and uneducated Christian populations of [[Jamaica]], who believed that the Emperor would liberate the black people from the subjugation of European colonists.<ref>Charet, M. (2010). Root of David: The Symbolic Origins of Rastafari (No. 2). ISPCK.</ref>

==Paramahansa Yogananda's commentary==
{{Main|The Second Coming of Christ (book)}}
In modern times some traditional Indian religious leaders have moved to embrace Jesus as an [[avatar]], or incarnation, of God. In light of this, the Indian guru [[Paramahansa Yogananda]], author of ''[[Autobiography of a Yogi]]'', wrote an extensive commentary on the [[Gospel]]s published in 2004 as a two-volume set: ''The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You''.<ref name="PY">Yogananda, Paramahansa. ''The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You.'' Self-Realization Fellowship, 2004. {{ISBN|978-0876125557}}</ref> 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. In the introduction of this book, Yogananda wrote that the true Second Coming is the resurrection within you of the Infinite Christ Consciousness. Also stated in the Book of Luke – "Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." ({{bibleverse|Luke|17:21|KJV}})

[[Daya Mata]] wrote in the preface of ''The Second Coming of Christ'' that the "...scriptural treatise thus represents the inclusive culmination of Paramahansa Yogananda's divine commission to make manifest to the world the essence of original Christianity as taught by Jesus Christ." In sharing her memories of when she wrote down his words, she shares – "the great Guru, his face radiantly enraptured, as he records for the world the inspired exposition of the Gospel teachings imparted to him through direct, personal communion with Jesus of Nazareth."<ref name="PY"/> [[Larry Dossey]], M.D., wrote that "Paramahansa Yogananda's ''The Second Coming of Christ'' is one of the most important analyses of Jesus' teachings that exists. ... Many interpretations of Jesus' words divide peoples, cultures, and nations; these foster unity and healing, and that is why they are vital for today's world".<ref>Dossey, Larry. ''Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine,'' Harper One. {{ISBN|978-0062502520}}</ref>

==In modern culture==
Jesus Christ returning to earth has been a theme in several movies and books, for example:
* ''[[The Seventh Sign]]'' – 1988 film starring [[Demi Moore]] about a pregnant lady who discovers the Second Coming of Christ has rented a room from her, in order to begin the countdown that will trigger the [[Apocalypse]].
* ''[[Left Behind]]'' – Film- and book-franchise (1995– ) built by [[Tim LaHaye]] and [[Jerry B. Jenkins]] based on the time-period before, during and after the Second Coming of Christ.
* ''[[End of Days (film)|End of Days]]'' – 1999 action-adventure film starring [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] about a policeman who must stop Satan before he ends the world.
* ''Thief In the Night'' by [[William Sears (Baháʼí)|William Bernard Sears]] – The popular TV and radio personality plays the role of a detective in writing a book about identifying the clues and symbols from the Biblical prophecies of the return of the Christ that have been overlooked or misunderstood, and settles on a shocking conclusion (2002) [1961]. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. {{ISBN|0-85398-008-X}}.
* ''SCARS: Christian Fiction End-Times Thriller'' by Patience Prence – 2010 novel about a girl named Becky who struggles through the time of the [[Great Tribulation]].<ref>{{cite book|url =https://www.amazon.com/SCARS-Christian-Fiction-End-Times-Thriller-ebook/dp/B003XKNF1K/ref=cm_lmf_tit_1|first= Patience|last= Prence|title= SCARS: Christian Fiction End-Times Thriller|publisher= Spring Harvest |date= July 27, 2010|asin= B003XKNF1K}}</ref>
*''At the End of All Things'' by Stony Graves – 2011 novel about the days following the [[Rapture]], and right before the Final War between God and Satan.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13180182-at-the-end-of-all-things|title= ''At the End of All Things''|website =goodreads.com|access-date=2011-01-25}}</ref>
* ''The Second Coming: A Love Story'' by [[Scott Pinsker]] – 2014 novel about two men who claim to be the Second Coming of Christ. Each claims that the other is a liar – but only one is telling the truth.<ref>{{cite book|first= Scott|last= Pinsker|title= The Second Coming: A Love Story |date= June 5, 2014|publisher= CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform|isbn= 978-1500167219}}</ref>
* ''[[Black Jesus (TV series)|Black Jesus]]'' – [[Adult Swim]] television series (2014-2015 and 2019) created by [[Aaron McGruder]] and [[Mike Clattenburg]], tells the story of Jesus living in modern-day [[Compton, California]], and his efforts to spread love and kindness on a daily basis. He is supported in his mission by a small-but-loyal group of downtrodden followers, while facing conflicts involving corrupt preachers, ethnic tensions, and the hate spreading activities of the manager of his apartment complex.
* "[[Good Omens]]" – TV Series and book franchise. The Second Coming is the focus of the third and final season.

==See also==
* [[False prophet]]
* [[Inaugurated eschatology]]
* [[List of messiah claimants]]
* [[List of people claimed to be Jesus]]
* [[Life of Jesus in the New Testament]]
* [[Mahdi]]
* [[Realized eschatology]]
* [[The Second Coming (poem)|"The Second Coming" (poem)]], by William Butler Yeats

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* [[C. S. Lewis]]. (1960). ''[[The World's Last Night and Other Essays]].'' [[Harcourt (publisher)#Harcourt Brace Jovanovich|Harcourt Brace Jovanovich]]. {{ISBN|0-15-698360-5}}.
* [[Max Heindel]]. ''[http://www.rosicrucian.com/hkc/hkceng01.htm How Shall We Know Christ at His Coming?]'', May 1913 (stenographic report of a lecture, Los Angeles, California), {{ISBN|0-911274-64-2}}.
* [[Markus Mühling]]. ''Grundinformation Eschatologie. Systematische Theologie aus der Perspektive der Hoffnung'', [[Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht]], [[Göttingen]] 2007, {{ISBN|978-3-525-03619-8}}, pp. 221–241.
* [[James Stuart Russell]]. ''The Parousia, A Careful Look at the New Testament Doctrine of the Lord's Second Coming'', London, England 1887.
* [[Emanuel Swedenborg]]. ''The Consummation of the Age; the Coming of the Lord; and the New Heaven and New Church'', Chapter 14 in [http://swedenborgdigitallibrary.org/contets/tcrtc.html ''The True Christian Religion Containing the Universal Theology of The New Church Foretold by the Lord in Daniel 7; 13, 14; and in Revelation 21; 1, 2''] (Swedenborg Foundation 1952).
* [[Henry Wansbrough]]. ''[[The New Jerusalem Bible]]'' (1990). [[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]]. {{ISBN|0-385-14264-1}}.
* [[Paramahansa Yogananda]]. ''The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You.'' Self-Realization Fellowship, 2004. {{ISBN|978-0876125557}}.

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{commons category|Second Coming of Jesus Christ}}
* [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf207.ii.xix.html "Lecture XV: On the Clause, And Shall Come in Glory to Judge the Quick and the Dead; Of Whose Kingdom There Shall Be No End."], delivered by [[Cyril of Jerusalem]] in the mid-4th century.
* [http://www.allaboutgod.com/the-second-coming.htm "The Second Coming"], a summary article.
* [http://www.risenotes.com/poems/Summary-The-Second-Coming-W.B.Yeats.php A Critical Summary of "The Second Coming" by W. B. Yeats R iseNotes].

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