The Second Coming of Christ is the future, personal, visible, and glorious return of Jesus to the earth.
It is the blessed hope of the church and the climactic event that brings this present age to its close.
At His coming Christ will defeat every enemy, raise the dead, judge the world, and establish His kingdom in fullness.
Every eye will see Him, and history will reach the goal God appointed from the beginning.
The Second Coming is one of the most frequently emphasized promises in the New Testament. Jesus Himself repeatedly taught that He would return in power and great glory. The angels at His ascension declared that He would come again in the same way the disciples had seen Him go into heaven. The apostles made the return of Christ a central motivation for holy living, endurance under trial, and joyful hope. Unlike His first coming in humility to deal with sin, the Second Coming will be in majesty to complete salvation, to judge the living and the dead, and to renew all things. It is the event that turns faith into sight and brings the full realization of every promise God has made.
- The Second Coming is personal and bodily — the same Jesus who ascended will return.
- It is visible and public; every eye will see Him, not a private or secret event for only a few.
- It is glorious and powerful, accompanied by the voice of the archangel, the trumpet of God, and great glory.
- Christ returns as King and Judge, not as the suffering Servant of His first coming.
- The timing is unknown; believers are called to watch, be ready, and live in expectancy.
- The Second Coming brings both comfort for the saints and terror for those who have rejected Him.
- All of Christian hope ultimately focuses on this event and the eternal state that follows it.
- Personal and Bodily – The same Jesus who lived, died, rose, and ascended will return in the body.
- Visible and Universal – Every eye will see Him; it will not be hidden.
- Glorious and Powerful – He comes with the clouds of heaven, in the glory of His Father, with the holy angels.
- Sudden and Unexpected – Like a thief in the night to those who are not watching; yet expected by those who are ready.
- For Salvation and Judgment – He comes to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him and to judge those who have refused Him.
- Kingdom Consummation – His return inaugurates the final defeat of evil and the full establishment of God’s kingdom.
- Resurrection and Transformation – The dead in Christ rise, and living believers are transformed to meet Him.
- Acts 1:11 – “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
- Matthew 24:29-31 – “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…”
- Matthew 25:31 – “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.”
- John 14:3 – “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.”
- 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 – “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… will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:2 – “The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”
- 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 – The Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance… when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints.
- Titus 2:13 – “Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”
- Hebrews 9:28 – “Christ… will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”
- 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.”
- Revelation 19:11-16 – Heaven opens and Christ appears as King of kings and Lord of lords, followed by the armies of heaven.
- Revelation 22:12, 20 – “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me… Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”
The Second Coming of Christ is the great future certainty that anchors the Christian life. History is not drifting toward an uncertain end; it is moving toward the appearing of the King. On that day every promise will be kept, every wrong will be righted, every tear will be wiped away, and every knee will bow. For those who love Him it will be the moment of full redemption and unbreakable joy. For those who have rejected Him it will be the day of final reckoning. Until He comes, the church is called to live awake, holy, and hopeful — proclaiming the gospel, enduring with patience, and praying the last prayer of the Bible: “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.