The Second Coming of Christ

 The Second Coming of Christ

The Final Victory of Love and the Hope of the World

“And He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.”

In the Creed, we confess that Jesus, who suffered, was buried, rose again, and ascended into heaven, will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. This is what the Church’s Tradition calls the “Second Coming,” distinguishing it from the First Coming, that is, the time of Jesus Christ’s life on earth.

What, then, does this faith in the Second Coming mean?

First, we must remember that faith does not seek to provide us with a detailed explanation of every mystery of the past, nor does it reveal to us how the universe came into being or how humanity came to exist. Likewise, it does not disclose every detail of the future, nor does it explain precisely how the world will come to an end or what human life will be like after death.

Rather, faith is a living relationship between the human person and God, a relationship of trust in Him and in His promise of salvation and eternal life. The believer sees God as the source, goal, and very essence of his or her existence. Christians believe that God has revealed Himself uniquely and fully in the Person of Jesus Christ, and that His saving purpose will reach its fulfilment in the last times. This is the subject of eschatology, the teaching concerning the last things and the fulfilment of God’s purpose.

For Christ has said:

“Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last” (Revelation 22:12–13).

Therefore, eschatology, the teaching concerning the last things and the fulfilment of God’s purpose, begins with Christ’s First Coming. Why, then, do we speak of the Second Coming? What do we mean by this expression? What do we mean when we say that the Lord Jesus will come to judge the living and the dead? And how does Holy Scripture portray this Coming?

The Second Coming Is the Revelation of the Final Victory of Love

To understand the meaning of the Second Coming, we must recall a fundamental truth of our faith: the Lord Jesus first came, sent by the Father, to be the Saviour of the world and to deliver it from sin and death.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

The Apostle Paul confirms this, saying:

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Romans 5:8–9).

The life and death of the Lord Jesus are the decisive proof of God’s love and faithfulness. The statement “God is love” might seem to be merely a theoretical proposition. Yet Jesus, who lived among human beings, loved, suffered, endured injustice, and continued to love everyone, is not an abstract idea. He is the living and tangible revelation of God’s love for us.

When we look upon Him, the dark places of human life are illumined. Even suffering and evil, which may appear meaningless, acquire meaning in the light of Christ’s Cross.

For the God who raised the Crucified One from the dead, exalted Him to His glory, and made Him the Prince of Life and the Firstborn among many brethren is the One who proves that love is stronger than death.

Therefore, we confess that Jesus Christ, crucified and risen from the dead, is the hope of the world, the hope of history, and the hope of every believer.

Christ, the Hope of the World and of History

The Second Coming is our expectation of what God will do for the world in the future, in the light of what He has already done for it in the past.

In Jesus’ First Coming, and through the events of His life, death, and Resurrection, God revealed His love to us in a particular place on earth and in the hearts of a number of believers, although this revelation has not yet appeared in its fullness throughout the entire world.

Our faith in the Second Coming is the faith that this love will be revealed openly, definitively, and universally, and that the Kingdom of God will reach its fulfilment.

As the Lord said:

“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof” (Matthew 13:31–32).

Our faith in the Second Coming is the faith that the history of the world, burdened by suffering and evil, will reach its end when the glory of God is revealed and the triumph of His love is made manifest.

This is a faith-filled understanding of history, one that is not based on arbitrary interpretation but is grounded in the reality of Jesus’ life, death, and Resurrection.

Through His death and Resurrection, Christ broke the power of death and revealed that love is stronger than death and hatred. Although evil is still present in the world, it will not have the final word.

This is the truth Christ proclaimed through His Cross and Resurrection within the pages of history: that the final victory belongs to life over death, and to love over evil and hatred.

This is the certainty that took root within us after Christ’s Resurrection, and it is what our faith in the Second Coming confirms.

Christ, the Hope of Every Believer

Jesus is the hope of the world and the future of history, and He is also the hope of every one of us.

In His life and death, we find the meaning of our existence; in His Resurrection, we place our hope in our own resurrection. In the destiny of Jesus Christ, God has shown us what awaits humanity in Christ: resurrection and eternal life.

He is our Firstborn Brother, who has opened for us the way to life without end.

The Apostle Paul says:

“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead” (Philippians 3:10–11).

Thus, the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus means, for everyone who believes in Him, the hope of victory over death and of sharing in eternal life, where the life we experience on earth will reach its fulfilment in the Kingdom of God.

In this way, our expectation of the Second Coming is not an expectation founded on fear and anxiety, but a steadfast hope in the Lord who has risen from the dead, who will come with glory, fulfil God’s purpose, proclaim the victory of life and love, and raise the dead to eternal life.

May our hope be in Him. May we live in the light of His Resurrection, preparing ourselves to meet Him and holding fast to faith and love until He comes in glory. 

Amen.