Topical Bible: Jesus Second Coming

Bible > Topical > Jesus Second Coming

◄ Jesus Second Coming ►

Jump to: Topical • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is a central eschatological event in Christian theology, anticipated as the future return of Jesus to Earth. This event is distinct from the first coming, which involved His incarnation, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection. The Second Coming is characterized by its future fulfillment of prophecy, judgment, and the establishment of God's kingdom.

Biblical Prophecies and Descriptions

The New Testament provides numerous references to the Second Coming, emphasizing its certainty and significance. In Matthew 24:30-31, Jesus Himself describes the event: "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. 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 from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other."

The Apostle Paul also speaks of this event in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord."

Purpose and Significance

The Second Coming serves multiple purposes within Christian eschatology. It is a time of fulfillment of God's promises, the final victory over sin and death, and the establishment of Christ's eternal kingdom. Revelation 19:11-16 portrays Jesus as a conquering King: "Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God."

Judgment and Reward

The Second Coming is also associated with judgment. In Matthew 25:31-32, Jesus describes the separation of the righteous from the unrighteous: "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats."

Believers anticipate the Second Coming as a time of reward and vindication. In 2 Timothy 4:8, Paul expresses this hope: "From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing."

Signs and Timing

While the exact timing of the Second Coming is unknown, Jesus provided signs to watch for in Matthew 24:4-14, including wars, famines, earthquakes, and the spread of the gospel. However, He cautioned in Matthew 24:36, "But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

Living in Expectation

Christians are encouraged to live in a state of readiness and anticipation for the Second Coming. In 2 Peter 3:10-12, believers are urged to live holy and godly lives as they await the day of the Lord: "But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God."

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ remains a profound and hopeful expectation for Christians, symbolizing the ultimate fulfillment of God's redemptive plan and the restoration of creation.

Topical Bible Verses

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
Topicalbible.org

Revelation 1:7
Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Topicalbible.org

Matthew 24:1-51
And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple.
Topicalbible.org

Titus 2:13
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;
Topicalbible.org

2 Thessalonians 2:8
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Topicalbible.org

Revelation 19:11-16
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he does judge and make war.
Topicalbible.org

Acts 1:9-11
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Topicalbible.org

1 Thessalonians 4:17
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Topicalbible.org

1 Thessalonians 5:2
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
Topicalbible.org

Revelation 16:15
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Topicalbible.org

2 Peter 3:10
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Topicalbible.org

Library

The Second Coming of Christ.
... The Second Coming of Christ ... Since the coming of Christ ... There are, however, three ways
in which it may be explained: 1. That Jesus reckons the time after his own ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/cxiv the second coming of.htm

Eastern Wise-Men, or Magi, visit Jesus, the New-Born King.
... The first inquirers for Jesus were shepherds, the second were wise ... long apparently
extinct), led Herod to the conclusion that this coming King could ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xiii eastern wise-men or magi.htm

The Future of Christ's Kingdom First Group of Epistles the First ...
... They treat of but one doctrinal subject"the second coming of Christ." It should
be borne in mind, however, that Paul speaks of Jesus Christ as "The Lord ...
/.../sell/bible studies in the life of paul/study vii the future of 2.htm

Of what John Learned from Jesus when Mary visited Elisabeth in the ...
... he cried and spoke about His deity; the second, addressed to ... questions of those from
the Pharisees,"Jesus is seen by the witness-bearer coming to him ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/30 of what john learned.htm

Sermon at the Second Annual Meeting of the Missionary Council in ...
... the coming of His Son and the preaching of the blessed Gospel, we see in these facts
forerunning tokens of his preparation for the second coming of Jesus Christ ...
//christianbookshelf.org/whipple/five sermons/iii sermon at the second.htm

The Four-Fold Gospel
... CXII. Greeks Seek Jesus. He Foretells that He Shall Draw All Men Unto Him. CXIII.
Destruction of Jerusalem Foretold. CXIV. The Second Coming of Christ. CXV. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/

Third Withdrawal from Herod's Territory.
... him, since the sight of him would be some sign of Jesus' Messiahship.] ^a 11 ... leads
some to think that Elijah will appear again before the second coming of our ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/lxx third withdrawal from herods 4.htm

DL Moody
... committed to a belief in the speedy coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, to ... and eternal
kingdom, and to be established by Christ in person at his second coming. ...
/.../moody/that gospel sermon on the blessed hope/d l moody.htm

The Holy Spirit in the Glorified Christ.
... My Father." The apostles declare again and again not only that Jesus was raised ... His
sitting at the right hand of the Father, nor with the Lord's second coming. ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxiii the holy spirit in.htm

A Portion of the Prophecy Already Fulfilled in the Christians: the ...
... and in larger numbers become faithful, and worshippers of God through the name of
Jesus. ... But the rest of the prophecy shall be fulfilled at His second coming. ...
/.../chapter cx a portion of the.htm