Topical Bible: The Second Coming of Christ: Called The: Appearing of Jesus Christ

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Second Coming of Christ, often referred to as the "Appearing of Jesus Christ," is a central tenet of Christian eschatology, emphasizing the future return of Jesus to Earth. This event is anticipated as a time of fulfillment of biblical prophecy, judgment, and the establishment of God's kingdom.

Biblical Foundation

The New Testament provides numerous references to the Second Coming, underscoring its significance in Christian doctrine. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Himself speaks of His return: "At that time 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" (Matthew 24:30). This passage highlights the visible and glorious nature of His return.

The Apostle Paul also addresses the Second Coming in his epistles. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, he writes, "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" . This passage is often cited in discussions of the rapture, a component of the Second Coming where believers are gathered to Christ.

Theological Significance

The Second Coming is not only a future event but also a source of hope and encouragement for believers. It is seen as the culmination of God's redemptive plan, where Christ will return to judge the living and the dead, as stated in 2 Timothy 4:1: "I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom" .

The event is also associated with the final defeat of evil and the establishment of a new heaven and a new earth. Revelation 19:11-16 depicts Christ as a victorious warrior, returning to vanquish His enemies and establish His reign: "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" .

Eschatological Views

While the certainty of the Second Coming is universally acknowledged among Christians, interpretations of its timing and nature vary. Premillennialists, for example, believe that Christ will return before a literal thousand-year reign on earth, while amillennialists interpret the millennium symbolically and see the Second Coming as the final event in history. Postmillennialists, on the other hand, anticipate a golden age of Christian dominance preceding Christ's return.

Moral and Spiritual Implications

The anticipation of Christ's return serves as a call to holiness and vigilance. Believers are encouraged to live in a manner worthy of their calling, as expressed in 1 Peter 1:13: "Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" . This exhortation emphasizes readiness and the transformative impact of the hope of Christ's appearing.

In summary, the Second Coming of Christ, or the Appearing of Jesus Christ, is a foundational doctrine that shapes Christian hope, ethics, and eschatological expectations. It is a promise of ultimate redemption and the consummation of God's kingdom on earth.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Peter 1:7
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found to praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Millennium in Relation to Christ.
... He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of ... Here the second coming of our Lord
(to the earth) is termed, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ." This is ...
/.../pink/the redeemers return/2 the millennium in relation.htm

How the Prophets and Holy Men of the Old Testament Knew the Things ...
... If, then, God is not ashamed to be called the God ... body, and partakers in the promise
of Christ." For, in ... hope, and yet is present at the second coming of our ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/2 how the prophets and.htm

An Anonymous Sermon, Commonly Called Clement's Second Letter to ...
... An Anonymous Sermon, Commonly Called Clement's Second Letter to ... then, will not share
in the spirit, which is Christ. ... 4For the Lord said, "I am coming to gather ...
/.../richardson/early christian fathers/an anonymous sermon commonly called 2.htm

Proofs of Jesus Christ
... The first write; the second condemn; the last kill ... show that they are not altogether
of Jesus Christ; for they ... The Gentile people worship Him after His coming. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pascal/pensees/section xii proofs of jesus.htm

The Debt of Iren??us to Justin Martyr
... as the prophecy of Moses, who is called the "first ... of their own after the time of
Christ, and that ... Gentiles" should be referred to the second coming of Christ. ...
/.../the demonstration of the apostolic preaching/ii the debt of irenaeus.htm

The Twenty-Second Psalm.
... We find therefore that the second part of this great ... which reveals so fully the Cross
of Christ, is taken up ... in this Psalm the notes of triumph coming from the ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/gaebelein/the lord of glory/the twenty-second psalm.htm

Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ;
... Second, It is a moving of the mind towards him, from a sound sense of the absolute
want that a man hath of him for his ... 2. This coming to Christ, it is ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/come and welcome to jesus.htm

Christ's Resurrection and Our Newness of Life
... to wit, the redemption of our body." At the second coming of the ... of our history with
the story of Christ, in our ... If he called us out of our graves when we were ...
/.../spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/christs resurrection and our newness.htm

A Great Religious Awakening.
... no opposition to the doctrine of the second advent; they ... They did not wish to hear
of Christ's coming to judge ... flung the taunt in the face of Christ and holy ...
/.../20 a great religious awakening.htm

A Great Religious Awakening
... no opposition to the doctrine of the second advent; they ... They did not wish to hear
of Christ's coming to judge ... flung the taunt in the face of Christ and holy ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 20 a great religious.htm