How does Holy Scripture speak of Christ’s second coming?
The Second Coming is also called the parousia (a Greek word meaning “presence,” “arrival,” or “royal visitation”). It is a central belief and the sure hope of all generations (Heb 6:2; Tit 2:13; see Q307, Q093); for this reason, the early Christians included the Aramaic exclamation “Maranatha!”, “Come, Lord!” or “Our Lord comes!”, in their prayers and writings (1Co 16:22; cf. Didache, 10; see Q402, Q411).
Orthodox Christians believe that the risen Lord, the great High Priest, has passed beyond the symbolic veil into the true Holy of Holies, from which he will emerge at the end of the age to restore all things, as in a cosmic Jubilee, even as the high priest of old emerged from the sanctuary to bless the waiting people (Sir 50:5–21; Heb 9:28: “he will appear a second time, apart from sin, to those who eagerly await him for salvation”).
This is proclaimed in St Peter’s sermon: “Repent therefore and turn back to God… that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Christ Jesus… who must remain in heaven until the times of the restoration of all things, which God announced long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets” (Act 3:19–21).
This also confirms what the angels announced when the Lord ascended from the Mount of Olives: “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into the sky, will come back in the same way as you saw him going into heaven” (Act 1:11; see Q542). The Apostle Paul likewise speaks of this glorious second coming:
The mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of his mouth, and destroy by the appearing (epiphaneia) of his coming (parousia). (2Th 2:7–8).
Finally, the book of Revelation, which closes the canon of Scripture, announces this glorious coming as the cry of hope of the Christian people: “‘Behold, I come quickly! My reward is with me, to repay each one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End!’… The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let everyone who hears say, ‘Come!’… He who attests these things says, ‘Yes, I come quickly!’ Amen! Yes, come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:12–20).
