The return of Jesus Christ to the earth as King of kings and Lord of lords. Though the phrase itself does not occur in the Bible, the teaching of Christ’s return constitutes a favorite theme of NT writers, who speak, for example, of our Lord’s appearance a “second time” ( Heb. 9:28 ). Jesus Himself promised, “I will come again” ( John 14:3 ).
The most frequent NT term for the Second Advent is parousia , meaning “presence” (literally, “a being beside”), and by extension the “coming” and “arrival” that result in “presence.” The word occurs 24 times in the NT . In Philippians 2:12 Paul contrasts his presence ( parousia ) among the Philippians with his absence ( apousia ) from them ( cf. 2 Cor. 10:10 ). More frequently, however, the context requires the meaning “arrival” or “coming” for parousia. For instance, the arrival ( parousia ) of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus from Corinth brought joy to Paul and refreshed his spirit ( 1 Cor. 16:17 , 18 ). The arrival ( parousia ) of Titus with good news from Corinth comforted Paul in his concern for the church there ( 2 Cor. 7:6 ). While a prisoner in Rome, Paul expressed the hope of being set free and of coming ( parousia ) again to the Philippians ( Phil. 1:26 ). Hellenistic writers from Ptolemaic times onward, and in the Greek papyri, use parousia as a technical term for the official “visit” of a king or emperor, or other person of authority. Hence, this word was chosen by the NT writers to express the Messianic advent of Christ in glory to judge the world at the end of the age ( Matt. 24:3 , 27 , 37 , 39 ; 1 Cor. 15:23 ; 1 Thess. 2:19 ; 3:13 ; 4:15 ; 5:23 ; 2 Thess. 2:1 , 8 ; James 5:7 , 8 ; 2 Peter 1:16 ; 3:4 , 12 ; 1 John 2:28 ). In the light of its Hellenistic usage, the word reflects the majesty of our Lord at His return.
Another term used for the Advent is apokalypsis , meaning “revelation,” “unveiling,” “disclosure” ( 1 Cor. 1:7 ; 2 Thess. 1:7 ; 1 Peter 1:7 , 13 ). At His first coming Christ’s glory was hidden, and His deity was shrouded with humanity. But at His second appearing His glory and majesty are to be unveiled for all to behold ( Matt. 24:30 ).
The Advent is also spoken of as an epiphaneia , a “manifestation,” “appearing,” or “appearance” ( 1 Tim. 4:1 , 8 ; Titus 2:13 ). In Hellenistic Greek this was a technical term for the visible manifestation of a divinity. Once in the NT ( 2 Tim. 1:10 ) it refers to the First Advent as a manifestation of divine grace. Elsewhere it refers to the great final intervention in human history, the Second Advent.
Although eleusis , “coming,” is not used for the Second Advent (except in the variant readings of Codex Bezae in Luke 21:7 and 23:42 ), the related verb erchomai , meaning “to come,” is so used ( Matt. 16:27 , 28 ; Mark 13:26 ; 14:62 ; Luke 9:26 ; John 14:3 ; Acts 1:11 ; 1 Cor. 4:5 ; 11:26 ; Rev. 1:7 ; 3:11 ; 22:7 , 20 ). The verb phanerooµ , “to make visible” or “to manifest,” is also applied to the Second Advent ( Col. 3:4 ; 1 Peter 5:4 ; 1 John 2:28 ; 3:2 ).
Finally, there are the frequent references to “the day” ( Rom. 13:12 ; Heb. 10:25 ), or “that day” ( Matt. 7:22 ; 24:36 ; Luke 10:12 ; 21:34 ; 1 Thess. 5:4 ; 2 Thess. 1:10 ; 2 Tim. 1:12 , 18 ; 4:8 ); or more specifically, to “the day of God” ( 2 Peter 3:12 ), “the day of the Lord” ( 1 Thess. 5:2 ; 2 Peter 3:10 ), “the day of Jesus Christ” ( Phil. 1:6 ), “the day of Christ” ( Phil. 1:10 ), “the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” ( 1 Cor. 1:8 ), “the last day” ( John 6:39 , 40 , 44 , 54 ), “the great day” ( Jude 6 ; Rev. 6:17 ), “the day of judgment” ( 2 Peter 2:9 ), “the day of wrath” ( Rom. 2:5 ), and “the day of redemption” ( Eph. 4:30 ).
As the name indicates, Seventh-day Adventists stress the Second Advent, believing not only that Christ will return, but that He will return soon, though they set no time for this event to occur. Seventh-day Adventists trace their origin to the interchurch Advent movement of the first half of the nineteenth century, from all the leading Protestant denominations of the time, and the one bond of unity that held them together was belief in the nearness of Christ’s return ( see Premillennialism ). This profound conviction resulted in a great religious awakening in various parts of the world. The SDA founders had belonged to the group originating in America called the Millerite movement, which taught that the Second Advent would end the present world and fix the destiny of every human being. Like the Millerites (and the other premillennialists), Seventh-day Adventists accept the teaching of the NT that the Advent is to be a literal, bodily reappearing ( Acts 1:9–11 ), which is followed by the first resurrection and the millennium.
The coming of Christ the second time is not to be confused with the spiritual presence of Christ with believers since His ascension ( Matt. 28:20 ; John 14:18 ). According to Acts 9:1–11 , this coming is also to be distinguished from the descent of the Holy Spirit as Christ’s representative at Pentecost, or at some other time. It is not to be confused with death ( John 21:22 ). As James White wrote: Christ “is coming as the Life-giver, and the believer’s best friend. Death is the life-taker, and man’s last enemy ( 1 Cor. 15:26 )” (“The Second Advent,” Review and Herald 41:10, Dec. 24, 1872). The Advent is a personal and literal coming, the counterpart of Jesus’ ascension—“this same Jesus” and “in like manner” ( Acts 1:9–11 ); “the Lord himself” ( 1 Thess. 4:16 ).
This climactic event of earth’s history will be public, visible to believers and nonbelievers alike ( Matt. 24:27 , 30 ; 25:31–46 ; Luke 17:24 ; 1 John 3:2 ; Rev. 1:7 ). It will be accompanied by an audible shout of command and the summons of a trumpet ( Matt. 24:31 ; 1 Thess. 4:16 ; 1 Cor. 15:51 , 52 ). There is therefore nothing secret about it.
The NT does not divide the Second Advent into two separate events, one secret and the other public, one a so-called rapture of the saints and the other a revealing of Christ. The chief passage on the translation of the saints ( 1 Thess. 4:15–17 ) describes Christ’s coming as attended with “a shout,” with “the voice of the archangel,” and with the sounding of a trumpet. Jesus pictured His appearing in the clouds of heaven as taking place prior to the gathering of the elect, not after, and these events as occurring in immediate succession and as parts of one glorious appearing ( Matt. 24:30 , 31 ; Mark 13:26 , 27 ). Christ’s coming will be “with clouds” ( Rev. 1:7 ), “in the clouds” ( Matt. 24:30 ; 25:62; Mark 13:26 ; 14:62 ), or “in a cloud” ( Luke 21:27 ; cf. Acts 1:9 ; 1 Thess. 4:17 ); as attended by hosts of angels ( Matt. 24:31 ; Mark 8:38 ; 13:27 ; Rev. 14:14–16 ). His coming is spoken of as glorious ( Matt. 16:27 ; 24:30 ; 25:31 ; Mark 10:37 ; 13:26 ; Luke 9:26 ; 21:27 ; 1 Peter 4:13 ; 5:1 ), and is compared to a great flash of lightning that illuminates the entire heavens ( Matt. 24:27 ; Luke 17:24 ).
The NT presents the Second Advent as accompanied by the resurrection of the just ( Luke 14:14 ; John 5:28 , 29 ; 6:40 , 44 ; 11:24 ; Acts 24:14 , 15 ; 1 Cor. 15:22 , 23 ; 1 Thess. 4:15–18 ), and this resurrection to life and immortality ( Luke 20:35 , 36 ; 1 Cor. 15:52 , 53 ) is the beginning of the millennium ( Rev. 19 ; 20 ).
The Second Advent will mark the end of the present world order, and is therefore spoken of as the “end of the world” ( Matt. 13:39 , 40 , 49 ; 24:3 ; 28:20 ). The phrase translated “end of the world” might better be rendered “completion of the age” or “consummation of the age.” The NT views time as a succession of ages. Eternity past is referred to literally as “from the ages” ( Eph. 3:9 ; Col. 1:26 ; 1 Cor. 2:7 ). Eternity future is described by expressions meaning literally “into the ages” (translated “for ever”; Luke 1:33 ; Rom. 1:25 ; 2 Cor. 11:31 ; Jude 25 ; etc.), “into the ages of the ages” (rendered “for ever and ever” etc.; Gal. 1:5 ; 1 Peter 4:11 ; Rev. 1:18 ; etc.), or simply “ages to come” ( Eph. 2:7 ). Human existence is thought of as divided into the present age and the age to come ( Matt. 12:32 ; Eph. 1:21 ). The present is an evil age ( Gal. 1:4 ; cf. Luke 20:34 ) in which men die. This age will continue until the Parousia and the judgment, when the age to come will begin. The earth will remain, but will later be renovated to remove all traces of sin and death.
Before the Second Advent the destiny of every human being will be forever fixed ( Rev. 22:11 , 12 ). ( See Investigative Judgment ; Probation .) During the “day of the Lord,” which begins at the Second Advent and ends after the millennium, judgment will be executed upon all ( Matt. 7:21–23 ; 13:30–43 ; 16:27 ; 25:31–46 ; Acts 17:31 ; Rom. 2:5 , 16 ; 14:10 ; 1 Cor. 3:12–15 ; 4:5 ; 2 Cor. 5:9–11 ; 2 Tim. 4:1 ; Jude 15 ; Rev. 1:7 ). God’s elect will be gathered from the earth to meet the Lord in the air ( Matt. 24:31 ; Mark 13:27 ; 1 Thess. 4:16 , 17 ). They will be immortalized and glorified, and enter the kingdom of glory, which will then be established ( 1 Cor. 15:51–55 ; Matt. 25:31 ). The desire of Jesus that His people be with Him will thus be fulfilled ( John 17:24 ), and His promise to return and take them to Himself will be fulfilled ( John 14:3 ).
Although no one can determine the exact time of Christ’s return, the Bible speaks of precursors and signs that attest its imminence. Important evidence for the nearness of the Second Advent, for example, is furnished by the convergence on our day of great lines of prophecy from the books of Daniel and the Revelation.
In His Mount Olivet discourse ( Matt. 24 ; Mark 13 ; Luke 21 ), our Lord Himself gave a series of signs by which His followers might know when His coming would be near, “at the doors” ( Matt. 24:33 ). This discourse was given in response to the questions of His disciples regarding the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, the Parousia, and the sign of the close of the age. In His reply Jesus mingled the description of these two great crises, and gave signs for both. He also gave an outline of events from His day to the end of human history. There would be signs both in the heavens and upon the earth ( Matt. 24:29 , 30 ; Luke 21:25–27 ), and one sign would be the preaching of the gospel in all the world ( Matt. 24:14 ; cf. Rev. 14:6–14 ).
The apostle Paul predicted the rise of antichrist, the man of lawlessness, before the Parousia ( 2 Thess. 2:1–9 ). He also described the social and religious conditions that were to prevail “in the last days” ( 2 Tim. 3:1–5 ). The book of James foretells strained relations between capital and labor ( James 5:1–5 ). Peter tells of the skeptical attitude toward “the promise of his coming” that would characterize the “last days” ( 2 Peter 3:1–6 ). The apostle refutes the uniformitarian philosophy of these scoffers by referring to the stupendous changes brought about by Creation and the Flood. He goes on to explain a delay in the coming of the day of judgment: (1) time does not mean the same to the eternal God as to us ( v. 8 ); (2) God is long-suffering and is delaying the judgment to allow time for repentance ( v. 9 ). But the coming of that day is certain ( v. 10 ).
The book of Revelation deals at length with the Advent, and closes with the promise “Surely I come quickly.” True saints in all ages have responded with the prayer “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” ( Rev. 22:20 ).