The promise itself
At his ascension, the disciples were told that “this same Jesus... will come back in the same way you have seen him go” (Acts 1). Jesus himself spoke of the Son of Man coming on the clouds with power and great glory. The New Testament letters end on the same note; nearly every one of them leans forward towards “that day”. The early church condensed the hope into the creeds, which is why the Second Coming is not a fringe enthusiasm but a line that Catholics, Anglicans, Orthodox, Baptists, Methodists and Pentecostals all confess together.
What the return will be like
- Personal. Not a metaphor for gradual progress, but the arrival of Jesus himself.
- Visible and unmistakable. “Every eye will see him” (Revelation 1). Jesus warned against chasing rumours that he had returned quietly somewhere.
- Unannounced. “About that day or hour no one knows” (Mark 13). Christians are told to be ready, not to calculate.
- Restorative. The goal is judgement in the healing sense: evil named and ended, creation set free, God dwelling with his people.
Judgement, honestly faced
The creed links the return of Christ with judgement, and it helps to hear that as the Psalms do: the fields rejoice and the trees sing “because he comes to judge the earth”. In Scripture, judgement is what a just ruler brings to an exploited land: truth told, victims vindicated, corruption cleared out. It is solemn, because every life comes into the light. But for those who have entrusted themselves to Christ, the Judge is the same person as the Saviour, which is why the New Testament can call his appearing “the blessed hope”.
The millennium question
Revelation 20 speaks of a thousand-year reign of Christ, and Christians have long differed over how to take it:
- Amillennialism. The thousand years symbolise the present age, with Christ reigning now through his church; his return brings the general resurrection and the new creation. This has been the broad view of Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran and Reformed Christianity since Augustine.
- Premillennialism. Christ returns before a literal future reign on earth. Held by some early church fathers and today by many Pentecostal and evangelical churches.
- Postmillennialism. The gospel gradually leavens the world into a long age of peace, after which Christ returns. Influential among Puritans and Victorian missionary movements.
These are honest differences about one symbolic chapter, not tests of orthodoxy. The creeds deliberately say less: he will come, he will judge, his kingdom will have no end.
Advent: the season of this doctrine
The church calendar gives the Second Coming its own season. Advent, the four weeks before Christmas, looks two ways at once: back to the first coming in Bethlehem and forward to the final coming in glory. The great Advent hymns sung in British churches, such as “Lo, he comes with clouds descending”, are Second Coming hymns through and through. If you want to feel this doctrine rather than merely parse it, an Advent carol service in a candlelit parish church is hard to better.
Why the hope is practical
- It steadies sufferers. The doctrine was written first for persecuted minorities, promising that history's verdict is not final.
- It fuels justice and care. If the earth has a future, work done now for peace, honesty and the renewal of creation is “not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15).
- It humbles speculation. Every generation that set a date has been wrong, exactly as Jesus said they would be.
- It keeps the church awake. The repeated command is simply: watch, serve, and be found doing good.
Going deeper
Read Mark 13, 1 Corinthians 15 and Revelation 21 to 22 to hear the hope in Scripture's own words. Tom Wright's Surprised by Hope is a readable British treatment of resurrection and new creation. And since this hope is confessed, sung and prayed rather than merely studied, the best classroom is a congregation; you can find one near you and hear the creed said aloud by living voices.