1. What the Second Coming Is
The Second Coming, called the Parousia (a Greek word for arrival or presence), is the return of Jesus Christ in glory at the end of history to raise the dead, judge the living and the dead, and bring God's kingdom to its fullness. It is the final act of the story of salvation, the moment the whole New Testament leans toward. Christ came first in humility at Bethlehem. He will come a second time in glory to complete what his first coming began.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church places this hope at the center of Christian expectation: since the Ascension, Christ's coming in glory has been imminent, even though it is not for the Church to know the times the Father has fixed (CCC 673). The Church lives between the two comings, already redeemed by the cross and still awaiting the visible triumph of Christ over every evil.
2. The Promise in the Creed
The Second Coming is not a fringe belief. It is confessed by the whole Church in the Nicene Creed, prayed at Mass every Sunday.
"He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end."
The Nicene CreedThree claims are packed into that single line. Christ will come "in glory," visibly and triumphantly. He will "judge the living and the dead," so his return is bound to the final judgment. And "his kingdom will have no end," so the Second Coming opens onto eternity rather than another chapter of ordinary history. Every celebration of the Eucharist echoes the same hope in the acclamation "we proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again."
3. The Biblical Basis
The promise of Christ's return runs through the New Testament from the Gospels to the last page of Revelation. Four texts carry most of the weight.
The Angels at the Ascension
As the apostles watched Jesus ascend, two angels gave the founding promise of the Second Coming.
"Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
Acts 1:11The same Jesus, in the same visible manner: the return will be as real and bodily as the Ascension itself.
The Words of Jesus
Jesus spoke of his own return in the Olivet Discourse, describing a coming that is cosmic and unmistakable: "They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory" (Matthew 24:30). For the full setting of that sermon, see our guide to the Olivet Discourse.
The Teaching of Paul
Paul comforts grieving believers with the promise that the dead in Christ will rise at his coming, and he calls that return "the blessed hope."
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first."
1 Thessalonians 4:16Titus 2:13 names the same event "the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ." The return of Christ is the horizon that gives Christian life its direction.
4. How Christ Returns
Scripture describes the manner of the Second Coming with striking consistency. Four features stand out.
Personal and Bodily
Christ himself returns, the same risen Lord who ascended, in his glorified human body. The angels promised "this same Jesus" (Acts 1:11). The return is a real event in a real body, not merely a symbol of God's ongoing action in the world.
Visible to All
The Second Coming is public and universal, seen by everyone at once.
"Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all peoples on earth will mourn because of him."
Revelation 1:7Jesus warned specifically against anyone claiming a secret or localized return: "so will be the coming of the Son of Man" is compared to lightning that lights up the whole sky from east to west (Matthew 24:27).
Glorious and Triumphant
The first coming was hidden in weakness. The second is open in power, "with power and great glory" (Matthew 24:30), accompanied by the angels and the trumpet of God. This is the definitive victory of Christ over sin, death, and every hostile power.
Final
The Second Coming is not one more turn in a cycle. It closes the age, raises the dead, and ushers in the new creation. There is no third coming to wait for.
5. Second Coming vs. the Rapture
Many people meet the Second Coming first through the popular idea of the Rapture, so the two are easily confused. They are distinct claims.
The Second Coming is Christ's single, public, glorious return to judge the world and renew creation, held by Catholics, the Orthodox, and historic Christianity. The Rapture, in its popular form, is the idea that believers will be secretly caught up and removed from earth before a seven-year tribulation, leaving others behind. That scenario developed in the 19th century through dispensationalist teaching and is a relatively recent reading.
The Catholic Church reads the "catching up" of 1 Thessalonians 4:17, believers meeting the Lord "in the air," as one moment within the single glorious Second Coming, a welcome party going out to receive a returning king and escort him in. It affirms one return, not a hidden removal followed later by a public arrival. For the full comparison of every position, including pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, and post-tribulation views, see our detailed guide to the Rapture.
Know the Second Coming well enough to explain it
Catholic/Christian Pro walks you through the Parousia verse by verse: the Creed, the Olivet Discourse, and where the Rapture idea came from. Audio devotionals, guided prayers, in-depth Bible studies, and offline access. Buy once, keep it for life. Start today.
Get Pro for $49 One-time payment. No subscription. 30-day money-back guarantee.6. When, and the Signs
The most common question about the Second Coming is when, and Scripture answers it directly: no one knows.
"About that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
Mark 13:32Jesus refused to hand over a date, and the Church follows him in rejecting all date-setting. The Lord will come "like a thief in the night" (1 Thessalonians 5:2), at an hour no one expects. Every attempt across history to fix the year has failed, and every such attempt contradicts the words of Christ himself.
Scripture does describe general signs that mark the age before the end: the preaching of the Gospel to all nations (Matthew 24:14), wars and disasters, persecution, a great falling away from the faith, and the appearance of a final adversary. These signs point to readiness rather than calculation. They have marked every Christian century, which is exactly the point: the Church must always be prepared. For how these signs fit together, see our end times overview, and for the final deception that precedes the end, our guide to the Antichrist.
7. Judgment and the New Creation
The Second Coming does not stand alone. It sets in motion the last events: the resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgment, and the renewal of all things.
At his return, Christ raises the bodies of all the dead, a truth explored in our guide to the resurrection of the body. He then judges all humanity openly in the General Judgment, revealing the full meaning of every life and vindicating God's justice. That public judgment at the end of time is treated in our guide to the final judgment, and is distinct from the particular judgment each soul receives at the moment of death.
Beyond the judgment lies the goal of the whole story: "a new heaven and a new earth" (Revelation 21:1), where God dwells with his people and "he will wipe every tear from their eyes" (Revelation 21:4). The Second Coming is the doorway to that renewed creation, described in our guide to the New Jerusalem.
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away."
Revelation 21:18. How to Live Ready
If the day is unknown and the event is certain, the whole weight falls on readiness. Jesus made this the practical point of nearly everything he said about his return.
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come."
Matthew 24:42Readiness is a way of living, not a mood of fear. It means staying in a state of grace, returning often to prayer and the sacraments, practicing works of mercy, and persevering in faith through every trial. The parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) presses the same lesson: keep your lamp filled now, because the door will not open for the unprepared later. The earliest Christians summed up their whole posture in one Aramaic prayer, "Maranatha," meaning "Come, Lord Jesus" (1 Corinthians 16:22), the same cry that closes the Bible in Revelation 22:20.
No one knows the day or the hour, so the time to become ready is now. That readiness is what our guided prayers and Bible studies are built to form.
Be ready now, one day at a time
No one knows the day or the hour (Mark 13:32), and that is precisely why readiness is something you build now rather than later. You now have the Parousia set out verse by verse. Catholic/Christian Pro turns it into daily practice: audio devotionals, guided prayers for confession and a state of grace, in-depth Bible studies on the last things, worship playlists, and offline access for prayer anywhere. Buy it once and keep it for life. Start today.
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9. Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Second Coming of Christ?
The Second Coming, called the Parousia, is the return of Jesus Christ in glory at the end of history to raise the dead, judge the living and the dead, and bring God's kingdom to its fullness. Christians profess it in the Nicene Creed: "He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end." At his ascension, two angels promised the apostles that "this same Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).
What is the difference between the Second Coming and the Rapture?
The Second Coming is Christ's single, public, visible return in glory to judge the world and renew creation, held by Catholics, the Orthodox, and historic Christianity. The Rapture, in the popular sense of believers being secretly taken up before a period of tribulation, is a distinct idea that developed in the 19th century through dispensationalist teaching. The Catholic Church does not teach a secret pre-tribulation removal. It reads the "catching up" of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 as part of the one glorious Second Coming, not a separate hidden event.
When will the Second Coming happen?
No one knows the day or the hour. Jesus said plainly, "About that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Mark 13:32). The Church rejects all date-setting. Scripture calls believers to constant readiness rather than prediction, because the Lord will come "like a thief in the night" (1 Thessalonians 5:2). The right response is watchfulness and a life of grace now, not calculation.
Will the Second Coming be visible to everyone?
Yes. Scripture describes the Second Coming as public and universally visible, not hidden. "Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him" (Revelation 1:7). Jesus warned against secret-return claims: "For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man" (Matthew 24:27). His return will be personal, bodily, and glorious, seen by all.
How should Christians prepare for the Second Coming?
Christians prepare through watchfulness, ongoing conversion, and faithful love, living each day in a state of grace as though the Lord could come at any time. Jesus taught, "Keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come" (Matthew 24:42). Readiness means prayer, the sacraments, works of mercy, and perseverance in faith, so that the promise "Come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20) is spoken in hope rather than fear.