Coming of the Lord
Overview
The coming of the Lord is the personal, visible, glorious return of Jesus Christ at the end of the age, often called the Parousia. It gathers up the Old Testament hope of the Day of the LORD and fixes it on Christ, who comes to raise the dead, judge the world, and consummate his kingdom.
Canonical Development
The hope begins in the prophets with the Day of the LORD, a day of darkness and decision when God visits the earth in judgment and salvation. Joel proclaims a great and terrible day preceded by signs in the heavens (Joel 2); Amos warns that the day will be darkness and not light for the presumptuous (Amos 5); and Zechariah pictures the LORD himself standing upon the Mount of Olives, when his feet shall split the mountain and he shall be king over all the earth (Zechariah 14). The New Testament focuses this expectation on the returning Christ. At the ascension the angels promise that this same Jesus shall so come in like manner as he was seen to go (Acts 1:11). In the Olivet Discourse Jesus foretells the sign of the Son of man coming in the clouds with power and great glory (Matthew 24). Paul comforts believers that the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, the dead in Christ rising first and the living being caught up together (1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:11), and warns of the man of sin who precedes that day (2 Thessalonians 1–2). Revelation declares that he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him (Revelation 1:7).
Key Anchors
- Coming of the Lord — The promised return of Christ at the end of the age
- The Day of the LORD — The Old Testament root of the hope, day of judgment and salvation
- Ascension of Jesus — The departure with the promise of a like return
Key Books
Notes
The certainty of Christ’s coming is given not to feed speculation about dates but to comfort the grieving, sober the careless, and call the church to watchfulness and holy living until he appears.