In Christianity, the Second Coming is the anticipated return of Jesus from Heaven to earth, an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic prophecy, such as the general resurrection of the dead, the last judgment of the dead and the living and the full establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth (also called the "Reign of God"), including the Messianic Age. Views about the nature of this return vary among Christian denominations. The original Greek of the New Testament uses the term parousia (παρουσία), the "appearance and subsequent presence with" (in the ancient world referring to official visits by royalty). The Second Coming is also referred to as the Second Advent, from the Latin term "adventus", for "coming". Teachings about the last days comprise Christian eschatology.

Terminology

Christians use a range of names for this concept of Jesus Christ's second coming or return, drawing on a range of Biblical images. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia article on General Judgment:

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In the New Testament the second Parousia, or coming of Christ as Judge of the world, is an oft-repeated doctrine. The Saviour Himself not only foretells the event but graphically portrays its circumstances (Matthew 24:27 sqq. [Olivet discourse]; 25:31 sqq. [Judgment of the Nations]). The Apostles give a most prominent place to this doctrine in their preaching (Acts 10:42,17:31) and writings (Romans 2:5-16, 14:10; 1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Tim. 4:1; 2 Thess. 1:5; James 5:7). Besides the name Parusia (parousia), or Advent (1 Cor. 15:23; 2 Thess. 2:1-9), the second coming is also called Epiphany, epiphaneia, or Appearance (2 Thess 2:8; 1 Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 4:1; Titus 2:13), and Apocalypse (apokalypsis), or Revelation (2 Thess. 2:7; 1 Peter 4:13). The time of the second coming is spoken of as "that Day" (2 Tim. 4:8), "the day of the Lord" (1 Thess. 5:2), "the day of Christ" (Philemon 1:6), "the day of the Son of Man" (Luke 17:30), "the last day" (John 6:39-40).

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The phrase Second Coming is not used in the Bible. It comes from the life or incarnation of Jesus of Nazareth as being his first coming to earth. Some Christians refer to the Second Coming as the last coming because of scripture referring to him as being the "First and the Last", "The Beginning and End", "The Alpha to Omega".^[1] and others do not define it by number, highlighting Christ's coming as an ongoing process.

The parousia is the term used in the Bible, see Strong's G3952 for details, which includes the Thayer's Lexicon definition: "In the N.T. especially of the advent, i.e., the future, visible, return from heaven of Jesus, the Messiah, to raise the dead, hold the last judgment, and set up formally and gloriously the kingdom of God." According to the Bauer lexicon: "of Christ, and nearly always of his Messianic Advent in glory to judge the world at the end of this age."