The Comings of Christ in the Apocalypse

Abstract

The coming of Christ is generally understood by Christians in an exclusively eschatological way, that is, as something that will happen only once at the end of time (the parousia). The Son of God came once time on earth 2,000 years ago in the mystery of the incarnation; and it will come a second time in glory at the end of history to judge the living and the dead, as stated in the Creed. This is what we see in the texts of the synoptic gospels (for example, in the scene of the final judgment in Mt 25:31-46) and in the letters of Saint Paul (cf. 1 Thess 4:13-17; 2 Thess 2).

At first sight, the Revelation seems to confirm this interpretation, by the emphasis it places on the eschatological coming of Christ for judgment. However, things are not so simple. A deeper study reveals various comings of Christ. We would then like to study the doctrine of the Apocalypse on the coming of Christ and the importance of this subject for the Christian life.