Is the date of the Second Coming known?
In recent decades, predictions from pseudo-elders and followers of various sectarian movements about the imminent Second Coming and the end of the world have become especially active in Russia. Someone calculates the exact date of this event using the stars. Others calculate it by adding up various historical dates. Someone claims that spirits tell him a specific day and hour, and so on. So, some people expected the end of the world in 2000, then in 2012. But the Second Coming of Christ never took place.
The Last Judgment - fresco by Pavel Ryzhenko in the Transfiguration Cathedral (Yakutsk, Russia)
Such conclusions are not new. For example, Baptist preacher William Miller (1782 - 1849) argued that the Advent would occur between March 21, 1843 and October 22, 1844. He created a new religious movement - Adventism, which exists to this day. Adventists found an excuse for the failed Advent. Allegedly, the Savior came, only not to earth, but to the Temple of God in heaven.
There are plenty of examples of such false prophecies. Would-be soothsayers calculate the dates of the Second Coming. And their followers each time postpone the dates when Christ does not visit the earth. What is the Orthodox Church preparing for the times to come? When is the Second Coming of Christ? If you are overwhelmed by doubts and fears, go to church. Prepare for Confession and consult with a priest you trust.
Second Coming of Christ
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is the return of the Savior to earth in the last days of the world. The purpose of the Second Coming is to overthrow the Antichrist and the nations subject to him. Jesus Christ will cast the devil and demons into eternal fire. The Lord will resurrect and judge at the Last Judgment all people living and who have lived on earth. The world will be transformed into an imperishable, spiritual world, where the righteous will dwell with God.
“Now God is a helper to those who turn from the path of evil, and then <at the Judgment” - a terrible and indefatigable investigator of human deeds, words and thoughts. Now we use patience, and then we will know justice when we rise - some to eternal torment, and others to eternal life, and each will receive according to his deeds (St. Basil the Great).
During these times, faith in Christ will practically fade away and the Antichrist will rule the world. Saint John of Damascus writes:
“It is not the devil himself who will become a man, just as the Lord became man, let it not be! But a person will be born from fornication and will take upon himself all the actions of Satan, for God, foreseeing the future corruption of his will, will allow the devil to dwell in him). The Antichrist will have enormous and worldwide power, he will be worshiped as God, “in the temple of God he will sit as God, showing himself to be God” (2 Thess. 2:4).
The coming of the Savior will be a global event that will be impossible not to notice. It will be common to all humanity:
“As lightning comes from the east and is visible even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:27).
But this great day will not be joyful for everyone. For Christians who remained faithful to the Lord, who were not seduced by the Antichrist and endured all persecution for their faith, the Second Coming will be deliverance and the moment of transition into the Kingdom of God. And for everyone else, this is the moment of destruction “all the families of the earth will mourn” (Matthew 24:30).
What work will Christ do at His second coming?
“I still have much to tell you; but now you cannot contain it. But when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak from Himself, but whatever He hears, He will speak, and He will tell you things to come” (Jonah 16:12-13).
“And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him, for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not accept My words has one who judges him: the word that I have spoken will judge him at the last day” (John 12:47-48).
“For it is time for judgment to begin at the house of God...” (1 Pet 4:7).
"(74-3) 'When I choose the time, I will execute judgment with righteousness" (Ps 75:2).
“For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son...” (Jonah 5:22).
“And he gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man” (Jonah 5:27).
“And he said with a loud voice: Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come, and worship Him who made heaven and earth, and the sea and the springs of water” (Rev 14:7).
“And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from what was written in the books, according to their works” (Rev 20:12).
“And the Gentiles were enraged; and Thy wrath has come, and the time to judge the dead, and to give retribution to Thy servants, the prophets and saints, and to them that fear Thy name, both small and great, and to destroy them that destroy the earth” (Rev 11:18).
Helpful information:
Christian film “WAKING UP FROM SLEEP” (fragment 3/4)
Bible prophecies about the Second Coming
There are few prophecies about the Second Coming in the Old Testament. In pre-Christian times, the chosen people awaited the first appearance of the Messiah. But the prophet Joel foretells:
“Before them the earth will shake, the sky will shake; the sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars will lose their light. And the Lord will give His voice before His army, for His army is very numerous and the doer of His word is mighty; For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible, and who can endure it?” (Joel 2:10-11) .
Interpreters agree that these words mark the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Also in the book of the prophet Daniel you can find the words:
“I saw in the night visions, behold, one like the Son of man walked with the clouds of heaven... And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom... His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and His kingdom will not be destroyed” (Dan. 7:13- 14).
In the Gospel, the Savior Himself, when asked by the disciples about the last days, explained to them the signs preceding the Second Coming. The apostle Paul later wrote in his letter to the Hebrews:
“Just a little while, a very little, and He who comes will come and will not tarry” (Heb. 10:37).
The apostles expected the Savior and the End of the World. The times of the reign of the Antichrist, the Second Coming of Christ, the Last Judgment and the advent of the Kingdom of God are described in most detail in the last book of the Bible: the Revelation of John the Theologian, which he received from God Himself.
“And I saw an angel descending from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. He took the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and cast him into the abyss, and shut him up, and put a seal over him, so that he would no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years were ended; after this he must be released for a little while” (Rev. 20:1-3).
GOSPEL OF THE DESCENT OF THE KINGDOM
Two thousand years ago the Lord Jesus promised us: “ Behold, I am coming quickly ” (Rev. 22:12). Now all kinds of signs of His return have appeared, and many brothers and sisters have had a presentiment that the Day of the Lord is near. Has the Lord returned? What can we do to meet the Lord? Let's discuss this now by examining the prophecies found in the Bible.
Contents The First Sign of the Lord's Return: Earthquakes, Famines, Plagues, and Wars The Second Sign of the Lord's Return: The Appearance of Heavenly Anomalies The Third Sign of the Lord's Return: The churches are desolate and the love of the believers has grown cold The Fourth Sign of the Lord's Return: The Appearance of False Christs The Fifth Sign of the Lord's Return: The Restoration of Israel The Sixth Sign The Lord's Return: Spreading the Gospel to the Ends of the Earth How can we welcome the Lord's return?
First Sign of the Lord's Return: Earthquakes, Famines, Plagues and Wars
Matthew 24:6-8 says, “ You will also hear of wars and rumors of wars. See, do not be horrified, for all this must come to pass, but this is not the end yet: for nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in places; yet this is the beginning of disease .” Wars have erupted frequently in recent years, such as the overthrow of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, the conflict between India and Pakistan, the United States invasion of Iraq, and the ever-escalating war between Israel and Palestine. Epidemics, fires, floods and earthquakes can also be observed everywhere. Of particular note is o, which appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhan in 2022 and has since spread throughout the world. There were also severe bushfires in Australia in September 2022, while East Africa on the other side of the planet had a severe locust outbreak and many countries are currently facing famine. In January 2022, Indonesia was hit by floods and Newfoundland in Canada was hit by a once-in-a-hundred-year snowstorm. Earthquakes have occurred in Elazig in Turkey, southern Cuba in the Caribbean and elsewhere. From these signs it is clear that this prophecy has been fulfilled.
Second Sign of the Lord's Return: The Appearance of Celestial Anomalies
Revelation 6:12 says, “ And when He had opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became dark as sackcloth, and the moon became like blood.” The prophet Joel 2:30-31 says: “And I will show signs in heaven and on earth: blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun will turn into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah comes .” There have been many occasions in recent years when the moon has turned blood red. For example, a series of four “blood moons” appeared over a two-year period in 2014 and 2015, and on January 31, 2018, a “super blue blood moon” was observed, which occurs only once every 150 years. Then in January 2022 a “super blood wolf moon” appeared. The predicted blackening of the sun also occurred, and indeed, many total solar eclipses occurred, such as the eclipse in Singapore on December 26, 2019, and in Chile on July 2 of the same year. It is obvious that this prophecy was fulfilled in the listed phenomena.
Third sign of the Lord's return: the churches are desolate and the love of the believers has grown cold
Matthew 24:12 says, “ And because iniquity abounds, the love of many will grow cold .” Desolation is spreading throughout the religious world. The preaching of pastors and elders has become tiresome and hackneyed and fails to nourish the believers. In their struggle for status, some pastors create cliques and factions in churches, and others have even gone into business, setting up factories to lead believers in the worldly path; Meanwhile, among believers there is a general decline in confidence and a reluctance to part with the world, and they live in its debilitating snares. Some churches look crowded and busy from the outside, but many people come to the church only to make new friends and sell goods, using the church as a trading platform. What is the difference between the church today and the temple at the end of the Age of Law? From all of the above, the complete fulfillment of this prophecy about the return of the Lord is obvious.
Fourth Sign of the Lord's Return: The Appearance of False Christs
Matthew 24:4-5 says, “Jesus answered and said to them, “ Beware that no one deceives you, for many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many .” From the Lord's prophecy, we can see that when the Lord returns, false Christs will appear and mislead people. In recent years, false Christs have appeared and deceived people in countries such as China, South Korea and Japan. These false Christs do not possess the essence of Christ and cannot proclaim the truth, but they claim that they are Christ. So, the fulfillment of this prophecy is quite obvious.
Fifth Sign of the Lord's Return: The Restoration of Israel
Matthew 24:32-33 says: “ Take the likeness of a fig tree: when its branches become soft and put forth leaves, you know that summer is near; So, when you see all this, know that it is close, at the door .”
Many believers in the Lord know that the tender branches and leaves of the fig tree refer to the restoration of Israel. When Israel is restored, the day of the Lord will draw near, and Israel was restored on May 14, 1948. It is clear that this prophecy of the Lord's return has been completely fulfilled.
“The Jews go into exile abroad, and the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven spreads throughout the world.”
Sixth Sign of the Lord's Return: Spreading the Gospel to the Ends of the Earth
Matthew 24:14 says, “ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come .” In Mark 16:15, the Lord Jesus told His disciples after He was resurrected, “ Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature .” After Jesus was resurrected and ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit began to guide those who follow the Lord Jesus to bear witness for Him. Today, Christians have spread throughout the world and many democratic countries have adopted Christianity as their state religion. Even in China, where the ruling party is atheist, tens of millions of people have accepted the gospel of the Lord Jesus, and therefore it can be seen that the gospel of the redemption of mankind through the Lord Jesus has spread throughout the world. Thus, it is clear that the prophecy of the Lord's return has been fulfilled.
How should we welcome the Lord's return?
From the above facts, we can see that six signs of the Lord's return have already appeared. Now is the critical moment to welcome the coming of the Lord. What must we do before we can welcome the Lord's return? The Lord Jesus gave us the answer to this question long ago.
In John 16:12-13 the Lord Jesus said, “ I have many more things to say to you; but now you cannot contain it. When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth: for He will not speak from Himself, but He will speak whatever He hears, and He will tell you the future .” Revelation 3:20 says, “ Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me .” There are also many prophecies in Revelation chapters 2 and 3: “ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches .” As you can see from these verses, when the Lord returns, He will speak words and speak to the churches, telling us all the truths that we did not understand before. Those who, having heard God's speech and recognized His voice, accept Him and submit to Him, will be able to meet the Lord and be present at the feast of the Lamb; on the other hand, those who do not recognize the voice of God are certainly not God's sheep, and will be exposed and eliminated by God. Thus, it is obvious that as we wait for the coming of the Lord, it is very important that we find the words of the Holy Spirit to the churches and learn to listen to the voice of God. Almighty God says: “ As we seek God's footprints, we should seek His will, His words and His sayings, for where God speaks new words, God's voice is heard, and where God's footprints are, His works are present. Where God expresses Himself, His appearing takes place, and where God appears, the truth, the way, and the life dwell ” (“The Appearance of God Heralded a New Age” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).
Hearing this, some people may ask, “So where do we go to find the voice of God?” In Matthew 25:6, the Lord Jesus said, “ But at midnight there was a cry, “Behold, the bridegroom comes; go out to meet him .” Since the Lord calls his sheep with his words and speeches, then, of course, there will be people who will first hear the voice of the Lord and follow in the footsteps of the Lamb, and then everywhere will proclaim: “The Bridegroom comes,” that is, they will spread the news of the Lord’s return and the words of the second the coming of the Lord, so that everyone has the opportunity to hear the voice of God. Therefore it is said that whether we have hearts that desire to seek Him and whether we are able to recognize the voice of God determines whether we can walk in the footsteps of the Lamb. In the same way, when the Lord Jesus first appeared and began to work, Peter, Mary and others recognized the Lord Jesus as the Messiah by His works and words, followed Him, and began to bear witness to His Gospel. Those who hear the work and words of the Lord Jesus and can recognize the voice of God are wise virgins, while those priests, scribes and Pharisees who did not love the truth heard the authority and power of the words of the Lord Jesus but did not investigate them. Instead, they stubbornly stuck to their ideas and fantasies, believing that “he who is not called Messiah is not God,” and waiting for the Messiah to appear to them. They even condemned and blasphemed the work of the Lord Jesus, and ultimately lost God's salvation. There were also Jewish believers who followed the Pharisees and did not discern the voice of God in the works and words of the Lord Jesus, but blindly listened to the priests, scribes and Pharisees and rejected the salvation of the Lord. Such people become foolish virgins abandoned by the Lord. Some people may ask, “How can you discern the voice of God?” However, in reality it is not difficult at all. The words and speeches of God must be such that man cannot express them. They must be especially authoritative and powerful. They will be able to reveal the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, reveal the corruption of man, and so on. All these words are true, and all of them can be the life of a person. Anyone who has a heart and spirit will feel this when he hears the word of God, and confirmation will appear in his heart that the Creator speaks and conveys His sayings to us, people. God's sheep obey God's voice. If we are sure that these words are the voice of God, then we must accept them and obey them, no matter how little they correspond to our ideas. This is the only way we can meet the second coming of the Lord.
Christian video “The Lord is Knocking” Have you met the Lord?
In today's world, only the Church of Almighty God testifies that the Lord—Almighty God incarnate—has already returned. Almighty God has already expressed millions of words, and these words are published on the Internet so that people from all countries and walks of life can check them. One after another, many truth-seeking people from all countries come in the hope of hearing the voice of God and meeting the Lord. As the Bible says: “ Behold, the bridegroom comes; go out to meet him .” If we simply read more of the words expressed by Almighty God, listening to see if they are the voice of God, we can determine whether the Lord has returned. As the Lord Jesus said in John 10:27, “ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them; and they follow Me ." I believe that as long as we have a humbly seeking heart, we can recognize the voice of God and welcome the Lord's return.
Editor's note: After reading this text, we learned that all the prophecies about the second coming of the Lord Jesus have already been fulfilled. Then how can we successfully meet the second coming of the Lord Jesus? If you are interested in this topic, want to meet the Lord soon, we ask you to contact us through Messenger or WhatsApp.
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Second Coming of Jesus Christ
Signs of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ
The signs of the Second Coming are often interpreted by people who have difficulty navigating the Holy Scriptures and Tradition. Therefore, the Savior’s words about His return to earth are taken out of context. They are fertile ground for all kinds of speculation and fraud. Thus, false prophets focus on the external signs of the Second Coming: wars, cataclysms, epidemics. But they forget about the main sign - the spiritual degradation of humanity, when faith in Christ is practically forgotten.
The last days will be preceded by times of absolute moral decay. Faith will be practically reduced to zero. The Apostle Paul gave a succinct and accurate description of the conditions of people of the last times
“For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unfriendly, unforgiving, slanderers, intemperate, cruel, not loving what is good, traitors, insolent, pompous, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God who have a form of godliness , and denied his powers” (2 Tim. 3:2-5).
In the Gospel of Matthew, when asked about the Second Coming, Jesus Christ answered that many would come.
“under my name” and will claim that each of them is the Savior. Many will come in My name and say, “I am the Christ,” and will deceive many (Matt. 24:5); And many false prophets will arise and deceive many (Matt. 24:11); ...in the last times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and teachings of demons... (1 Tim. 4:1); ...the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires they will heap up for themselves teachers, having itching ears... (2 Timothy 4:3).
From Satan they will be given the power to perform signs and wonders. Many believers will believe and be deceived. Then difficult times of wars and disasters will come: earthquakes, famine. Persecution of Christians will begin, “they will hand you over to torture and kill you; and you will be hated by all nations because of my name” (Matthew 24:9). Many will not be able to stand it and will begin to betray each other, hatred will increase and love between people will cool.
How will human history end?
But Israel will turn to Christ. Romans 11 says that all Israel, that is, the Jewish people, will be saved and converted to Christ. From the same chapter it follows that this conversion will take place in the last times: ... if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, then what will there be acceptance if not life from the dead? (Rom. 11:15). According to the Apostle Paul, if the rejection of Israel served to reconcile the rest of humanity with God, then the return of Israel to Christ will mean the imminent resurrection of the dead.
We should also expect the coming of the prophets Elijah and Enoch.
“...I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the day of the Lord...” (Mal.4:5).
Jesus Christ confirmed the prophecy:
“Indeed, Elijah must come first and arrange everything” (Matthew 17:11) Mark 9:12).
Just as John the Baptist anticipated the first coming of Christ, so Elijah will anticipate the Second Coming. Revelation 11:3-10 tells of two witnesses of God. They will prophesy and, after they have finished their testimony, they will be killed by the beast that comes out of the bottomless pit. According to Tradition, these witnesses will be Elijah and Enoch.
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
Only for the sake of the elect who will not betray their faith will those days be shortened. Otherwise, no flesh could be saved.
“And suddenly, after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven; and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; and He will send His angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other one” (Matthew 24:29-31).
This is what Jesus Christ said about His Second Coming.
(Continued 24)
After the end of the time of grace for all people on earth, a time will come, which is called the Great Tribulation.
The name of this period is taken from the words of Christ: “Then there will be a GREAT TRIAL, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until now, neither will be” (Matthew 24:21).
This will be the time when the Lord God will reveal Himself in the history of our world as a righteous and all-powerful Judge. Jesus Christ will come glorified and in power: for “all things must be put under His feet” (Hebrews 2:8), so that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God.” Father" (Philippians 2:10-11). “And then the end, when He (Christ) will hand over the Kingdom to God and the Father, when He will abolish all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death, because He has put everything under His feet. When it is said that all things are subject to Him, it is clear that except Him Who put all things under Him. When he puts all things under him, then the Son himself will be subjected to him who put all things in subjection to him—that God may be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).
Many times, looking at the evil and lawlessness committed in the world, people asked a rhetorical question: where is God? Why doesn't He do anything to stop the wicked and repay them? The loving heart of the Lord is incomprehensible and incomprehensible to people. But in those days, righteous judgment and retribution will finally take place.
Where does it come from that the Great Tribulation will last seven years?
We find the first explanation in the book of Revelation. The seven years of Tribulation will consist of two equal parts of three and a half years. We read about the duration of the first half in Revelation 11:3: “They (God’s witnesses) shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days”—which is equal to three years and five and a half months. The duration of the second half is indicated a verse earlier: “They (the Gentiles) shall trample upon the holy city forty-two months” (Revelation 11:2), which is three and a half years. (Why I make such a connection to dates will become clear from the subsequent consideration of the events of the Second Coming of Christ.) Together, two periods of three and a half years make up seven years.
We discover another explanation for the duration of the Great Tribulation when we put together the puzzles of the overall picture of the events of that time, and then the sequence of events and the time of their occurrence are clearly revealed to us.
It should be noted that this reward will affect the people living on earth at that time. This is not a court that determines the afterlife fate of deceased human souls until the time of their resurrection, and this is not yet the final court at which the eternal fate of every person after the last general resurrection will be determined.
God's judgments on earth are not only retribution and punishment. God's punishment also plays a creative role in history: by purifying and sanctifying people, removing negativity and the fruits of apostasy and self-will from their lives, it thus renews and, as it were, nullifies the path of humanity and makes preparations for the next period. In this case, during the seven years of the Great Tribulation, God's judgment will be carried out on the last Babylon - modern human civilization. Through tribulations and disasters the world will be thoroughly cleansed and prepared for the Millennial Kingdom that will follow.
“I am the Lord, who exercises mercy and judgment and righteousness in the earth” (Jeremiah 9:24). “In the way of Your judgments, O Lord, we trusted in You; Our soul yearned for Your name and the remembrance of You. <…> When Your judgments are carried out on earth, then those who live in the world will learn the truth. If the wicked is shown mercy, he will not learn righteousness; he will commit evil in the land of the righteous and will not look at the greatness of the Lord. God! Your hand was raised high, but they didn't see it; They will see and be ashamed” (Isaiah 26:8-11). “I will show My glory among the nations, and all the nations will see My judgment that I will execute, and My hand that I will lay on them” (Ezekiel 39:21). “Behold, My Servant, whom I hold by the hand, My chosen one, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will proclaim judgment to the nations” (Isaiah 42:1). “My judgment is like the rising light” (Hosea 6:5). “The judgments of the Lord are true, all are righteous; they are more desirable than gold and even much pure gold, sweeter than honey and drops of honeycomb; and Your servant is protected by them, through their accomplishment there is a wonderful result” (Psalm 18:10-12). “Let justice flow like water, and let righteousness flow like a mighty stream!” (Amos 5:24).
Seven is the number of Divine fullness. The seven years of the Great Tribulation are both the fullness of the Lord’s judgments and the fullness of the cleansing and sanctification of the earth and humanity through the punishment committed.
(Sergei Tupchik, excerpts from the new book “The Second Coming of Christ.”)
Problematic issues of the Second Coming
“Look around the whole world in which you live, and judge that everything visible is mortal, that everything is subject to decay. Look at the sky, and it will one day be destroyed; look at the sun and it will not stand; all the stars, animals living on land and in water, all the decoration of the earth, the earth itself - everything is perishable; a little more time, and all this will not happen” (St. Basil the Great).
When should we expect the Second Coming of Christ? Its exact time and the timing of the subsequent End of the World is known to no one except God.
“But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but only My Father” (Matthew 24:36).
Therefore, any dates are fiction, and those who predict them are false prophets or simply deceivers. But at the same time, the Lord does not leave people in complete ignorance and lifts the veil of secrecy in the form of signs of the Second Coming.
The Second Coming was expected by the apostles and the first Christians during the days of persecution. It was expected in the Middle Ages, when various diseases claimed millions of lives. They expected it in the 20th century in Russia, when the atheistic government destroyed many believers. When the Great Patriotic War claimed millions of lives, leaving behind a devastated land. They expect it even today, when sin becomes the norm and pious life is ridiculed, the line between good and evil is blurred.
But one should not be so impudent about the Holy Scriptures as to literally project the words of the Savior onto modern life. And even more so, you should stay as far away as possible from various false prophets. From those who endlessly talk about the End of the World, forgetting to think about saving their souls.
SECOND COMING
Easter, which glorified the Son of Man, in the minds of Christians did not overshadow His great and glorious verse. Already the “Didache” calls on the disciples of Christ to stay awake, so that their lamps of faith do not go out “in the last time,” when “false prophets and destroyers will multiply and sheep will turn into wolves and love will turn into hatred.” The times of “transformations” and substitutions will turn out to be most favorable for the “deceiver of the world,” that is, for the Antichrist, who “will appear in the likeness of the Son of God.” As for the coming of the Son of God Himself, it will be accompanied by 3 “signs of truth”: “the first sign is the opening of the sky, then the sign of the trumpet, and the third is the resurrection of the dead... Then the world will see the Lord coming on the clouds of heaven” (Didache. 16).
St. Clement, bishop Roman, in the first Epistle addressed to the Corinthian Christians, exhorts them not to doubt the coming parousia. At the same time, he puts into the mouths of those who doubt almost the same words as the apostle. Peter in a similar situation: “We heard this in the time of our fathers, and now we are old, but nothing like this happened to us” (Clem. Rom. Ep. I ad Cor. 23; cf.: “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers began to die, from the beginning of creation, everything remains the same” - 2 Peter 3.4). For St. Clement's delay is only apparent. The vine, which also seems to grow for a long time, actually produces fruit very quickly. “Soon, truly and suddenly,” the saint concludes, “the will of the Lord will be accomplished, according to the testimony of Scripture itself: he will come soon and will not delay...” (Ibid.).
“Shepherd” Hermas connects the end of the world with the completion of the construction of the tower, symbolizing the Church of Christ (Herma. Pastor. I 3. 8). Despite the fact that the “lord of the tower” (i.e. Christ), by whose will it is built (Ibid. III 9.5), subjects every stone used for masonry to the test (cf.: “... and themselves, as living stones, build yourselves into a spiritual house..." (1 Peter 2.5)), the construction of the tower will be completed quickly (Herma. Pastor. I 3.8).
Without mentioning V. p., sschmch. Ignatius the God-Bearer about (Ign. Ep. ad Magn. 5) and that “the times are already past” (Eph. 11).
Ap. Barnabas even believed that the “last temptation” preceding the parousia, about which the prophet wrote. Daniel, it has already “drawn near.” At the same time, he saw the reason for the shortening of the days of temptation not in its power, which “no flesh could defeat” (cf. Mt 24.22), but in the fact that Christ would meet with Christ for the second time as soon as possible. his “heritage,” humanity (Barnaba. Ep. 4).
St. Justin the Philosopher describes V. p. in “Conversation with Tryphon the Jew.” Therefore, he looks for evidence about it and its justification mainly in the Old Testament texts and finds them not only in the prophets, but also in ritual prescriptions. In the Jewish custom, during the period of fasting, to sacrifice two goats, one of which was set free, and the other was sacrificed, he sees prototypes of two appearances of the Messiah. “Those two goats... announced the twofold coming of Christ: the first - when the elders of your (i.e., the Jewish - M.I.) people and the priests brought Him out like a scapegoat, laid hands on Him and killed Him, and the other coming of Him, since in the same place of Jerusalem you will recognize the One whom you dishonored and who was an offering (i.e., a sacrifice - M.I.) for all sinners” (Iust. Martyr. Dial. 40). Here St. martyr Justin is one of the first to suggest that the parousia, like the Incarnation, will take place in Jerusalem. In the battle between the Israelites and the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-16) a prototype of the first coming of the Messiah for the martyr. Justina becomes Moses, who raised his hands crosswise to defeat the enemy, and the second becomes Joshua, who defeated the enemy (Iust. Martyr. Dial. 111). Concluding the explanation of the messianic passages found in the books of the Old Testament prophets, St. the martyr concludes: “These and other similar words of the prophets, Tryphon... relate partly to the first coming of Christ, at which it was foretold that He would appear inglorious, ugly and mortal, and partly to His second coming, when He would come in glory and on the clouds of heaven; then your people will see and recognize Him Whom they pierced, as Hosea, one of the twelve prophets, predicted (see in the Book of the Prophet Zechariah (12.10): “...they will look at Him Whom they pierced..."; in another place (Dial 52) is correctly indicated by the prophet Zechariah - M.I.), and Daniel" (Iust. Martyr. Dial. 14). Since the addressee of Justin Martyr is “Tryphon the Jew” and his people, the “Conversation” is characterized by the use of biblical evidence about the parousia in relation to the Jewish people. So, for example, the words of Christ: “...all the tribes of the earth will mourn and see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven...” (Matthew 24:30) - St. Justin does not provide. At the same time, based precisely on these words, he speaks of the crying and lamentation of Israel during the second meeting with Christ: “And then there will be great mourning in Jerusalem... and they will rend their garments (here Justin recalls the trial of Christ in the Sanhedrin .- M.I.), but also thoughts. They will weep, knee by knee... and say: “Why did You, Lord, allow us to deviate from Your path? The glory that our fathers blessed has become a reproach to us” (Iust. Martyr. Dial. 52).
Savior in Strength. Miniature from the Pereyaslav Gospel. 1406–1410 (RNB. F. n. I 21. L. 6) Savior in Power. Miniature from the Pereyaslav Gospel. 1406–1410 (RNB. F. n. I 21. L. 6) Among the events preceding the parousia, Justin Martyr highlights the coming of the Antichrist and the return to earth of the prophet. Elijah. At the same time, the apocalyptic times, according to Justin, are approaching so rapidly that we can already say that “the one who will utter blasphemous and insolent words against the Almighty is standing at the door...” (Ibid. 32). Faith in the return of the prophet. Elijah at St. martyr finds its basis in the text of the prophet. Malachi (and not the prophet Zechariah, as in the “Conversation”): “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord” (Malachi 4.5). The fact that “Elijah had already come, and they did not recognize him, but did with him as they wanted” (Matthew 17:12), for St. Justina does not abolish the predictions of the prophet. Malachi; Jesus Christ calls “Elijah,” who “has already come,” prophet. John the Baptist, for in the latter the same “Messenger” acted as in the prophet. Elijah. This “Messenger”, “preceding” both the First and Second Coming of Christ, according to Justin, is the Spirit of God (Iust. Martyr. Dial. 49).
Although the time of the parousia is unknown to anyone except the Heavenly Father (Mark 13.32), sschmch. Irenaeus, bishop Lyonsky, decides to suggest that, according to him, Christ will return to earth “in the year six thousand” (Iren. Adv. haer. V 28. 3). He justifies this assumption as follows. For him, the biblical revelation about the 6-day creation of the world is not only “a story about the past, how it happened,” but “and a prophecy about the future.” See in this “legend” a prophecy of sschmch. Irenaeus tries with the help of the words of the ap. Peter: “...with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3.8). Since “the day of the Lord is like a thousand years,” and creation was “completed” “in six days,” then, concludes St. Irenaeus, “it is obvious that it will end in the year six thousand” (Iren. Adv. haer. V 28. 3). Christ will come “in the same flesh in which he suffered” (Ibid. III 16.8). However, if before His resurrection He, as St. believes. Irenaeus, “was an ugly man and subject to suffering,” then at the moment of V. p. He will appear as “the Holy Lord, the Marvelous, the Counselor, beautiful in appearance, the mighty God, coming on the clouds, the Judge of all” (Ibid. III 19. 2) . St. Irenaeus sees 4 reasons for V. p. Having appeared “in the glory of the Father” (Ibid. III 16. 6), Christ will come first of all in order to “reveal” this glory to the world (Ibid. III 16. 8). In a blaze of glory He will resurrect the human race, after which He will “reveal” salvation to the righteous. His final “act” will be the universal judgment as an example of “righteous judgment for all those created by Him” (Ibid. III 16.6). Jesus Christ will appear simultaneously as Savior and Judge: “as the Savior of those who are being saved and the Judge of those who are condemned” (Ibid. III 4.2).
Describing the events accompanying V. p., sschmch. Irenaeus puts into the mouth of Jesus Christ words not found in the Holy Scriptures. Scripture. When Christ “comes from heaven with the angels of His power,” he writes, “the whole earth will shake, as He Himself says: “there will be a great earthquake, such as has not happened from the beginning”” (Ibid. IV 33.13). So, apparently, St. Irenaeus of Lyons understands the words of Christ: “And suddenly, after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Matthew 24.29).
Similar to schmch. Irenaeus of Lyons, the assumption about the time of V. p. is also expressed by Sschmch. Hippolytus of Rome, making a reservation that simple human curiosity prompts him to take such a step. Otherwise, this “should not be talked about” (Hipp. In Dan. IV 23). He also builds on the text of 2 Peter 3.8 and determines that the world will exist for 6 thousand years. However, the chronological detail that appears to him as a result of speculative calculation, according to which the First Coming of Christ (i.e., the Incarnation) took place in 5500, narrows the New Testament period to 500 years (Ibid. IV 23-24). However, St. himself probably does not believe in these forecasts. Hippolytus, because he not only repeats the words of Christ about the unknown time of V. p., but also recognizes the “delay” of the parousia, which, as he believes, was “promised” by the Lord. An indication of the “delay” of St. Hippolytus sees in the parable of the 10 virgins, where it is noted that “the groom was slow” to come to the meeting with the brides (Matthew 25.5) (Hipp. In Dan. IV 16). He recommends treating the message about the imminent coming of the Lord prudently, remembering His words: “So if they say to you: “Behold, He is in the desert,” do not go out; “Behold, He is in the secret chambers,” do not believe” (Matthew 24:26). For such a warning, St. Hippolytus had reasons. He tells a sad incident that took place in Syria in his time, the culprit of which was none other than the primate of one of the Churches himself. “He, without thinking about it,” notes St. Hippolytus, bearing in mind the Lord’s warning (Matthew 24:26), convinced many of the brothers, along with their wives and children, to go into the desert to meet Christ.” There they wandered “through the mountains and roads” and would undoubtedly have died if the local ruler’s wife, a Christian, had not helped them. “This is what foolishness and what naivety,” concludes St. Hippolytus, - to look for Christ in the desert, just as during the time of Elisha the sons of the prophets spent three days in the mountains looking for Elijah, who was taken into heaven!” (Hipp. In Dan. IV 18). One should not think that during the period of the parousia Christ will need to be sought as in the desert, for “The King of Heaven will then be revealed to everyone,” and not in the same way “as He was seen on Mount Sinai, and not in the pillar of cloud,” i.e. “ not in any other form” (Ibid. IV 10). He “will come with powers and a multitude of angels as God and man in the flesh—as the Son of God and man, as the heavenly Judge of the world.” He will “destroy, scatter, and scatter” all the kingdoms of the world; let those who despise and slander Him today remember that He “has not yet transferred the power of judgment that belongs to Him to anyone” (Ibidem).
By analogy with the Epiphany (the first coming of the Lord), which was announced by John the Baptist, V. will also be foreshadowed. The prophets Enoch and Elijah will act as harbingers, who, like John the Baptist, will make a last attempt to return people to God (Hipp. De Christ. et Antichrist. 43-47).
In the attributed to St. Hippolyto op. “The Word about the end of the world, about the Antichrist and about the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”, the harbinger of the coming of the Lord, besides Enoch and Elijah, is John the Theologian. Along with this, the author of the work puts forward a fantastic assumption about the incarnation of the devil, placing it in parallel with the Incarnation of God. “The devil...” he writes, “will try to be equal to our Savior in everything.” Just as “the Savior... was born of the immaculate and virgin Mary... so the devil will come to earth from an unclean woman, born in deception from a virgin.” True, the author of the work here asks the question: “How could he (the devil - M.S.) wear such flesh that he did not create, but against which he fights every day?” And he answers: He will accept human nature “only in a ghostly form” (Hipp. De consum. mundi. 22).
In his Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, Origen sees one of the main reasons for the suffering of the human race before the coming of Jesus Christ in the depletion of the earth's resources (Orig. In Matth. 36). As for the coming itself, it, in his opinion, will be spiritual. Visual and material representations of it can only be used for children and minors. Otherwise, the interpretation of eschatological events will be internally contradictory (Ibid. 50). This understanding of the parousia allows Origen to present the appearance of Christ not in k.-l. specific place, but everywhere. Christ will simultaneously appear to all people on earth, regardless of their place of residence or place of burial. So everyone will see the coming Lord, however, not with the eyes of the body, but with the eyes of the spirit (Ibid. 70). Origen establishes a parallel, strange at first glance, between the differences in the 2 comings of Jesus Christ, on the one hand, and the differences in the descriptions of the Sinai legislation in Deuteronomy and “in the books written before”, on the other. In the latter, the legislation is not presented so clearly and obviously, which, according to Origen, corresponds to the humiliated appearance of Christ in the Incarnation. The first book sets out the code of laws clearly and clearly, and in this it becomes for Origen the “image” of V. p. The reason for the appearance of such a strange image of the parousia is in the Apocalypse, which speaks of the “eternal Gospel”, which should become the subject of the gospel “ to those who dwell on the earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people” (Rev 14:6). Origen was of the opinion that it was in V. p. “that the image of Deuteronomy will be realized, since in the Kingdom of Heaven all the saints will live according to the laws of the eternal Gospel. ... when from the temporal Gospel Christ will transfer all the saints to the eternal Gospel" (Orig. De princip. IV 25).
Description of V. p. at schmch. Methodius, bishop Patarsky, is symbolic in nature. It is based on the Gospel parable of the 10 virgins. St. Methodius consistently explains all the images and events of the parable, while simultaneously drawing moral lessons from them. “Slowing down” of the groom going to meet 10 virgins, for St. Methodius precisely “is time” from the Incarnation to V. p. In the doze and sleep of the virgins, he sees the image of death; at midnight - the kingdom of the Antichrist; in the cry that rang out, “Behold, the bridegroom comes, go out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6) - a voice from heaven and the sound of a trumpet, when the saints after their resurrection will be “caught up... in the clouds to meet the Lord...” (1 Thessalonians 4:16- 17) (Method. Olymp. Conv. decem virg. VI 4). For sschmch. For Methodius, even such a detail as the awakening of all virgins (and not just the “wise ones”) is important, which symbolizes the general resurrection. His explanation of the words of the apostle is peculiar. Paul: “...we who are left alive will be caught up together with them (that is, with those who have risen - M.I.) in the clouds to meet the Lord...” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Sschmch. Methodius believes that “survivors” should be understood as dead people. “We who are living,” he writes, “are actually our souls, which, together with our bodies, again perceived, on the clouds will go to meet the Lord, carrying lamps adorned ... with the light of wisdom and chastity...” (Method. Olymp. Conv. decem virg. VI 4).
St. Athanasius the Great almost does not dwell on the topic of parousia, although the problems of Christology occupy the main place for him. One of the problems concerning the abilities of each of the two natures of Christ is discussed in the “Most Extensive Discourse on Faith,” which is a compilation of various works of St. Athanasius (see Art. Athanasius I the Great), based on Mark 13.32, which speaks of the unknown time of V. p. even for the Son Himself. To understand who the evangelist calls “Son,” St. Athanasius gives a brief description of the possibilities of the divine and human natures. The first has absolute knowledge, “because there is nothing that God the Word, who is from the Father’s heart, does not know.” He even knows about what does not exist in reality and what “will come into being” only later. In addition, God the Father transferred judicial powers to the Son (“for the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son” - John 5.22) and knowledge of the judgment, when and how it will take place. As for the human nature of Christ, although it is perfect, it does not acquire any divine properties by virtue of its union with God the Word. In the act of Incarnation, she does not overcome her inherent creaturely limitations and remains with the same potential abilities that she is endowed with in the creative act. If God the Word does not reveal to her certain secrets of the Divine “economy,” she remains ignorant of them. It is she who is called by the evangelist Mark “Son”, who does not know about the day and hour of the parousia. In the Word of Faith, this Son “is Jesus, born of Mary,” “not knowing the day of judgment” (Athanas. Alex. Sermo maior de fide. 33).
Last Judgment. Icon. XII century (monastery in the name of the Great Martyr Catherine in Sinai)
Last Judgment. Icon. XII century (monastery in the name of the Great Martyr Catherine in Sinai) St. Cyril of Jerusalem talks about V. p. in one of the Catechetical Teachings. He first of all draws attention to the fact that with Jesus Christ “for the most part, everything is twofold. There are two births - one from the eternal God; the other is from Virgo. A twofold descent... into the first... He lay in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes; in the second he will be dressed “in light, like a robe” (Ps 103:2). In the first he “endured the cross” (Heb. 12:2); in the second he will come accompanied by an army of angels and in glory” (Cyr. Hieros. Catech. 15. 1). The first time he was convicted; in the second, “he will come to judge those who judged Him” (Ibidem). Then St. Kirill explains what will happen to the material world, to which Christ will come a second time. The day of Christ's coming is the “last day” for the world, “for it will be the end of this world.” However, “the end” does not mean the destruction of the world. “This created world,” points out St. Kirill, - will be renewed again,” “in order to appear better” (Ibid. 15. 3). No one knows when all this will happen, so one should not be curious and “set” the time of the parousia. “However,” notes the Jerusalem saint, “do not fall asleep carelessly.” Referring to app. Paul, he warns that Satan can take on “the appearance of an angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14) and that the Antichrist, taking advantage of this satanic device, will deceive many (Cyr. Hieros. Catech. 15:4). That is why, as St. believes. Cyril, “the sign of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:30) will represent St. The Cross, because the “opposite force” does not dare to “become like” the Cross. “The Sign of the Cross is fear to the enemies of Jesus and joy to His friends” (Cyr. Hieros. Catech. 15. 22). Archangel, accompanied by V. p., St. Cyril of Jerusalem gives human speech: “The Archangel will shout and say to everyone: “Rise up to meet the Lord”” (Ibid. 15. 21). From the Conversation of St. Cyril, it becomes known that in his time heretics appeared in Galatia, teaching that “the kingdom of Christ will have an end.” The end will come after the parousia, for “The Word that came from the Father, having returned again to the Father, will no longer exist” (Ibid. 15. 27). The heretics saw the basis for such a teaching in the 15th chapter. Epistles of the Ap. Paul to the Corinthians: Christ “must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet” (v. 25) and “when he has put all things under him, then the Son himself will be subject to him who put all things under him...” (v. 28). The error of understanding the 1st text of St. Cyril establishes through analysis the word “until” (Slav. “dondezhe”) (for an explanation of this word, see Art. Theotokos). The position of common sense, which he adheres to, allows him to discover the unacceptability of the interpretation of the 2nd text. “The most wicked of all! - exclaims St. Kirill.- You, created by Christ, will exist. Will the existence of Christ, by whom you and all things were made, really cease?” The "submission" of the Son to the Father does not mean the cessation of the Son's existence. Nor does it mean that the Son “will begin to obey the Father” only from the moment of the parousia, “for He always does what pleases Him... He is not a slave who submits under compulsion, but a Son who obeys by will and out of love” (Cyr. Hieros Catech. 15. 29-30).
St. Basil the Great, calling the last day of the material world a “non-evening” and “endless” day, compares it with the first day of the world’s existence, since both of them have common features. The first lays the foundation for the created world; the latter - to a renewed world. Both of them are not counted in hours and have an “affinity with the century.” They are “one” (i.e., unique and inimitable). “Moses, in order to raise his thought to the future life, called this image of the age “one”, this beginning of days (i.e., the first day of the world. - M.I.) ... “One” is also the day of the parousia, which is “outside this week.” time. Therefore, whether you call it “day” or “age”, you express the same concept; whether you say that it is a day or that it is a state, it is always one, and not many; whether you call it a “century”, it will be single, and not multiple” (Basil. Magn. Hom. in Hex. 2).
The coming of Christ will not be “local”; it is to be expected “in the whole universe” (Basil. Magn. Moral. reg. 68.2). It will be accompanied by the appearance of the Holy Spirit (De Spirit. Sanct. 16). Pointing out that V. p. for careless Christians will be harsh and terrible, St. Vasily warns that his warnings are not just “horror stories” in which a mother or nurse tries to silence a crying child. “This is not a fable, but a doctrine preached in a true voice. Know that, according to the Gospel saying, “not one jot or one tittle will pass from the law until all is fulfilled” (Matthew 5.18) ... everyone will be given their due by the Righteous Judge” (Hom. 8 // PG. 31. Col 328).
For St. Gregory the Theologian, church strife is “the smoke of the expected fire,” that is, that fiery trial that will befall the Church before the Great Patriotic War during the time of the Antichrist. The latter will “attack” “not against those who have joined in love,” but against those whose “kingdom” is “divided against itself” (Matt. 12.25) (Greg. Nazianz. Or. 22.7).
For the second time, Christ “will come in the glory of the Father and with the body, so that,” as St. notes. Gregory, the deicides saw Him” (Greg. Nazianz. Carmina moral // PG. 37. Col. 963). The Tabor transfiguration partly helps to imagine in what form the Lord will appear during the Great Patriotic War. The same one who claims “that now the flesh has been abandoned by Him (God the Word - M.I.)” and the Divinity remains naked from the body, “let not will see… the glory of His coming!” (Greg. Nazianz. Ep. 101).
St. Gregory, bishop Nyssa, draws a distinction between a world in which time exists, and a world in which “there will be no more time” (Rev 10:6). The line separating these worlds will become precisely V. p. With its onset by the power of resurrection, the “nature” of the world “will be transformed... into some other state of life,” since the forces that create existence and destroy it will disappear in it. Together with them, the “week that measures time” and time itself will disappear, and the “eighth day will come, that is, the last age, which consists of one day, as one of the prophets says, calling the expected life “a great day” (Joel 2. 11)". Although St. Gregory does not call him, like St. Basil the Great, on a “non-evening” day, however, indicates that it will not be illuminated by the material sun, “but by the true Light, the Sun of Truth, which the prophet. Zechariah is called “East” (Zechariah 6.12; this name is in the LXX translation and is absent in the Masoretic text and, accordingly, in the Synodal translation. - M.I.), because it never hides in the west” (Greg. Nyss. In inscript Psalm II 5).
V.P. pays great attention to St. John Chrysostom. First of all, he asks the questions: why is the time of coming hidden from people and did the Son of God Himself know about it (Mark 13:32)? He devotes several Conversations to answers to them. In them St. John makes a clear distinction between the time of the parousia and its symptoms. While the latter are described in detail in the Gospels and in the Epistles of the Apostles, the former remains completely unknown. The explanation for this - at first glance - strange fact is St. John starts from afar. First of all, he recommends not to forget that a person is often driven not only by prudent curiosity, but also by idle curiosity, which gives rise to many questions, “in which,” the saint notes, “there is nothing except: when does this happen and when does that something" (Ioan. Chrysost. In ep. I ad Thessal. 9). Among such questions he includes the question of V. p.’s time, “as something superfluous and useless.” “Suppose that death follows in twenty, or thirty, or a hundred years: what does this have to do with us” (Ibidem), asks St. John answers that our own death has the most direct relation to us, and for us personally it is the same end as the end of the world will be for all humanity under the Great Patriotic War. However, we think about our own death least of all. We prefer to talk “about the actions... of other people rather than about our own,” “we worry about other people’s” affairs, “not paying attention to our own,” we think about the fate of the world and do not care about our own fate. In the same way, “each of us, having abandoned concern for his own end, wants to know about the common end. What do you have in common with her? If you prepare well for your death, then you will not tolerate any evil from everyone. Whether she will be far away or close - this has nothing to do with us. That’s why Christ didn’t speak about her... because it was useless” (Ibidem). However, suppose, St. argues further. John Chrysostom that the time of the parousia became known to us. What consequences could this lead to? St. John does not see any benefit in this knowledge. Moreover, he believes that knowledge of the time of V. p. would only aggravate the carelessness of those who do not lead a strict lifestyle, just as knowledge of the day of his death would lead to the fact that a person “would commit countless crimes and already on that the day would begin to approach the font (receive the sacrament of Baptism - M.I.), when it would begin to die” (Ibidem), since in Baptism cleansing from sins occurs. St. John Chrysostom claims that the Son of God knew about the time of the parousia and His words about ignorance in this matter are only a pedagogical device, with the help of which He “forbids the disciples not only to know, but also to ask about it. And the fact that these words were spoken by Him with precisely this intention,” says the saint, “learn from how, after the resurrection, He forbade their curiosity with greater force when He noticed that they were unnecessarily devoted to him” (In Matth. 77). Statement of St. John Chrysostom is based on the Divine omniscience of Christ and does not concern the abilities and possibilities of His human nature. Therefore, he talks about Christ as the Son, who “knew the Father perfectly, just as the Father did the Son,” and as the Creator, who “created the ages... and times.” “He who knows the Father,” how could he not know “about this day,” parousia, and he who created times, how could he not know “that day that He created?” - asks St. John (Ibidem).
St. John does not agree with those who believe that the preceding parousia “great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, nor will be” (Matthew 24:21) is due to the aging of the world. “Like an aged body,” say supporters of this opinion, “which experiences many illnesses,” the surrounding nature, “also growing old,” will experience “many disasters.” Objecting to them, St. John points out that one should not confuse the infirmities caused by the aging of the human body with hunger, wars, diseases, earthquakes (cf. Mt 24:1-8), which “are not due to the old age of nature.” “All these disasters,” he concludes, “are punishment for sins and the healing of human illnesses.” But why will these disasters increase before the coming of Christ? - asks St. John on behalf of those with whose opinions he disagrees. His answer to this question is traditional: the increase in disasters is caused by the increase in human sinfulness. Sinfulness, in turn, often multiplies on earth due to impunity. Since “the court is delaying, punishments are still due and the Judge has not yet come, those who will have to give an account become more careless. So Christ says about the evil servant that because of this he became the most careless” (Ioan. Chrysost. In illud: Hoc scitote. 6).
There are many eschatological characters. Words of St. Ephraim the Syrian, who tirelessly repeated that the memory of death, the end of the world and the V. p. of Christ to judge the human race, serves as a powerful means in the fight against sin. The “Teacher of Repentance,” as the Church calls him, pursues the theme of parousia not only in his reflections on the fate of the world and man, but also in the prayers he wrote. He constantly calls for mourning for sins - for judgment on oneself, which must precede the general judgment of V. p. and wash away the shame of sin. “Run to repentance, sinners, because this world does not bloom for long and will soon pass away. Blessed are the repentant; judgment awaits sinners" (Efrem the Syrian. Exhortation to repentance and correction of life // Creations. M., 1995. T. 4. P. 502). In the Discourse on the words of Ecclesiastes: “all is vanity and vexation of spirit” (Eccl. 1.14) - St. Ephraim again draws attention to the fact that “the world is approaching its end” “in the rapid passage of time” (Ibid. p. 360). The end of the world is at the same time “the last of the days; this is the morning, after which there will be no other morning” (About the frailty of this life, about future judgment and retribution // Ibid. P. 488). The repentant mood of St. Ephraim is replaced by a joyful feeling when his poetic imagination draws pictures of a person’s transition from the vale of tears to this “non-evening” day of meeting with the Lord, who crowns the worthy ascetic of faith and piety with greatness and glory. “Let not your hearts, mortals, grieve; the day of the Lord will come, it will rejoice and awaken us who have fallen asleep... Let not your soul grieve, redeemed by the cross and called into the Kingdom; the day of the Lord will come... and the dead will rise and give praise” (On the death of a person who died during an earthquake // Ibid. P. 518).
Last Judgment.
Painting of the chapel c. Our Lady of Evergetis, Studenica Monastery, Serbia. 1568 The Last Judgment. Painting of the chapel c. Our Lady of Evergetis, Studenica Monastery, Serbia. 1568 Blzh. Augustine calls “the last time” not the period that will precede the parousia, but the parousia itself. At the same time, he notes that it can also be called the final day of God’s judgment, meaning that in St. In Scripture, “the word “day” is usually used instead of time.” The adjective "final" blzh. Augustine is used to distinguish this day from other “judgment” days, in which God “judged from the very beginning of the human race, when he expelled from paradise... the first people who committed a great crime; He judged without any doubt even when he did not spare the angels who had sinned... he judges even now.” Thus, “I,” notes the blj. Augustine, “I will speak not about those first and not about these intermediate judgments of God, but about the very last judgment... when Christ comes from heaven to judge the living and the dead.” The peculiarity of this trial will be that it will remove any confusion regarding the future. the fate of every person. It “will no longer leave room for the question: why is this unjust man happy and that righteous man unhappy. For then true and complete happiness will become the lot of only all the good, and deserved... misfortune will be the lot of all the evil” (Aug. De civ. Dei. XX 1). On it the good will be separated from the evil; along with this, there will also be a division between the city of the devil and the city of God (Ibid. XIX 17, 26, 28; XX 21). Attention blzh. Augustine is attracted by the words of St. Paul: “We will not all die, but we will all be changed” (1 Cor 15:51). At the same time, “those who remain alive,” according to the apostle, just like all those resurrected, “in the air” will meet the coming Christ (1 Thess. 4:17). If death is the lot of all people, the blessed one is perplexed. Augustine, if “in Christ all will come to life” (1 Cor. 15.22) and if “what you sow will not come to life unless it dies” (1 Cor. 15.36), then how can one “live by immortality” if not go through the gates of death? During these reflections, blzh. Augustine is inclined to assume that all people will still be involved in death, including those who do not die before the end of the century. Their mortality will manifest itself in an unusual way. “Those who are caught up on high in the clouds, of course, will not be sown (like grain - M.I.), will not go... to the earth and will not return from it,” however, they will be “sown” in a different way - “in the air - and in the same time will live there immortally and incorruptibly.” They, according to the blj. Augustine, “little will die in the air”; “as they die, so will they be resurrected... at the time of the rapture itself, when they are in the air.” However, he notes, all this is just “feasible assumptions”, which “we build... with our little mind.” What will happen during the V. p. “will be accomplished ... in a way that exceeds our knowledge” (Ibid. XX 20). However, the thirst for knowledge and curiosity of the blessed. Augustine does not give him peace, and he again expresses “strong assumptions” on another occasion. He is interested in the state during the period of parousia not only of a person, but also of the surrounding world. Using the apostolic words: “...the image of this world is passing away” (1 Cor 7.31), testifying to the corruption of everything around us, blessed. Augustine names a specific moment for the complete disappearance of this “image” and describes how this will happen. Such a moment will come “at the end of the judgment,” that is, after the condemnation of those who are not written in the “book of life,” and after their casting into eternal fire (what kind and in what part of the world or universe will this fire be, he notes, I believe that no one knows, except to whom the Holy Spirit reveals). At this moment, the corruptible world, subject to destruction, will also be on fire, but not in the “eternal” one, but in the material one. He will be destroyed by his own fire, “just as the flood was accomplished by the inundation of the waters of the world.” This comparison of the “world fire” (the expression of St. Augustine) with the universal flood is undoubtedly taken from St. Peter (2 Peter 3.5-7). However, in determining the time of the “fire” blzh. Augustine, apparently, disagrees with the instructions of the apostle. Peter, according to Krom, “the inflamed heavens will be destroyed and the burning elements will melt” not after the Last Judgment, but at the moment of V. p. (“the coming of the day of the Lord”) (2 Peter 3.12). Blzh. Augustine clarifies: only the decayed image of the world will burn; “Those properties of the corruptible elements that corresponded to our corruptible bodies will be destroyed by fire, and the substance itself will receive such properties that, through an amazing change, will turn out to be corresponding to immortal bodies.” The renewal of the world, therefore, will occur in full accordance with the renewal of the resurrected man (Ibid. XX 12-16).
Some Predictions about the Second Coming
1000 year. Pope Sylvester II was an authoritative medieval scholar. He claimed that the world would end on January 1, 1000. Many believed him. When the Advent did not happen, a clarifying version was put forward. Allegedly, the pope made an inaccurate prediction, and the end of the world was supposed to be the coming of the millennium, not the birth, but the death of Jesus Christ. That is, the date of the second coming of Christ was supposed to be 1033. But after this prediction did not come true, they decided to forget about Sylvester II’s calculations.
1284 Pope Innocent III set the Second Coming for 1284. He connected this expected event with the emergence of Islam. He believed that in the year 666 after the appearance of this new religion, the last times would come. The Pope made his prediction during the Crusades, times of interreligious hostility. The pontiff himself did not live to see 1284.
1988 Predictions by Edgar Viznant, a scientist from NASA. His book "88 Reasons Why the Second Coming Will Be in 1988" became a bestseller.
1992 Predictions of the American preacher Lee Yang Rim. His preaching brought him fabulous wealth in the form of donations from his frightened followers.
year 2000. Expectation of the end of the world on a “round” date, including the computer “Problem 2000”. A certain number of people believed this, they bought bunkers and stocked up on provisions.
Harbingers of the coming of the Antichrist
The last point in the series of all the signs of the appearance of Christ for the second time is the coming of the Antichrist. Precursors can manifest themselves in such large-scale events as:
- wars and civil strife;
- natural disasters;
- moral decay;
- pestilence of people through diseases.
Among the visible ones, there are other temptations that a person will not pay attention to. This is bribery with wealth, when the line is lost as to how much a person needs for life, vanity and pride will prevail over reason. But the most important sign will be that people will simply stop waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ.
While a person is looking for signs of the coming of Christ, he believes in his appearance and in himself. When complete oblivion of God comes, this may be the final point. People will say that everything is good in the world, they are happy with life, and that there is no need for the Kingdom of Heaven - they are satisfied with earthly life.
Day of Reckoning in the Gospel of Luke:
“Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains,
and whoever is in the city, come out of it,
and whoever is in the vicinity, do not enter it,
because these are the days of vengeance,
that all that is written may be fulfilled.”
People who believe in the end of the world and God's judgment prepare themselves for this event. But everyone will have to answer, and you won’t be able to hide behind others. This will be retribution, and you will have to answer as if in court for your actions. Advent can cause fear because a person is afraid to open his heart. But everything will become clear - who went to God and who turned their back to him. You will have to answer for this.
To fear or not to fear the Second Coming?
From the Holy Scriptures we know quite a lot about the Second Coming, the Last Judgment and the end of the world. But is it worth panicking about future events? Indeed, the righteous and sinners will be judged and receive retribution according to their deeds. God gave each of us earthly life. And during it we can repent of our sins, begin to lead a godly life, and do good deeds.
And most importantly, we can participate in the Eucharist, in the sacrament, without which the salvation of the soul is impossible. All of the above gives us hope of being among those who will inherit the Kingdom of God and eternal bliss.
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