The Second Coming of Christ.
The Liturgical Year of the Church comes to
a close Sat. Nov. 26, 2022, and a new liturgical year begins with the first Sunday
of Advent on Sun. Nov. 27th. At this time of year the Biblical readings at Mass
tend to focus on the end times – where is history headed, what is the
culmination.
This theme is a fitting ending to our
series of articles on what Jesus and the Bible have to say about how we are to
live in this world, so today’s last article of that series explores what the
second coming of Jesus Christ is all about.
We’ve already discussed the “antichrist,”
the “man of lawlessness,” who will exalt himself and proclaim himself to be God
(2 Thes 2:2-4). He comes first before Christ returns. He will be given great
power (Rev 13:2) and practically the whole world will go to war against God
(Dan 7:25. Rev 13:6; Ps 2). From the Bible, it appears the antichrist will not
come as a political power nor as an ideology, but rather as a presence in the
world – a personal presence, an evil presence, a presence of deception and lie.
During this time, the Church will
experience not only persecutions from without, but also apostasy from within.
There is presently a restraint on the antichrist from being revealed until “his
time” (2 Thes. 2:6), and it seems that what holds the antichrist restrained is
the unfolding of the great apostasy in the Church. Apostasy from within is very
fertile ground for the antichrist to gain acceptance. So the Catechism says
this time will be as a final Passover for the Church where she will “follow her
Lord in His death and Resurrection,” but still God will have the “victory over
the final unleashing of evil” in the “form of the Last Judgment after the final
cosmic upheaval of this passing world.” (CCC 677, with ref. to Rev 19:1-9; see
also CCC 676.)
This “cosmic upheaval” is another
occurrence to come about before the return of the Lord. There will be signs in
the sun, moon, and stars, and upon the earth much distress and fear; the
[demonic] powers of the heavens will be shaken; and they will see the Son of
Man coming with great glory (Lk 21:25-27; Mt 24:29-30), and “the sign of the
Son of man” will appear in heaven (Mt 24:30). When we should see these things,
we are told to look up and raise our heads because our redemption is drawing
near (Lk 21:28). Christ will come as lightning comes from the East as far as
the West (Mt 24:27). Christ will send His angels with a loud trumpet call to
gather His elect (Mt 24:31). Therefore, we must watch at all times and pray
that we may have strength to escape all these things and stand before the Son
of Man (Lk 21:36; Mt 24:36-44).
Also, the Gospel must be proclaimed to all
nations as a testimony first, and then the end will come (Mk 13:10; Mt 24:14).
With the Judgment of the Nations, Christ’s
reign in the world is then completed. He must reign until He has destroyed
every rule, authority, and power and put all enemies, including death itself
(cf., Heb 2:14), under His feet (1 Cor 15:24-26; Phil 2:9). Then comes the end
when He delivers the Kingdom to God the Father (1 Cor 15:24-25, 28; cf. Phil 2:10;
Heb 1:6, 13, 2:8).
So for all Christ’s faithful wherever they may be, we pray first, for the grace to watch, be vigilant, examine the signs of the times, look for Christ's return, and to escape the tribulations of the end times and stand before Christ in full confidence of His Mercy at the Last Judgment. For those who have not yet come to Christ, now is the time. Receive Christ’s mercy. Do not delay any longer.
Dibby Allan Green