The Promised in Christianity – Part One
The Promised in Christianity – Part 1
Christians and Christ’s Second Coming
The idea of Second Coming of Jesus (PBUH) constitutes one of the beliefs of Christian community. This enthusiasm and expectation has been reflected well in the older parts of New Testament like the first and second Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians. But in subsequent epistles, such as Paul’s epistle to Timothy and Titus as well as Peter’s epistle, the social dimension of Christianity has been taken in to consideration.
This was due to the fact that over time Christians believed that Second Coming of Christ, despite what they thought, would not be close. However a minority of them believed that Jesus would come soon and would establish his thousand-year reign, the reign which will last till the Judgment Day.
Therefore some small groups of Christians called Millennium-oriented were formed in Christianity from long time ago. All their effort is to prepare people for reappearance of Jesus at the Apocalypse.
Of course there are some verses in the bible that intensify the expectation for reappearance of Jesus and consider it sudden, since its date is not specified.
For example in gospel of Matthew it has been quoted from Jesus (PBUH):
“You can’t know the date of my reappearance, for it is just in God’s power. No one knows when that moment comes (reappearance time), even angels, only God knows its date and time.” (1) Or from Gospel of Luke has been quoted that: “Christ says: You must be always ready, because I will come at an hour when you do not expect.” (2)
The topic of Expectation is one of the important and key issues in Christianity, especially in the Bible. For example in some parts of bible is written:
“Get dressed and be ready for service and keep your lamps burning. Be like servants waiting for their lord to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks on their door they can immediately open the door for him. Blessed are those servants who are awake when they lord comes. You must be ready too, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (3)
It should be noted that in this part of bible, the Son of Man is clearly mentioned as Promised savior. This is the title that Jesus (PBUH) attributed to the final Promised. It must be said that experts believe that the Son of Man does not refer to Jesus. Because according to Christians beliefs, Jesus is Son of God. Therefor Son of Man is different from Son of God and they refer to different people.
In the other parts of bible, characteristics of the Son of Man have been described clearly. These characteristics and specifications are very close to the characteristics of the Promised in Twelver Shiism religion and in some cases they are identical.
It should also be said that Christianity, emphasizes on the unexpected Second Coming of Jesus and his reappearance, and also evaluates the purpose of his Second Coming as establishment of divine reign in the direction of divine reign of heavens. In addition, they consider reappearance of Christ as the only solution for the survival and life of people, and introduces Jesus as the savior of mankind and the king of the kings. They believe that Christ, according to the words of Daniel, will change social, economic, political, educational and religious system of the world and will establish a world on the basis of the ways of God.
Christians also consider some signs for the reappearance of Jesus Son of Mary:
Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will not shine anymore, and the moon will be darkened, the stars will lose their light and will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. Then the signs of reappearance of the heavenly man will appear, and then all the nations on the earth become worried and sad then the Christ descends from the clouds of sky, with power and great glory. (4)
In the Gospel of Mark the above mentioned issues are emphasized. It also reads that Christ collects disciples:
Then Jesus will come with great power and glory and he will send the angels that are at his service all over the world and he will gather his elect from around the world from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. (5)
PS:
- Gospel of Matthew 24:36
- Luke 12:40
- Luke, chapter 12. Verse 35,36
- Gospel of Matthew 24:29-30
- Mark 13:24-27
