Editing Openai/68212884-5940-8007-ae13-ab8952298d9e (section)

=== In Christian doctrine the Second Coming (Parousia) of Christ is explicitly prophesied.  New Testament texts record Jesus promising, “I will come again and take you to be with me” (John 14:3)biblegateway.com<ref>{{cite web|title=biblegateway.com|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+16%3A27%2CMark+14%3A62%2CJohn+14%3A3%2CActs+1%3A11%2CPhilippians+3%3A20%2C1+Thessalonians+4%3A15%2C2+Timothy+4%3A1&version=NKJV%3BNIV%3BKJV%3BESV#:~:text=3%C2%A0And%20if%20I%20go%20and,B|publisher=biblegateway.com|access-date=2025-12-07}}</ref>.  The apostles likewise taught that “this same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go” (Acts 1:11)biblegateway.com<ref>{{cite web|title=biblegateway.com|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+16%3A27%2CMark+14%3A62%2CJohn+14%3A3%2CActs+1%3A11%2CPhilippians+3%3A20%2C1+Thessalonians+4%3A15%2C2+Timothy+4%3A1&version=NKJV%3BNIV%3BKJV%3BESV#:~:text=This%20same%20Jesus%2C%20who%20has,%E2%80%9D|publisher=biblegateway.com|access-date=2025-12-07}}</ref>.  Jesus also spoke of “the Son of Man…coming on the clouds of heaven” with power and glorybiblegateway.com<ref>{{cite web|title=biblegateway.com|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+16%3A27%2CMark+14%3A62%2CJohn+14%3A3%2CActs+1%3A11%2CPhilippians+3%3A20%2C1+Thessalonians+4%3A15%2C2+Timothy+4%3A1&version=NKJV%3BNIV%3BKJV%3BESV#:~:text=62%C2%A0Jesus%20said%2C%20%E2%80%9CI%20am,%E2%80%9D|publisher=biblegateway.com|access-date=2025-12-07}}</ref>.  These passages form the canonical scriptural basis for a future return.  Historically, every major Christian branch (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant) affirms a future Parousia.  For example, the early Nicene (325 AD) and Apostles’ Creeds declare “He will come again to judge the living and the dead”vatican.va<ref>{{cite web|title=vatican.va|url=https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_one/section_two/chapter_two/article_7.html#:~:text=,THE%20LIVING%20AND%20THE%20DEAD|publisher=vatican.va|access-date=2025-12-07}}</ref>.  The modern Catholic Catechism likewise states that “Christ’s coming in glory has been imminent… and could be accomplished at any moment”vatican.va<ref>{{cite web|title=vatican.va|url=https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_one/section_two/chapter_two/article_7.html#:~:text=673%20Since%20the%20Ascension%20Christ%27s,that%20will%20precede%20it%20are|publisher=vatican.va|access-date=2025-12-07}}</ref>.  Surveys confirm that this expectation remains widespread: a Pew poll found ~79% of U.S. Christians believe Jesus will eventually returnpatheos.com<ref>{{cite web|title=patheos.com|url=https://www.patheos.com/blogs/kermitzarleyblog/2017/02/muslims-believe-second-coming-christ-christians/#:~:text=in%20Washington%20D,will%20return%20in%20their%20lifetime|publisher=patheos.com|access-date=2025-12-07}}</ref>. In sum, orthodox Christian eschatology treats the Second Coming as central and certain in faith (indeed “the central event in Christian eschatology” according to reference textsen.wikipedia.org<ref>{{cite web|title=en.wikipedia.org|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eschatology#:~:text=The%20Second%20Coming%20of%20Christ,views%20concerning%20the%20order%20and|publisher=en.wikipedia.org|access-date=2025-12-07}}</ref>). ===
* Biblical Promises: John 14:3 (“I will come back and take you”)biblegateway.com<ref>{{cite web|title=biblegateway.com|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+16%3A27%2CMark+14%3A62%2CJohn+14%3A3%2CActs+1%3A11%2CPhilippians+3%3A20%2C1+Thessalonians+4%3A15%2C2+Timothy+4%3A1&version=NKJV%3BNIV%3BKJV%3BESV#:~:text=3%C2%A0And%20if%20I%20go%20and,B|publisher=biblegateway.com|access-date=2025-12-07}}</ref>; Acts 1:11 (“This same Jesus…will come back”)biblegateway.com<ref>{{cite web|title=biblegateway.com|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+16%3A27%2CMark+14%3A62%2CJohn+14%3A3%2CActs+1%3A11%2CPhilippians+3%3A20%2C1+Thessalonians+4%3A15%2C2+Timothy+4%3A1&version=NKJV%3BNIV%3BKJV%3BESV#:~:text=This%20same%20Jesus%2C%20who%20has,%E2%80%9D|publisher=biblegateway.com|access-date=2025-12-07}}</ref>; Mark 14:62 (“you will see…the Son of Man…coming on the clouds”)biblegateway.com<ref>{{cite web|title=biblegateway.com|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+16%3A27%2CMark+14%3A62%2CJohn+14%3A3%2CActs+1%3A11%2CPhilippians+3%3A20%2C1+Thessalonians+4%3A15%2C2+Timothy+4%3A1&version=NKJV%3BNIV%3BKJV%3BESV#:~:text=62%C2%A0Jesus%20said%2C%20%E2%80%9CI%20am,%E2%80%9D|publisher=biblegateway.com|access-date=2025-12-07}}</ref>.
* Creedal Affirmation: Nicene/Apostles’ Creed: “He will come again to judge the living and the dead”vatican.va<ref>{{cite web|title=vatican.va|url=https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_one/section_two/chapter_two/article_7.html#:~:text=,THE%20LIVING%20AND%20THE%20DEAD|publisher=vatican.va|access-date=2025-12-07}}</ref>.
* Church Consensus: All orthodox denominations have long taught a future coming of Christ (though they dispute timing/details).  The Catechism emphasizes the return as both anticipated and imminentvatican.va<ref>{{cite web|title=vatican.va|url=https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_one/section_two/chapter_two/article_7.html#:~:text=673%20Since%20the%20Ascension%20Christ%27s,that%20will%20precede%20it%20are|publisher=vatican.va|access-date=2025-12-07}}</ref>.

Despite such consensus, one must distinguish faith-affirmed truth from empirical evidence.  The NT itself records that early disciples expected an imminent return (Matt 24:34, 1 Thess 4:17) which did not occur in their lifetimesen.wikipedia.org<ref>{{cite web|title=en.wikipedia.org|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Coming#:~:text=Views%20about%20the%20nature%20of,have%20been%20predicted%20for%20the|publisher=en.wikipedia.org|access-date=2025-12-07}}</ref>.  Historically many detailed date predictions (e.g. Millerites in 1844) failed.  Even the New Testament contains debates over “when” (e.g. Jesus said “it is not for you to know times or seasons”).  In short, Christianity maintains the doctrine firmly, but from a secular standpoint these prophecies lack verifiable fulfillment and thus do not constitute objective proof.

==== From a theological standpoint, the Second Coming is coherent within orthodox Christianity: if Christ is both fully God and the Messiah, it is consistent that His salvific mission will culminate in a final return and judgment.  The metaphysics here assume a supernatural God who transcends time and can intervene in history.  Critics might object that a once-for-all incarnation should not be repeated; defenders reply that a return need not be a new incarnation, but an eschatological appearance.  In any case, traditional doctrine holds no logical contradiction in “God returning” — indeed the creed and catechism treat it as a givenvatican.va<ref>{{cite web|title=vatican.va|url=https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_one/section_two/chapter_two/article_7.html#:~:text=,THE%20LIVING%20AND%20THE%20DEAD|publisher=vatican.va|access-date=2025-12-07}}</ref>vatican.va<ref>{{cite web|title=vatican.va|url=https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_one/section_two/chapter_two/article_7.html#:~:text=673%20Since%20the%20Ascension%20Christ%27s,that%20will%20precede%20it%20are|publisher=vatican.va|access-date=2025-12-07}}</ref>. ====

In philosophical terms, the claim is unfalsifiable and lies outside natural science.  No physical law forbids a divine intervention, but likewise no natural evidence demands it.  Even modern cosmology (with its big bang and possible “multiverses”) has no bearing on personal messianic events.  Mathematically, one might note the lack of any predictive formula or pattern that must culminate in a parousia: world systems theorists do not incorporate such an event in any reliable models of history or physics.  Thus metaphysics does not rule it out, but also does not ensure it.

In summary, the Second Coming is theologically central to Christian metaphysics but remains a matter of faith, not scientific inference.  The required premises (existence of God, immortality of the soul, final judgment, etc.) are themselves unproven.  If those premises are granted, then a return is not logically impossible.  However, without acceptance of the underlying theological framework, the claim has no empirical grounding.