My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and
all His Angels with Him, then He will sit on the
Throne of His Glory" (Matthew 25:31).
The spiritual gaze of mankind which believes in Christ, beginning with the time of the Ascension from earth to heaven of the Son of God, has been directed to the greatest event of world history: His Second Coming on Earth.
Testimony to the reality of this expected "Coming" was given quite definitely many times by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, together with a whole series of details regarding it (Matthew 16:27 and chapter 24; Mark 8:38; Luke 17:40 and John 14 :3). The Angels declared it the Lord’s Ascension (Acts 1:11). The holy Apostles often mention it: the Apostle Jude (vv 14-15); the Apostle John (1 John 2:28); the Apostle Peter (1 Peter 4:13); and the Apostle Paul many times )1 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:2-6 and other places).
The Lord Himself described to His Disciples the manner of His Coming in the following characteristics:
It will be sudden and obvious to everyone: "For as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the Coming of the Son of Man be" (Matthew 24:27).
First of all, there "shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn" (Matthew 24:30). This, according to the universal interpretation of the Holy Fathers of the Church, will be THE SIGN OF THE LIFE-GIVING CROSS OF THE LORD.
The Lord will come surrounded by innumerable Choirs of Angels in All His Glory: "And they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (Matthew 24:30), "with the holy Angels" (Mark 8:38). "He shall sit on the throne of His glory" (Matthew 25:31). Thus, the Second Coming will be different from the first when the Lord "humbleth Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross" (Phil. 2:8).
He will come TO "JUDGE the world in righteousness" (Acts 17:31) and to "reward every man according to his works" (Matthew 16:27). In this the purpose of His Second Coming into the world IS TO BE DISTINGUISHED IN ESSENCE FROM THE PURPOSE OF HIS FIRST COMING, WHEN HE "came NOT TO JUDGE THE WORLD, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17); "He came to give His life (as) a ransom for many" (20:28).
"All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me…" (Matthew 25:32-36).
"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘DEPART FROM ME, YOU CURSED, INTO EVERLASTING FIRE PREPARED FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS: ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in; naked and you did not clothe Me; sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty, or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You? Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you DID NOT DO IT TO ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE, YOU DID NOT DO IT TO Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life" (Matthew25:41-46).
The standard of judgment is uncalculated mercy toward the needy. The works produced by faith are emphasized, for a saving faith produces righteous (good) works. Our Lord identifies Himself with the poor and the outcast and invites all who are touched with love for others. The holy Apostle John writes: "If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar, for he who does NOT love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?’ And this commadment we have from Him: THAT HE WHO LOVES GOD MUST LOVE HIS BROTHER ALSO" (1 John 4:20-21).
The early Christians lived with the anticipation and the hope that Christ’s Second Coming was eminent. They truly believed that they would witness it in their lifetime. They, therefore, lived in the way Christ commanded, who love others. As a matter of fact, the Thessalonian Christians had been speculating about the return of the Lord, and making their own predictions. Saint Paul tells them, "You have no need" for that kind of information is not available, "For you youselves know perfectly that this day of the Lord SO COMES AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT" (1 Thessalonians 5:2). The Disciples had gotten the same kind of answers to their questions on the Second Coming from Christ Himself: "But of that day and hour NO ONE KNOWS, not even the Angels of heaven, but My Father only" (Matthew 24:36). And suppose we knew the end, what is this to us? Christians are called not to set dates, but TO MAKE THEMSELVES READY TO MEET THE LORD BY BEING WATCHFUL AND RIGHTEOUS. Our duty is to be ceasessly aware of the primacy of God’s Kingdom and to have full control over our spiritual life.
It is peculiar that today’s Christians do not have the same anctipation of the Second Coming of Christ and Judment Day. It is though it has been forgotten or perhaps have ceased to believe that Christ will not return. There is no concern for the Second Coming and/or that there will be a day of judgement. Therefore, there is no concern or preparation for that glorious day. Christians have adopted the more secular or worldly attitude of living this life to the fullest as though there is no after life, a life eternal, or, as Christians to still hope of inheriting the Kingdom of God. What happened? And Why? Sadly, there are Christians today, who have misinterpreted the Holy Scripture, and have even convinced themselves that they will escape the Second Coming of Christ and His judgment, for they have concluded that they are saved, just by robotically reciting few words from the Holy Bible. How very foolish! What happened to Jesus’ first sermon when He said, "REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND" (Matthew 4:17). Christ’s first word, like that of Saint John the Baptist, is REPENT, because repentance IS NECESSARY TO ENTER THE KINGDOM AND TO CONTINUE IN His New Way of Life. Repentance is man’s turning from himself to God. Repentance, which always accompanies belief (faith), is A TOTAL ABOUT FACE. It is a total change of one’s life and being. It is a necessary step on the "way of the Lord." "Therefore, bear fruits WORTHY OF REPENTANCE" (Matthew 3:8). Repantance cannot be replaced with the sin of pride and arrogance. Only when we admit and confess openly that we are sinners and repent are we forgiven by God. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:8-9). Salvation in Christ is a process of spiritual growth into sinlessness.
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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy sevant of God
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 