Personal return of Christ to judge the living and the dead
The personal, bodily return of Jesus Christ is affirmed in Anglican doctrine through the received creeds, which confess he 'will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.' The Thirty-Nine Articles and the Book of Common Prayer both presuppose this event as the culmination of history, the occasion of the general resurrection, and the final judgment. Anglican liturgy regularly rehearses the expected return of Christ in the eucharistic acclamation and in the eschatological collect prayers.
Anglicanism does not promote detailed prophetic speculation about the timing or sequence of end-time events. The emphasis is on readiness for judgment and hope in the mercy of God at Christ's return. Eschatological themes are woven into the liturgical year: Advent prepares for both the first and second comings of Christ, and the season's collect prayers express watchful expectation.
Key Distinctions
- Return expectation:
- literal, visible return of Christ preceded by signs
- Tribulation view:
- preceded by tribulation; no separate pre-trib rapture
- Parousia nature:
- bodily, visible, glorious return of Christ to earth for judgment
Scripture References
Sources
- Book of Common Prayer, Nicene Creed and Advent Collects (1662/1979)
- Thirty-Nine Articles, Article IV (1571)