Christ will return visibly to judge all and consummate the Kingdom
The Maronite Church solemnly affirms the Second Coming (Parousia) of Jesus Christ, who will return visibly and gloriously at the end of the age to judge the living and the dead and to bring about the final consummation of all things. This expectation is embedded in the Nicene Creed professed at every Maronite Divine Liturgy.
The eschatological orientation of the Maronite Liturgy is expressed through prayers for the hastening of the Kingdom and the return of the Lord. The liturgical season of Advent (Sawmo d-Sohoro, the 'Fast of the Announcement') prepares believers not only for Christmas but also for the final coming of Christ. The Maronite tradition, like the broader Catholic tradition, refrains from speculation about the timing of the Parousia and focuses instead on readiness and faithfulness.
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
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, §§668–682
- Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed (381)
- Synod of Mount Lebanon (1736)