Literal, bodily return of Christ; future; bodily resurrection of all people follows
The Wesleyan Church firmly affirms the literal, personal, bodily return of Jesus Christ to earth. This is not a merely spiritual coming or a metaphorical return through the Holy Spirit but the actual physical return of the glorified Christ from heaven. The timing of this return is known only to God the Father; no one can know the day or hour.
Christ's return will be sudden and unexpected. At His coming, the dead will be raised, the living will be transformed, and all people will stand before Him for judgment. The church does not bind all members to a single eschatological scheme (premillennial, amillennial, or postmillennial), though premillennialism is common among Wesleyans. What is certain is Christ's literal, physical return and the resurrection of all people (both righteous and unrighteous) to meet the Lord.
Key Distinctions
- Return expectation:
- literal, personal, bodily; not merely spiritual or metaphorical
Scripture References
Sources
- The Wesleyan Church Discipline (2016), §2300
- Wesleyan Articles of Religion, Article VIII
- John Wesley, Sermons on Christ's Return