When and how will Jesus return?

Question

Sun Myung Moon · Accepted Answer

The question of Jesus' return has been central to Christian eschatology since His ascension. Jesus explicitly stated, "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." He also indicated that "the Son of Man comes as a thief in the night," implying an unexpected and quiet return. Yet, God reveals His plans to His prophets (Amos 3:7); thus, the faithful can understand the timing and manner of His coming. At Jesus' first coming, God revealed His advent to John the Baptist, his family, the wise men, Simeon, Anna, and shepherds. While many Christians anticipate a literal, visible descent from the sky with trumpets and glory, based on a literal reading of passages like Revelation 1:7 ("Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him...") and Acts 1:11 ("This same Jesus... will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven..."), such a literal interpretation of these prophecies does not align with other biblical statements or with the nature of God's providence. Divine Principle's Clarification of the Second Coming The Divine Principle clarifies that Jesus will return not by literally descending from the sky, but as a physical person born on Earth, mirroring His first advent. This understanding is crucial because if He came visibly in the clouds, He could not "suffer many things and be rejected by this generation" (Luke 17:25), nor question whether He would "find faith on earth" (Luke 18:8). Indeed, the scriptures tell us, "Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8 KJV). These prophecies only make sense if the Lord comes quietly in the flesh, to be ignored and suffer as He did the first time, like "a thief in the night." The biblical imagery of "clouds" does not refer to literal meteorological formations, but is metaphorical. In the Bible, "water" signifies fallen human beings, and "clouds" represent higher values, higher love, or crowds of faithful, God-centered believers. Thus, "coming on the clouds" signifies that the Lord will come as the central figure, surrounded by masses of faithful people who welcome Him, not that He will literally appear in the sky. This is similar to Malachi's prophecy of Elijah's return, which was fulfilled in John the Baptist, born of a woman, not literally descending in a fiery chariot as many expected. As Matthew 11:14 (KJV) states, "And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come." The phrase "in the same way" (Acts 1:11) refers to the manner and purpose of His return—to fulfill God's will and establish the Kingdom of Heaven in the flesh—rather than a physical travel method. Just as Jesus was born of a woman, the Second Coming of the Messiah must also be born on Earth in the flesh, as explicitly stated in 2 John 1:7, which warns against deceivers who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. The Messiah needs to come in the flesh to offer physical as well as spiritual salvation, restoring humanity as True Parents and establishing ideal family life, which was not completed at the First Coming. Understanding the Deeper Meaning: A Process of Restoration From the standpoint of the Providence of Restoration, Jesus will come at the conclusion of a 2,000-year-long period of restoration, paralleling previous providential periods. This indicates that the time for the Second Advent was the early 20th century, specifically between 1917 and 1930. The Second Coming is a process of restoration, initiated by the birth of the Messiah on Earth, followed by the revelation of deeper truth, and culminating in the establishment of God's Kingdom. The Messiah's mission is to complete what Jesus could not due to His crucifixion: establish Heaven on Earth. While Jesus brought spiritual salvation, humanity still carries original sin and requires physical salvation. The Messiah must come in the flesh to accomplish marriage and family life, and to restore our physical being, which is essential for true atonement and the eradication of original sin. This Messiah, building on the foundation of Christianity, will stand with a bride as the True Parents of all humankind. He is the central figure expected by many religions—the Maitreya Buddha, the True Man, the Mahdi—who will unite all faiths in God's providence of restoration. This return is a substantial course to establish the worldwide Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." (Revelation 11:15 KJV). Living the Principle Understanding the nuanced return of Jesus compels us to: 1. Seek Deeper Truth: Actively engage in discerning God's ongoing revelation and not limit understanding to past interpretations, embracing new insights for our time. 2. Recognize the Messiah in the Flesh: Understand th

When and how will Jesus return?

Divine Principle's Clarification of the Second Coming

Understanding the Deeper Meaning: A Process of Restoration

Living the Principle

Sources and further reading