Answering Islam Blog
Early Church & Christ’s 2nd Coming
The list of quotes cited here is taken from David W. Bercot’s A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs, published by Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts in 1998, pp. 730-731.
The author will mention the particular volume and page number of the ten-volume set of The Ante-Nicene Fathers, ed. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, 1885–1887, reprinted by Hendrickson in 1994). For instance, this 1.144 means volume 1, p. 144. Bercot will also signify whether the Christian writer is an eastern and/or western theologian/apologist.
Here are the links where this set can be accessed online:
The Early Christian Church Fathers.38Volumes.
All emphasis will be mine.
II. Two advents of Christ
He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Isa. 53:3.
Behold, he is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, and they also who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Rev. 1:7.
The prophets have announced two advents of Christ. In the first one, which has already past, He came as a dishonored and suffering man.
However, in the second advent, according to prophecy, He will come from heaven with glory, accompanied by His angelic host. At that time, He will raise the bodies of all men who have lived.
Justin Martyr (c. 160, E), 1.180.
It was prophesied by Jacob the patriarch that there would be two advents of Christ. In the first, He would suffer.
And after His coming, there would be neither prophet nor king in your nation.
Justin Martyr (c. 160, E), 1.221.
Two advents of Christ have been announced. In the first one, He is set forth as suffering, inglorious, dishonored, and crucified.
However, in the other, He will come from heaven with glory, when the man of apostasy . . . speaks strange things.
Justin Martyr (c. 160, E), 1.253.
It was declared by symbol, even in the time of Moses, that there would be two advents of this Christ. . . .
[This is indicated] from the symbol of the goats presented for sacrifice during the fast.
Justin Martyr (c. 160, E), 1.254.
All the prophets announced His two advents. . . .
In the second one, He will come on the clouds, bringing on the Day which burns as a furnace.
Irenaeus (c. 180, E/W), 1.506.
Two comings of Christ have been revealed to us: . . . a second one, which impends over the world, now near its close.
In it, all the majesty of Deity will be unveiled.
Tertullian (c. 197, W), 3.35.
Jesus is still sitting there at the right hand of the Father. He is man, yet also God. He is the last Adam; yet, He is also the primary Word.
He is flesh and blood, yet purer than ours, and He will “descend in like manner as He ascended into heaven.” That is, He will be the same both in substance and in form (as the angels affirmed).
For He will even be recognized by those who pierced Him.
Tertullian (c. 197, W), 3.584.
We affirm two characters of the Christ demonstrated by the prophets and as many advents. . . . In Zechariah, . . . Christ is described in a twofold garment, which prefigures his advents.
First, He was clad in “sordid attire,” which represents the lowliness of changeable and mortal flesh. . . .
Next, the sordid garments were removed, and he was adorned with a robe down to his feet, along with a turban and a clean miter. This represents the second advent.
Tertullian (c. 197, W), 3.172.
We maintain that the two conditions described by the prophets about Christ signify the same number of advents. The first one was to be in lowliness, when He was led as a sheep to be slain as a victim. . . . Now, these indications of humility fit His first coming.
But the aspects of His majesty belong to His second advent.
Tertullian (c. 207, W), 3.326.
The Scriptures indicate there will be two advents of our Lord and Savior. The one is His first advent in the flesh, which took place without honor. . . .
However, His second advent is foretold as being glorious, when He will come from heaven with the host of angels.
Hippolytus (c. 200, W), 5.213.
Further Reading
EARLY CHURCH ON CHRIST’S 2ND COMING
THE EARLY CHURCH ON CHRIST’S THOUSAND YEAR REIGN