The New Testament has various references to the second coming of our Lord and the last judgment. Immediately one thinks of the Book of Revelation, also known as the Apocalypse, which focuses on those “end times” but employs cryptic symbolism and imagery. In all, the various signs predicting the second coming and the depictions of it can easily cause confusion. Perhaps, this is why different cults have emerged over the centuries which isolated themselves from the rest of society in preparation for an imminent second coming.
As Catholics, we are mindful and profess in our Creed that Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead. Vatican Council II’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church stated, “Already the final age of the world is with us and the renewal of the world is irrevocably under way; it is even now anticipated in a certain real way, for the Church on earth is endowed already with a sanctity that is real though imperfect” (#48). To try to grasp the when, what, and how of this second coming and last judgment, we really need to glean the various passages in Sacred Scripture and see how our Church has interpreted them. In all, the second coming and final judgment are united in one drama.
Our Lord in the gospel spoke of His second coming. He indicated that various signs would mark its advent: Mankind will suffer from famine, pestilence, and natural disasters. False prophets who claim to be the Messiah will deceive and mislead people. Nations will wage war against each other. The Church will endure persecution. Worse yet, the faith of many will grow cold, and they will abandon the faith, even betraying and hating one another. (Confer Matthew 24:4-14 and Luke 17:22-37.)
St. Paul described a “mass apostasy” before the Second Coming, which will be led by the “son of perdition,” “the Man of Lawlessness,” “the adversary who exalts himself above every so-called god proposed for worship.” This “lawless one” is part of the work of Satan, and with power, signs, wonders, and seductions will bring to ruin those who have turned from the truth. However, “the Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath of His mouth and annihilate him by manifesting His own presence.” (Cf. II Thessalonians 2:3-12.) The Catechism affirms, “God’s triumph over the revolt of evil will take the form of the Last Judgment after the final cosmic upheaval of this passing world” (#677).
Our Lord will come suddenly: “The Son of Man in His day will be like the lightning that flashes from one end of the sky to the other” (Luke 17:24). St. Peter predicted, “The day of the Lord will come like a thief, and on that day the heavens will vanish with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and all its deeds will be made manifest” (II Peter 3:10).
Death will be no more. The dead shall rise, and those souls who have died will be united again to their bodies. All will have a glorious, transformed, spiritualized body– As St. Paul said, “He will give a new form to this lowly body of ours and remake it according to the pattern of His glorified body…” (Philippians 3:21).
At this time, the final or general judgment will occur: Jesus said, “Those who have done right shall rise to life; the evildoers shall rise to be damned” (John 5:29). Our Lord described this judgment as follows: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, escorted by all of the angels of heaven, He will sit upon His royal throne, and all the nations will be assembled before Him. Then He will separate them into two groups, as a shepherd separates sheep from goats” (Matthew 25:31-32). Here each person will have to account for his conduct, and the deepest secrets of his soul will come to light. How well each person has responded to the prompting of God’s grace will be made clear. Our attitude and actions toward our neighbor will reflect how well we have loved our Lord: “As often as you did for one of my least brothers, you did it for me” (Matthew 25:41).
Our Lord will judge us accordingly. For those who have died and already have faced the particular judgment, their judgment will stand. For those living at the time of the Second Coming, they will receive judgment. Those who have rejected the Lord in this life, who have sinned mortally, who have no remorse for sin and do not seek forgiveness, will have condemned themselves to hell for all eternity: “By rejecting grace in this life, one already judges oneself, receives according to one’s works, and can even condemn oneself for all eternity by rejecting the Spirit of love” (Catechism, #678). The souls of the righteous will enter heavenly glory and enjoy the beatific vision, and those who need purification will undergo it.
We do not know when this second coming will occur. Jesus said, “As to the exact day or hour, no one knows it, neither the angels in heaven nor even the Son, but only the Father. Be constantly on the watch! Stay awake! You do not know when the appointed time will come” (Mark 13:32-33). Given the world situation of lawlessness, apathy, and apostasy, and even the explosion of reported apparitions and messages of our Blessed Mother, we better stay awake and keep watch.