1. The historic position of the church has embraced:

1. the visible bodily return of Christ
2. the general resurrection of all men and
3. the general judgment of all men

2. In addition to these basic unifying beliefs the Scriptures teach other truths about the Second Coming.

1. There is to be but one more coming of Christ and not in phases or stages for such concept renders the term SECOND COMING meaningless (Heb. 9:28).
2. No one will be able to know the chronology of the future (chronos, Acts 1:7; Matt. 24:36; 1 Thess. 5:1) or the seasons.
3. The kingdom of Christ is:

• a present reality (Matt. 4:17; 5:3; 16:19; Mark 9:1).

• spiritual and invisible, not worldly and material (Luke 17:20; John 3:3; 18:36; 1 Thess. 2:12; Col. 1:13).

• everlasting (Dan. 2:44; 2 Pet. 1:11).
  
  
• not the possession of Israel alone. The kingdom has been given to the nations (Luke12:32; Rev.11:15).
  
  
• to come to an end "when He shall have delivered up the kingdom of God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and authority and power. For He must reign, TILL He hath put all things under His feet...and when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him" (1 Cor. 15:24-28).
  
  
• The Kingdom of Christ will have a final form (2 Tim. 4:1; Matt. 26:29) but it will simply be a continuation of the same kingdom that now is.

3. The Second Advent of Christ will be without warning (Matt. 24:36-39,42) just as the great flood in the days of Noah came without warning.

4. Christ will call all men from their graves when He comes (John 5:28,29; Acts 24:15).

5. In that day the heavens and earth will pass away with fervent heat (2 Pet. 3:10).

6. Since these are the last days (Heb. 1:2; John 6:39; 11:24; 12:48; Acts 2:17; 2 Tim. 3:1; 2 Pet. 3:3; 1 John 2:18) and the earth as we know it will pass away, there is no need to hold to another period of history in the world after these days and the return of Christ.

7. The great apostasy that precedes the Second Advent is not wholly future since Paul stated that "the mystery of iniquity" which causes the apostasy was already at work in His day (2 Thess. 2:7; 1 John 2:18,22; 4:3).

8. There will never be a period of "good without evil" or the separation of the righteous from the wicked prior to the end of this age as Jesus taught (Matt. 13:40,41; 13:49).

9. The last enemy Christ shall destroy is death. Death defeated comes by the general resurrection when world history comes to an end.