The second coming

Last May, I spoke about Christian Science to a Seventh Day Adventist college class of around 25 students. I’ve spoken to this comparative religion class several times in the past, and it has always been a very good experience.

This time, though, I said something unusual.

Part way through the discussion, one of the young women asked, “What about the second coming?” Without hesitation, I blurted out, “Oh, the second coming has already happened!”

Well, if you know anything about Adventist theology, students spend a large amount of time studying the Book of Revelation, thoroughly researching the second coming, and thinking about what it will look like on earth when Christ returns, according to their interpretation of the Bible.

My announcement rather stunned the class and it stunned me too, to be honest. They were educated to see the second coming as a very physical and literal event on earth, and to happen sometime in the future. I feared my decree had suddenly dumped me into a boiling pot of soup, and I was going to be meat for lunch!

The young gal politely responded, “What do you mean?” Jumping on my opportunity to explain, I replied that the second coming happens within the lives of each sincere follower of Christ as the teachings of Jesus are accepted, understood and lived out in daily life. The class seemed satisfied with this elaboration, but nonetheless, the pronouncement, “The second coming has already happened,” was emblazoned on the blackboard of those students’ minds.

When I had a chance to think deeper about this discourse after the class, I was quite happy with how the discussion turned out. It had not been my choice, but it was a brave step to make that declaration, and I did not suffer from my public testimony. Surely, some students’ interest was piqued enough to get them thinking deeper about what the second coming really is.

According to my understanding, the second coming is not a human descending out of the sky, but the revelation of divine Science dawning upon human consciousness and redeeming the human mind from all sin, disease, and death beliefs.

I believe that the second coming has already happened with the discovery of Christian Science, and it’s continuing to happen as people understand God better and live out spiritual truth in meaningful, practical ways everyday. I’m grateful to be a part of it.