Search the Scriptures and Look for His Coming

Let this, then, lover of Christ, be our offering to you: just a beginner’s sketch and outline, in short compass, of the faith of Christ and of his divine appearing toward us. But you, taking your start from this, if you come upon the text of the Scriptures and truly apply your mind to them, will learn from them more completely and clearly the exact details of what we have said. For they were spoken and written by God, through men who spoke of God. And we, in our turn, pass on to your eagerness to learn what we have learned from inspired teachers who were familiar with them, who also became martyrs for the deity of Christ. [a]

You will also learn about his second appearing to us, glorious and truly divine. Then he will come, no longer in lowliness but in his own glory, no longer in humble form but in his own majesty, no more to suffer, but from then on to give everyone the fruit of his own cross, that is, the resurrection and incorruption; no longer to be judged, but to judge all, by what each has done in the body, whether good or evil. Then the kingdom of heaven is stored up for the good, but for those who have done evil, everlasting fire and outer darkness. For so the Lord himself also says: “From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven in the glory of the Father.” And for this very reason there is also a saying of the Savior to prepare us for that day, in these words: “Be ready and keep watch, for he is coming at an hour you do not know.” For, according to the blessed Paul, “We must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive according to what he has done in the body, whether it is good or bad.”