The Glorious Parousia: Judgment, Transformation, and Spiritual Presenc
In the Christian context, the term “Christ’s Parousia” is understood as the manifest, glorified coming of Christ, which is accompanied by the transformation of the world and human nature, and also serves as judgment for the doubters. One source explains:“The Ascension presupposes the Parousia. Christ remains the same, but kenosis is no longer present: it is the coming of Christ in glory, evident to all. It will no longer be possible not to know Him. This is why the Parousia serves as judgment for all those who doubt; yet, this vision implies a change in human nature. It is not the historical world that will see the Parousia, but it will coincide with its transformation. The final events, the cataclysms, still belong to history.” (source: link txt)Another source supplements this understanding, indicating that dogmatically the Ascension is interpreted as the bodily removal of the incarnate Christ from the world, which is maintained until His Parousia. Meanwhile, Christ remains spiritually present in the world, and His coming is accomplished through the descent of the Holy Spirit, acting as the Comforter:“Dogmatically, the Ascension signifies the bodily removal of the incarnate Christ from the world, and in this sense, His departure, which continues until His Parousia. … And this promise is fulfilled at Pentecost, which is the Parousia not only of the Holy Spirit, but in Him, through Him, and of Christ Himself, the Parousia of Christ in the Holy Spirit. Christ, leaving the world bodily, remains present in it spiritually…” (source: link txt)Thus, the Parousia of Christ in the Christian context signifies not merely a physical return, but an event in which Christ appears in glory before all people, associated with final judgment and the transformation of human nature, as well as with a continuous spiritual presence through the Holy Spirit.