What is the Second Coming in Christianity?
In Christianity, the Second Coming refers to the anticipated return of Jesus Christ to Earth at the end of time. According to Christian belief, Christ will return in glory to judge the living and the dead, establish God’s eternal kingdom, and bring final justice and salvation. This event is prophesied in the New Testament, especially in the Book of Revelation, the Gospels, and Paul’s epistles. It is associated with the resurrection of the dead, the last judgment, and the fulfillment of God’s divine plan. The Second Coming is a central element of Christian eschatology (study of end times).
Overview:
“The Second Coming” (1919) is one of W. B. Yeats’s most celebrated and prophetic poems, written in the aftermath of World War I and the Russian Revolution. It explores themes of chaos, historical change, spiritual crisis, and the collapse of civilization. Yeats combines Christian eschatology, myth, and occult philosophy to suggest that the world is on the brink of a radical transformation—not toward redemption, but toward terror.
Structure and Form:
- The poem has 22 lines, written in free verse.
- It is divided into two stanzas.
- The first stanza establishes the collapse of the present world order.
- The second stanza introduces a terrifying new force symbolized by the “rough beast.”
Stanza 1: Collapse and Chaos
The poem opens with an image of a gyre (spiral), a central symbol in Yeats’s mystical system. The falcon, a symbol of human civilization, has drifted too far from the falconer (symbol of order or divine guidance), indicating a loss of control.
Lines like:
“Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; / Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world”
suggest societal disintegration. The poet describes a world overwhelmed by violence, bloodshed, and moral confusion, where the good are passive and the evil are energized.
Stanza 2: A New Revelation
The speaker senses that this turmoil heralds a new revelation. He invokes the Christian idea of the Second Coming—but instead of Christ’s return, he sees a monstrous Sphinx-like creature rising from the desert, symbolizing a dark new age. This beast, with its “blank and pitiless” stare, is not a savior but a harbinger of destruction.
The final lines:
“And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, / Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?”
reverse the Christian narrative of hope, portraying the birth of a new, terrifying force in Bethlehem—the very place associated with Christ’s birth.
Themes:
- The Collapse of Civilization:
- Yeats believed history moved in 2,000-year cycles.
- The poem expresses his fear that the modern world was entering a new, violent epoch.
- Spiritual Emptiness and Anarchy:
- The absence of moral authority and traditional belief systems leads to chaos.
- The drowning of the “ceremony of innocence” indicates the death of idealism.
- Historical Cycles and the Gyre:
- Yeats’s belief in cyclical history (gyres) underpins the poem.
- One age ends in chaos; another begins, not with peace, but with fear.
- The Fear of the Unknown Future:
- The “rough beast” represents an unknown, inhuman future that threatens to replace the Christian order.
Symbolism and Imagery:
- The falcon and falconer: Disconnection between humanity and divine guidance.
- Blood-dimmed tide: The horror of war and revolution.
- Sphinx-like beast: A new, monstrous force, perhaps anti-Christ-like, heralding a dark era.
- Bethlehem: Ironically, the birthplace of peace now becomes the birthplace of terror.
Tone and Language:
The tone is apocalyptic, ominous, and prophetic. Yeats’s language is rich with biblical and mythical allusions, yet open-ended and symbolic, allowing multiple interpretations.
Conclusion:
“The Second Coming” is not just a reflection of its time but a timeless meditation on historical change, the fragility of civilization, and the unpredictable forces shaping human destiny. Yeats offers no clear resolution—only a haunting vision of what may come when the old world dies and a new, unknowable power rises in its place.
