SG you don't think the blessed hope is Christ's return and the glorification of our sinful bodies to be as He is. I am not saying anything about the rapture, there is a gathering together of the saints/elect and in this event we will be changed and be with Him forever after this. I John 3:1-3 "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure."
These Scripture shows that Christ has not returned in any way in 70 A.D. I John was written in 85-95 A.D. 15 to 25 years after 70 A.D. Has anyone here seen Him? I haven't. Not only that but read what it says after that "And anyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure." The hope or blessed hope is two fold, it is in His return that we shall see and be like Him when we see Him. This promise is to all believers died or alive.
I Corinthians 15:50-58 "I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."
Matthew 24:29-31 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
It seems to me that the blessed hope is His coming with our glorification and we are to encouage one another with this future event. Here's the Scriptures that I do not understand. The Day of the Lord, is a surprises to the world they are saying peace and security when it comes. Matthew says that the Lord is coming back after the tribulation of those days, so I do not see how the world could be saying peace and security when there is great tribulation and we will obtain salvation. What is our complete salvation? Our glorification, so these Scriptures throw me off.
I Thessalonians 4:13-18 5:1-11 "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.18 Therefore encourage one another with these words."
5:1Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you.2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night.8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."
Paul encouaged the Thessalonians to keep encouraging each other about this future event and he called it the Day of the Lord and it involves our gathering together to be with the Lord and sudden destruction on the world or those in darkness and the Day of the Lord will not surprise us. Is it because we are waiting for it or it's our hope or blessed hope? to be like Him in our glorified bodies or our dwelling in heaven. Paul calls this earthly body a tent and Jesus said He was going to prepare a dwelling for us in His Father's house that He called a mansion. On earth we dwell in a tent, when we are with the Lord it is a mansion in comparison.
All I know is that He is coming back we will meet Him in the air/clouds and be changed