
Theme verse for this series:
1 Peter 3:15-16 [NLT] Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way.
The thirteenth statement we are going to unpack in our What We Believe series is…
13. THE BLESSED HOPE
The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17; Romans 8:23; Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 15:51,52).
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 [NLT] For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.
What is the big picture of the end times?
THE BIBLE SAYS WE ARE IN THE END TIMES OR LAST DAYS. (Acts 2:17-21)
Peter uses an Old Testament prophecy from Joel 2:28-32 to communicate that these end times have been anticipated for centuries and now they are here.
Later in his ministry, Peter continues to remind Christians that we are in the end times. (1 Peter 1:20)
HOW DOES THE BIBLE DESCRIBE THE END TIMES?
2 Peter 3:3-10; 2 Timothy 3:1-5
The Bible describes the end times as very difficult and perilous times.
The end times events all lead up to Jesus’s return.
WHY DOES THE BIBLE TALK ABOUT END TIMES EVENTS?
The Bible does not tell us about these events to scare us.
God shares the future with His people to prepare them.
God also shares the future with His people to reassure them that He is in full control even when things seem out of control.
The Bible also tells us about end times events to motivate us to complete the mission given to us by Jesus in Matthew 28.
Let’s take a quick overview of the sequence of end times.
THE RAPTURE
Our study calls this The Blessed Hope.
THE TRIBULATION PERIOD
A seven-year period of increasingly difficult circumstances that culminates in Jesus’s return to Earth.
During this tribulation period on Earth, the Bible describes certain events that will occur in Heaven.
THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST
Occurs after the Tribulation.
Jesus reigns on this Earth with His people.
THE FINAL JUDGMENT
The Bible calls this the Great White Throne Judgment.
This judgment is for Satan and those who reject Jesus’s offer of salvation.
THE NEW HEAVENS AND THE NEW EARTH
The final state where all things are new and no one is impacted by the curse anymore.

Resurrection is the hope-filled promise for Christians
FOR CHRISTIANS, RESURRECTION WILL HAPPEN WHEN JESUS RETURNS. THIS IS THE BLESSED HOPE (Romans 8:22-23)
The Resurrected Jesus is Coming Again
THE NEW TESTAMENT REFERS TO THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS MORE THAN 300 TIMES.
This is roughly once every 26 verses!
THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS REFERS TO THE ENTIRE TIMEFRAME FROM THE RAPTURE TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST.
THE EARLY CHURCH LIVED IN CONSTANT EXPECTATION OF JESUS’S RETURN.
Jesus encouraged His disciples to be watchful for His return. (Luke 12:35-38)
WHY IS JESUS’S RETURN SO CENTRAL?
Jesus’s return is the key to history.
Jews and Christians view history as linear not cyclical.
Consider the progress of biblical history from Genesis to Revelation.
History is linear and heading in a certain direction as planned by God.
History is marching toward a final event.
This event is the New Heavens and the New Earth.
Jesus’s return is the Hope of the Church. (Titus 2:13)
Jesus’s return is an incentive to holy living. (1 John 2:28)
Jesus’s return motivates us to serve Him now. (Matthew 24:45-46)
HOW WILL JESUS RETURN?
He will return personally. (Acts 1:11)
He will return unexpectedly. (Mark 13:32-33)
He will return in glory, not in weakness. (Matthew 16:27)
WHY IS JESUS COMING AGAIN?
He is returning to receive His people. (John 14:3)
Christians, those living and those who have died, will receive a new body. (1 Corinthians 15:51-53)
He is coming to judge and reward. (2 Corinthians 5:10)
He will return to remove a restraining force opposed to evil. (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7)
APPLICATIONS FOR TODAY:
1. WE LOOK FORWARD TO JESUS’S RETURN.
Even when things seem out of control, God is always in control.
Jesus is coming to fulfill His promises to us, not to punish us.
2. JESUS’S RETURN MOTIVATES US TO BE FAITHFUL.
We all want to hear these words…
Matthew 25:21 [NLT] “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
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