Letters to the Church

Jesus will arrive on the Day of the Lord at which time the dead will be raised, the wicked judged, and death will cease . Paul discusses aspects of Christ’s future arrival in his letters to the Corinthians, including the “ Day of the Lord ,” the consummation of God’s Kingdom, the resurrection of the dead, the bodily transformation of saints still alive when Jesus comes, the judgment of the wicked, and the end of death itself .

In  Colossians , Paul stresses the exaltation of Jesus following his Resurrection. Some members of the congregation were confused about his authority over the spiritual powers that were hostile to God and His people; therefore, Paul reminded the Assembly of just how highly God exalted the One who became the “ Firstborn of the Dead .”

Paul responded to concerns about the dead in Christ by pointing to the resurrection that will occur when Jesus arrives from Heaven .  In his first Letter to the Thessalonians, Paul reassured the congregation concerning the participation of saints who die before the ‘ Parousia ’ in the glories of that day. According to him, BOTH dead and living saints will assemble and “ meet ” the Lord as he descends from Heaven. Thereafter, they will be with Jesus “ forevermore .” He wrote these words in response to believers who were sorrowing over the deaths of fellow saints.

The mysteries of God previously hidden are revealed in Jesus of Nazareth, and especially through his Death and Resurrection . The Bible   speaks of the “ mysteries ” of God, His ways that are hidden from and contrary to the wisdom of this world. Jesus declared that not everyone could understand the “ mysteries of the kingdom .” God reveals the deep and obscure things to whomever He pleases, and in His Son, He has done so for all the world to see. In Christ’s Death and Resurrection, God has disclosed His nature and the salvation that He offers to all men and women.

The terms “ tribulation ” and “ wrath ” are NOT synonymous in Paul’s letters or the Book of Revelation . “ Tribulation ” is what the disciples of Jesus endure for his sake. “ Wrath ” is the horrific fate that awaits the wicked at the final judgment. In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul writes that God did not appoint them to “ wrath .” Yet, in the same letter, he states that believers are destined for “ tribulation .”