'WHAT IS 'THE BLESSED HOPE' - According to Scripture?'

Posted : 2 Apr, 2022 06:19 PM

Hello again... lt is my hope to stimulate some thought-provoking conversations... and maybe we all might find we've learned something along the way.... Soooo, having said that...



Does anyone have a SCRIPTURE-BASED point-counterpoint to the following topic of: 'WHAT IS 'THE BLESSED HOPE' - According to Scripture?'



So here's the back story:



Well... 🙄 l had no replies to my rapture-timing questions, so l went in search of some sources online, so that l might better understand differing views regarding the timing of the rapture.

l have found a website where the 5 rapture theories,(l learned something 😀 - l thought there were 4), are reviewed. And since l am in search of understanding the different viewpoints regarding 'The Rapture', l began at the beginning. 



In the Prelude, he begins by calling The Rapture, 'The Blessed Hope' - l believe the following scriptural evidence, proves this idea wrong. I believe 'The Blessed Hope' refers to 'The Fulfillment of The Promise of Eternal Life'.



And so it begins...



'The rapture of the church is not an incidental but a fundamental doctrine of the New Testament. It is the greatest hope that Christ gave to the church. [l must ask "was it?" or was the greatest hope, ultimately, 'Eternal Life'?] The biblical writers speak of it as a blessed hope (Titus 2:13), a purifying hope (1 Thes 4:18), a comforting hope (1 Thess 4:18) and a sure hope (2 Pet. 1:19)'

[no copyright infringement intended - educational use only]



Following are the Points of debate regarding the above statement:



Point 1: 'The blessed hope' of Titus 2:13 is in reference to 'the hope of eternal life' promised to us by God, (see Titus 1:2); and through justification by grace we might be made heirs to eternal life, (see Titus 3:7).



It has NOTHING to do with the rapture except that it is in the same verse of Titus 2:13 - which does speak of Christ's return.



(Notice that eventhough the two thoughts appear in the same verse, they are delineated as being separate, as two different things, not only with a comma but also with the word 'and' - denoting these two as being two different concepts.)



At the point of Christ's return and his calling us up to him (which is the actual rapture, which also is the exact timing of the two witnesses being called up as well), yes, that locks us into the place where our salvation is assured... but THAT EVENT of our being called up is not what The Blessed Hope 'is'...



Point 2 and 3: 1 Thes 4:18 is not saying the comfort is in the hope of being raptured, but rather the verse that mention the word 'hope', 4:13, is in reference to Eph 2:12 wherein the ones without hope are defined as those who are 'strangers from the covenants' (of salvation/eternal life, thereby) having 'no hope', of (the) promise, (see Titus 1:2) and (even) without God in the world.'



Point 4: 2 Peter 1:19 which points to Rev 22:16 which then refers to Matt 24:27 which plainly shows that it is after the tribulation, but does not lend itself to being defined and tied to the idea of THIS EVENT, ITSELF... being 'The Blessed Hope' (and the word 'hope', itself, is not in the verses pertaining to 2 Peter onward through these correlating verses. The other evidence in Titus (specifically the verses in 1:2 and 3:7, wherein the word 'hope' is found pertaining explicitly to the term 'of ETERNAL LIFE'), explains more precisely the use of the term 'blessed hope' found between those two uses,(in the chapters immediately before and after the chapter where 'blessed hope' is found) and obviously points to 'the blessed hope' being the time of the fullness of our salvation, realized. It is the time when eternal life is an actuality, and assuredly ours... 'The Blessed Hope' is NOT the event of 'the rapture'... no matter when the rapture occurs.



Please do not rely on 'commentaries of men', but rather, present Scripture-based evidence with your thoughts - as long as it is within the context of the concept being presented within the particular chapter it is being drawn from... 'cherry picking verses'... and 'gleaning the grapevines'... do not produce the same results, nor the same harvest.



So there are my thoughts... would you care to share yours?🌾

Post Reply