Jessica Rodriguez Eschatology Question

1 Thessalonians:

According to 1 Thessalonians 1:10 we, Christians, are all waiting for Christ’s return to earth from heaven. Jesus is the one who rescues us from the wrath of God that is coming. This verse doesn’t indicate if the wrath is before or after Jesus returns. According to 1 Thessalonians 2:19, when Jesus returns, if we have people who we have led to faith in Jesus, they will be our crown of boasting or the evidence of our faith and subsequent works of faith before Jesus. When Jesus comes, He will judge us all, so Paul is praying that we will be blameless before Him (1 Thessalonians 3:13, 4:6, 5:23). God will bring with Him all those who have died and believed in Jesus first, and then He will bring with Him all those who are alive and believe in Jesus. Jesus Himself will descend onto earth and the dead in Him will rise first and then the alive in Him. And we will join with Jesus in the clouds, whatever that means, and we will live with Him forever (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17).

When Jesus returns, He will come when no one who is unsaved expects it. Non-believers will think that they have finally reached peace and security and then destruction and pain will come upon them and they won’t be able to escape. But, believers will not be surprised like a thief in the night. It doesn’t say that believers will know when Jesus will return, but it does say that we won’t be asleep and it won’t surprised in the same way that it will unbelievers. We will not fear that day, but we will live in faith and hope and love, for we know that God has not predestined us for wrath. The wrath that is coming on that day is not for us, so we don’t need to worry about trying to figure out when it will happen (1 Thessalonians 5:2-9).