Pastor Paul Sadler teaches that the phrase "revelation of Jesus Christ" in the Jewish epistles is in regard to the Lord Jesus' second coming and not to the Rapture:

"In essence, Peter says, just as God delivered our forefathers from the hand of the Egyptian taskmaster, He will also deliver us at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Beloved, the 'revelation of Jesus Christ' has absolutely nothing to do with the Rapture. This is not the hope of these kingdom believers, nor does Peter hold it out to them. The hope of the kingdom saints is to see with their own eyes the Messiah stand on the Mount of Olives at His Second Coming. This is the revelation of Jesus Christ (Zech. 14:4 cf. Rev.1:1; 19:11-16)" [emphasis added] (Sadler, "The Life and Letters of the Apostle Peter; Part V," The Berean Searchlight, June, 2000, 9).

Here is the verse to which Pastor Sadler makes reference:

"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet.1:13).

This verse is referring to the "gift" which all believers will receive when the Lord Jesus appears in heaven, and that gift is a new, glorious body just like the Lord Jesus' glorious body.

There can be no doubt that the Jewish believers who received John's first epistles thought it possible that they might remain alive at the time of the Lord Jesus' appearing, as witnessed by John's words to them here:

"And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming" (1 Jn.2:28).

Those who do not "abide" in the Lord Jesus will be ashamed at His appearing. This is certainly not speak of "abiding" in Him in order to remain saved. Pastor Paul Sadler, the President of The Berean Bible Society, teaches that those who received the Hebrew epistles could not lose their salvation:

"While there are those who believe the kingdom saints could lose their salvation, we are not of that number" (Sadler, "The Life and Letters of the Apostle Peter", The Berean Searchlight, August, 2002, 10).

Pastor Sadler is correct because we see that those who received John's first epistle were told that they have already received eternal life (1 Jn.5:11) and the Lord Jesus says that all those to whom He has given eternal life shall never perish:

"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" (Jn.10:28).

That same truth can be seen here:

"That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (Jn.3:15-16).

With this undersood we can know that 1 John 2:28 is referring to the following:

"In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him" (1 Jn.4:17).

The "day of judgment" is in regard to the "judgment seat of Christ" when the Christian will be judged for the things done in his body, whether it be good or bad:

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Cor.5:10).

Those who continue to "abide" in the Lord will have confidence that they will receive rewards "in that day" (1 Cor.3:13-15) while those who have not will be ashamed. Next, John describes what will happen at the appearing of the Lord Jesus:

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 Jn.3:2).

Again, John thought it possible that he and the other Christians might remain alive at the Lord Jesus' appearing. He also expected that at that time he and all of the Christians would "be like Him." That is referring to the same event Paul speaks of here:

"We look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself" (Phil.3:20-21).

The Scriptures will be searched in vain for any teaching that even hints that the bodies of living saints will be changed to be made like the Lord Jesus' body when He returns to earth to set up His kingdom. The words at 1 John 3:2 can only be referring to the rapture. Pastor Sadler correctly understands that only those in the Body of Christ will be caught up at the rapture:

"The 'secret' resurrection that will take place at the Rapture should never be confused with the 'first' resurrection at the Second Coming of Christ. Those who rightly divide the Word of truth now see that only the members of the Body of Christ will be raised at the Rapture" [emphasis mine] (Sadler, Exploring the Unsearchable Riches of Christ [Stephens Point, WI: Worzalla Publishing Co., 1993], 167).

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