Yes, (1 Thess 4:16-17) and (1 Cor. 15:51-54) speak of the same event. That event is the Rapture.
You say this happens because it is the 'end'. But it never says that is the end. For those who are raised at that time and who are raptured at that time, 'Death is swallowed up in victory'. (1 Cor. 15:54) Death is not yet defeated on the earth. Much death to go yet.
I'm sorry, but the text simply does not support this. Let's look at it again, so it's not just my say so:
But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. -1 Corinthians 15:23–26
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.” -1 Corinthians 15:51–54
You say that this text doesn't say that it is "the end". But does it? In verse 24 it most certainly does. It says "
then comes the end", putting it directly after our "being made alive" in Christ...our transformation as Christ was after his resurrection, he the firstfruits.
It doesn't mention a gap, between this transformation and 'the end'. Not at all. It's just "then at his coming us, then the end". Does this mean it is impossible for a gap to be there? No, with God all things are possible. But without it specifically written into the text, we cannot just assume it's there and insert it ourselves.
You also say that "Death is swallowed up", only because those Raptured have escaped death. But it doesn't say that either. What it says about death is that it is an enemy that has been, once and for all defeated by Christ, who then submits that enemy to his Father, along with all other enemies; every other power and authority that Christ has defeated. Does that sound correct, if then the Tribulation occurs, and evil men, Satan and death are still rampant upon the earth? Can all of those things be before the Father, defeated and completely done? Can we truly sing in heaven, "Where, O death, is your sting?"
No, of course not. The Saints in heaven are still, while death and sin are upon the earth, crying out, "How long, O Lord?" How long will they wait until he judges the wicked? Until he defeats death?
No...this text is quite specific. When death is finally defeated, we rejoice fully, because death is no more, completely done. And that happens when we receive our new bodies...at the same time. It is quite clear.
Concerning (John 14:1-3), where is God's house? Is God in Heaven? In verse (3), where did Christ go?
Well, first off, I think we must take "God's house" with a little pinch of salt. And I know that will cause everyone to hiss and shield their eyes from me, but actually stop and consider what I mean: Do you think Christ is promising us a single, measly little room each in a massive house, with everyone crammed into the same abode? Egh! Can you imagine how crowded that would be! The picture Jesus is giving us here, is the opposite of what Mary and Joseph saw...no room at the Inn. In heaven, Christ is preparing a place for us. He has space for us, we will be welcomed, and welcomed gladly. So much so, that thought and love have gone into the preparation of our arrival. This is what Jesus means when he says that he "prepares a place for us", and when he assures us that God's house is large enough for all of us.
But, to your questions. Sure, God dwells in heaven. Technically, he dwells everywhere, but the bible particularly classifies his home and his 'presence' as heaven. And sure, that's where Christ went after he ascended.
But you can't just leave it there, because Jesus doesn't. He doesn't go on to say, "and one day, I'll bring you to
where I am going."
No, He says "I will
come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."
He
goes (to heaven)....he
comes again (to earth) and takes us
to himself (we see in so many other verses the phrases about "gathering us to himself")...that
where he is (remember, at this point he has 'come again' to earth) we may be also.
All the passage demands is that Christ will come again FOR us, so that we may be WITH him, where he is. It does
not say he will return to heaven with us. That is reading into the text.
Yes, we can separate the Old Testament believers from New Testament beleivers. Not only that, not all Old Testament believers are part of Israel. From Adam to Abraham, there was no people designated Israel or the chosen. And in the New Testament, the saints during the Tribulation are not part of the Church. They are the Tribulation saints. Are all saved by the blood of Christ? Of course. But not all are of the same body of believers.
I don't care how you want to categorize them. My point was simple: if you say that there is only one way under the sun that man can be saved: by the blood of Christ, then we all must be the bride of Christ...all saved by him, bought by him. If we are to understand properly what his sacrifice did for those whom he purchased with it, then we must understand that we all share in it's graces...that being, that we are fully his; his bride, washed clean and made ready.
You cannot say, "well sure, but those ones, those ones over there, they were saved by his blood too, but they don't get their white garments; they don't get to be washed clean of their sins, because his sacrifice meant something different for them, than it did for us.'
When you got married did you get a wedding invitation to the Supper. Did you get an invitation to your own wedding? The Supper and the wedding are not the same.
See, I'm still not getting the relevance you're trying to make here. Firstly, I may not have received an invite, but you can bet I went, I was sort of the star attraction. But when we are talking about the marriage supper of the Lamb, things get a little different, don't they. First, we don't expect any 'guests', do we? Pretty much everyone "attending" is going to BE the Bride. We are not going to have damned wedding guests, forced to sit around the edges of our feast, pretending merriment, all the while knowing they were on their way to hell (or going back there when the marriage was done). And I doubt we'd enjoy that either. The only legitimate guests there, I would say, would be angelic ones. Every believer present, will be the Bride. Those randsomed by Christ.
Understand that when God makes a new Heaven and new Earth, we are in the eternal state. And though we are in the eternal state, there is still a new earth, an earth. A distinct place that, even though all things are made new, still will exist. The New Jerusalem is not all believers. It is the City where dwells the Church.
Stranger
I'm not saying there won't be an actual city. And I know full well that we'll be living on an actual, physical earth. But as far as the city being symbolically referenced as the Bride, take that up with Revelation, not me, as it clearly does it:
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. -Revelation 21:2
The New Jerusalem
Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, -Revelation 21:9–10
