When I answered my cell phone this morning a very animated daughter was on the other end.
“Mom, you know how some say that the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I was reading in 1 Thessalonians and it says …but you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief…that means for Christians He is NOT coming like a thief in the night!”
“Exactly!” was my reply.
We chatted a little bit more about the passage. I pointed out to her that when Paul penned First Thessalonians he did not put in the chapter breaks. Those came later. In the last part of chapter four Paul discusses the rapture and then moves right into chapter five telling them that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.
You say, “Now wait a minute. That sounds like a contradiction. Is the day of the Lord coming like a thief in the night, or is it not?”
The answer is yes…and yes.
Here is the text we were discussing, leaving out the verse and chapter breaks, starting with the rapture in
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. Now as to the times and the epochs (seasons), brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.”
If we go back to 4:1 we learn that the Thessalonians received instruction from Paul while he and his companions were with them. From 4:13 we learn that he instructs in this first letter that those who had fallen asleep in Jesus were not without hope. "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep." Paul then teaches them regarding the coming of Christ, when believers (those who have died and those still living) will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. He even gives instruction concerning the timing of the rapture. When will the rapture happen? The rapture happens when the day of the Lord begins! They should already know. Paul tells them that nothing needs to be written to them concerning the times and seasons when the event of the day of the Lord will occur. By Paul’s words in 5:2 this was not the first time Paul had discussed the timing of these events. “For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.”Right after Paul tells them that they knew full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night he uses the pronoun “they”. This is a group of people that while they are saying “peace and safety!” sudden destruction comes upon them. Are they calling out for peace and safety because they are not experiencing it, or are they saying they are enjoying peace and safety? I think it is logical to conclude here that Paul is contrasting experiencing peace and safety with sudden destruction. The day of the Lord, sudden destruction, will come upon a group of people who are enjoying peace and safety. I’ll give more evidence shortly as to why I believe this is the case and where in relation to
Let’s talk about another contrast found in this passage. We just saw Paul refer to a group of people which he refers to as “they”. He then addresses a different group which he calls “you”, obviously the Thessalonians. (By way of application "you" are now present day believers since all these Thessalonian believers now "sleep".) So we have “they”, or unbelievers, and “you”, believers. Sudden destruction, the day of the Lord, will come upon unbelievers like a thief in the night but believers are not in darkness that the day of the Lord should overtake like a thief.
Remember the question “Is the day of the Lord coming like a thief in the night, or is it not?” Now you know why I said the answer is yes…and yes. For unbelievers the day of the Lord will come like thief in the night, for believers it will not!
Is there anywhere in Scripture that we are given a sign to recognize that the day of the Lord, that sudden destruction, is about to begin? If you have visited my blog before you will know that I will answer with a resounding yes!
In Genesis
Comparing these two passages, it becomes very clear that the day of the Lord, sudden destruction, His wrath, will not begin at the time
Is there any other place in Scripture where the warning marker for day of the Lord is recorded? Oh yes…at the opening of the sixth seal in Revelation 6:12-14: “And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. And the sky split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.”
Did you notice the additional information we get when the sign of the day of the Lord occurs? Not only do the lights go out but there will be a huge earthquake. Look at the response of those who had been enjoying “peace and safety” up to this point:
Revelation 6:15-17: “And the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come; and who is able to stand?”
Sheer terror will encompass those who had been enjoying peace and safety! No longer will they be saying “peace and safety!” When the sky splits apart and the earth trembles and shakes they will call for the mountains and rocks to fall on them for they will recognize God’s presence and the impending wrath of the Lamb!
What should the believer’s response be when the sign occurs marking the end of the age and the day of the Lord? (Do you remember Jesus words to us in Mt. 28:20? “…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”)
We find the believer’s response to the marker of the end of the age and day of the Lord in Luke 21:25-28: “And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth dismay among the nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory.
This next part just stirs my heart: “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
We are not to cower and hide. We are to lift up our heads! This is the point at which we will be gathered into the arms of our Savior, our Redeemer, our Deliverer! Mt. 24:31: “And He will send forth His angels with a GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” (For those who want to say this is a gathering only in the sky, go to Mark 13:27 and you will see the farthest end of the earth is included as well.)
When the world is suddenly enveloped in darkness and the earth and heavens are shaken, the Lord is signaling the end of the age. The day of the Lord is about to occur. He is warning that destruction is about to fall on those who turned away and rejected Christ and aligned themselves with Antichrist. But for those who have acknowledged Christ as Lord and Savior and have held to their testimony, it’s the signal that His coming and their deliverance is very near. And don’t forget, Paul says the dead in Christ shall rise first!
“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do,
…but let us be alert and sober…For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Thessalonians 5:4-6, 9
I’m looking forward to that next phone call from my daughter.
8 comments:
Hi - I followed your link from Joel's website!
Great post - but I am still confused as to when you feel the rapture will occur. Do you say it most likely will occur 3 1/2 years into the tribulation - before the abomination of desolation? Before we are tempted to take the mark of the beast? Or before any sort of peace treaty may happen to bring "peace" to Israel?
My understanding is that the rapture will occur in days like Noah - where we are happy, getting married & living life as we are today. Same old, same old. Suddenly millions of people disappear. This happening on a day like today - with nothing "major" occuring in our world except for the birth pains. The Bible says he will come like a thief in the night, and then at the 2nd coming, he will appear to all in the clouds with his angels - which is at the end of the 7 year tribulation - and all eyes will see His glory.
Correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks!
Thanks for visiting from Joel’s blog. It might help for you to look at a timeline I’ve drawn for Daniel’s 70th Week. It’s based on a face-value approach to what Scripture says. You can go to it by clicking here. Daniel’s 70th Week gets underway when a covenant is confirmed with Israel. (Daniel 9:27) This period of seven years is often referred to as the seven year tribulation period. From Daniel 9:27 we also learn that at the midway point of the seven year covenant with Israel, a man will stop the sacrifices…”on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate.” When Jesus instructs his disciples in Mt. 24. regarding this time period, He also refers to the abomination of desolation which Daniel prophesied. (Mt. 24:15) Jesus teaches that great tribulation or persecution against the elect, believers, begins soon after the abomination of desolation. Prior to the midpoint of Daniel’s 70th Week Jesus refers to what is going on in the world as “beginning birth pains”. (Mt. 24:8)
Scripture bears out that the rapture will occur somewhere between the middle of Daniel's 70th Week and the end. And as you say, the rapture will occur during a time like in the days of Noah. I’m going to post the text where that is from. Mt. 24:37-39. (Remember, Paul says in 1 Th. 4 that the rapture occurs at the Lord’s coming.) “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days which were before the flood THEY were eating and drinking, THEY were marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and THEY did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.”
Notice the use of the THEY pronoun. Jesus says it is unbelievers who will be carefree and happy. Prior to that He instructed that believers, “you” will be delivered up to tribulation. For believers, it will not be a happy time prior to the rapture. It will be a time of severe persecution.
Remember the marker which signals the end of the age, that the day of the Lord is about to get underway? From the chart you’ll see that it occurs somewhere after the midpoint of Daniel’s 70th Week. The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night for unbelievers. While THEY are enjoying peace and safety, marrying and giving in marriage, sudden destruction will come upon them. But for believers who are sober and alert, the day of the Lord will not overtake them like a thief. When the sign of the day of the Lord occurs, Luke tells us to look up, for our redemption is near. From Matthew’s account that is when the elect, believers chosen from before the foundation of the world, are gathered, raptured.
It’s important to let Scripture define the terms surrounding Daniel’s 70th Week. The first half of the Week is referred to as “beginning birth pains”. At the midpoint of the Week great tribulation begins. It is cut short for the sake of the elect, believers. Tribulation/persecution against the elect/believers will not run the entire second half of the Week. It will be cut short by the Lord’s coming/day of the Lord which begins somewhere between the middle of the Week and the end. We are not destined for wrath. We will be raptured just as the day of the Lord begins to unfold.
For a simple understanding as to how events will unfold, just read through Mt. 24.
Please let me know if you have any more questions and again, thanks for visiting...
Kathy
You can think of it like this...up to the midpoint of Daniel's 70th Week will be birth pangs. Then, the hard labor of persecution will hit the elect/believers at the midpoint of the Week, just after Antichrist sets himself up in the temple and demands worship...and then the Son of Man comes at an hour known only to the Father to "deliver" the elect from this persecution. Then God's wrath falls.
1 Th. 4:15-17: "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain (this can be also translated as "survive") shall be caught up together with them in the clouds..."
Thanks for the chart - I'm a visual learner & like to see things in front of me.
While I'm still dissecting this, would you say this is a mid-trib chart?
I would not qualify it as a midtrib chart. That would place the rapture in the middle of Daniel's 70th Week. Jesus instructs in Mt. 24:36 that "no man knows the day or the hour" of "that day" or the day of the Lord's coming and gathering of the elect. If you look at the chart you'll see I've randomly placed the Lord's coming/rapture between the middle of the Week and the end, with ??? To place it in the middle or at the end of the Week would negate that "no man knows the day or the hour."
Remember that Paul said to be alert and sober. He's instructing us to watch for the signs of the Lord's return. Jesus gives us the first REALLY BIG sign. The abomination of desolation. He says in Mt. 24:15, "therefore when you SEE the AofD..." The next thing that will happen after that is severe persecution. Many believe that during the tribulation there will be a great revival. Not according to what Jesus says. When the tribulation hits many will fall away. (Mt. 24:9) Jesus instructs to go into hiding during the time of great tribulation. There will be some that will try to lure believers out. Mt. 24:26..."If they say to you, Behold, He is in the wilderness, do not go forth." He's told us in advance! (Mt. 24:25) The final sign that will occur is the triple sign in the sun, moon, and stars. That is when we look up...we'll see Jesus in the clouds (not in the wilderness) and then we'll be gathered. (Luke 21:25-28) For unbelievers, when they see Jesus, it will be terror for them. The Lord's coming and the rapture is not going to be secret and silent. It's going to be noisy and glorious event!
I would encourage you to read through all the different passages that I've mentioned...
Mt. 24
Mk. 13
Luke 21
1 Th. 4:13-5:10
2 Th. 2 (one I've not mentioned but gives key instruction)
Blessings as you study.
Kathy
March 24, 2008
Kathy,
It's Jim again from Salem, Oregon. This comment only relates indirectly to your post but I'm curious what you might think. When I read 2 Thess. 2:6, I can't help but wonder if somehow the U.S. is being used as a "restrainer" against the man of lawlessness or antichrist. Obviously, America didn't exist when 2 Thess. was written and Paul seems to imply that they know to whom or what he was referring. But I keep thinking that perhaps God is using the United States as a restraining force and that the United States' restraining influence is about to be removed or greatly diminished. Any thoughts?
I'v considered posting to the folks on Joel's blog as well but really wanted to see what you think (since I'm convinced that the pre-wrath position aligns best with Scripture). In fact, please feel free to post the question yourself if you feel it worthwhile. I've still never created a blog identitiy and hate to be mistaken for some of the other anonymous folks who post;-)
Your brother in Christ,
James G. in Salem, OR
Hi Jim,
Nice to have you drop by again. (And thanks for your reply to my “He is Risen” iris photo. We all enjoy passing that back and forth to each other at our church on Easter.)
As far as the restrainer...Paul evidently had given them previous instruction on the restrainer’s identity because he tells the Thessalonians (2:6) “And you know what restrains him now…” By the way, the restrainer’s identity does not affect the sequence of events that must happen before Christ comes and gathers the church at the day of the Lord. Paul is saying that the day of the Lord will not happen before Antichrist is revealed and Antichrist will not be revealed until the restrainer is removed. We can rule out the restrainer being the church because ekklesia is feminine and restrainer is masculine. You can’t say the church must be removed before the church can be raptured! That is illogical. It can’t be the Holy Spirit using that same reasoning. I think you answered your question yourself when you said America didn’t exist when 2 Th. was written. The restrainer that is mentioned in the OT was around when 2 Th. was written. Daniel 10:21b: “…Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except for Michael your prince.” Michael is then said to “arise” or “stand still” just prior to the persecution of Antichrist. (Dan. 12:1) Michael has my vote though I can’t say for sure. Satan will not be able to persecute Israel and God’s elect the way he would like until God removes Michael’s angelic protection.
Thanks again for the visit.
Kathy
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