Not in the dark
I will make darkness light before them.Isa 42:16
I Thessalonians Chapter 5
In this final chapter of Paul's first letter to the Thessalonian Christians he continues to lovingly correct their misconception that Christ was going to return very soon. So soon in fact, there were people grieving the fact that their loved one had passed away, missed the rapture, and therefore would never be in heaven. They somehow had missed the lesson where Paul must have taught them, To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Chapter four corrected much of that, but chapter five reinforces that and adds valuable teaching to re-shape their thinking. He hits on this topic which is exceptionally pertinent to our times.
He begins:
1Th 5:1 ¶ But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
Times and seasons of what? This would be the event he just mentioned in the previous verses … The Lord descending with a shout, the trumpet blast, the dead in Christ rising first, then all other Christians transformed and caught up into the air. Added to the event just mentioned in chapter 4 is an additional phrase, the Day of the Lord.
Th 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
In other words, the events of 4:14-18 is the same as The Day of the Lord. To add a more contemporary term, Paul is equating the rapture of believers, and the immediate destruction which follows, as being the Day of Lord.
He said “You know the times, and seasons.”
Obviously Paul has told them on a previous occasion that the Lord was coming as a thief in the night, that is why he can say, “You (already) know...” Are we familiar with the 'times and seasons'? We will look at some of them in the last part of this session.
1Th 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
So even though they already know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night, he reminds them anyway. I think that is fitting for us as well. Some of these things we have heard repeatedly .. but it is still good to be reminded.
Why the phrase, Day of Lord? Is it a specific day or does it denote a period of time? Both actually.
As a specific day, Paul writes here, that in an unexpected manner, when people least expect it, the thief will strike. It will be a day of devastation. God's people will have just previously been taken up. Some have compared that to the thief snatching the redeemed children of God out of this world.
As a side note, Peter is one of the writers who talks about the other aspect of the day of the Lord. He mentions that at the end of the day .. the entire planet melts.
2Pe 3:3 ¶ knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, (4) and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."
Peter is giving this as one of the 'signs' of the last days, one of the signs preceding 'The Day of the Lord'. He goes on to say
9 ¶ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (10) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
But we know by comparing other prophecies related to the return of Jesus, that the earth does not get burned up for at least a thousand years after Jesus returns. Peter sort of makes it sound like … the Lord returns and ...wham! The earth is destroyed. But I purposely skipped the following verse:
8 ¶ But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Peter is pointing out that the day of the Lord is a thousand years long. The thousand year 'millennial reign' of Christ on this earth is all part of the Day of the Lord. It is at the end of the thousand-year-day of the Lord that God, being finished with this planet, melts it totally … replacing it with a new heavens and a new earth. (Rev 21:1)1
So Peter also adds in verse 13, “we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells”.
The way Paul uses the term 'day of the Lord' is more calling attention to the suddenness, the unexpectedness of it and the terrible destruction that follows. Paul is not referring to the long-range destruction of the planet at the end of the thousand year reign, however. He is referring to the destruction of unbelievers at the coming of Christ2.
What should one expect during the visit of a thief?
John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Jesus is describing the general profile of a thief of those days. When He says 'The day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night', He is not picturing himself as having criminal characteristics. He might only be borrowing one facet of a thief's behavior and that is the element of surprise … 'At such an hour as you do not expect 3 ...' But in our chapter verse 3 adds some important information, 'sudden destruction comes upon them … ' This includes the rest of the profile of a thief – killing and destroying.
1Th 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
Paul adds one of 'signs' preceding the rapture, the coming of Christ. He says, 3 ..When they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction
So now we have mentioned two signs:
Scoffers saying - “It will never happen. God's word is a joke.”
and
“We will do what it takes to make the world secure. We need world peace. We can do this!”
Then comes 'sudden destruction'
A description of the sudden destruction is as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. 1Th 5:3 This is a definitive description given intentionally. The destruction does not come as a 'Wham!' as Peter said in 2Peter 3:9. That comes a thousand years later. This destruction comes with pains hitting the people of this earth … spaced apart like labor pains … and then getting more severe and closer together. Notice the last sentence in verse 4, 'THEY shall not escape.' Who does not escape? The unsaved world that is so busy pursuing a 'peace' that excludes God.
We can read about those labor pains in Matthew chapter 24. They are described in detail in the other major prophecies, such as Revelation, Daniel, Ezekiel and others.
YOU ARE NOT IN THE DARK
But now comes the good news. Verse 4-8, We are not in the dark! The 'thief coming' is not for believers. At least it is not SUPPOSED to be. I am afraid it will catch many believers by surprise, and it may destroy their faith.
Paul says that we are NOT in the dark. The day will NOT overtake you as a thief. He describes us as being in continual light (5). This means we will see all of the signs. We will be totally aware of how close the coming is.
Jesus said, after outlining a long list of signs in Matt 24 … in verse 36 that no one knows the day and the hour. Is he saying 'I could come back at any moment' so be ready? No, people have used these verses to say, Jesus could come tonight .. be ready. He is not saying that … He is saying, there is a whole string of 'labor pain' events that will begin at some point in the future. Watch for them. Once they begin, really be on the alert … you will not know the day and the hour, but you will know it is very close.
Christ can not lie. He never said in scripture that he could or would come back at any moment. He told the Apostle Peter that he, Peter, would grow old and die a martyr's death. Then Jesus ascended up to heaven, the new church was commissioned and went out into all the world, and as they went they preached. The preached repent and take Jesus as your savior. And they preached 'He is coming again!' Did they expect him at any moment? Not really. They certainly would not expect him to return before Peter died, otherwise that would make Jesus a liar.
The word 'imminent' or the term, 'imminency' is often mentioned in studies of the second coming. There are two very different definitions. (By the way, neither word appears in scripture).
Definition 1: 'At hand, or close at hand'
Definition 2: 'Something that could happen at any moment'
Many Bible teachers have emphatically insisted that definition 2 is the correct one. I quote from an article by a Bible teacher, John Ankerberg: “We cannot say that an imminent event will happen soon. Why? The term “soon” implies that shortly after a particular point of time, specified or implied, the event will happen. Once again a certain amount of time must take place before we reach the point specified as soon. But in contrast, an imminent event may take place within a short time, but it does not have to do so in order to be imminent. No period of time needs to pass—it could happen in the next moment.”
Mr. Ankerberg's definition, and that of many other teachers of pre-tribulational eschatology is faulty. If, for example we say 'A storm is imminent', we say that because of something else … we say that because we see the clouds boiling toward us from the horizon, the sky is turning a deep, dark color. We say the birth of a new calf is imminent … based on something … The calf's mother has been in gestation for the usual amount of time and she is due … or even overdue.
Definition 2 has been used and abused to teach that Christ could come at any moment … case closed … not because of anything else, not because of any signs of fulfilled prophecy. These teachers say that if we are to look for signs, then the coming of Christ is not imminent.
As a 'short-time' farmer I say … we watch for signs of a storm before we start talking about its being imminent.
To be 'in the dark' regarding an upcoming event means we have no knowledge or hint. We don't even know the event is coming at all. So, to be … 'not in darkness' means to be in the light, or enlightened. That is what Paul is doing for the Thessalonians. That is what he had already done for them in the short time he was there initially. The teaching that Jesus gave to the disciples in Matthew chapter 24 was to 'enlighten' them.
Paul indicated in the verses we have just read, that Christians are 'day people'. But he also indicates that just because we are people of day, it is possible for us to not live like that. That is why he says in verse 6 … do not sleep! I could put it this way … 'Don't close your eyes … to the enlightening truth that is available'
So how do we stay awake and remain alert to the 'signs of the times'. Verse 8 gives us some direction:
Be sober. I suppose we could take this to mean don't abuse alcohol but I think it goes much further than that. This certainly is speaking of sober as opposed to being frivolous and shallow. Life is not a joke. We like to kid around at times, but the base of our heart and soul must be that persuasion that life and eternity are very serious matters. To be aware of the times we need to be serious about the word. We need to be serious about God's will and purpose, both in the world and in our lives.
Put on the breastplate of faith and love. Consciously exercise faith and love.
And a helmet of salvation - Be absolutely certain we are saved.
The picture obviously is that of an equipped soldier. There is an unmistakable enemy out there who has some idea about the 'times' in which we live. He has some idea of God's intentions with him and this earth. He is in a serious position to destroy the work of God as much as he can in the time he has left. He even thinks that ultimately he can overthrow God, despite what is written in scripture.
Paul's cautioning words in verse 9.
The word 'for' is the same as if he had said, 'because'. So he is saying 'Do all of the above … stay awake. Walk by faith. Stay sober. Because … God does not want you in with group or to become part of the group, who are appointed to wrath.'
He summarizes this part with a brief reference back to some Thessalonian believers who have died. Paul says, whether a person dies, or whether a person is alive at the coming of Christ … we will eventually all live together with Him. What a comfort! What assurance! What an expectation of joy!
Practical advice - 12-28
You have, in your church, those whose labour is totally for you, the congregation. They are 'over you' in the Lord. Their job is to 'warn' you when necessary. Respect them very highly.
Speaking of warning, Paul encourages the readers to
Verse 23 – 28 is the Apostle's salutation.
He has written these words to:
A young church. A church that was built up by Timothy for a while. A church that now has leaders that have emerged from the congregation. A church that has a wonderful testimony and reputation. A church that is waiting for Jesus … but needed a few pointers to correct their thinking. A church that is experiencing some opposition and persecution from the community. A church that he loves dearly.
And he has written these words to us.
1Re 21:1 ¶ And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2Re 6:16 And (the unbelievers) said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
3Mt 24:44 "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
I Thessalonians Chapter 5
In this final chapter of Paul's first letter to the Thessalonian Christians he continues to lovingly correct their misconception that Christ was going to return very soon. So soon in fact, there were people grieving the fact that their loved one had passed away, missed the rapture, and therefore would never be in heaven. They somehow had missed the lesson where Paul must have taught them, To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Chapter four corrected much of that, but chapter five reinforces that and adds valuable teaching to re-shape their thinking. He hits on this topic which is exceptionally pertinent to our times.
He begins:
1Th 5:1 ¶ But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
Times and seasons of what? This would be the event he just mentioned in the previous verses … The Lord descending with a shout, the trumpet blast, the dead in Christ rising first, then all other Christians transformed and caught up into the air. Added to the event just mentioned in chapter 4 is an additional phrase, the Day of the Lord.
Th 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
In other words, the events of 4:14-18 is the same as The Day of the Lord. To add a more contemporary term, Paul is equating the rapture of believers, and the immediate destruction which follows, as being the Day of Lord.
He said “You know the times, and seasons.”
Obviously Paul has told them on a previous occasion that the Lord was coming as a thief in the night, that is why he can say, “You (already) know...” Are we familiar with the 'times and seasons'? We will look at some of them in the last part of this session.
1Th 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
So even though they already know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night, he reminds them anyway. I think that is fitting for us as well. Some of these things we have heard repeatedly .. but it is still good to be reminded.
Why the phrase, Day of Lord? Is it a specific day or does it denote a period of time? Both actually.
As a specific day, Paul writes here, that in an unexpected manner, when people least expect it, the thief will strike. It will be a day of devastation. God's people will have just previously been taken up. Some have compared that to the thief snatching the redeemed children of God out of this world.
As a side note, Peter is one of the writers who talks about the other aspect of the day of the Lord. He mentions that at the end of the day .. the entire planet melts.
2Pe 3:3 ¶ knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, (4) and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."
Peter is giving this as one of the 'signs' of the last days, one of the signs preceding 'The Day of the Lord'. He goes on to say
9 ¶ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (10) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
But we know by comparing other prophecies related to the return of Jesus, that the earth does not get burned up for at least a thousand years after Jesus returns. Peter sort of makes it sound like … the Lord returns and ...wham! The earth is destroyed. But I purposely skipped the following verse:
8 ¶ But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Peter is pointing out that the day of the Lord is a thousand years long. The thousand year 'millennial reign' of Christ on this earth is all part of the Day of the Lord. It is at the end of the thousand-year-day of the Lord that God, being finished with this planet, melts it totally … replacing it with a new heavens and a new earth. (Rev 21:1)1
So Peter also adds in verse 13, “we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells”.
The way Paul uses the term 'day of the Lord' is more calling attention to the suddenness, the unexpectedness of it and the terrible destruction that follows. Paul is not referring to the long-range destruction of the planet at the end of the thousand year reign, however. He is referring to the destruction of unbelievers at the coming of Christ2.
What should one expect during the visit of a thief?
John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Jesus is describing the general profile of a thief of those days. When He says 'The day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night', He is not picturing himself as having criminal characteristics. He might only be borrowing one facet of a thief's behavior and that is the element of surprise … 'At such an hour as you do not expect 3 ...' But in our chapter verse 3 adds some important information, 'sudden destruction comes upon them … ' This includes the rest of the profile of a thief – killing and destroying.
1Th 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
Paul adds one of 'signs' preceding the rapture, the coming of Christ. He says, 3 ..When they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction
So now we have mentioned two signs:
Scoffers saying - “It will never happen. God's word is a joke.”
and
“We will do what it takes to make the world secure. We need world peace. We can do this!”
Then comes 'sudden destruction'
A description of the sudden destruction is as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. 1Th 5:3 This is a definitive description given intentionally. The destruction does not come as a 'Wham!' as Peter said in 2Peter 3:9. That comes a thousand years later. This destruction comes with pains hitting the people of this earth … spaced apart like labor pains … and then getting more severe and closer together. Notice the last sentence in verse 4, 'THEY shall not escape.' Who does not escape? The unsaved world that is so busy pursuing a 'peace' that excludes God.
We can read about those labor pains in Matthew chapter 24. They are described in detail in the other major prophecies, such as Revelation, Daniel, Ezekiel and others.
YOU ARE NOT IN THE DARK
But now comes the good news. Verse 4-8, We are not in the dark! The 'thief coming' is not for believers. At least it is not SUPPOSED to be. I am afraid it will catch many believers by surprise, and it may destroy their faith.
Paul says that we are NOT in the dark. The day will NOT overtake you as a thief. He describes us as being in continual light (5). This means we will see all of the signs. We will be totally aware of how close the coming is.
Jesus said, after outlining a long list of signs in Matt 24 … in verse 36 that no one knows the day and the hour. Is he saying 'I could come back at any moment' so be ready? No, people have used these verses to say, Jesus could come tonight .. be ready. He is not saying that … He is saying, there is a whole string of 'labor pain' events that will begin at some point in the future. Watch for them. Once they begin, really be on the alert … you will not know the day and the hour, but you will know it is very close.
Christ can not lie. He never said in scripture that he could or would come back at any moment. He told the Apostle Peter that he, Peter, would grow old and die a martyr's death. Then Jesus ascended up to heaven, the new church was commissioned and went out into all the world, and as they went they preached. The preached repent and take Jesus as your savior. And they preached 'He is coming again!' Did they expect him at any moment? Not really. They certainly would not expect him to return before Peter died, otherwise that would make Jesus a liar.
The word 'imminent' or the term, 'imminency' is often mentioned in studies of the second coming. There are two very different definitions. (By the way, neither word appears in scripture).
Definition 1: 'At hand, or close at hand'
Definition 2: 'Something that could happen at any moment'
Many Bible teachers have emphatically insisted that definition 2 is the correct one. I quote from an article by a Bible teacher, John Ankerberg: “We cannot say that an imminent event will happen soon. Why? The term “soon” implies that shortly after a particular point of time, specified or implied, the event will happen. Once again a certain amount of time must take place before we reach the point specified as soon. But in contrast, an imminent event may take place within a short time, but it does not have to do so in order to be imminent. No period of time needs to pass—it could happen in the next moment.”
Mr. Ankerberg's definition, and that of many other teachers of pre-tribulational eschatology is faulty. If, for example we say 'A storm is imminent', we say that because of something else … we say that because we see the clouds boiling toward us from the horizon, the sky is turning a deep, dark color. We say the birth of a new calf is imminent … based on something … The calf's mother has been in gestation for the usual amount of time and she is due … or even overdue.
Definition 2 has been used and abused to teach that Christ could come at any moment … case closed … not because of anything else, not because of any signs of fulfilled prophecy. These teachers say that if we are to look for signs, then the coming of Christ is not imminent.
As a 'short-time' farmer I say … we watch for signs of a storm before we start talking about its being imminent.
To be 'in the dark' regarding an upcoming event means we have no knowledge or hint. We don't even know the event is coming at all. So, to be … 'not in darkness' means to be in the light, or enlightened. That is what Paul is doing for the Thessalonians. That is what he had already done for them in the short time he was there initially. The teaching that Jesus gave to the disciples in Matthew chapter 24 was to 'enlighten' them.
Paul indicated in the verses we have just read, that Christians are 'day people'. But he also indicates that just because we are people of day, it is possible for us to not live like that. That is why he says in verse 6 … do not sleep! I could put it this way … 'Don't close your eyes … to the enlightening truth that is available'
So how do we stay awake and remain alert to the 'signs of the times'. Verse 8 gives us some direction:
Be sober. I suppose we could take this to mean don't abuse alcohol but I think it goes much further than that. This certainly is speaking of sober as opposed to being frivolous and shallow. Life is not a joke. We like to kid around at times, but the base of our heart and soul must be that persuasion that life and eternity are very serious matters. To be aware of the times we need to be serious about the word. We need to be serious about God's will and purpose, both in the world and in our lives.
Put on the breastplate of faith and love. Consciously exercise faith and love.
And a helmet of salvation - Be absolutely certain we are saved.
The picture obviously is that of an equipped soldier. There is an unmistakable enemy out there who has some idea about the 'times' in which we live. He has some idea of God's intentions with him and this earth. He is in a serious position to destroy the work of God as much as he can in the time he has left. He even thinks that ultimately he can overthrow God, despite what is written in scripture.
Paul's cautioning words in verse 9.
The word 'for' is the same as if he had said, 'because'. So he is saying 'Do all of the above … stay awake. Walk by faith. Stay sober. Because … God does not want you in with group or to become part of the group, who are appointed to wrath.'
He summarizes this part with a brief reference back to some Thessalonian believers who have died. Paul says, whether a person dies, or whether a person is alive at the coming of Christ … we will eventually all live together with Him. What a comfort! What assurance! What an expectation of joy!
Practical advice - 12-28
You have, in your church, those whose labour is totally for you, the congregation. They are 'over you' in the Lord. Their job is to 'warn' you when necessary. Respect them very highly.
Speaking of warning, Paul encourages the readers to
- 'warn' unruly church members
- comfort the 'fainthearted' (spiritually timid and afraid to launch out in faith?)
- Uphold the weak – Physically challenged?
- Be patient with everyone.
- Do not respond negatively in kind. Even in the church, turn the other cheek. Never do we take the attitude, 'Well they have been Christians for a lot of years … They should know better!”
- Make a point to rejoice in life. Even if you don't feel like it.
- Practice being in God's presence all day long – and attitude of prayer.
- Be thankful to God in all your situation. That can be very difficult sometimes, but our thankfulness indicates that we really believe that God knows what he is doing in our lives.
- Listen to the small voice and promptings of God in your life. There are a number of ways our busyness, our recreation, our our self-indulging ways can block our ability to hear him.
- Respect God's word, whether it is the written word of God or it is His word given through his messengers.
- Don't be gullible but be able to 'check things out' because you know scripture. If you don't know it that well then check out things that are supposed have come from God by discussing it with someone who does know the Word. Things that 'check out' … apply them to your life.
- Stay away from every form of evil … and there are a lot of them. Satan will try to make evil look good, so it requires caution before getting involved in something and familiarity with God's word.
Verse 23 – 28 is the Apostle's salutation.
He has written these words to:
A young church. A church that was built up by Timothy for a while. A church that now has leaders that have emerged from the congregation. A church that has a wonderful testimony and reputation. A church that is waiting for Jesus … but needed a few pointers to correct their thinking. A church that is experiencing some opposition and persecution from the community. A church that he loves dearly.
And he has written these words to us.
1Re 21:1 ¶ And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2Re 6:16 And (the unbelievers) said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
3Mt 24:44 "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.