1 Thessalonians (written)

Thursday, 17 August 2017

For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:3

The whole world is focused on a tiny sliver of land in the Middle East, Israel. It is so overly concerned with it, because of the countless enemies which surround that nation. Because of this, there can be no peace. The Islamic nations have oil, vast numbers of people, strategic lands for military purposes, etc.

Further, Muslims have spread out into the non-Islamic nations of the world, and have become a threat within those societies. One of the main issues that stirs them up is Israel. Without dealing with Israel, they then cause death and turmoil wherever they go, using the lack of peace between Israel and the Muslim population in the land as a reason to work their evil.

Until the issue is supposedly handled, they vehemently state that there can be no peace. If there is no peace, then there is no safety. It is from this state that Paul’s words of the end times now make sense.

He begins this verse with “For when they say.” “For” is given based on the preceding words concerning Christ’s coming as “a thief in the night.” It is obvious that the two issues are being tied together. It also explains what is meant in 2 Thessalonians 2:6, 7. There is a restraining force in the world.

When that Restrainer is removed (which is speaking of the Holy Spirit), then the end time events will rapidly unfold. Thus, there is the rapture of the church at the removing of the Restrainer. After this happens, the world will then make its peace deal with Israel. The words, “when they say” are vague and form a general meaning, thus it is speaking of the world at large.

When the world sees the peace deal signed, they will say “peace and safety.” The enemies who have signed will say “Peace!” The world who believe that the Muslims are now pacified will say, “Safety!” There will be rejoicing at the state of kumbaya which has seemingly come upon the world.

However, the belief will be a false one indeed. Paul tells what the outcome of this “peace” agreement will be. It will be a time when “sudden destruction comes upon them.” The Greek indicates literally, “stands over them,” or “takes its stand over them.” Paul writes this in the present tense to give it the most vivid effect on the mind. His words here closely reflect what is said in Luke 21 –

“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. ³⁵ For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36

Jesus was speaking not to the church in those words, but to Israel. They would again be gathered back to Israel at some point, and it is at this time that the words would be fulfilled. The church age has ended, the rapture has taken place, and only now will these prophetic words find their fulfillment. There is no such thing as a “mid-tribulation” rapture. It is at the mid-point of the tribulation that the antichrist is working out the full force of his wickedness. Before that, there must be the perceived peace, but this perceived peace only comes after the rapture. Paul’s words form a doctrinal treatise on the sequence of events of the end times.

When the whole world has seen the peace deal signed, they will shout out, “Peace and safety,” but that is when the destruction stands over them, ready to destroy the world. And it will come, “as labor pains upon a pregnant woman.” The pains of a woman in labor increase both in intensity and in frequency, right up until the birth of the child. So it will be with the world. The supposed peace and safety will have been nothing but a precursor to strife and destruction. The people of the world will be hemmed in as if in a prison planet, and “they shall not escape.”

The book of Revelation shows that there will be no exit, no second rapture, for the people of the world. They will either take the mark of the beast and perish, or they will not take it, and they will perish. The difference between the two is that those who take it will perish, facing ever-lasting death at the Great White Throne judgment (Revelation 20:12). Those who refuse it will perish physically, but be rewarded at the first resurrection (Revelation 20:5).

Surprisingly, the Old Testament gives prophetic pictures and details of these things so that we won’t make the error of incorrect analyses of eschatology (the study of end times events). The pre-tribulation rapture, the signing of the seven-year peace deal, the tribulation period, the return of Christ – all of it – it is all given in types, shadows, and prophetic utterances in the Old Testament to give the sound believer in Christ the surety and hope of not being around when these calamitous events take place.

Life application: What kind of hope is there in being stuck on a prison planet for 3 ½ years, waiting for the Lord to come as His bride is being pummeled and torn apart by her enemies? No, God has not appointed us to wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9), and he has promised to keep us from the hour of testing which is coming upon the whole earth (Revelation 3:10). Ignore those who have failed to take the time to properly evaluate these verses, and who provide us with only an unhappy doctrine of insecurity and uncertainty.

Heavenly Father, as incredible as it seems to the world at large, You have appointed a time when those who have put their faith in You through Jesus Christ will be spared from the hour of testing which is coming upon the whole earth. How marvelous it is that we have a sure and blessed hope of being in Your presence while those who failed to simply believe in what Jesus has done for them will face a world of destruction and death. Help us to continue to speak the word of Christ boldly while there is still time. Amen.

Wednesday, 16 August 2017

For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 1 Thessalonians 5:2

To explain what he just said in the previous verse about “time and seasons” being unknown even to believers, Paul now says, “For you yourselves know perfectly.” The word means “accurately” because it is examined down to the minutest detail. It is as if a probing examination has made the determination completely sure and there is no reason at all to go further.

This shows us that Paul had already discussed this part of the matter with them. They had not been given the incredible details of what the resurrection of the dead at the rapture would be like, and so those details were penned by him in Chapter 4. But they had been told about when the coming of the Lord would be. Someone had probably asked, and Paul then gave them his complete answer so that the matter would be settled. And that answer to them concerned “the day of the Lord.”

This “day of the Lord” is explained in the coming verses, not as the rapture, but as what follows the rapture, meaning the “day of the Lord’s judgment” upon the world. It is a seven year time-frame which is explained by the prophets and apostles in numerous passages. Paul’s words are then explained further in 2 Thessalonians 2 with these words –

“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, ² not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. ³ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4

In this passage from 2 Thessalonians, “the day of Christ” (some manuscripts say, “the day of the Lord), will not come until after the rapture of the church. The words “that Day will not come” are inserted by the translators for clarity, but they are correctly inserted. As “the day of Christ” is the nearest antecedent, it is speaking of that event. The reason for Paul telling them this was because some had obviously told the Thessalonians that it had arrived. This gave them reason to fear that they had missed the rapture which he explained in 1 Thessalonians. Paul wrote to them the second letter to show them this was not the case. Thus, these verses show that the doctrine of a pre-tribulation rapture is correct. First will come the rapture, and only then will come the day of the Lord which comes “as a thief in the night.”

This term is a simile which is used to indicate with all suddenness. There will be a time when the day of the Lord comes, and it will plunge the world into its self-destruct mode. And so what is correctly seen when taken as the Bible reveals these things to us is:

1) The church age
2) The rapture of the church (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
3) The day of the Lord after the rapture (2 Thessalonians 2:2)
4) The revealing of “the lawless one” (meaning the antichrist) after the rapture (2 Thessalonians 2:8)

It is the rapture which initiates the unfolding of the next occurrence in the sequence of events, “the Day of the Lord.” As this event comes as a thief in the night, it is obvious that Paul is tying that phrase in with the “times and seasons” of verse 1. And as the antichrist is the one who is behind the 7-year peace deal with Israel, and as we will not know who he is because his identity is only made known after the rapture, then it is again plainly obvious that the rapture must be pre-tribulation. Each step is methodically recorded so we don’t have to fall into the error of misaligning the timing of the rapture as commonly occurs.

The main point is that actual timing of the rapture is not known, and it will not be known until after it has taken place. It falls under the “times and seasons” which both Jesus and Paul state we are not privy to. Unfortunately, Paul’s words, “For you yourselves know perfectly” apparently don’t pertain to date-setters. Time and again (and again) they set dates, and these predictions are always incorrect. The Lord told us that it is not for us to know these things, and Paul reaffirms the Lord’s word. And yet we presume to know better than those from Whom (and through whom) came the word of God.

Life application: The world is spiraling down the tubes, and we may have great fear that the Lord has forgotten about us, but such is not the case. When the time is right, and at the perfect time of His choosing, the Lord will come to gather us to Himself. Let us not set dates about when it will come about. Instead, let us do as we are instructed, and continue to tell others about what God has done in Christ. If we don’t do this, only terrible things lay ahead for them. It is either judgment at the cross, or judgment on the world who has rejected the cross.

Lord God, it is good to know that You have the “times and seasons” of all events safely guarded, and that You will bring those events to pass when You alone have determined. Help us be obedient to the commission which You have given us, and to proclaim the cross which frees us from the coming wrath. That is our job now, and it is a marvelous honor for us to share it. Amen.

Tuesday, 15 August 2017

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 1 Thessalonians 5:1

Paul now enters into Jesus’ equivalent of Matthew 24:36. What Jesus was referring to was specifically dealing with Israel’s future prophetic events. The church was not yet formed, and the Gentiles were not yet being addressed. His words of Matthew 24 have nothing to do with the church. However, Paul’s words do. He is writing what is considered doctrine for those in the church.

This introductory verse was written to eliminate any false ideas about church events which had already been claimed, and which Paul had to re-correct them on in His second epistle (see 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4). The timing of these event are, and will remain, unknown until they come to pass. They are things which the Bible states belong to God alone. It is pointless to make speculations about when they will occur because Paul clearly informs us that we are not in the know.

And so, to begin this section of his discourse, he says, “But.” This is given to contrast what he has just laid out in the previous section – that of the resurrection and rapture of the church when we will be gathered together to meet the Lord in the air. A contrast means that it is the opposite of something. In this case –

1) We know that there will be a rapture, and the events which it encompasses are laid out in Scripture.

2) But…

This “But” is next detailed with the words, “concerning the times and the seasons.” This phrase is a Hebraism. The first word “times” is a word which carries the sense of “time in sequence” as in a succession of moments. It is chronos (think of “chronology”). A person has a time to be born, he has a time to be graduate school, he has a time to be married, and he has a time to die. These events are ordained in a sequence, one following logically after another.

The next word, translated as “seasons,” is the Greek word kairos. This word is more specific. It refers to things which come to their fullness, and thus they are “the right moment.” This is comparable to Jesus’ words of Matthew 24 when He says, “the day and the hour.”

After saying this, he then says, “brethren.” Paul is speaking only to believers. Unbelievers have no part in the words of Paul’s letters, with the exception of leading them to a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Until that happens, the words do not pertain to them. They will not be included in the good things which have been prepared by God for His people.

Next he says to these brethren, “you have no need that I should write to you.” The intent of his words is not that the information was useless or somehow superfluous. It was because he had already told them that the timing of the events was beyond the sphere of his instruction to the church. It is natural for us to long for Jesus’ return, and thus that curiosity would then otherwise turn into idle speculation if he didn’t quell it in his audience now. Too bad we still don’t pay heed. Instead, it is the duty of the church to concern ourselves with affairs of the church, and not attempt to pry open the box of these future events “which the Father has put in His own authority (Acts 1:7).” There Jesus spoke the same words which Paul now puts to paper with the flow of his ink.

The coming verses will explain this in a way which rapture date-setters will claim gives them the right and the knowledge to pry all they want, but exactly the opposite is true. Context matters, and the context is that we are to pay heed to Jesus’ words of Acts 1:7, and connect them with Paul’s words here. After doing this, we are to say, “God is God, and I will not attempt to beat Him to the punch.” When the day comes (which involves a time known to God alone), we will not be surprised that it has come, but we will not have known that it was the day which He had ordained.

Life application: Setting dates for the rapture only causes harm. It is an embarrassment when it does not occur, it is an affront to God, and it diminishes the value of the church in the eyes of non-believers.

Lord God, how good it is that You have made such wonderful promises about our future! But, you have kept from us knowing the times and seasons of these future events. They belong to You, and they will be revealed to us only when they happen. Help us to be about Your work in the church instead of idly speculating about our departure. Help us to be obedient to this, and to be faithful Christians who go about Your business. Amen.

Monday, 14 August 2017

Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:18

“Therefore” is given to sum up the words of verses 13-17. They respond directly to the words, “lest you sorrow as the others who have no hope” which are found in verse 13. Where there is no hope apart from Christ, there is total assurance in Christ. When a Christian is properly instructed in what Paul has said, there may be grieving in the pain of separation, but the grounded believer will not grieve with the sorrow of the sense of total loss. There will be no lingering question as to what has become of their lost loved one in Christ. Rather, there will be a sense of surety that death is defeated, and that the time of separation will come to a happy end.

This is why he finishes the thought with, “comfort one another with these words.” Actually, Young’s Literal Translation gives the correct sense by following the Greek which says, “in these words.” It is an admonition to us from Paul that we should repeat the words Paul has written when the need arises. In them comfort is to be found. The grieving soul can immerse himself in them as if in a blanket of assurance.

Life application: The closing paragraph of 1 Thessalonians 4 is one of hope and one of comfort. Even if we do not memorize the verses, we should memorize where they can be found. All people will inevitably face the loss of death, and for the believer in Christ, they will need a reminder that death is not the end of their lost love who was also in Christ. However, we need to never give a false hope. These words are not to be passed on when the dead was not a follower of Christ. We are to stand firm on the truth that only those in Christ will be included in Paul’s words concerning the rapture and our gathering together to be with the Lord.

Lord God, there is comfort in Christ that is found in no other place. Your word teaches that there is but one way to reconciliation with You, and that is through Jesus. All others have the choice to receive or reject this narrow path. But what an incredible thing that You have even given us one path! It is we who turned from You, and yet it is You who have offered us peace. Thank You for what You have done for us. Thank You for the path back home. Amen.

Sunday, 13 August 2017

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. 1 Thessalonians 4:17

The substance of what these words mean is highly debated. The word “Then” signifies “afterwards.” In essence, what precedes is an essential precursor to what then occurs. Some argue then that there could be a large amount of time between the two events. In other words, the dead will be changed, and then at some future point those alive will be changed. This analysis is incorrect for two reasons.

First, it would mean that remaining alive until the coming of the Lord has a different value assigned to it than dying in the Lord, something the Bible never implies. Secondly, it would then contradict 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52 which clearly states that all shall be changed in in the twinkling of an eye at the sound of the trumpet. The only distinction between the dead and the living are that the dead are first raised in order to receive their glorified bodies, at which time we shall join them in that flash of a moment. The word “Then” simply means that one event precedes the other, but they are otherwise all but simultaneous.

Next, we are told that when the dead are raised, “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them.” In this instantaneous act, we will be “caught up.” The word is harpazó, and it signifies a sudden snatching away by force. A comparable thought is someone robbing another. They don’t just grab and walk. Rather, they grab with decisiveness, and they remove themselves from the scene with all alacrity. This is what will occur with all believers, and it will be with all suddenness. We will be in this body, and then we won’t.

In this occurrence, both those who were dead, and those who are still alive at that time, will join together “in the clouds.” There is no definite article with the word “clouds,” and so it says, “in clouds.” This has led some to conclude that the believers will be gathered together to resemble clouds. The lack of the article actually seems to demand this interpretation. In Revelation 1:7, Christ is said to come with the clouds. There the article is used. If one accepts that these are believers returning with Him, then the terminology of believers being gathered as clouds fits well. It would also be a New Testament fulfillment of the Old Testament picture where the Lord descended with a cloud at Sinai.

However, the translation “in the clouds” is also a possibility. Either way, there is a joining together of the people of the church to be with the Lord, either “in clouds” due to the gathering, or “in the clouds” due to the location. It is a moment where the hopes and dreams of the people of God will be fully and completely realized. We will no longer live by faith, but by sight. We will have the reward which our faith was based upon. Paul then further describes the event as, “to meet the Lord in the air.”

Here the word is aér, and it indicates the lower air; the air we breathe. Rather than meeting on solid ground, we will meet in a place which otherwise could not support physical beings. Thus shows that our new bodies will have a completely new nature. We will be like Christ at the time of the resurrection where He could suddenly appear behind closed doors, and who ascended to the Father in front of the disciples. One can speculate all day about what these bodies will be like, but the fact that we will meet the Lord with them in the air shows that they will be completely different than what we now possess. Anyone with acrophobia now will no longer have to worry about that.

Finally, Paul says, “And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” Here, Paul doesn’t tell us whether that means in heaven or on the earth. He simply makes the statement. Depending on how one perceives the events which surround this catching away (the rapture) will dictate where one believes we will be. But without even going into that, being “always” with the Lord does not necessitate that we will physically be there with Him at all times. It can simply signify that we will always have access to Him.

A bride is always with her husband, even if she isn’t in the same room (or even in the same country) as he is at any given moment. This verse is often taken to unhealthy extremes which then turn into demanding analyses of other verses in Scripture. This should not be the case. As the Bride of Christ, and indeed we are His bride (see 2 Corinthians 11:2), we will always be with the Lord – even if not physically at His side at all times; we shall never be parted from Him.

One item of timing which does need to be addressed is that of immediately returning to earth with the Lord after this catching away. This is held to by some, but that is to be rejected outright. Paul elsewhere speaks of believers standing before the judgment seat of Christ. It would make no sense for Christ to return to judge the earth before He has first judged His people, and then dined with them at a bridal ceremony.

As a final note, this catching away is alluded to by John in Revelation 4:1 where he saw a door opened in heaven. From Chapter 1 through Chapter 3 of Revelation, the church is specifically addressed. From verse 4:2, the church is not mentioned even once until Revelation 19:11 when Christ returns. At that time, His saints are with Him. The rapture that Paul speaks of here is then logically an event which occurs prior to the tribulation period. For this, and many other obvious reasons, it is illogical to point to a rapture at any other point, including a mid-tribulation rapture. The timing of the rapture will continue to be explored in the beginning verses of Chapter 5.

Further, the Old Testament gives definite types and shadows of what God would do in this rapture event, as He does with all other major events related to redemptive history. To see the rapture-related pictures, and to understand that He has already shown us what lies ahead, you can watch this video (a sermon by a rather handsome fellow) which clearly shows this as being the case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyerjzB2EiI&t=25s

In the end, God has determined that His saints will be with Him forever, beginning with this event known as the rapture. It will then be followed by a seven-year period of wonder in His presence, and seven years of hell on earth. After that, we will we return with Him at the end of the tribulation period. This is what the Bible clearly and exactingly portrays to His people; the church, which is His bride.

Life application: The word is written. Study to show yourself approved. And have faith that it will turn out exactly as God has revealed.

Lord God, You have shown in Your word that a day is coming when Your saints will be gathered to You. It is a time just prior to the world going through seven years of absolute and terrifying destruction. But You have not appointed us to such. Rather, You have granted that we will be taken to You, there to become Your bride. While the world is destroying itself, we will be in Your marvelous presence. What a great hope and comfort this gives to us as we await that wonderful day! Hallelujah to You, O God, for the surety we possess. Amen.