The Thessalonian Epistles
Changed Subject
Lesson XII
1 Thessalonians 5:1-8
Written: August 11, 2004
1 Thessalonians 5:1-8
(1) But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have
no need that I write unto you.
(2) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the
Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
(3) For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then
sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and
they shall not escape.
(4) But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day
should overtake you as a thief.
(5) Ye are all the children of light, and the children of
the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
(6) Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let
us watch and be sober.
(7) For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that
be drunken are drunken in the night.
(8) But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on
the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
The
first subject in chapter five is that of the Day of the Lord. Therefore it is important to observe the
change of subject.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
(13) But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,
concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have
no hope.
(14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
(15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord,
that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not
prevent them which are asleep.
(16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with
a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the
dead in Christ shall rise first:
(17) Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught
up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall
we ever be with the Lord.
(18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
In
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Paul by inspiration reveals God’s plan to suddenly
remove the Church from the earth to Heaven.
This should not be thought incredible, for the Lord has been removing or
moving saints from earth to Heaven, by sudden death, for centuries. My mother often said: “Sudden death, sudden
glory.”
1 Corinthians 15:52-53
(52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed.
(53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and
this mortal [must] put on immortality.
This
removal of the entire Church from earth in a moment of time (1 Corinthians
15:52-53) has been identified as the Rapture of the Church. A doctrine very much alive in Evangelical
Churches fifty years ago but now almost a dead issue in many Churches. What was
a thrilling biblical truth to our father’s generation is no longer considered
truth by grandchildren.
Those
who lean towards Replacement theology, Reconstructionists, Dominion Now
theology are leaders in anti-rapture teaching.
The fact is: pro-rapture and anti-rapture teaching cannot both be
right. And if the verses in 1
Thessalonians
Jeremiah 36:23
(23) And it came to pass, [that] when Jehudi had read
three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast [it] into the fire
that [was] on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that
[was] on the hearth.
When
we come to 1 Thessalonians 5:1, we note that Paul is writing to brethren when
he uses the word “ye”. Then in verse 4,
he writes “but ye brethren.” In verse 3
we notice the words “they”, “them” and “they” as not being brethren. So here is another contrast between the
brethren who believe and “they” who do not believe.
Paul
had taught the Thessalonians about “times and seasons” and “the Day of the
Lord” that would come “as a thief in the night” and thought they had
understood. However, by the time he
wrote his 2nd epistle to them he had discovered that they had not
understood. For in 2 Thessalonians 2:5
he writes: “Remember ye not that when I was with you I told you these things?”
That
explains why in writing 1 Thessalonians 5:1 be began, “of the times and seasons
brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you, for yourselves know perfectly….”
He
had taught them and thought they understood that the times and seasons and the
day of the Lord had to do with the days of Israel’s restoration.
Acts 1:6
(6) When they therefore were come together, they asked of
him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
Because
the early disciples had read the Old Testament, when they met Jesus after his
resurrection they asked this question in Acts 1:6, “When they therefore were come together, they
asked Him saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the
kingdom to Israel? Please note, they did
not ask if He would restore the kingdom for on the basis of the Old Testament
Scriptures, they believed that their Messiah would do so. They did not question the fact of restoration, their question only had
to do with the time of that event.
We
have always believed, if they were wrong in their expectation, at that moment,
Jesus should have corrected them. He did
not say “there is no such thing nor is there such a time”, his reply in verse 7
is: “And He said unto them, it is not
for you to know the times or the seasons, which the father hath put in his own
power.” In other words, there is a time
and there is a season for the
restoration of
Daniel 2:21
(21) And he changeth the times and the seasons: he
removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and
knowledge to them that know understanding:
When
Daniel was given the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, in Daniel 2:21,
he said of God, “he changeth times and seasons,” the context
having to do with setting up and removal of earthly kingdoms by the God of
heaven.
Romans 13:1
(1) Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For
there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Romans
13:1 reminds us that the powers that be are ordained of God.
In
1 Thessalonians 5:2 we read that “the day of the Lord, so cometh as a thief in
the night.” When the Lord comes in the
clouds to call the Church home, He comes as the blessed, looked for, longed
for, waited for Bridegroom, coming for His bride. But when He comes back to earth He comes as a
thief. A Bridegroom is expected, but a
thief is not expected. A thief does not
announce his coming!
Luke 12: 39-40
(39) And this know, that if the goodman of the house had
known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have
suffered his house to be broken through.
(40) Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man
cometh at an hour when ye think not.
His
coming as a thief will be during the world’s darkest night. Of this event Luke 12:39-40 says, “And this know, that if the Goodman of
the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and
not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also, for the Son of
Man cometh at an hour when ye think not.”
Matthew 24:29
(29) Immediately after the tribulation of those days
shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars
shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
We
know from Matthew 24:29 that Jesus is coming back to earth “immediately after
the tribulation of those days.”
Therefore, this night of which the passage speaks must be the night of
the great tribulation of Matthew 24:21.
Matthew 24:21
(21) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not
since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
In
1 Thessalonians 5:3, “for when they (not we) shall say, Peace and
safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them (not us) as travail
upon a woman with child (that is, suddenly) and they (not we)
shall not escape.”
If
ever the stage seems to be set for such a time, it seems to be so now. The whole world is troubled. On a visit to my doctor’s office I picked up
a copy of Time magazine. I did not note the date but I read: “Terror struck world”, “Climate of terror”,
“Overcoming terror” and “International terrorism”. Such is our present world and there is a loud
cry for peace now. And when men think they have produced world
peace, it will be followed by sudden destruction. But the record does not end there.
Paul
writes on: “But ye brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should come on
you as a thief. Ye are all
the children of the light (both
spiritual and carnal) and children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of
darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as
do others, but let us watch and be sober.
For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are
drunken in the night. But let us, who
are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for
an helmet, the hope of salvation.”
Again
we see the contrast between “us” and “them.”
Between “children of the night and of darkness” and “children of the day
and the light.” The line is drawn. Children of the day are to be sober and
awake. The Amplified says “watchful and
on guard,” all the while with the hope of salvation being the helmet on our
heads.
Our
hope for which we are to be living and looking, waiting and watching, can only
mean the Coming of the Lord to snatch away his own to Heaven.
When
there is no way out, there will be a way up. “Even so, come Lord Jesus.”