DAY OF THE LORD The Coming Judgment of Mankind 1 Thessalonians 5 “A Thief in the Night” 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. 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 12..¶ And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; 13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake. And be at peace among yourselves. 14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. 15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. 16 Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19 Quench not the Spirit. 20 Despise not prophesyings. 21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. 23..¶ And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. 25 Brethren, pray for us. 26 Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss. 27 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. 28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. (The first epistle to the Thessalonians was written from Athens.) Study Note on 1 Thessalonians 5:2 —The “Day of the Lord” holds an important place in prophecy. Amos declared that the “Day” signified judgment for Israel (cf. Is. 2:12–24; Ezek. 13:5; Joel 1:15; Joe 2:1, 11; Zeph. 1:7, 14; Zech. 13:1). Several prophets refer to it as God’s “day of judgment” upon individual nations such as Babylon (Is. 13:6–9), Egypt (Jer. 46:10), Edom (Obad. 1:8), and many other nations (Joel 2:31; 3:14; Obad. 1:15). Thus, the Day of the Lord represents the occasion when Jehovah will actively intervene to punish sin. During the time period of the Day of the Lord, there will be those who truly repent and are saved, but those who remain enemies of the Lord, whether Jews or Gentiles, will be punished. In the NT, the Day of the Lord is related to the Second Coming of Christ. So also is the phrase “the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:8; 5:5; Phil. 1:6, 10; 2:16; 2 Thess. 2:2). Both expressions, the “Day of the Lord” and the “Day of Christ,” refer to time periods of judgment by Christ. The Day of the Lord will include the time of the Great Tribulation (cf. Rev. 6–20). It also refers to the liberation by Christ of His Church. Zechariah 14:1–4 explains that the events of the Second Advent are included in the program of the Day of the Lord. Thus, the Day of the Lord and the Day of Christ occur simultaneously. For the Church, it is the rapture; and for the unbelieving world, it is the beginning of judgment and the Tribulation. If the Day of the Lord began after the Second Advent, it could not come as a “thief in the night,” unexpected and unheralded, since that particular advent is preceded by signs (1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10). Consequently, the only way these events could occur unexpectedly would be for them to begin immediately after the rapture of the Church. The Day of the Lord, therefore, is that extended period of time when God begins to deal with Israel after the rapture of the church. It also continues through the Second Advent and the millennial age preceding the creation of the new heaven and new earth. Study Notes Taken From The complete word study Bible: King James Version Zodhiates, S., & Baker, W. : AMG Publishers. Chattanooga, TN. Commentary 5:1 But concerning: This expression characteristically introduces a different topic. From the discussion of the Second Coming the apostle turns to the day of the Lord. the times and the seasons: This reminds us of the same expression used by our Lord in Acts 1:7. Times probably emphasizes quantity, duration, or measurement, whereas seasons draws attention to the quality, character, or critical nature of the times. no need that I should write: In the previous verses (4:13–18) Paul addressed a matter of ignorance; now he addresses a matter of knowledge. He is not informing as much as he is exhorting them to live in the light of what they already know. 5:2–11 In these verses Paul develops the topic of the day of the Lord. This expression was familiar to those who knew the Hebrew Scriptures. The day of the Lord in the OT was characterized by two phases: God’s judgment against sinful people and God’s eternal reign over His people. God’s judgment will be a time of darkness and an expression of God’s wrath (Joel 2:1, 2; Amos 5:18–20; Zeph. 1:14, 15). His reign will be a time of God’s blessing (Is. 2:1–3; 11:1–9; 30:23–26; Zech. 14:1, 7–11, 20, 21; Matt. 19:28; Acts 3:19–21). 5:2 In contrast to the certainty in the previous paragraph of Christ’s coming, Paul now deals with the uncertainty of the timing of the coming day of the Lord. This period is the subject of considerable prophecy in the OT (Is. 13:9–11; Joel 2:28–32; Zeph. 1:14–18; 3:14, 15). The Book of Joel as a whole is an exposition of the day of the Lord, describing it as a terrible time of judgment. In the OT, the phrase the day of the Lord is used for any period where God intervenes in judgment on the earth. There were “days of the Lord” predicted in the OT that have already been fulfilled (see Amos 5:18). Here Paul uses the expression to refer to Christ’s return and the coming judgment. thief in the night: The day of the Lord will come when no one expects it. 5:3 when they say: Paul does not include himself and his readers among the they. Evidently he is speaking about unbelievers. The world will be absorbed in the cares of this life and will be lulled into a false sense of safety and security. Peace gives the idea of no feeling of alarm, and safety conveys an idea of security from external threats from God or people. The world will have turned a deaf ear to the repeated warnings of coming judgment. Paul uses the image of labor pains to stress the suddenness of the day of the Lord. A woman’s first contraction comes suddenly and unexpectedly. 5:4, 5 But you, brethren: Though the day of the Lord will overtake the unsaved world unexpectedly, it will not overtake Christians, because they will be looking forward to and expecting it. In his characteristic style, Paul first addresses the readers’ beliefs (vv. 1–5) and then their behavior (vv. 6–11). The fact that Christ could come at any moment should motivate unbelievers to accept His forgiveness, and believers to live daily for Him. 5:6 Because Christians are informed concerning future events, they should not be spiritually asleep but should watch and be sober. While every Christian is prepared to go to heaven in the sense of having been saved, not every Christian is prepared at every moment to present the quality of his or her spiritual life to God. Accordingly, this is a call to face the fact that our lives will be judged by Christ (see Rom. 14:10, 11; 1 Cor. 3:11–15; 9:24–27; 2 Cor. 5:10). 5:8 In contrast to what unbelievers do, the Christian should be sober, living a disciplined life, not only free from drunkenness but alert to spiritual realities. The believer should put on the breastplate of faith. Here again is the familiar triad of faith, hope, and love, the basic essentials of a Christian life. In contrast to the unbelief of the world, with its love of self and of material wealth (see 1:3), Christians should place their faith in God and give their love to God and to other people. In addition to demonstrating faith and love, Christians should adopt the hope of salvation and live in the light of the Lord’s return. 5:9, 10 Paul states that God did not appoint us (believers) to wrath (see 1:10). There will be wrath at the day of the Lord, but it will be God’s wrath on the unbelieving world that has spurned and mocked Christ (Rev. 6:12–17). When we think about divine judgment, we should offer thanks to Christ for saving us from that horrible fate by dying for us. Whether we are still living at the Second Coming, or whether we have died and our bodies are in the tomb, it is assured that we will live together with Him forever. 5:12, 13 Significantly Paul combines prophecy with practical teachings for the Christian life. God never intended prophecy as a field for academic debate but as a truth that would provide believers hope and direction in their lives. In vv. 12–22, Paul describes the characteristics of a person who is living in the light of Christ’s imminent return. recognize those: Because everyone in the Thessalonian church was a recent convert, it may have been difficult for some to recognize the leadership of others. Paul teaches the Thessalonians submission rather than individualism and rejection of authority (see Eph. 5:21). He emphasizes that the leaders’ authority was from the Lord. Paul admonishes the believers to appreciate and submit to those congregational leaders. They should be held in high esteem because of the important work they were doing. At the same time, the believers were to work together in maintaining the peace among themselves. Notice the plural pronouns; the Thessalonians followed the pattern of the Jerusalem church and all NT churches by having more than one person in leadership (see Acts 6:1–7). 5:14 The Thessalonians had to face the fact that some of them were not living as Christians should, but were unruly. They needed to be warned about their behavior. Some were fainthearted and needed comfort. The congregation should also uphold the weak and be patient toward all, recognizing that all Christians have faults. To be most effective in promoting positive change in people’s lives, believers should respond to individuals according to each one’s particular needs. 5:15 renders evil for evil: For a Christian to try to get revenge is a denial of basic Christian love (see Rom. 12:17; 1 Pet. 3:9), and it goes against Jesus’ teaching (Matt. 5:38–42; 18:21–35). 5:16 Regardless of difficult circumstances (see 3:2, 3), a Christian always has grounds for rejoicing. The Lord is a sovereign Ruler and will accomplish His purpose. Christian joy is not based on circumstances but on a growing awareness of God and the certain future of eternal life with Christ (Rev. 21:1–7). 5:17 Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to maintain a faithful prayer life like his own (1:2, 3; 2:13; Rom. 1:9, 10; Eph. 6:18; Col. 1:3; 2 Tim. 1:3). Praying without ceasing does not mean praying constantly, but being persistent and consistent in prayer. 5:18 Thankfulness should characterize the Christian life in every circumstance, not thanks for everything but thanks in everything. Paul emphatically states this is the will of God. An OT example of this was when Job lost his money, his children, and his health. He blessed the name of God in spite of his personal tragedies, not because of them. Nothing speaks more powerfully of a walk with God than continuous thankfulness. 5:19 To quench the Spirit means to resist His influence, like trying to smother a fire. One of the fundamental rules of walking with God is that we should not say no to the Spirit of God. 5:23 Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians is that they may be sanctified in all aspects of their life, spirit, soul, and body. Every part of a Christian’s life should bear evidence that he or she is set apart as holy to God. This will result in being blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christians are already saints in the sense that they have been set apart to God. Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to express holiness in this life so that the Lord would approve of their conduct upon His return. Blameless does not mean sinless, but free from causes for reproach and regret. 5:25 pray for us: Paul was faithful in prayer for the Thessalonians, but he also recognized the need and importance of their prayers for him. 5:26 Greeting one another with a holy kiss on the cheek was customary, something like our modern handshake. It could have had more significance than just a handshake, signifying spiritual reconciliation. 5:28 The greatest benediction Paul could express is that the grace of Jesus Christ would be with them. Christians are saved by grace and live by grace, enjoying undeserved blessing from their loving God. Commentary Notes The NKJV Study Bible. Thomas Nelson: Nashville, TN
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 15:01:35 +0000
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