I want to cover what Apostle Paul actually taught in 1 Thessalonians 5, because I keep hearing from some quote Paul in saying the we, Christ's Church, are not appointed to wrath. This is where they are pulling that single verse from in The Bible. I'll give a fair warning to those who believe this is in connection with a pre-trib rapture theory, Paul is not teaching any such idea as that here in this Bible chapter.
Apostle Paul just finished revealing the events of Christ's future coming and gathering of His faithful Church in 1 Thessalonians 4. Whether one knows it or not, this next chapter Paul actually reveals some events about that future 'day' of Christ's coming, giving us some of the Signs of that day.
1 Thess 5:1-9
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.
Paul's "times and the seasons" is about what? Well what is that idea about the "day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night"? Did you know that Lord Jesus said He comes "as a thief" in Revelation 16:15? Lord Jesus taught that concept in His Olivet discourse of Matthew 24 and Mark 13 also, about the goodman of the house being on watch for the thief breaking in. Lord Jesus linked that idea with the unknown day of His coming.
Here in 1 Thess.5, Apostle Paul is linking that day of Christ's coming to gather us with the "day of the Lord". You will find God gave His Old Testament prophets to write much about future events to happen on that "day of the Lord". That is where Apostle Paul is actually pulling this from. That is what his "times and the seasons" are about he mentions. And he says those at the Thessalonian Church have no need for him to teach them about those "times and the seasons", because they already knew them. But how?
What Scripture was available to them in that time? The Old Testament Scripture mainly. That is how they already knew about events to happen on that "day of the Lord". Not only that came from OT Scripture, but so did what Lord Jesus taught about the thief breaking in idea; it originates from the idea of the "day of the Lord" coming suddenly, at an instant per the OT prophets.
Isaiah 13 says that "day of the Lord" will come as a destruction from The Almighty. It will be cruel from God's fierce anger and wrath. Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 3:10 says that "day of the Lord" will accompany a destruction of man's works off this earth by God's consuming fire.
Thusly, this is Paul's "times and the seasons" subject here from the start. (And no man knows the day or hour of Christ's future return. That doesn't mean we cannot know the "times and the seasons" leading up to Christ's coming like Paul shows there.)
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.
When who begins to say, "Peace and safety"? The wicked and deceived.
One of the events Lord Jesus showed us in His Olivet discourse was the idea of a fake peace for the very end, during the coming "great tribulation". Many brethren miss it, but it's there, in Matthew 24:6 and Mark 13:7 that we would hear of wars and rumors of wars, but not to be troubled because those things must be, but... the END is not yet. That means as a long as wars and rumors of wars are going on today, the time of the END with the "great tribulation" has not arrived yet. So that must mean what kind... of time for the END? A time when all wars and rumors of wars have stopped, which means a time of world peace, yet a fake peace.
On that "day of the Lord" when Jesus comes to end this world, that "Peace and safety" is what the deceived and wicked will be yelling. Why? Because they will think that Lord Jesus has already arrived, when it will be a pseudo-Christ imposter that appears first in Jerusalem. Never heard of that false one?
Lord Jesus warned about that false one coming first in His Olivet discourse, per Matthew 24:23-26. (In the Matthew 24:24 verse the KJV translators brought the Greek pseudochristos into English as "false Christs" in the plural. But the actual context of those 23-26 verses are singular, about a specific false-Christ). The parallel Scripture about that false one is with the "man of sin" by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2, and the "another beast" of Revelation 13 by Apostle John. They connect by those deceiving great signs and wonders that coming pseudo-Christ is to work in Jerusalem for the END.
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.
Paul is linking awareness of those "times and the seasons" with that "day of the Lord" time, with Jesus' future coming to gather us. He even says that "day of the Lord" is NOT to surprise us like a thief in the night. (Remember, Jesus said He comes "as a thief"). What does Paul ultimately mean by that? It means we are to be 'watching' those Signs leading up to Christ's future return which He gave us, His Church. Jesus even said blessed are those who 'watch' (Revelation 16:15).
But WHAT are we to 'watch'? Just watch for His coming in the clouds?
More than that; we are to be 'watching' the "times and the seasons" like Paul was pointing to here, like that Sign of the deceived saying, "Peace and safety" because when all wars have stopped they will believe on the coming Antichrist in place of Christ. And on the day when Jesus appears after that, those will suffer a "sudden destruction" with the end of this present world.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
Paul compares the children of darkness as those who are spiritually asleep, and spiritually drunk in the night. They are not aware of this "day of the Lord" of a "sudden destruction" coming upon them on the day of Christ appearing to end this present world at the time. For those, they are not 'watching' the "times and the seasons" that Paul mentions. In Revelation 11, the deceived will hate the prophesying of God's two witnesses so much, thus ruining their "Peace and safety" belief, that when the two witnesses are killed, those deceived will buy each other gifts, partying it up, not aware of the "sudden destruction" coming upon them next with Christ's return on the 7th trumpet (Revelation 11:8-10).
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,
KJV
Now you should... have a better clue as to which "wrath" Apostle Paul was pointing to there with that "sudden destruction" upon the deceived who will be saying that, "Peace and safety".
Is that us, Christ's Church that will be saying that?
Not Christ's faithful Church who stay in His Word and not the traditions of men. Those who will be saying that are the wicked and deceived, those who are not aware of that "day of the Lord" on the last day, and what it is about with the end of this present world (see 2 Peter 3:10 about that day if you need a reminder).
This "wrath" here is about GOD's wrath and fierce anger on the LAST DAY of this present world, and it is upon the wicked and deceived. It is not about Satan's wrath against Christ's elect during the coming "great tribulation". This "wrath" here Paul points to is about God's cup of wrath poured out on the FINAL day of this world with the 7th Vial of Revelation 16. That is why Lord Jesus is still... warning His faithful Church within the 6th Vial timing per Revelation 16:15 that He comes "as a thief", and blessed are those who watch and keep their garments.
So why... do some teach totally opposite of what Apostle Paul taught there in 1 Thessalonians 5 about God's wrath upon the wicked, that "sudden destruction" on the "day of the Lord"? Some even wrongly teach that "day of the Lord" is the time of the seven years great tribulation, when it is not. That "day of the Lord" = the final day of this world when Jesus returns, His only... future return to gather His faithful Church.
Apostle Paul just finished revealing the events of Christ's future coming and gathering of His faithful Church in 1 Thessalonians 4. Whether one knows it or not, this next chapter Paul actually reveals some events about that future 'day' of Christ's coming, giving us some of the Signs of that day.
1 Thess 5:1-9
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.
Paul's "times and the seasons" is about what? Well what is that idea about the "day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night"? Did you know that Lord Jesus said He comes "as a thief" in Revelation 16:15? Lord Jesus taught that concept in His Olivet discourse of Matthew 24 and Mark 13 also, about the goodman of the house being on watch for the thief breaking in. Lord Jesus linked that idea with the unknown day of His coming.
Here in 1 Thess.5, Apostle Paul is linking that day of Christ's coming to gather us with the "day of the Lord". You will find God gave His Old Testament prophets to write much about future events to happen on that "day of the Lord". That is where Apostle Paul is actually pulling this from. That is what his "times and the seasons" are about he mentions. And he says those at the Thessalonian Church have no need for him to teach them about those "times and the seasons", because they already knew them. But how?
What Scripture was available to them in that time? The Old Testament Scripture mainly. That is how they already knew about events to happen on that "day of the Lord". Not only that came from OT Scripture, but so did what Lord Jesus taught about the thief breaking in idea; it originates from the idea of the "day of the Lord" coming suddenly, at an instant per the OT prophets.
Isaiah 13 says that "day of the Lord" will come as a destruction from The Almighty. It will be cruel from God's fierce anger and wrath. Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 3:10 says that "day of the Lord" will accompany a destruction of man's works off this earth by God's consuming fire.
Thusly, this is Paul's "times and the seasons" subject here from the start. (And no man knows the day or hour of Christ's future return. That doesn't mean we cannot know the "times and the seasons" leading up to Christ's coming like Paul shows there.)
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.
When who begins to say, "Peace and safety"? The wicked and deceived.
One of the events Lord Jesus showed us in His Olivet discourse was the idea of a fake peace for the very end, during the coming "great tribulation". Many brethren miss it, but it's there, in Matthew 24:6 and Mark 13:7 that we would hear of wars and rumors of wars, but not to be troubled because those things must be, but... the END is not yet. That means as a long as wars and rumors of wars are going on today, the time of the END with the "great tribulation" has not arrived yet. So that must mean what kind... of time for the END? A time when all wars and rumors of wars have stopped, which means a time of world peace, yet a fake peace.
On that "day of the Lord" when Jesus comes to end this world, that "Peace and safety" is what the deceived and wicked will be yelling. Why? Because they will think that Lord Jesus has already arrived, when it will be a pseudo-Christ imposter that appears first in Jerusalem. Never heard of that false one?
Lord Jesus warned about that false one coming first in His Olivet discourse, per Matthew 24:23-26. (In the Matthew 24:24 verse the KJV translators brought the Greek pseudochristos into English as "false Christs" in the plural. But the actual context of those 23-26 verses are singular, about a specific false-Christ). The parallel Scripture about that false one is with the "man of sin" by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2, and the "another beast" of Revelation 13 by Apostle John. They connect by those deceiving great signs and wonders that coming pseudo-Christ is to work in Jerusalem for the END.
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.
Paul is linking awareness of those "times and the seasons" with that "day of the Lord" time, with Jesus' future coming to gather us. He even says that "day of the Lord" is NOT to surprise us like a thief in the night. (Remember, Jesus said He comes "as a thief"). What does Paul ultimately mean by that? It means we are to be 'watching' those Signs leading up to Christ's future return which He gave us, His Church. Jesus even said blessed are those who 'watch' (Revelation 16:15).
But WHAT are we to 'watch'? Just watch for His coming in the clouds?
More than that; we are to be 'watching' the "times and the seasons" like Paul was pointing to here, like that Sign of the deceived saying, "Peace and safety" because when all wars have stopped they will believe on the coming Antichrist in place of Christ. And on the day when Jesus appears after that, those will suffer a "sudden destruction" with the end of this present world.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
Paul compares the children of darkness as those who are spiritually asleep, and spiritually drunk in the night. They are not aware of this "day of the Lord" of a "sudden destruction" coming upon them on the day of Christ appearing to end this present world at the time. For those, they are not 'watching' the "times and the seasons" that Paul mentions. In Revelation 11, the deceived will hate the prophesying of God's two witnesses so much, thus ruining their "Peace and safety" belief, that when the two witnesses are killed, those deceived will buy each other gifts, partying it up, not aware of the "sudden destruction" coming upon them next with Christ's return on the 7th trumpet (Revelation 11:8-10).
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,
KJV
Now you should... have a better clue as to which "wrath" Apostle Paul was pointing to there with that "sudden destruction" upon the deceived who will be saying that, "Peace and safety".
Is that us, Christ's Church that will be saying that?
Not Christ's faithful Church who stay in His Word and not the traditions of men. Those who will be saying that are the wicked and deceived, those who are not aware of that "day of the Lord" on the last day, and what it is about with the end of this present world (see 2 Peter 3:10 about that day if you need a reminder).
This "wrath" here is about GOD's wrath and fierce anger on the LAST DAY of this present world, and it is upon the wicked and deceived. It is not about Satan's wrath against Christ's elect during the coming "great tribulation". This "wrath" here Paul points to is about God's cup of wrath poured out on the FINAL day of this world with the 7th Vial of Revelation 16. That is why Lord Jesus is still... warning His faithful Church within the 6th Vial timing per Revelation 16:15 that He comes "as a thief", and blessed are those who watch and keep their garments.
So why... do some teach totally opposite of what Apostle Paul taught there in 1 Thessalonians 5 about God's wrath upon the wicked, that "sudden destruction" on the "day of the Lord"? Some even wrongly teach that "day of the Lord" is the time of the seven years great tribulation, when it is not. That "day of the Lord" = the final day of this world when Jesus returns, His only... future return to gather His faithful Church.
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