First Thessalonians 5:1-3 states clearly, "But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 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."
First let's come to grips with a couple of terms. The Rapture refers to the time when believers will be "caught up" (1 Thess. 4:17) in the air to meet the Lord Jesus. It is at this time that all believers will be taken to heaven to spend eternity with Jesus. The word rapture does not appear in Scripture. The Greek word translated "caught up" in verse 17 is harpazo, which literally means "to snatch away." When it was translated into Latin, harpazo was rendered rapturo. And so the Latin word rapturo easily turns into the English word rapture. Although our English translations use a more literal rendering of this word, such as "caught up" or "snatched away," the sense of the word rapture is certainly present.
Second is the term "the Day of the Lord" (1 Thess. 5:2). This term has been understood as narrow as the day that Christ returns to set foot on the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem to judge the unbelievers. It has been defined as broad as everything from the Rapture through the day Christ returns in judgment of unbelievers, including the seven years of the Great Tribulation, and sometimes even as continuing through the millennial kingdom, or the thousand year reign of Christ on earth. For Paul it seems that "the Day of the Lord" (v. 2) as he refers to it here, is that day when Christ returns to earth in judgment upon unbelievers. It is the day Christ comes in the clouds and everyone sees Him—the day He sets foot on earth again.
And so, as Paul turns his attention from "the Rapture" (1 Thess. 4:17) to "the Day of the Lord" (1 Thess. 5:2). Note how he describes this event and how it affects especially unbelievers. He begins by telling them that "concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you" (v. 1). Why? "For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night" (v. 2). He adds in verse 3a: "For when they say, 'Peace and Safety!'" which could be translated, "While they are saying, 'Peace and safety!'" (NASB), indicating the suddenness with which "the Day of the Lord" (v. 2) will strike.
"As a thief in the night" (v. 2b) indicates that it will come stealthily. A thief comes in very quietly in the middle of the night so that the owner of the house is taken completely by surprise when he awakes to find his valuables missing. A stealth bomber is a plane "designed in such a way that it cannot be detected by radar. It can come upon an enemy unexpectedly, without warning" (Ray C. Stedman, Waiting For the Second Coming, [Discovery House Publishers: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1990], 85).
In other words, what Paul is saying is that "the Day of the Lord" (v. 2) will come upon unbelievers stealthily, without warning, at a time when "peace and safety" (v. 3a) seem to prevail. Despite all that has happened with the sudden rapture of the saints to heaven and all the destruction that has come upon the earth during the Great Tribulation, unbelievers will be so blinded by the false promises of the antichrist that they will be hollering "peace and safety" (v. 3a) and will be taken completely by surprise when Christ returns.
"So comes" (v. 2b) or "will come" (NASB) is a vivid futuristic present verb that portrays "the day as already on its way with an arrival anticipated any time" (The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume 11, [Zondervan Publishing House: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1978], 281). "The Day of the Lord" (v. 2) will come soon and it will come as a complete surprise to unbelievers. When they believe they are beyond reach by God, He will reach down in judgment. There will be no warning.
Paul goes on in verse 3b: "then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman." Destruction means "utter and hopeless ruin, a loss of everything worthwhile, causing the victims to despair of life itself" (Ibid, 282). It refers to total separation from God. Unbelievers are not totally annihilated, but are given over to wrath and denied the privileges of salvation, which are reserved for those who trust in Christ. The pronoun "them" (v. 3a) tells us that this destruction is reserved only for unbelievers. Believers will not experience "the Day of the Lord" (v. 2) as they will have already been raptured away. Again Paul states that this judgment will come suddenly "as labor pains upon a pregnant woman" (v. 3b). There will be no warning.
No comments:
Post a Comment