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July 04, 2010 |
| As a Thief in the Night | ||
In the first part of chapter 4 Paul has jumped from topic to topic, telling the Thessalonians things they need to know. In the last part of chapter 4 and the first part of chapter 5 his topic changes to matters of the Second Coming. This has been a thread that we have seen in each of the other chapters and now we come to the heart of it.Not in pre-mid-post trib weeds. My source
In the last part of chapter 4 the topic is "What about the dead when Christ returns". The text seems to be a response to the death of one or more members of the church at Thessalonica. Perhaps Paul was informed of this by Timothy or perhaps it was just the Holy Spirit leading Paul to write.
13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.
For the sake of readers who are new to the Christian faith, the word "sleep" is being used as a metaphor for death. While death seems very serious and final from a human perspective, it is not from God's perspective. We see Jesus explaining this in John 11:11
After [Jesus] had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up." 12His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. 14So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, […]"
From God's perspective there is a death, called the Second Death, which is more serious and final than human death.
But the emphasis of Paul's sentence is on the hope we have as believers of a life after death. Because we have this belief our grief should be less and different. Of course we feel the loss of a person that was close to us, but we know the separation is not permanent.
14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
Using the model of Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension, Paul reassures the Thessalonians that, those who die as believers will be resurrected. Although it isn't stated explicitly for a few more verses, the ascension part of that model also applies.
"It is quite plain that something is wanting here to complete [Paul's] argument. Jesus did die and rise again, there is no dispute about that; but how is the Apostle justified in inferring from this that God will bring the Christian dead again to meet the living? What is the missing link in this reasoning?
"Clearly it is the truth, so characteristic of the New Testament, that there is a union between Christ and those who trust Him so close that their destiny can be read in His. All that He has experienced will be experienced by them. They are united to Him as indissolubly as the members of the body to the head, and being planted together in the likeness of His death, they shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection."1
The concept of the resurrection was not new to the New Testament. There were hints of it in the Old Testament just as there were hints about other concepts such as the triune nature of God, but the concept is fleshed out in various places in the New Testament. In Isaiah 26:19 we see
But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.
Daniel is explicitly told, in Daniel 12:2, about the resurrection Paul is speaking of here to the Thessalonians.
Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.
As we can see in Daniel above, we get just the basic understanding that there will be a resurrection and for some a reward. Some translations of Daniel even provide a hint that there are separate resurrections, though the NIV does not. But here in Paul's letter to the Thessalonians we get many more details.
15According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Paul begins to lay down a sequence of events associated with the Lord's return. In these verses we see
For the trumpet will sound, [and] the dead will be raised imperishable […]
We know there are many places where God talks to people. Are there other places where an angel does so? Yes, in Genesis 22:1 we first see God speaking to Abraham
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.
Then just a little while later in Genesis 22:11 we see the angel of the Lord speaking to Abraham
But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.
"In the celestial hierarchy, an archangel would describe a spiritual being in rank above an angel. Several New Testament passages imply a distinct hierarchy in the spirit world"2
17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
Paul continues the Second Coming sequence
While Paul's description provides far more detail than had been available in Old Testament times, it raises many more questions than it answers. At this time those questions don't have answers. All the believer can do is to continue the Christian walk.
18Therefore encourage each other with these words.
Paul's purpose throughout this passage has been to encourage the Thessalonians and to have them encourage other believers. They now know that death will only separate them for a time and then they will see each other again.
1Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
Where it previously appeared that Paul had not had time to teach the Thessalonians how the dead fit in to the Second Coming, it appears that he had spoken to them about the Second Coming more generally. In particular he had told them that it would come upon the unbelievers unexpectedly.
Most analysts disagree with the NIV's translation resulting in "times and dates". A more literal reading results in "times and seasons". "The times have to do with the chronology of future periods, the seasons with the characteristics of those periods."3 So the word "times" is referring to when and the word seasons is referring to conditions at the time.
3While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
Paul is saying that unbelievers will have no idea when the day of the Lord is coming. Just when they think they have achieved peace and safety, destruction will come. There is a little more that can be pulled out of this verse. It seems the people are saying they have done something and thus achieved peace and safety. Perhaps the people have just come through a time when there was no peace or safety and so achieving it is their greatest desire. Some authors believe this is referring to a peace agreement between Israel and the world.How does God view mankind's great achievements?
When Paul says they will not escape he appears to be referring to not escaping God's wrath that will be inflicted on those remaining on the earth during the last of the tribulation. This marks a notable difference from the end of chapter 4 where we started this lesson. Chapter 4 talks about a glorious resurrection / transformation of believers to meet the Lord in the air. Chapter 5 talks about wrath and destruction coming to those who remain.
4But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.
This verse makes a point that is echoed elsewhere including in Revelation 3:3
But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
The point is that believers who are awake and watching will have a pretty good idea of the time and will not be surprised.
5You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.
In these verses the word sleep does not mean death as it did earlier, but neither does it mean natural sleep. Instead it is referring to spiritual sleepiness, an inactive faith, one without works. Similarly night and darkness have the meaning we see in 1 John 1:6
If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth
In this way Paul is describing those who will be ready for the day of the Lord, the Lord's return.
8But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
Having described that we should be alert and ready, Paul goes on to describe some of the characteristics of a Christian that is ready. For soldiers of the time the breastplate was the main protective armor for the body; faith and love are to be our protection for the heart (the spiritual one, not the one that pumps blood).
Soldiers also had helmets for protection against blows to the head. While people didn't understand the function of the brain at that time, they still had an understanding that the head controlled everything and acted as the center for planning. Therefore our helmet is the hope of salvation that directs our lives and keeps us moving in the right direction.
9For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a very important statement. Of course as Christians we are destined to be saved from wrath on judgment day. But in our current context of the Second Coming and the tribulation period, it seems clear that Paul is also including escaping the wrath of the latter part of the tribulation period.
10He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Paul now turns back to the theme from the end of chapter 4 above, resurrection of the dead and translation of the living so that we may live with him forever. With that turn he also turns back to using awake and asleep as metaphors for alive and dead. And he repeats his point about encouragement but where it was encouragement that the dead will be united with the living, now it is encouragement that salvation will avoid wrath because we will be with him.
But the key to all of this comes in the first words of verse 10, "He died for us so that, […] we may live together with him". Without that redeeming sacrifice, we would all be destined for judgment wrath.
Paul's message to the Thessalonians is just as applicable to us and will be applicable to all people until the Second Coming, at which time the Bible will no longer be needed. Having a glimpse of the future, a future where we are rejoined with friends who have passed and where we live in true peace and safety, is strong encouragement to keep up the fight.
1 James Denney, quoted from http://preceptaustin.org/1thessalonians_413-14.htm
2 http://preceptaustin.org/1thessalonians_415-16.htm (Ep 1:21-note; Ep 6:12-note; Col 2:10-note; 1Pe 3:22-)