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June 26, 2016 |
| Second Coming In Thessalonians | ||
The early church looked forward to the return of the Messiah. This was their great hope. It was the reason they accepted suffering and endured mistreatment.
References to the return of the Messiah exist in most of the books of the New Testament and maybe all, I haven't checked. In this lesson we will look at the two letters written by Paul to the church at Thessalonica, which are now the books of 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. These two books contain a reference in almost every chapter to the return of the Messiah.
Paul had already taught the Thessalonians about the return of the Messiah. He did that as he was establishing the church. In this lesson we will also see that Paul isn't writing to them about that return only to inform them but we'll see that he does it to benefit them in their current lives.
The return of the Messiah, which we call the Second Coming, can be separated into these events:
The references in Thessalonians cover most of these.
The first chapter of 1st Thessalonians in only 10 verses long and as usual with Paul's letters it is mostly an introduction and greeting. Even so we find here the first reference to that hope of the return of the Messiah.
And we recall before God the Father the works of your faith, the labor of your love and patience of your hope, which are in our lord Yeshua the Messiah. (1 Thessalonians 1:3)
Paul is using this reference to tell the Thessalonians how happy Paul and his people were to hear that the Thessalonians still had the hope of the Messiah's return. This in turn encourages the Thessalonians.
The next chapter also has a small reference.
For they forbid us to speak with the Gentiles, that they may live to fulfill their sins always, but fury has come upon them until the end. (1 Thessalonians 2:16)
Paul is using this reference to teach the Thessalonians that the Jews will continue to obstruct them until the very end. In Paul's time the Jews were the most active hindrance to the spread of the Gospel. In our time there are other groups. At the end these groups will experience the fury (wrath) of the Lord. Paul will come back to this later.
In the 3rd chapter the reference has more meat in it.
And establish your hearts without a fault in holiness before God our father at the arrival of our lord Yeshua the Messiah with all of his Holy Ones. (1 Thessalonians 3:13)
When Paul says "holy ones" here he is referring to his angels. This is confirmed later in 2 Thessalonians 1:7
Paul is using this reference to encourage them to continue to live faultless lives.
In the 4th chapter there is a very large and detailed reference to many aspects of the Second Coming
I want you to know my brethren, that you should not have sorrow for those who are asleep, as do the rest of mankind who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Yeshua died and arose, in this way also God shall bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Yeshua. 15 But this we say to you by the word of our lord, that we, those who remain at the coming of our lord, we who have life, shall not overtake those who are asleep; 16 Because our lord shall descend from Heaven with a command and with the voice of the Archangel and with the trumpet blast of God, and the dead who are in the Messiah shall rise first; 17 And then we who remain, who have life, we shall be carried away with them together in clouds to a meeting of our lord in the air, and in this way, we shall always be with our lord. 18 Therefore, comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
In these verses Paul is instructing the church how to comfort one another when a believer dies. He starts by saying they should not be sad like the unbelievers. To unbelievers, death is the end and so the death of a loved one is tragic. Even in false religions, their hope of a life after death is uncertain to them. They have no savior who was raised from the dead.
Paul gives the reason they should not be sad. Because we believe that God raised Jesus he will also bring us back from the dead. Death is not final, nor is it a one way trip. If God can raise one he can raise many.
Then Paul goes into detail about the events saying there is an order to them. The living are not the only ones gathered nor are they gathered first. This is the order.
Paul concludes by saying the church should comfort each other this way. He is using the return of the Messiah to comfort them in these difficult times. I don't know of anyone in the modern church who comforts with these words.
The 5th chapter contains a reference to the time after Jesus returns, though not specifically to his return.
But you, my brethren, you are not in darkness that the day should overtake you as a thief. […] 8But we are the children of the day; let us be vigilant in our minds and put on the breastplate of faith and of love and let us take the helmet of the hope of life, 9 because God has not appointed us to wrath, but to the possession of life in our lord Yeshua the Messiah. (1 Thessalonians 5:8-9)
Paul says that the return of the Messiah will not find those who believe unprepared. We also see that the wrath of God will fall on some but not on those who believe. Their destiny is eternal life. The book of Revelation describes this wrath of God that comes after the rapture as a combination of plagues that include 100 lb. hailstones.
Paul is using the return of the Messiah to encourage them to continue the fight.
This chapter has a second reference to the return of the Messiah.
But the God of peace shall make all of you perfectly holy and shall keep your whole spirit, soul and body without fault for the arrival of our lord Yeshua the Messiah. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
In this verse Paul again uses the Messiah's return to encourage them to continue in holiness that they will be found so at the return.
We now begin 2nd Thessalonians. As you might expect the 1st chapter contains the first reference.
And truly it is just before God to reward suffering to your tormentors, 7 and you who are tormented he shall save with us by the revelation of our lord Yeshua the Messiah who is from Heaven, with the armies of his Angels, 8 Whenever he executes vengeance in blazing fire on those who do not know God and on those who have not recognized the good news of our lord Yeshua the Messiah, 9 for they will be paid in judgment: eternal destruction from the face of our lord and from the glory of his power, 10 whenever he comes to be glorified in his Holy Ones, he will show his wonders in his believers, because you believed in our testimony that was for you in that day. (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10)
Here the Messiah's return is used to show them that God is just and the unbelievers will experience the wrath of God. They on the other hand will be used to show the wonders of God.
The 2nd chapter also has a large section devoted to the return of the Messiah.
But we beg of you, my brethren, concerning the arrival of our lord Yeshua the Messiah and concerning our assembling unto him, 2 That you would not be soon shaken in your minds, neither be troubled, either from word, nor from a spirit, neither from an epistle that is as if from us, namely, that, "Behold, The Day of our lord has arrived." 3 Let no man deceive you by any means, to the effect that surely no revolt will first come and the Man of Sin, the Son of Destruction, be revealed, 4 he who opposes and exalts himself against everything that is called God and religion, just as he will sit in the Temple of God, as God, and will show concerning himself as if he is God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was with you, I said these things to you? 6 And now you know what controls, that he may be revealed in his time. 7 The mystery of evil has even now begun to work within, only if that which now controls will be taken from the midst; 8 And then that Evil One will be revealed, whom our lord Yeshua will consume with a breath of his mouth, and will destroy him by the revelation of his coming. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-8)
From what Paul says here we believe that someone has been spreading a message that Jesus has already returned. Paul is warning them that, if they hear this message, no matter how they hear it, they should not let it trouble them or be deceived by it.
Before the Messiah returns, he says, there must first be a revolt (or falling away) and the revelation of the antiChrist.
Then Paul describes some things the antiChrist will do such as, opposing the faith, exalting himself over all gods, and will be sitting in the temple of God (in Jerusalem) and representing himself as god. He reminds them how he told them all of this before.
He continues by saying they know who controls the time the antiChrist appears. Most people believe this controller is the Holy Spirit. Paul's point is that, even in Paul's time things are building up toward that event but the controller will ensure everything will happen in its time. At some point the controller will be removed and the antiChrist will be able to advance unhindered.
Paul then returns to discussing the order of events. The antiChrist must be doing his evil before the Messiah returns because the Messiah will destroy him when he returns. Therefore the antiChrist, and the falling away, must come first.
Paul is using the reference to the return of the Messiah in these verses to keep the Thessalonians from being deceived by bad teachings. He says they should ignore any teaching claiming that the Messiah has returned until they see the man of sin, also call the Son of Destruction, the Evil One, and the false Messiah or antiChrist. He also gives them some signs to look for when he comes.
It's actually surprising that the 3rd and last chapter of this book has no references to the return of the Messiah.
In these two letters to the church in Thessalonica Paul has used the return of the Messiah to:
1. How can the Second Coming be used to encourage people to continue in their Christian walk?
2. How does Paul say we should comfort people at the death of a Christian loved one?
3. Could the Messiah return at any time?