The Day of the Lord

I Thessalonians 5:1-11

The Apostle Paul continues writing about the coming of the Lord, but he is more specific here about the day of the Lord and the problem of judgment. Paul probably had preached from the Old Testament about God's judgment (Amos 5:18-20; Joel 2:31; Malachi 4:5). Isaiah 13:6 also reads, "Wail; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty." The Thessalonians needed further enlightenment from Paul. His real purpose in this paragraph is not to give them new information but to urge them to profit by what they already know.

1. The Day is in God's Knowledge - 1-3

1 Paul refuses to be lured into a discussion of the precise date and time of the Lord's return. Even the Lord Jesus Christ, during His personal ministry, did not know the time of His return to earth and the time of God's terrible judgment upon an unrepenting world. We can understand that the Thessalonians wanted to be sure they made suitable preparations for the day of judgment. Stevens, in his comment on this verse states, "Biblical interpretation transcends its function when it sets about forecasting the calendar of the future. More than that which you already know, says the apostle, you do not need to know. The Savior's admonition and the apostle's hint have been alike lost upon some of the wisest and best among Christians and Biblical scholars" (American Commentary, p. 59).

The introductory word, 'but' probably should be 'now.' "Now, concerning the 'how long?' and the 'when?'" He uses the words 'times and seasons' which is almost the exact repeat of the words in Acts 1:7. Some translaters use the words 'times and dates' (Weymouth, Goodspeed and Williams). The first word literally means 'a point in time,' while the second one means the 'time in the sense of a certain occasion.' He later states that until the revelation of the 'man of sin' (II Thessalonians 2:3), it is idle for the Christian to speculate about the date of the second coming and the judgment of God. Mark (13:32) records the words of the blessed Lord about the coming judgment in this way, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels who are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." There was and always will be a curiosity with respect to the exact time when this great event would take place. "How long do we have to wait?" "Just when is the Lord going to arrive?"

There is much controversy concerning the time of the Lord's coming in relation to world events. Some believe He will return before the Great Tribulation, others believe it will be during the Tribulation (in the midst of the seven years), and still others believe is will be after the Tribulation. Furthermore, Christendom is also divided as to whether His coming will be pre-millennial or post-millennial, still others are a-millennialists (those who seek to spiritualize the one thousand years). Who is correct? Paul does not herein give further instructions as to the time and order of events connected with our Lord's return.

2, 3 Timothy, no doubt, had been asked when the Parousia would take place. Paul states in this verse that Christ's coming will be unexpected for some - like the arrival of a thief in the night. For the Thessalonians, however, Christ's coming should be expected; they should be watchful. They are children of the day (enlightened); others are children of the night (unenlightened). Connected with the Second Coming of the Christ is the Day of Jehovah. This Day goes back into Jewish history as a time of decision and divine intervention - a day of judgment. The Day of the Lord is a familiar expression in the Old Testament. It denotes the day when God intervenes in history to judge His enemies, deliver His people and establish His kingdom. Two metaphors were used here to illustrate how the Lord will come: (1) unexpectedly to some - like a burglar making no advanced announcement of his arrival; (2) some will falsely imagine entire security - like labor pains upon an expectant mother. So Christ's coming and coming judgment will be sudden and unexpected or sudden and unavoidable. In the first case there is no warning, and in the second there is no escape. Barkley gives three characteristics of the Day of the Lord in the Old Testament: (1) it could come suddenly, (2) it would involve a cosmic upheaval in which the universe was shaken to its very foundation, and (3) it would be a time of judgment," (Hiebert, p. 210,211). Jesus used the same illustration in Matthew 24:42-51. There are many saved people who meet the description given by the Lord in these verses. They are like the evil servant who believed his lord had delayed his coming. He began to eat, drink and smite his fellow servants. When his lord did return, he was caught unaware. In the Old Testament what is said of Jehovah is transferred in the New Testament to Christ Jesus the Lord.

The Lord will come at a time when the world is saying 'peace and safety.' Surely we live in such a time today. The world is not expecting judgment. The world ridicules the idea that Christ will return and pour out His wrath upon the unbelieving. Nevertheless, Christ will come, and His judgment will fall upon the earth. So concerning the Second Coming of our Lord it is foolish to enquire how long and when. We just need to be prepared. The 'they' of this verse refers to the unbelieving world not the church. The unsaved are compared with those who lived in the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37-39; Luke 17:26,27) and Lot (Luke 17:28-30) . The world will continue doing what people have been doing previously - eating, drinking, buying, selling, building, planting, marrying, etc. These things are not necessarily wicked but natural. Material interests are more important to the unsaved than spiritual needs.

2. The Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness - 4,5

Christians are to be watchful and prepared for the Lord's coming; it is the unsaved who are unprepared. It will be a time of disaster for them. "Surprise' is the key word in Paul's argument, although it may be implied. The solution to their problem was to stay awake and alert. Darkness, sleep and drunkenness are three reasons why people are unprepared for the night visit by a burglar. Christians are 'sons of light, sons of the day' while the 'sons of darkness, sons of the night' are the unenlightened. God has brought the Christian out of darkness into His light (I Peter 2:9). Stott illustrates this principle vividly (pp. 111,112), "Imagine that you and your family are enjoying your summer holiday. One evening the sun goes down, you draw the curtains, and everybody goes to bed. You sleep well too, because the following day you are expecting a visit from the family's favorite Uncle Bill. But because you are tired, you oversleep. In the morning the sun rises as usual, but you know nothing about it because you are still fast asleep and the curtains are still drawn. Only one member of the family wakes early, your eldest daughter. She gets up and flings back the curtains of her room, so that the sun streams in. Suddenly, there is a loud knock on the front door, and Uncle Bill stands outside. Your daughter is ready to welcome him. She is not taken by surprise, for she is awake, alert and in the light. But the rest of you are covered with confusion because you are still asleep and still in the darkness."

3. Watch and Be Sober - 6-8

6 The vast majority of men are asleep regarding the parousia and are unaware of coming judgment. They are as those who sleep and into whose homes the thief can break into and escape with impunity. The Christian is alert and clear-headed; he is watchful and prepared. To 'watch' means to be wakeful, spiritually open-eyed. To 'be sober' means to be free from the stupefying effects of self-indulgence and sin. Sleep, watchful and sober are metaphorical terms here. "To sleep" means to live as if there was never a judgment day. "To be watchful" means to live a sanctified life, in the consciousness of the coming judgment day. Watchfulness brings to Paul's mind the figure of a sentry on guard and armed for any circumstance. "To be sober" means to be filled with spiritual and moral earnestness; calm, steady and sane, doing one's duty and fulfilling one's ministry (Hiebert, p. 125).

7, 8 Drunkenness and sleep are typical of night-time and belong to the night of sin and unbelief. Clarity of mind and alertness are typical of the day and belong to the day of purity and belief. As Roman soldiers put on their armor in preparation for battle so the Christian must don the breastplate and helmet (Isaiah 59:17). Paul chooses to vary the symbolism with Ephesians 6 where the breastplate is 'righteousness' and the helmet is 'salvation;' herein the breastplate and helmet together represent the three graces 'faith, love and hope.'

4. A Comfort to Know These Facts - 9-10

9, 10 Best writes, "Salvation is not some exterior and unrelated blessing to which the Thessalonians may possibly attain; they have been destined for it by God" (p. 216). God has rescued us from His wrath and judgment since we accepted His sacrifice for sin, and Jesus Christ bore wrath and judgment due us. Acting according to His own will and good pleasure, God has 'appointed' or 'destined' us unto salvation as His gracious intention for us. Jesus died for us; that is, on our behalf and for our benefit. (Romans 6:23). He died that we might live; our life will be lived together with Him. Furthermore, at the Parousia the Christian living will have no advantage over the Christian dead (as we have observed in chapter four). Our future life depends upon Christ's death (Stott). "Death is only final and decisive when we speak in worldly terms. For the believer the whole concept has been transformed. For him it holds no terrors. In life or in death he is in Christ" (Morris, p. 162).

Salvation comes through what Christ has done for lost mankind; He died for us. Not only did He die, however, it is through His death that Christians begin to live with Him. Whether we are alive or dead at His coming, we shall benefit because we have placed our faith in Christ's atoning death and resurrection. When He comes we will possess a new quality of life. "Paul envisages the Christian as entering into the resurrection life which depends on Christ's resurrection, and the Christian's life is transformed when this happens" (Best, p. 219). Whether we belong to the class who died physically before the rapture or to the class who will survive on earth until He comes. In either case there is no reason for the child of God to get excited about the date for the Lord's return.

5. Comfort Each Other - 11

All members of the Body of Christ are to support, care, encourage and comfort one another; this is not to be left up to an elite of professional comforters or counselors. How can every one help every one else? It ranges from the simplicities of a smile, a hug or squeeze of the hand to patient listening, sympathy and friendship (Stott). Because of Christ's coming and our participation directly in it, Christians should 'build up,' 'encourage' one another. Paul used another of his favorite metaphors - an architectural figure used to convey a spiritual concept. The familiar sight of a building being constructed is employed to stress the thought of the assured spiritual growth of the believer as the result of patient labor. Each individual believer is viewed as a building, a holy temple, in process of construction. This building up of the believer is a constant activity, lasting throughout his earthly life (Hiebert)..

Final Instructions

I Thessalonians 5:12-28

In this final passage Paul writes a series of largely unrelated exhortations concerning community life and the building up of one another in the faith. One picture of the New Testament Church portrays it as the family of God, whose members recognize and treat one another as sisters and brothers (adelphia, the word for brother or sister occurs five times - 12,13,25,26,27). Through Christ Jesus our Lord, God is our Father and our fellow believers are brothers and sisters. There was evidently some problems in personal relationships among the Thessalonians, and the concluding moments of his epistle Paul gives attention to them...The first group of Christians seem to have been organized on the model of the synagogue...and thus would have had a group of elders exercising oversight...Some of the believers were misbehaving. They were refraining from working for their living, and so forth. The leaders of the church attempted to put things right, but their manner of doing so aroused opposition. It was not serious, as in the case of the Corinthian church, which was rent by the disputes that took place (Morris, pp. 164,165)

1. Conduct Toward Pastoral Leadership - 12,13

12 It is God's will that every local church enjoy pastoral oversight, but it is not His will that pastors should dominate and organize everything. Pastors, however, should have the respect of every church member and not be looked upon as a hired hands. Nor does God tolerate laziness in the pastors of His churches. 'To labor' means to 'toil,' 'strive,' 'struggle' and 'grow weary in doing so.' Paul likens the task to that of a farm laborer (II Timothy 2:6).

Whether it is study and sermon preparation, visiting the sick, counseling the disturbed, instructing people for baptism or marriage, or being diligent in intercession - these all demand toiling and striving with all the energy that can be mustered (Colossians 1:29). Furthermore, the chief characteristic of the true minister (under shepherd) is humility and not authority, gentleness and not power. Paul used the word 'know' here meaning 'respect' to those who labor (work) so hard caring (presiding, leading, directing) and admonishing (a tone of brotherliness; it is big brotherly). Yeager writes, "Lay insubordination to clerical authority is a common disease in local churches, although clericalism has gone too far in some cases with the result that the laity are given no responsibilities and thus fail to exercise their gifts. If we assume that pastors and other church leaders have their appointments from the Lord and exercise their gifts by the motivation and direction of the Holy Spirit, then lay christians are obligated to recognize, respect and obey their leaders: (Vol. XV, p. 233).

13 "Leaders are to be acknowledged not because of their official appointment nor because they hold a particular office nor even because they exercise a necessary function for the ongoing life of the church, but because of the way they carry out the function which they exercise - because of what they do," so writes Best, p. 228. Paul wants the leaders in the church (elders, pastors, official appointees) to be loved, and not thought of simply as the cold voice of authority. The church can be expected to do its work effectively only when the leaders are loyally supported by their fellows. To 'esteem' means to give careful and deliberate consideration to the leaders. To 'esteem ...very highly' is a very strong double compound superlative meaning 'abundantly, out of all bounds, ' beyond all measure.' Paul writes, "be at peace among yourselves," meaning stop all carping and criticism and start obeying your leaders in the church. Paul is ordering the Thessalonians to get to 'know' and to 'esteem highly' the divinely appointed pastors and teachers of the church. "For their work's sake; that is, because of the nature of their work; it is the Lord's work.

2. The Fellowship - 14,15

14 Paul desires that the Thessalonians be patient with one another as God is patient with His people. God sometimes postpones or stays His wrath because His people turn from their wicked ways. God's children should exercise the same patience as does God. Paul identifies several characteristics of the people of Thessalonica - 'the unruly;' those who are disorderly or insubordinate; those who are out of ranks. The RSV translates this word 'idle.' The word originally meant 'riotous' or 'rebellion.' The 'fainthearted' are literally those who are 'timid.' The 'weak' can mean either physically, morally or spiritually weak.

15 The Christian may easily be annoyed within the community by those who are idle or are sexually immoral, but he is not to retaliate or respond with a harping admonition destroying the peace of the community. Nor is the Christian to be prodded into retaliation by the dislike or hatred, mockery or even active persecution of those outside (Best). Someone has said, "To render evil for evil is man-like (carnal); to render evil for good is devil-like; to render good for good is Pharisee-like; but to render good for evil is Christ-like." Paul is urging the Thessalonians to show goodness in the face of provocation to evil as a great general principle which must underlie the conduct of the Christian at all times. This line of conduct is to be exercised toward members of the brotherhood and outsiders alike. The Pharisees wanted to seek revenge under the law - "eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe" (Exodus 21:24,25). Jesus said, (Matthew 5:39-42), "resist not evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him two. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away." All personal revenge and retaliation are forbidden to the followers of Jesus. Be kind!

3. The Inner Life of the Believer - 16-18

16 Paul's admonition is to be joyful when everything goes wrong (e.g. in times of persecution or sorrow). He wrote to the Philippians (4:11), "Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice." The Psalmist had the same feeling, "Oh, come, let us sing unto the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation...Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands" (Psalm 95:1;100:1). "Not that the pilgrim can make his journey all the way in the land of Beulah, where 'the sun shineth night and day,' and where he can always have sight of the city to which he is going. But this joy may irradiate his soul when his path lies in darkness and clouds hide the heavenly city from view. If with these Thessalonians he is awaiting the near Coming of the Lord, he will be steadfast in hope and joy' (Stevens, p. 67). Gloag writes, "Joy is that feeling of delight which arises from the possession of present good, or from the anticipation of future happiness; and in both respects the believer has abundant reason for constant joy" (p. 105). No matter what happens (persecution, sickness) the Christian ought to give thanks to God, not for circumstances, but for our salvation through Christ Who makes it possible to endure. God's purpose is being worked out in our lives when the Christian comes to see God's hand in all things he learns to give thanks for all things.

17, 18 Unceasing prayer is an attitude toward God; it may be expressed in set form, unuttered and spasmodically. Jesus would say, "Pray and don't give up" (Luke 18:1-8) or "Never be done praying!" When the Christian realizes and recognizes that his salvation is dependent upon Christ's atoning work at Calvary as is his day to day living, then he can but rely upon God for every need; therefore, he is admonished to 'pray without ceasing.' Prayer and rejoicing go together, and many times it is through prayer that barriers to the Christian's joy can overcome. The word 'pray' here denotes devotion rather than the word which would fix attention more upon one's need.

4. Five Imperatives - 19-22

19 - 22 "Quench" is an interesting word meaning 'putting out' a flame as that of a fire (Mark 9:48) or a lamp (Matthew 25:8). It means 'to suppress,' to 'stifle.' The Spirit is quenched when His presence is ignored, when His promptings are suppressed and rejected, when His kindling spirit is dampened by unspiritual attitudes, criticisms and actions. Extinguishing the Spirit may come from failing to exercise the gifts given by the Holy Spirit - leadership, serving, healing, prophecy. Loafing, immorality and other sins about which Paul has had occasion to warn the Thessalonians will quench the Spirit in their lives, and result in the loss of spiritual power and joy.

Concerning prophetic revelations, Paul would say - test them, test all charismata (gifts), for phenomena resembling true charismata may arise spontaneously apart from God's Spirit. Although Paul does say so here, in I Corinthians 14 he argues the superiority of prophecies to tongues he implies that the criteria is 'good order' (verses 33-40), intelligibility (verse 19), and the capability of building up the Christian community (verses 3,4,5). It was through the prophets that "the church at Antioch was commanded to set apart Paul and Barnabas for their foreign missionary work. It was through 'prophesyings' that Timothy had been pointed out as approved by the Holy Spirit for the mission entrusted to him by Paul" (Stevens, p.68).

"Prove all things" - 'test everything;' that is, sift it; weigh carefully what is said. In I Corinthians 14:29 Paul wrote, "Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge." Paul wants his readers to use their common sense in matters of prophecies and apply the necessary tests. But of the process of living out the Christian life is the use of discrimination between the base and the true and to conduct himself accordingly. All things are to be accepted wholeheartedly or rejected decisively as a result of the test. "Hold fast" implies a firm acceptance of the good (Morris). "Abstain from all appearance of evil." This verse was one of my Mother's favorite verses.

5. Concluding Prayer, Exhortation and Benediction - 23 - 28

23 The Thessalonians are holy; they need to strive for holiness (4:3), and God alone can produce holiness in them. Only in the Parousia, however, will holiness reach its fruition. The spirit is that part of man enabling him to communicate with God; the soul is the self-conscious life of man; the seat of his personality. "Paul prays that at the time of the coming of the Lord the spirits, souls, and bodies will appear with the result that during all of their life on earth they will have been kept in a condition such as to escape blame" (Yeager, Vol. XV, p. 247).

24 Just as God called the Israelite nation, making an everlasting covenant with them, and He was faithful to that covenant, so He is faithful to the Thessalonians. God will not abandon them just as He did not abandon the Israeli nation. God is faithful, He is reliable concerning all that He has promised. As firm as His throne His promise stands! 25, 26 Paul was in much need of God's help and the Thessalonian's prayers. Yeager says, "the practice of the holy kiss among the early christians contributed to the unjust accusation by their enemies that they indulged in illicit sex during their meetings" (op.cit. p. 248). The holy kiss on the cheeks, brow and shoulders (among kinsfolk), on the hands and feet (in honoring a superior) was a common practice. It was used as a greeting on meeting and separation. It may have had some ceremonial significance in the early church (Romans 16:16; I Corinthians 16:20 and others). It was also used as a sign and seal of reconciliation.

27, 28 Some translate the word 'read' to mean 'real aloud;' however, the true translation means 'to know accurately' or 'to recognize' so as to distinguish clearly between concepts; 'to read with understanding.' This does not mean that some of the Thessalonian church members were illiterate; Paul wants his letter read in a public assembly for all to hear. The letter was to be read in each of the house-churches wherever they gathered in church capacity.

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