For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. Paul finishes the section with verses 8-11, which instruct us on how to think and behave as we wait. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.” So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. You are all children of the light and children of the day. “But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. Verses 4-7 compares light and darkness to describe the status of Christ’s followers versus that of others, adding that believers are called to be ready to respond whenever events unfold. “While people are saying, 'Peace and safety,' destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” Remaining either unaware or uninterested in their eternal destiny leaves them at risk of being both surprised and destroyed when the Lord comes. In verse 3, Paul paints a picture of those who don’t concern themselves with spiritual matters. Better, he goes on to say, to put our attention on seeking God and following His call on our lives. Other themes he touched on were how to deal with persecution and the importance of keeping our hope strong.Ĭhapter 5 begins with Paul clarifying that no one knows when any of these end-time events will occur, and trying to figure them out is a foolish endeavor. Paul talks about living righteously and faithfully, and how that keeps us prepared for the day of Lord’s coming. This verse was part of a section meant to teach and encourage the faith of the believers there and eventually other churches in the region. The church of Thessalonica was young, and there were differing opinions among congregation members on the subject of the end times and of Christ’s return. One of the Apostle Paul’s earliest letters, 1 Thessalonians was written for the believers in a bustling seaport and center of trade located in Macedonia. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved'" ( Acts 2:17, 19-21). The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. The Apostle Peter quoted the Old Testament prophet Joel as he spoke in Jerusalem during Pentecost, soon after Jesus’ crucifixion. And they meant to stir the hearts of God’s people to follow His Ways. Paul and others aimed to remind believers about The Lord’s coming and His complete victory over the enemy. In the New Testament, the phrase relates to the 2nd coming of Jesus. Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light-pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?'" ( Amos 5:18-20). “Woe to you who long for the day of the Lord! Why do you long for the day of the Lord? That day will be darkness, not light.It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was in ancient times nor ever will be in ages to come'" ( Joel 2:1-2). It is close at hand-a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. "'Blow the trumpet in Zion sound the alarm on my holy hill. Their tidings included images of the invasion and devastation of Jerusalem, as well as visions of the future. They spoke in part about events, namely wars, that would be coming relatively soon. Some of the Old Testament prophets delivered messages about the idea. But some scholars think it applies to one particular day. Scripture appears to use the term to designate a period of time associated with what’s called The End Times. This phrase refers to when God’s plan for the Earth will be fulfilled, and His reign will begin.
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