The Day of the Lord in Paul’s Letters to the Thessalonians
Having established in part two of this study that the day of the Lord - in the
broadest and most complete sense - will begin no later than with the events
described by Christ in Luke 21:20-24, we’ll begin part three of this study by
comparing Paul’s words in 1 Thess. 5:1-2 with some verses we’ve already looked
at from Luke’s account of the Olivet Discourse.
In Luke 21:34-36, we read:
“Now take heed to yourselves, lest at some time your hearts should
be burdened with crapulence and drunkenness and the worries of life's affairs,
and that day may be standing by you unawares, as a trap,
for it will intrude on all those sitting on the surface of the entire earth. Now
be vigilant, on every occasion beseeching that you may be prevailing
to escape all these things which are about to occur, and to stand in
front of the Son of Mankind.”
Now, compare the above words of Christ with 1 Thess. 5:1-2:
“Now concerning the times and the eras, brethren, you have no need
to be written to, for you yourselves are accurately aware that the day
of the Lord is as a thief in the night -- thus is it coming! Now
whenever they may be saying ‘Peace and security,’ then extermination
is standing by them unawares, even as a pang over the pregnant, and
they may by no means escape.”
The similarities are striking, and at least suggest that both Paul
and Christ had in view the same period of time. It’s also likely that Paul was
familiar with Luke’s Gospel account, and that he had this very passage in mind
when he wrote the above concerning the day of the Lord.[1] But
there are other considerations which I believe make it clear that Paul did, in
fact, have this period of time in view. First, Paul introduced the subject of
this passage by referring to “the times and the eras,” which he associated with
the coming day of the Lord. The fact that Paul referred to “times” and “eras”
in the plural suggests that he had in view an extended period of time rather
than a single day (i.e., the “narrow” day of the Lord).
Second, Paul said that, “whenever they may be saying ‘Peace and
security,’ then extermination is standing by them unawares, even as a pang over
the pregnant, and they may by no means escape.” These words suggest that the
day of the Lord will begin during a time when people (those whom he later
describes as “drowsing”) will not be expecting or anticipating judgment. They
will, instead, see “peace and security” as characterizing their present state
of affairs, and as being promised by the future. They will be oblivious to what
is to come – and when it does come, it will be too late for
them to escape. But let’s consider what scripture reveals concerning the state
of affairs on earth just prior to Christ’s return: according to Revelation
15-19, Christ’s return will be shortly after the bowls of the “last seven
calamities” of the “fury of God” have begun to be poured out (Rev. 15:1,
16:1-21). By the time these “seven bowls” begin to be poured out, “peace and
security” will be the last thing on anyone’s mind, whether believer or
unbeliever. This will be the most horrific and tumultuous time in history that
the world has ever known. Just before Christ finally comes with all his holy
messengers to destroy the enemies of Israel, the inhabitants of the earth will
still be reeling from the dreadful calamities that will have taken place during
the preceding days and years.
Third, we find that, in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2, the saints to whom
Paul wrote were being (or were in danger of becoming) “quickly shaken from
[their] mind” and “alarmed” after hearing that the day of the Lord was present.
However, the only way they could believe (or be in danger of believing) that
the day of the Lord was already present would be if they had been taught (1)
that the day of the Lord would be an extended period of time rather than a
literal 24-hour day involving the eon-concluding coming of Christ to the earth
with all his holy messengers, and (2) that the day of the Lord would be
characterized – either in part or in its entirety – by the persecution of
believers in Christ during this time (since we know that the believers to whom
Paul wrote were, at the time, undergoing persecution; see 2 Thess. 1:4-6; cf. 1
Thess. 1:6; 2:14).
If the understanding of the Thessalonians regarding the day of the
Lord was that it was the “narrow” day of the Lord (the actual day of Christ's
return to the earth to destroy the enemies of Israel), then it is highly
unlikely that these believers could've been deceived into thinking that this
day was already present. It just doesn’t seem reasonable to believe that these
saints could seriously be in danger of believing that the eon-concluding events
associated with Christ’s return to the earth (as described in, for example,
Matthew 24:29-31 and Zech. 14:3-4) had taken place, and that the kingdom of God
had been (or was soon to be) established on the earth.
Due to the implausibility of such a scenario, it follows that the day of the Lord which Paul did not want them thinking was “present” was not the climactic day of Christ’s return to earth, when this present wicked eon will finally be brought to an end. It was, instead, the day of the Lord in its broader and more complete sense that they had in mind, and concerning which Paul wrote. That which they believed – or were in danger of believing – was present was, evidently, a relatively longer period of time which (as they likely learned from Paul while he was with them) would be characterized by the large-scale persecution of believers in Christ who will be alive on the earth at the time. Significantly, the persecution of believers in Christ is also said to be characteristic of the time period of which Christ spoke in his Olivet Discourse (see Matt. 24:9-10 and Luke 21:12-19).
Due to the implausibility of such a scenario, it follows that the day of the Lord which Paul did not want them thinking was “present” was not the climactic day of Christ’s return to earth, when this present wicked eon will finally be brought to an end. It was, instead, the day of the Lord in its broader and more complete sense that they had in mind, and concerning which Paul wrote. That which they believed – or were in danger of believing – was present was, evidently, a relatively longer period of time which (as they likely learned from Paul while he was with them) would be characterized by the large-scale persecution of believers in Christ who will be alive on the earth at the time. Significantly, the persecution of believers in Christ is also said to be characteristic of the time period of which Christ spoke in his Olivet Discourse (see Matt. 24:9-10 and Luke 21:12-19).
Finally, in 2 Thess. 2:1-5, Paul referred to two (possibly
related) prophetic events: “the apostasy”[2] and
the unveiling of the “man of lawlessness.” According to Paul, the lack of
fulfillment/occurrence of these two events is to be seen as evidence that the
day of the Lord is not yet present. Now, after referring to the second event -
the unveiling of the man of lawlessness – Paul goes on to further clarify for
his readers who, exactly, he has in view here. The event that Paul goes on to
describe as clarifying the identity of the man of lawlessness is highly
significant, since it is also the event which will begin the
3½ year-long period of great affliction - i.e., the man of lawlessness’ act of
blasphemy in the temple of God in the middle of the 70th week.
Given the importance of this event with regards to the identity and true character of the man of lawlessness, it is reasonable to understand this “midweek” event to be the means by which Paul believed the man of lawlessness would be “unveiled.” That is, given that Paul understood the man of lawlessness’ sitting in the temple of God (and thereby “demonstrating that he himself is God”) as the event which most clearly identified this person as the man of lawlessness (for, again, Paul referred to this event to clarify for his readers who he had in view when he mentioned the “man of lawlessness” and “son of destruction”), it is this event which Paul most likely had in mind when he referred to him being “unveiled” in verse 3 (and if there is to be some more prophetically significant event that will more fully and obviously unveil the man of lawlessness than the temple-desecrating event to which Paul refers here, one can only wonder why Paul didn’t mention this event as a means of identification instead of the event he did refer to).
Given the importance of this event with regards to the identity and true character of the man of lawlessness, it is reasonable to understand this “midweek” event to be the means by which Paul believed the man of lawlessness would be “unveiled.” That is, given that Paul understood the man of lawlessness’ sitting in the temple of God (and thereby “demonstrating that he himself is God”) as the event which most clearly identified this person as the man of lawlessness (for, again, Paul referred to this event to clarify for his readers who he had in view when he mentioned the “man of lawlessness” and “son of destruction”), it is this event which Paul most likely had in mind when he referred to him being “unveiled” in verse 3 (and if there is to be some more prophetically significant event that will more fully and obviously unveil the man of lawlessness than the temple-desecrating event to which Paul refers here, one can only wonder why Paul didn’t mention this event as a means of identification instead of the event he did refer to).
Moreover, Paul's argument takes for granted that it would not have
been too difficult for the Thessalonians to know that the two events referred
to had not yet occurred (since it is the non-occurrence of these events that is
meant to provide them with assurance that they day of the Lord was not yet
present). Thus, the nature of the unveiling of the man of lawlessness must be
such that, when it takes place, it will be “newsworthy,” becoming known
relatively quickly by word of mouth or some other means. Significantly, Christ
considered the temple-desolating action of the man of lawlessness (i.e., that
which results in “the abomination of desolation”) as something that would be
obvious enough to be the sign by which those living in the land of Judea toward
the end of the eon would know to flee the region in order to escape the
judgment that would soon be coming upon the Jewish people living in and around
Jerusalem. This fact supports the idea that the man of lawlessness’ entering
and then sitting in the temple as if he were himself God is what “unveils” him as the
“man of lawlessness.”
If the unveiling of the man of lawlessness does, in fact, refer to
the event that Paul went on to describe, then it would be reasonable to believe
that Paul understood this event to be that with which the day of the Lord will
commence – for again, it was the non-occurrence of this event which he
understood to be evidence that the day of the Lord was not yet present. It
would mean that Paul believed that when this event does occur,
those on the earth will have reason to believe that the day of the Lord is, in
fact, present.[3]
In light of the above considerations, I submit that the most
reasonable conclusion to draw is that the “day of the Lord” of which Paul spoke
in 1 and 2 Thessalonians - the period of time which Paul didn’t want the
Thessalonians to be deluded into thinking was present - is the day of the Lord
that will begin 3½ years before Christ’s coming with all his messengers, and
will initially (during these 3½ years) be characterized by “great affliction”
and “indignation.”
Our Rescuer out of the Coming Indignation
In 1 Thess. 1:9-10, Paul spoke of the Thessalonians as
“waiting for [God’s] Son out of the heavens,” and then referred to Christ as
“our Rescuer out of the coming indignation.” According to A.T. Robertson in his
commentary, Paul’s use of the present tense form of the infinitive in 1 Thess.
1:10 (translated “waiting for”) gives it the sense of “to keep waiting for,”
and thus refers to continuous action of waiting for someone. It would seem,
then, that Paul (and those to whom he wrote) believed that their being rescued
by Christ from the coming indignation was “imminent,” in the sense that (as far
as they knew) it could take place at any time. That is, there is no prophesied,
precursory event that has to take place first before Christ descends from “out
of the heavens” to rescue believers. As far as Paul knew, the generation of
believers alive in his day could have (relatively speaking)
been the generation that would be alive when the rescue by Christ took place.
On the other hand, had Paul believed that Christ could not rescue
believers until after two thousand years of history (for
example) had transpired, then such words of hope and comfort could have no
relevance to any generation of believers except the FINAL generation that would
be alive on earth after the required two-thousand-year period of time had
elapsed. In this case, no generation of living believers could justifiably
be said to be “waiting” (or justifiably be exhorted to wait) for Christ out of
the heavens except the final generation that would be alive after the required
number of years had passed. But since Paul evidently did not think the
Thessalonians were mistaken for “waiting” for Christ – and since Paul referred
to Christ as his and their “Rescuer out of the coming indignation” – it follows
that he believed they could very well have been the generation of believers
that would be rescued.
The Greek preposition translated “out of” in the expression “our
Rescuer out of the coming indignation” is the word ek. Paul’s use
of this word does not suggest that he believed the saints to whom he wrote
would actually be going through the coming indignation when their rescue took
place. The same word is found in 2 Corinthians 1:10, where Paul had in view his
being rescued by God from what would’ve been certain death (see verses 6-8; cf.
2 Cor. 11:23-27, where Paul provides more details regarding the various trials
and perilous, near-death situations he’d faced). A similar use of the word ek can
be found in 2 Tim. 4:17, where Paul wrote of being “rescued out of the mouth of
the lion.” This expression is clearly figurative, and suggests the idea of
being rescued from imminent danger or some perilous situation.
According to A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Arndt and Gingrich, p. 233), the preposition ek is used “to denote separation” and, more specifically, “to introduce the place from which the separation takes place.” The same word ek also appears earlier in 1 Thess. 1:10, where the Thessalonians are said to be waiting for Christ “out of (ek) the heavens.” Just as Paul’s use of ek here denotes a separation (for in order for Christ to be “out of the heavens” he has to leave, or separate himself from, the heavens), so our being rescued by Christ “out of the coming indignation” will involve our being “separated” from the place where it’s going to occur before it begins (this will become more evident below, when we consider Paul’s words in 1 Thess. 5:9).
According to A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Arndt and Gingrich, p. 233), the preposition ek is used “to denote separation” and, more specifically, “to introduce the place from which the separation takes place.” The same word ek also appears earlier in 1 Thess. 1:10, where the Thessalonians are said to be waiting for Christ “out of (ek) the heavens.” Just as Paul’s use of ek here denotes a separation (for in order for Christ to be “out of the heavens” he has to leave, or separate himself from, the heavens), so our being rescued by Christ “out of the coming indignation” will involve our being “separated” from the place where it’s going to occur before it begins (this will become more evident below, when we consider Paul’s words in 1 Thess. 5:9).
But what is the “coming indignation” out of which Christ is our
Rescuer? Before we answer this question, it would be helpful to review what was
said previously concerning the meaning of God’s “indignation” (or “wrath”). As
we noted earlier, God’s indignation is his “negative” response to sin (in
contrast with his “positive” responses to sin, such as mercy and grace). It is
the response that involves “vengeance” (Rom. 12:19), and is manifested most
commonly in afflictions and calamities that the unrighteous must suffer. Now,
the word “indignation” appears two more times in Paul’s first letter to the
Thessalonians. The second time Paul refers to “indignation” is in 1 Thess.
2:16, and has to do with the unbelieving Jews. Beyond this obvious fact, it is
not entirely clear what, exactly, Paul’s meaning is here (the original Greek text
is, apparently, somewhat ambiguous with regards to how exactly it should be
translated, and this ambiguity creates some obvious challenges with regards to
interpretation). The final time Paul used the word “indignation” is in 1 Thess.
5:9, and (fortunately) the meaning of the verse in which the word appears is
much more straightforward.
The main subject of the passage in which the word last appears in
this letter is “the day of the Lord” and the believer’s relationship to it (1
Thessalonians 5:1-8). As argued earlier, the evidence points to Paul’s having
had the day of the Lord in the broadest and most complete sense in view here
(the beginning of which will be marked by the unveiling of the man of
lawlessness in the temple in the middle of the 70th week). And
it is in this day-of-the-Lord context that Paul explicitly declared to the
Thessalonians that which was implied in the first verse in which
“indignation” was mentioned: whereas in 1 Thess. 1:10 Paul referred to Christ
as “our Rescuer out of the coming indignation,” in 5:8-10 Paul exhorted the
Thessalonians to be “putting on…the helmet of expectation of salvation” and
then added, “for God did not appoint us to indignation, but to the
procuring of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sakes,
that, whether we may be watching or drowsing, we should be living at the same
time together with Him.”
Echoing these words, Paul similarly wrote in Romans 5:9, “…being now justified in His blood, we shall be saved from indignation, through Him.” Here, the fact that one is going to be saved from indignation through Christ is due to his having been “justified in [Christ’s] blood.” It is our justification, then, that secures our future salvation from indignation. When we understand that it is our justification on which our salvation from indignation is based, it is evident that no indignation can touch the believer. All who have been justified are, consequently, not appointed to indignation.
Echoing these words, Paul similarly wrote in Romans 5:9, “…being now justified in His blood, we shall be saved from indignation, through Him.” Here, the fact that one is going to be saved from indignation through Christ is due to his having been “justified in [Christ’s] blood.” It is our justification, then, that secures our future salvation from indignation. When we understand that it is our justification on which our salvation from indignation is based, it is evident that no indignation can touch the believer. All who have been justified are, consequently, not appointed to indignation.
But does this mean that believers are simply protected by God
while remaining on earth where God’s indignation will be taking place? No.
Recall that the Thessalonians were said to be “waiting for God’s Son out of [ek]
the heavens,” and then referred to Christ as “our Rescuer out of [ek]
the coming indignation.” Just as Paul’s use of ek in the first
part of the verse denotes the separation of Christ from the heavens (for in
order for Christ to be “out of the heavens” he has to leave/descend from the
heavens), so our salvation from the coming indignation will involve Christ
rescuing us from indignation by separating us from the place
in which it will be taking place. This is further confirmed by comparing 1
Thess. 5:8-10 with what Paul wrote in 1 Thess. 4:13-18. When we do so, it
becomes clear that the “procuring of salvation” to which we’ve been appointed
(which will involve our being rescued by Christ from the coming indignation and
our living at the same moment with Christ) is that which will take place when
all who have believed Paul’s evangel and become members of the body of Christ
are snatched away from the earth to meet Christ in the air. And since Paul is
clearly contrasting the salvation that will take place at the time of the
snatching away with the “indignation” that will characterize the day of the
Lord, we can conclude that the snatching away will be the means by which
believers are removed from the location where God’s indignation is going to be
experienced (i.e., the earth).
Whether Watching or Drowsing
As already noted, Paul introduced the subject of the day of
the Lord in 1 Thess. 5 by likening it to “a thief in the night” - that is,
it will come unexpectantly, unannounced and uninvited. He went on to say that
this day will be coming when people are saying “peace and security,” and will
involve “extermination standing by them unawares, even as a pang over the
pregnant, and they may by no means escape” (1 Thess. 5:3). Thus, for the
inhabitants of the earth whom Paul represents as saying “peace and security”
(and whom Paul later refers to as being “in darkness”), the coming of the day
of the Lord will not only come unexpectantly and unannounced, but it will
involve unexpected divine judgment. And yet, Paul declared that this day won't be
overtaking the believers to whom he wrote as a thief. Since Paul believed that
those to whom he wrote (and by extension, all who believe his gospel) will not
be overtaken by the day of the Lord when it comes as a thief, it can be
inferred that the body of Christ will not be present on the earth when it
comes. As W.B Screws notes, “If we were to be here when the day of the Lord
comes, it would come to the great majority of us a thief; for saints are asleep
on the job. Only one out of several thousand is awake. The only reason
why the day of the Lord will not come on us as a thief is we will not
be here when it comes. We will have been snatched away to meet the
Lord in the air, before that day comes” (www.theheraldofgodsgrace.org/Screws).
It could be objected that, in verses 4-5, Paul wasn’t saying that
believers wouldn’t be overtaken by the day of the
Lord as thief, but simply that they ought not (or should not) be
overtaken as a thief. In other words, Paul (it might be supposed) was simply
exhorting believers not to be overtaken as a
thief, not predicting with certainty that they wouldn’t be.
However, this interpretation won’t do. While it’s true that Paul exhorted
believers not to be “drowsing” but to “be watching” [gregoreuo, to
remain in a state of wakefulness] and “sober” (v. 6-8), our not being overtaken
by the day of the Lord is not based on our actions but rather
on our status (or nature) as “sons of the light and sons of
the day” (v. 5) – i.e., our status as believers rather than unbelievers. Paul
used similar “light” and “darkness” imagery in 2 Cor. 6:14-15 when contrasting
believers with unbelievers. The same imagery is used also in Ephesians 5, where
Paul exhorted believers (whom he said were “once darkness”) to be walking in
accord with what they had become since believing “the word of truth, the
evangel of [our] salvation” – i.e., “children of light” and “light in the Lord
(vv. 8-9).
It is because we – as believers and saints - are “not in darkness” but rather “belong to the day” (irrespective of what we do) that we will not be overtaken by the day of the Lord when it comes upon the world like a thief. It is those who are “in” and “of” darkness – not the “sons of light” and “sons of the day” – on whom “the indignation of God is coming” (Eph. 5:6; cf. Col. 3:1-6). That it is our status as believers rather than our actions that will keep us from being overtaken by the day of the Lord as a thief is further supported by the fact that (as we’ve seen) our being saved from indignation through Christ is based on our justification – i.e., our being declared righteous by God.
It is because we – as believers and saints - are “not in darkness” but rather “belong to the day” (irrespective of what we do) that we will not be overtaken by the day of the Lord when it comes upon the world like a thief. It is those who are “in” and “of” darkness – not the “sons of light” and “sons of the day” – on whom “the indignation of God is coming” (Eph. 5:6; cf. Col. 3:1-6). That it is our status as believers rather than our actions that will keep us from being overtaken by the day of the Lord as a thief is further supported by the fact that (as we’ve seen) our being saved from indignation through Christ is based on our justification – i.e., our being declared righteous by God.
In further support of this position, Paul (after exhorting
believers to be “be watching and sober” instead of “drowsing”) went on to write
that “whether we may be watching OR drowsing, we should be living at the same
time together with Him,” and then added, “Wherefore [for this reason], console
one another and edify one the other, according as you are doing also” (1 Thess.
5:10-11). It was because of their status as believers (i.e.,
their being “sons of light and sons of the day” rather than “of the night” and
“of the darkness”) that Paul exhorted the Thessalonians to “not be drowsing,
even as the rest,” but to be “watching and sober.”
Paul was, essentially, exhorting the saints to whom he wrote to live in a way that was in accord with, and reflective of, their status as believers/saints. But even if the saints to whom he wrote didn’t heed his exhortation (and instead were “asleep on the job,” so to speak), their failure to “watch” and remain “sober” would not change the fact that they – and all who believe Paul’s gospel - remained “sons of the light and sons of the day” rather than “sons of the night and of the darkness.” It would not change the fact that, as saints and members of the body of Christ, we have been justified in Christ’s blood, and thus are to be rescued by Christ from the coming indignation before it begins. It is for this reason that Paul exhorted the Thessalonians to be “putting on the cuirass of faith and love, and the helmet, the expectation of salvation” (v. 8) – i.e., the salvation that will involve our being snatched away from the earth to meet Christ in the air, and thus rescued from the coming indignation.
Paul was, essentially, exhorting the saints to whom he wrote to live in a way that was in accord with, and reflective of, their status as believers/saints. But even if the saints to whom he wrote didn’t heed his exhortation (and instead were “asleep on the job,” so to speak), their failure to “watch” and remain “sober” would not change the fact that they – and all who believe Paul’s gospel - remained “sons of the light and sons of the day” rather than “sons of the night and of the darkness.” It would not change the fact that, as saints and members of the body of Christ, we have been justified in Christ’s blood, and thus are to be rescued by Christ from the coming indignation before it begins. It is for this reason that Paul exhorted the Thessalonians to be “putting on the cuirass of faith and love, and the helmet, the expectation of salvation” (v. 8) – i.e., the salvation that will involve our being snatched away from the earth to meet Christ in the air, and thus rescued from the coming indignation.
In contrast with Paul’s words of consolation to the Thessalonians
in verses 8-11 are Christ’s words of warning to those who will be on the earth
just prior to the start of the day of the Lord: “Now take heed
to yourselves, lest at some time your hearts should be burdened with crapulence
and drunkenness and the worries of life's affairs, and that day may be standing
by you unawares, as a trap, for it will intrude on all those
sitting on the surface of the entire earth. Now be vigilant, on
every occasion beseeching that you may be prevailing to escape all these things
which are about to occur, and to stand in front of the Son of Mankind.”
For those whom Christ had in view, “watching” (i.e., remaining
awake) will be the very means by which they will be able to escape the
things that will be occurring on this day, so that they will be able to “stand
in front of the Son of Mankind” (cf. Luke 12:37 and Hebrews 9:28). “Drowsing,”
on the other hand, could very well cost a person their life in that day. If
anyone among those who will be part of the final generation preceding the
return of Christ to the earth wants to stand in front of the Son of Mankind,
they will have to be “vigilant” and “on every occasion beseeching that [they]
may be prevailing to escape all these things which are about to occur” when the
day of which Christ spoke “intrudes on all those sitting on the surface of the
entire earth.”
Similarly, Christ declared in Matthew 24:13 that believers who will be alive when the events described in this discourse begin to take place will have to “endure to the consummation” in order to be saved. In Luke 21:19 we read that it will be by their “endurance” that the faithful during this time will be “acquiring [their] souls.” And in Rev. 2-3, Christ made it clear that, among those who will be alive on the earth when the events of this book begin to take place, only those who are “conquering,” “faithful until death” and “keeping [Christ’s] acts until the consummation” will enjoy the eonian blessings/salvation promised in this book. Since members of the body of Christ will be snatched away (and thus rescued from indignation) to enjoy eonian life with Christ regardless of whether we’re “watching or drowsing,” it follows that the snatching away will occur before the beginning of the 3½ year period during which watching, vigilance, endurance and conquering will be required for salvation.
Similarly, Christ declared in Matthew 24:13 that believers who will be alive when the events described in this discourse begin to take place will have to “endure to the consummation” in order to be saved. In Luke 21:19 we read that it will be by their “endurance” that the faithful during this time will be “acquiring [their] souls.” And in Rev. 2-3, Christ made it clear that, among those who will be alive on the earth when the events of this book begin to take place, only those who are “conquering,” “faithful until death” and “keeping [Christ’s] acts until the consummation” will enjoy the eonian blessings/salvation promised in this book. Since members of the body of Christ will be snatched away (and thus rescued from indignation) to enjoy eonian life with Christ regardless of whether we’re “watching or drowsing,” it follows that the snatching away will occur before the beginning of the 3½ year period during which watching, vigilance, endurance and conquering will be required for salvation.
Don’t Be Deluded!
That the snatching away of the body of Christ precedes the coming
of the day of the Lord is further confirmed by what Paul wrote in 2
Thessalonians 2:1-3, where we read: “Now we are asking you, brethren, for the
sake of the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to Him, that
you be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be alarmed, either through
spirit, or through word, or through an epistle as through us, as that the day of
the Lord is present. No one should be deluding you by any method…” Although we
don’t know the exact circumstances in Thessalonica which necessitated this
response from Paul, it would seem that those to whom he wrote were in danger of
being deluded into thinking (or had already come to believe) that the day of
the Lord was “present.”
The method by which they were in danger of being deluded was either “through spirit” (cf. 1 John 4:1–3), “through word” (i.e., a messenger from someone with a false message), or through an “epistle” allegedly written by Paul and/or his fellow laborers, Silvanus and Timothy (2 Thess. 1:1). Paul evidently considered the belief that the day of the Lord may be present to be a dangerous error with serious implications – implications that concerned not only Paul’s apostolic authority and the reliability of what he’d previously taught them, but what they believed with regards to their own salvation.
The method by which they were in danger of being deluded was either “through spirit” (cf. 1 John 4:1–3), “through word” (i.e., a messenger from someone with a false message), or through an “epistle” allegedly written by Paul and/or his fellow laborers, Silvanus and Timothy (2 Thess. 1:1). Paul evidently considered the belief that the day of the Lord may be present to be a dangerous error with serious implications – implications that concerned not only Paul’s apostolic authority and the reliability of what he’d previously taught them, but what they believed with regards to their own salvation.
After warning them against being deluded by the three methods
already noted, Paul went on to defend the truth that he and his companions had,
evidently, already taught the Thessalonians. While much attention is usually
given to the evidence that Paul provided the Thessalonians to assure them that
the day of the Lord was not present, what seems to be generally overlooked is
what Paul’s response to the Thessalonians presupposes. I think
there are at least two things that can be reasonably inferred, based on what
Paul wrote in the first few verses of 2 Thess. 2: First, the very fact that
Paul felt the need to warn the Thessalonians against being deceived into
thinking that the day of the Lord was present presupposes that he believed (and
had previously taught them) that they would not be present when it came. They
day of the Lord would, from its commencement until the destruction of the “man
of lawlessness” at Christ’s return, involve God’s indignation – and this, as
we’ve seen, is not something to which they were appointed. Second, the fact
that those to whom Paul wrote would, as a result of believing the day of the
Lord to be present, have become “quickly shaken from their mind” and “alarmed”
– both negative reactions - also presupposes that they had been previously
taught by Paul that they would not be present when the day of the Lord came.
Consider also how Paul introduces this subject in verse 1:
"Now we are asking you, brethren, for the sake of the presence of our Lord
Jesus Christ and our assembling to Him…" The presence of our Lord Jesus
Christ and our assembling to Him refers to a single event, and this event is
undoubtedly the same event described in 1 Thess. 4:15-18 – i.e., the snatching
away of believers and our meeting Christ (“our assembling to Him”) in the air.
The word translated “for the sake of” is huper, and carries with it
the concept of protection or defense. In other
words, it was for the sake of - or in defense of the truth concerning - the
snatching away that Paul wrote. This means that the truth pertaining to the
snatching away of the body of Christ was being threatened by the false report
that the day of the Lord had already begun and that the saints to whom Paul
wrote were in it. The truth of the snatching away is, therefore, contrary to
the false teaching that Paul had to correct in this letter, and was a truth
which (if kept in mind) would help keep those to whom Paul wrote from being
deceived into thinking that the day of the Lord was present. And the only way
this could be the case is if the snatching away precedes the day of the Lord.
Confirmation from Revelation
As argued previously, the snatching away is essentially a rescue
mission, and will involve the sudden removal of the saints in the body of
Christ from the earth before the coming indignation begins. It has also been
argued that the day of the Lord to which Paul referred in 1 and 2 Thessalonians
is the future period of time during which this coming indignation will occur,
and that this period of time will begin no later than at the midpoint of the 70th heptad
(3½ years before Christ returns to the earth), when the man of lawlessness is
unveiled. At some point prior to the start of this time period, the body of
Christ will be removed from the earth by our Rescuer, Christ Jesus.
Thus far in this study we’ve spent little time in the book of
Revelation (a fact that some may find surprising, given the fact that I believe
the majority of this book deals with the 3½ year-long time of “great
affliction” with which the day of the Lord will begin). But it is to Revelation
that I would now like to turn our attention, since I believe that, in this
book, there is remarkable confirmation of the position for which I’ve been
arguing in this study. If the position for which I’ve been arguing is correct,
then we should expect the saints in the body of Christ to be absent from the
earth when the events prophesied in Revelation are taking place. We should also
expect that any saints who will be present on the earth after the snatching
away of the body of Christ will have to be protected from the calamities that
will occur during the day of the Lord by some other means (i.e., by some means
that won’t involve their removal from the earth by Christ, as will be the case
for the body of Christ). And this, I hope to show, is exactly what we find.
Now, as noted earlier, there have been many examples of God’s
indignation being manifested against the wicked inhabitants of the earth
throughout scripture (especially in the “Old Testament”). Such examples of this
include the worldwide flood of Noah’s day (Gen. 6-8), the destruction of Sodom
(Gen. 19), the ten plagues which preceded the exodus (Ex. 7-12; cf. Psalm
78:43-50), the destruction of Korah and his company (Num. 16), and the curses
with which God threatened Israel for disobedience/breaking covenant (Deut.
28:15-68; 29:27-28). In view of all the various expressions of God’s
indignation that are described throughout scripture, it seems reasonable to
conclude that the devastating and extraordinary calamities resulting from the
sounding of the seven trumpets by the seven messengers of God (see Rev. 8:2)
are, in fact, expressions of God’s indignation. Not only will the calamities
that will be unleashed on the earth at this time be the result of the
trumpeting of seven of God’s holy messengers (and have, as their implied
purpose, the affliction of the unbelieving inhabitants of the earth), these
calamities will be unlike anything those living during this present wicked eon
have ever seen. If the ten plagues that came upon Egypt (for example) can be
understood as expressions of God’s indignation (as is implied in the Exodus
narrative and explicitly stated to be the case in Psalm 78:43-49), then surely
the even greater and universal calamities resulting from the seven trumpets
should be understood as such.
We know that the last prophesied events described in Revelation
that will involve the affliction of the inhabitants of the earth just prior to
the return of Christ will consist of the pouring out of the “seven bowls of the
fury of God” (Rev. 16:1). Now, even though there is no explicit description of
these bowls as the “indignation of God,” there does not seem to be any good
reason to deny that the calamities resulting from the pouring of these bowls
are, in fact, expressions of God’s indignation. This seems especially evident
from the fact that the “fury of God” is associated with God’s indignation in
Rev. 14:10, 16:19 and 19:15; in these verses, the “fury of God” seems to simply
be a more intense or focused expression of God’s “indignation” (which is more
general and broader in scope).[4] But if (as should
be evident to any rational, clear-thinking person), the final seven calamities
described in Revelation are in fact expressions of God’s indignation, then I
submit that the most consistent and reasonable position to take is that the
seven calamities which precede the final seven calamities are also an
expression of God’s indignation. To affirm that the last seven calamities are
expressions of God’s indignation while denying that the seven calamities preceding
them are expressions of God’s indignation would simply be inconsistent and
arbitrary.
It may be objected that the word “indignation” does not appear in
Rev. 8-9 (where we read of the first six calamities brought about by the first
six trumpets). However, after the seventh messenger trumpets, the twenty-four
elders speak of God’s indignation as something that “came,” at some point in
the past. This declaration by the elders leaves plenty of room for the view
that God’s indignation had been manifested throughout the previous
trumpet-calamities (and even before the trumpets began to sound). Moreover, the
mere fact that the word “indignation” is not explicitly used in Rev. 8-9 is not
an argument against the position that the trumpet-calamities should be
understood as expressions of God’s indignation. Just because a word is absent
from a particular passage or context does not mean the concept denoted
by the word is also absent. A good example of this has
already been noted: although the words “anger,” “fury” “indignation” and
“wrath” nowhere appear in the chapters from Exodus in which the ten plagues are
described (Ex. 7-12), the concept of God’s indignation is
clearly present (and based on what we read in Psalm 78:43-50, Asaph would’ve
agreed). When we understand what God’s indignation is (and the various ways in
which it has been manifested in the past), it is clear that the concept of
God’s indignation is very much present in Rev. 8-9.
Moreover, it is with the “last seven calamities” that we’re told
the “fury of God” is “consummated” (Rev. 15:1). The fact that the “fury of God”
will be “consummated” with these last seven calamities presupposes that
God’s fury (and thus his indignation) will have been manifested before these
last seven calamities begin. And when we “work backwards” chronologically from
the start of these seven final calamities, we come, of course, to the
calamities which will be brought about as a result of the sounding of the seven
trumpets (Rev. 8-9, 11:15-19).
Now, we know that the calamities associated with the seven
trumpets will occur sometime during the time of “great affliction” (and thus
sometime before the events described in Matthew 24:29-31).
Although the exact period of time during which all of these calamities will
transpire is unknown, we know they will cover a period of at least five
months. This is evident from the fact that the calamity associated with the
sounding of the fifth trumpet is said to continue for this period of time (Rev.
9:1-6). Thus, the calamity resulting from the trumpet blast of the fifth
messenger will have to begin no later than five months before Christ’s return
with all his holy messengers at the end of the 70th week
(although the fifth-trumpet calamity may very well begin and end more than a
year before this time).
Now, if the calamities that will be occurring during this time
period should (as I’ve argued) be understood as occurring during the day of the
Lord and as expressions of God’s indignation, then we should not expect the
saints in the body of Christ to be present on the earth at this time. As I’ve
argued, the means by which those not appointed to indignation are going to be
saved by Christ from the coming indignation is the snatching away. We are not
simply going to be protected through the part of the day of
the Lord during which God’s indignation is being manifested; we’re going to be
removed from the very location in which God’s indignation is going to be
experienced (i.e., the earth).
In light of this fact, consider now the following: sometime prior to the sounding of the first trumpet, exactly 144,000 people – male Israelites, to be exact– are given the seal of God (Rev. 7:2-8). And it is implied in these verses that this seal will be given for the purpose of protecting this special category of people from suffering the calamities about to be introduced by means of the seven trumpets. This is further confirmed by Rev. 8:4-5, where we read that the “locusts” which will be released by means of the trumpeting of the fifth messenger are given authority by God to torment everyone on the earth except for those who have “the seal of God on their foreheads” (which, again, is the 144,000 Israelite saints referred to in chapter 7).
In light of this fact, consider now the following: sometime prior to the sounding of the first trumpet, exactly 144,000 people – male Israelites, to be exact– are given the seal of God (Rev. 7:2-8). And it is implied in these verses that this seal will be given for the purpose of protecting this special category of people from suffering the calamities about to be introduced by means of the seven trumpets. This is further confirmed by Rev. 8:4-5, where we read that the “locusts” which will be released by means of the trumpeting of the fifth messenger are given authority by God to torment everyone on the earth except for those who have “the seal of God on their foreheads” (which, again, is the 144,000 Israelite saints referred to in chapter 7).
The fact that 144,000 male Israelites - and no others - are
described as being protected from the calamities of this time by means of their
being “sealed” by God provides further confirmation that the body of Christ
will not be present on the earth during the part of the broad day of the Lord
that will precede Christ's coming with his messengers (i.e., the time of great
affliction). This scenario is exactly what we would expect if the snatching
away has already taken place by the time these Israelite saints will be in need
of being sealed to protect them from the calamities about to begin. If there
were saints in the body of Christ still present on the earth after the sealing
of the 144,000 saints of Israel, they would be among the inhabitants of the
earth who (unlike the 144,000) will be unprotected. Given the fact that those
in the body of Christ have been justified and are thus not appointed to the
indignation of the day of the Lord, such a scenario is impossible. It follows,
therefore, that the reason the saints in the body of Christ will have no need
of receiving God’s seal at this time is because we will have already been
removed from the earth, and will be in no danger of suffering in the calamities
about to come upon the inhabitants of the earth by means of the trumpeting of
God's holy messengers.
The Day of Christ
In this study I have argued that the day of the Lord refers to a
future period of time on the earth that will be characterized by God’s
indignation against the unrighteous and unbelieving inhabitants of the earth.
In its broadest sense, this period of time will begin no later than 3½ years
before Christ’s coming in his kingdom with all his holy messengers. I further
argued that the body of Christ is not appointed to go through any part of it.
We will, instead, be removed from the earth by Christ sometime prior to its
commencement. However, although I believe the day of the Lord is not for us to
suffer or endure through, there is another day for which I believe we have been
appointed. Paul referred to this future day as one that is peculiarly for the
saints to whom he wrote, and refers to it variously as “the day of our Lord
Jesus Christ,” “the day of our Lord Jesus,” or simply “that day” (1 Cor. 1:8;
3:13; 5:5; 2 Cor. 1:14). We also know that, on this day, the saints will be
“manifested in front of the dais of Christ” and “requited” for what we “put
into practice through the body, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). It is here
that the works we performed while on earth will be made “apparent,” and will be
“tested” to determine our “wages” (1 Cor. 3:10-15).
Paul’s reference to this day is not exclusive to his
pre-imprisonment letters, either. In Philippians 1:6, Paul wrote believers,
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring
it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” In Phil. 1:9-11, Paul
wrote, “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge
and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and
so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit
of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of
God.” And in Phil. 2:14-16, we read, “Do all things without grumbling or
disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without
blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine
as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in
the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.”
In Ephesians 4:30, Paul wrote that believers had been sealed by
the holy spirit of God for the “day of deliverance” (cf. Eph. 1:13-14). And in
keeping with what he wrote in 1 Cor. 3:10-15 and 2 Cor. 5:10 concerning
believers being rewarded at the “dais of Christ,” Paul wrote the following to
Timothy: “I have contended the ideal contest. I have finished my career. I have
kept the faith. Furthermore, there is reserved for me the wreath of
righteousness, which the Lord, the just Judge, will be paying to me in that
day; yet not to me only, but also to all who love His advent” (2 Tim.
4:7-8).
I don’t think there can be any doubt that the same day - a day of
deliverance in which God’s good work in us will brought to completion, and in
which we’ll also be rewarded by Christ for what we’ve done on earth - is in
view in all of these verses. But what is the event that will mark the beginning
of this day? With what will it begin? In 2 Cor. 1:14 Paul told believers, “For
we are your glorying (even as you also are ours) in the day of our Lord
Jesus.” And in 1 Thess. 2:19, Paul wrote, “For what is our hope, or joy, or
wreath of glorying? Or is it not even you, in front of our Lord Jesus,
in his presence? For you are our glory and joy.” Similarly, Paul wrote
in 1 Thess. 3:12-13, “Now may the Lord cause you to increase and superabound in
love for one another and for all, even as we also for you, to establish your
hearts unblamable in holiness in front of our God and Father, in the
presence of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”
Since it is evident that Paul had in view the same event and
period of time in each of these verses, it is reasonable to conclude that the
“day of Jesus Christ” will begin with an event that will introduce us (as well
as “all the saints”) into Christ’s presence. But among “all the saints” who
will be introduced into Christ’s presence at this future time, some were dead
at the time when Paul wrote, and many more have died since then (Paul
included). And the only way for the saints who have died to be introduced into
Christ’s presence is for them to be restored to a living existence. So the “day
of our Lord Jesus Christ” will have to involve (or begin with) the resurrection
of these saints. In view of these considerations, I submit that the event with
which the day of Christ will commence is none other than that prophesied by
Paul in 1 Thess. 4:15-18 – i.e., the snatching away of the body of Christ. [5]
[1] Not only did Paul and Luke have a ministerial relationship
and friendship (Phil. 1:24; Col. 4:14; 2 Tim. 4:11), Paul even quoted from
Luke’s account on one occasion (1 Tim. 5:18; cf. Luke 10:7). And what Paul said
concerning the “Lord’s dinner” also has more similarities with Luke’s account
than with the other Gospels (see 1 Cor. 10:23-26 and compare with Luke
22:17-20).
[2] Among the views concerning the identity of the
"apostasy" (apostasia)to which Paul referred (of which there
are several), I’m inclined to understand it as referring to a single event
involving deliberate and blatant opposition to, and rebellion against, God. In A
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, (p. 97), Arndt and Gingrich
define apostasia as meaning “rebellion, abandonment.” We also
know that, in the LXX (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), the word
was used to denote rebellion against God (Josh. 22:22; 2 Chron. 10:19; 33:10;
Jer. 2:19). This is how it was consistently used in extra-biblical Jewish works
as well (e.g., 1 Macc. 2:15; 2 Esdras 5:1-12). And the only other time it
appears in the New Testament scriptures, it refers to the abandonment or
renouncing of the teachings of Moses (Acts 21:21).
If Paul did, in fact, use the word to denote religious rebellion
against God (or an abandonment of one’s private or public recognition of God as God),
then we have, in the very context in which the word appears, a very good
example of just such an act of rebellion: the act of the Antichrist “opposing
and lifting himself up over everyone termed a god or an object of veneration,
so that he is seated in the temple of God, demonstrating that he himself is
God” (2 Thess. 2:3-5). Might this be “THE apostasy” that Paul had in mind in
this passage? I think it very well could be. If it is, then the apostasy and
the unveiling of the man of sin can be understood as inseparable,
cause-and-effect events, with the apostasy being the very event which
“unveils” the man of lawlessness.
It should be noted that the Greek text with which verse 3 begins (translated in the CV as, “for, should not the apostasy be coming first and the man of lawlessness be unveiled…”) is not conclusive as to whether Paul meant that the coming of the apostasy will take place before the unveiling of the man of lawlessness, or that both will occur at the same time. The Greek text will allow either meaning. If the former interpretation is correct, then the apostasy can still be understood as taking place immediately before (and thus chronologically associated with) the unveiling of the man of lawlessness.
It should be noted that the Greek text with which verse 3 begins (translated in the CV as, “for, should not the apostasy be coming first and the man of lawlessness be unveiled…”) is not conclusive as to whether Paul meant that the coming of the apostasy will take place before the unveiling of the man of lawlessness, or that both will occur at the same time. The Greek text will allow either meaning. If the former interpretation is correct, then the apostasy can still be understood as taking place immediately before (and thus chronologically associated with) the unveiling of the man of lawlessness.
[3] If Paul had had in view the “narrow” day of the Lord in this
passage (the day of Christ’s coming in his kingdom at the conclusion of the eon),
then one would expect him to have referred to an event that is more immediately
associated, chronologically, with this day (such as the cosmic signs and events
that Christ himself mentioned as immediately preceding his return to earth in
Matthew 24:29-30, Mark 13: Luke 21:25-27). Since Paul didn’t, then this can be
understood as further confirmation that he had in view the day of the Lord in
its broader and more complete sense (which will not be present until - and will
begin with - the occurrence of the events described in 2 Thess.
2:3-5).
[4] According
to Vine’s Expository Dictionary (http://studybible.info/vines/Anger,%20Angry%20(to%20be)
the word translated “fury” in the above verses (thumos) is “to be distinguished from orge (“indignation”),
in this respect, that thumos indicates a more agitated condition of the
feelings, an outburst of wrath from inward indignation, while orge suggests a
more settled or abiding condition of mind, frequently with a view to taking
revenge. Orge is less sudden in its rise than thumos, but more lasting in its
nature. Thumos expresses more the inward feeling, orge the more active emotion.
Thumos may issue in revenge, though it does not necessarily include it. It is
characteristic that it quickly blazes up and quickly subsides, though that is
not necessarily implied in each case.”
[5] Because it has bearing on both the doctrine of the snatching
away as well as that of the day of Christ, I’ve been asked to include a few
remarks on the so-called “Manifest Kingdom of God” position which (as far as I
know) was first taught by the late Otis. Q. Sellers, but has more recently been
promoted by Dan Sheridan (among others). On the web
page explaining this theory, God’s “next big move” after the
present period has run its course (a period referred to as the “Dispensation of
Grace”) is described as follows: “God literally invades the earth with His Spirit, taking over the governments
of all nations to remake them.” This act of divine intervention is referred to
as the “Blazing Forth of Christ.” According to the chart explaining the
chronology of events affirmed by this theory, the “Manifest Kingdom of God” on earth will begin more
than 500 years before the 70th week of Daniel (and thus more than 507 years before
the second coming of Christ and the beginning of his millennial reign). We’re
also told that, during the duration of this premillennial “Manifest Kingdom of
God,” people will be resurrected and judged (an event referred to in the
aforementioned chart as “Resurrections to Life in Order”). Moreover, it
is this 500+ year-long premillennial kingdom era with which the day of Christ
is identified. When this era begins, we’re told that Christ will “determine who among the living is worthy to continue
to live and who among the dead shall be raised, and in what order to have a
portion in the life of the Kingdom of God.
As is probably evident to the reader, I think this position is
scripturally unsound. One reason I believe this to be so was first articulated
to me by my friend Phillip Garrison. Here’s his argument: According to the
“Manifest Kingdom of God” theory, the “Blazing Forth of Christ” and beginning
of the “Resurrections to Life in Order” is chronologically PRIOR TO (by more
than 507 years) the event described by Paul in 1 Thess. 4:15-17 (which,
according to the theory, is the “second coming” of Christ that will take place
just prior to the Millennium). But as we’ve seen, Paul only spoke of the
resurrection of those to whom he wrote as taking place at the time of the event
described in 1 Thess. 4:15-17 and 1 Cor. 15:22-23, 50-55. Since the “Manifest
Kingdom of God” teaching of Sellers has the resurrections of believers taking
place 507+ years BEFORE the event described by Paul in the above verses, the
two teachings are chronologically incompatible. Since Otis Sellers’ theory
contradicts what Paul made known in these passages, Sellers’ theory should be
rejected by all who hold to the inspiration and authority of what Paul wrote.