1 Thessalonians Chapter 5
The Day of the Lord
5:1 Now on the topic of times and seasons, brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you.
The Greek word for "now" is δὲ (de), meaning that Paul is changing subjects from the Rapture of the Church, to a different prophetic event, the Second Coming of Christ. Amillenialists and postmillenialists like to fuse these two separate prophetic events into one future prophetic event, but this one little Greek conjunction disallows the merging. At the Rapture, Christ comes for His church. At the Second Coming, Christ comes with His church.
Before Paul was kicked out of Thessalonica, he had spent at least three weeks teaching them the major doctrines of the Bible. He had touched on eschatological theology, but he did not have enough time to develop the theology as deeply as he desired. Therefore, he wrote this letter.
The Greek word for "times" is χρόνος (chronos), meaning the time that God has appointed. The Greek word for "seasons" is καιρός (kairos), meaning the right moment, or the opportune time, or the perfect timing of God.
Paul spent some time in the last chapter on the Rapture, because his teaching on this issue during his first visit was incomplete. However, he had spent more time teaching to the Thessalonians about the Second Coming of Christ (which is a different event from the Rapture), so he does not have to give as much detail on this event.
5:2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord will come in the same way as a thief in the night.
The new subject is not the Rapture, but the Day of the Lord, which is the seven year period of the Great Tribulation which will come upon unbelieving Israel and the unbelieving Gentiles after the Rapture and before the Second Coming of Jesus.
The church is to wait and expect for the Great Hope, which is the return of Christ for his church at the Rapture. The church is not waiting for the Antichrist and/or the Great Tribulation. The Great Tribulation will come like a thief in the night to the unbelieving world, because they are ignorant of Bible doctrine. The time will sneak up on them and catch them unaware. The church will escape the wrath to come via the Rapture. The wrath to come is the Great Tribulation.
Just as the Jewish day began with night, such as described in the first chapter of Genesis, so will the Day of the Lord begin with darkness. However, it will end with the light of the Millennial Kingdom.
5:3 Now when they are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will surely not escape.
Notice the change of pronouns? When Paul spoke of the Rapture in the last chapter, he used the pronoun "we", because the Rapture was imminent. The Rapture could occur at any time, even in the days that Paul was living. However, when teaching about the Great Tribulation, Paul changes the pronoun to "they". The "they" are the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles who are left behind at the Rapture.
During the Great Tribulation, the unbelievers who reject Jesus as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords will instead accept the Antichrist as their world leader. He will promise them peace and safety in a volatile nuclear age. The unbelieving world will be seduced by his lies. They will think that he has messianic overtones and he will bring in the Millennial Kingdom. Instead, sudden, immediate destruction will come upon them. Instead of entering into the Millennial Kingdom with peace and safety, they will enter into the Great Tribulation with death and terror.
Jesus described the events as similar to a mother going through painful birth pangs before she brings her child into the world. The Great Tribulation will be the birth pangs of a new age. The birth of the new age will be a literal 1000 year Millennial Kingdom with Christ at the head and the believers co-reigning with Him.
The unbelievers will not be able to escape the Great Tribulation. Many will die. Others will wish to die but will not be able to do so. Others will survive, but they will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment and thrown into the Lake of Fire. Many will be martyred. Some will survive as believers and enter into the Millennial Kingdom.
5:4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in the darkness for the day to overtake you like a thief would.
Notice that Paul shifts back to second person pronouns. The Thessalonian believers will not have to go through the Great Tribulation, because they will escape via the Rapture.
5:5 For you all are sons of the light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness.
The Thessalonian believers do not belong to this dispensation of darkness. They will be raptured up into heaven to be forever shining in the light of the Shekinah Glory.
5:6 So then we must not sleep as the rest, but must stay alert and sober.
The unbelievers are asleep in spiritual matters. They will one day wake up and find themselves in the darkness of the Great Tribulation. The Blessed Hope can come at anytime. Therefore, the Thessalonians need to stay alert.
5:7 For those who sleep, sleep at night and those who get drunk are drunk at night.
Those who are not grounded in Biblical doctrine are like drunk men who cannot find their way in the darkness.
5:8 But since we are of the day, we must stay sober by putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet our hope for salvation.
Believers are soldiers who are training for a spiritual war against powerful and evil forces. The breastplate of faith is the believer's shield to stand against the satanic attacks of the enemy. Love is the study and application of Scripture. The helmet of salvation protects the soldier from the crushing, mental attacks of the enemy. Satan cannot take away the life of a soldier who wears the helmet of salvation. When it is time for the soldier to return home, then Christ will put him to sleep.
5:9 For God did not destine us for wrath but for gaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
By context, God is making it clear to amillennialists that believers will not go through the Great Tribulation. The destiny of the church is not to endure the Great Tribulation. The purpose of the church is to be saved from this judgement.
5:10 He died for us so that whether we are alert or asleep we will come to life together with him.
Notice that Christ died. He was not killed. Christ gave up His own life.
When the Rapture comes, all believers will be raptured away, even if they are not alert.
5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, just as you are in fact doing.
Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Paul is now going to give 22 new commandments for Christians. These laws are not for salvation, but to demonstrate a believer's love for Christ. The first commandment given was for believers to encourage one another and build each other up. They had already been doing this, but Paul reminds them to keep doing it.
Final Instructions
5:12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who labor among you and preside over you in the Lord and admonish you,
The apostles were elders over all of the early churches. Towards the end of Paul's life, he established a system of elders and deacons for the local churches. The Thessalonians’ church was a brand new church that had zero members when Paul started it. Now that the church was founded and established, the Holy Spirit equipped the church with leaders who were given certain gifts to lead. Paul commanded the Thessalonians to recognize and obey these leaders.
5:13 and to esteem them most highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
The Thessalonians were commanded to esteem, love, and honor their teachers. They were commanded to be at peace with each other. In other words, they were not to quarrel and cause division.
5:14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the undisciplined, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient toward all.
They were to warn those who did not follow these laws of Christ. They were to discipline those who broke these rules. They were to comfort those who were discouraged, possibly from persecutions. They were to strengthen those who were weak in Bible doctrine. They were to be patient, meaning not to lose their tempers.
5:15 See that no one pays back evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.
The pagan operates on the principle that he should get the other fellow before the other fellow gets him. Another pagan principle is to do good to those who do you good, or if you scratch my back, I'll scratch your back. Many political parties operate on this principle. The Christian is to operate on a different standard. He is to do good to those who do him evil. He is to make his enemies his friends, by winning them to Christ.
5:16 Always rejoice,
Rejoice does not mean to be happy, like at Happy Hour. It means to have joy in the Lord. Rejoicing is a fruit of the Spirit. If you cannot rejoice in the Lord, then try studying the entire counsel of the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation. Not read, but study. The Bible never commands the believer to read the Bible. It commands the believer to study and meditate upon it.
5:17 constantly pray,
If one does not study the entire counsel of the Word of God, then one does not know how or what to pray.
5:18 in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Everything that the believer owns was given to him by God. Therefore, God deserves thanks.
The will of God for believers is to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in everything.
5:19 Do not extinguish the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is like a fire. He burns inside the believer, giving him light and heat. Believers can extinguish this fire by refusing to listen to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will not lead a believer who is too lazy to study. Nor will he lead a person who refuses to continually confess his sins, according to 1 John 1:9. The Holy Spirit is grieved, or made sad, when a believer sins. Only a person can grieve, meaning that the Holy Spirit must be a person, and not an active force, like the Jehovah Witnesses teach. The Holy Spirit is the divine third person of the Triune Godhead.
5:20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt.
The gift of prophecy was the ability to receive and communicate direct revelations from God before the New Testament was completed (1 Cor. 13:8). Sometimes these revelations concerned future events (Acts 11:28), but often they dealt with the present (Acts 13:2). The Thessalonians were not to despise these prophecies.
5:21 But examine all things; hold fast to what is good.
Do not be taken in by false teachers. Do not be fooled by the satanic world system. Do not be a sucker for the devil's tricks. The Thessalonians were to be Bereans and check out the information that was given to them by their teachers and prophets. They were to compare these teachings and prophecies to the Word of God. This check and balance system would prevent Satan from infiltrating false teachers into the local churches.
5:22 Stay away from every form of evil.
False teachers, false prophets, false miracle workers, and the pagan mystery religions were evil and should be avoided.
Conclusion
5:23 Now may the God of peace himself make you completely holy and may your spirit and soul and body be kept entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God will sanctify the believer through the establishment of the church. Man is a trinity of body, soul, and spirit. Man is not to be sinless, because that is impossible. He is to be blameless, meaning that he must continually confess his sins, according to 1 John 1:9. Christ will return at the Rapture, so believers are to wait and be blameless.
5:24 He who calls you is trustworthy, and he will in fact do this.
One cannot trust Satan, other men, or other ideas, but they can trust in Christ.
5:25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us too.
Paul, the elders, and all pastors are fighting a spiritual battle that involves prayer. Today, believers are to pray for those who are giving out the gospel.
5:26 Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss.
The holy kiss was a cultural hand shake,
5:27 I call on you solemnly in the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.
This letter was a circular letter that was to be read throughout all of the churches.
5:28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Paul ended this letter with a request of kindness from God himself.