What About the Great Tribulation?

Donnie’s post places the great tribulation immediately after the rapture, referencing the mark of the beast (Revelation 13) and restrictions on commerce for those who refuse it. This is another area of debate. Let us examine where the Bible itself places this event.

We turn first to Matthew 24:3–31, subtitled in the ESV: “The Signs of the End of the Age.” The conversation here is a direct response to a question posed to Jesus by his disciples: “what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (v3).

As part of the events that will precede His coming, Jesus speaks of wars and rumours of wars, tribulation for believers, the rise of false prophets, and the worldwide proclamation of the gospel. He then refers to the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel. And, He says, immediately before His arrival:

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.” (Matthew 24:21–22)

Critically, Jesus speaks of cutting short the tribulation for the sake of His elect—that is, believers will endure it, though preserved by God throughout.

John, writing in 1 John 2:18, notes that “the antichrist is coming”, and places his appearance before the Lord’s return. Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 2, is explicit:

“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him… Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:1–4)

Note that the man of lawlessness—the antichrist—must be revealed before the day of the Lord’s coming. This aligns with Daniel’s abomination of desolation, referenced by Christ as a sign preceding His return. Revelation 20:4 further confirms this sequence, describing those who will reign with Christ as including “those who had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands” – meaning some will face and resist the Antichrist before Christ returns.

So, we conclude that the biblical teaching places the great tribulation and the rise of the antichrist before Christ’s second coming, not after.

A Glorious Future

We now turn our attention to the events that will take place at Christ’s return, and immediately thereafter. The primary proof text is Revelation 20.

As argued in the previous article, 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 describes the dead in Christ being resurrected and believers still alive being transformed and caught up together to welcome the returning Lord. Notice “the sound of the trumpet of God” (v16b) at Christ’s return. This is the same trumpet Paul references in 1 Corinthians 15:

“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:51–53)

The order is clear: at the trumpet’s sound, the dead in Christ are raised with resurrection bodies; then those still alive are transformed to receive glorified, imperishable bodies as well. Together, they are caught up to meet and escort the Lord back to earth (see the prequel).

Paul continues in the same chapter:

“Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” (1 Corinthians 15:24–25)

Upon His return, Christ will reign over a mixed people—including those described as His enemies. This is the millennial rule described in Revelation 20. It is worth pausing to examine what Revelation 20 actually says, since this passage is the primary text in the debate between the millennial positions.

In the preceding chapter (Revelation 19:11–21), John has described Christ’s return in glory—the rider on the white horse, the defeat of the beast and the false prophet. The very next scene opens:

“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:1–2).

The sequence is instructive: the binding of Satan follows immediately upon Christ’s return and the defeat of the Antichrist—it does not describe the present age. John then sees thrones set up, and those who had been martyred for their witness to Jesus “came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4). This, John declares, “is the first resurrection” (Revelation 20:5–6): the resurrection of the righteous that precedes the final judgment.

The Amillennial and Postmillennial views

It should be noted that Amillennialists (those who hold that the millennium is not a future, earthly reign but a present, spiritual reality already underway since Christ’s first coming) and Postmillennialists (those who believe Christ will return after a future golden age in which the gospel triumphs and the millennium is realised) understand this passage differently.

Amillennialists typically read the binding of Satan as referring to the present age since Christ’s first coming, and the “first resurrection” as the believer’s spiritual resurrection at conversion, or the state of the departed saints reigning with Christ in heaven. These are not frivolous readings; they are held by serious and godly interpreters. However, the premillennial reading (which I hold) commends itself on several grounds, as outlined below.

First, the passage follows chronologically from the return of Christ depicted in chapter 19. The “first resurrection” is presented alongside physical martyrdom. Beheadings are bodily realities, and the plain sense of the passage suggests a corresponding bodily resurrection in response. Second, the binding of Satan is described in vivid, concrete terms—a chain, a pit, a seal, with an explicit beginning and ending point—and sits uneasily with the present age in which Satan is elsewhere described as actively prowling and opposing the church (1 Peter 5:8). And finally, the subsequent earthly reign of Christ aligns with the prophetic vision that runs throughout the Old Testament, some of which we will touch briefly below.

Glorious, But Not Yet Eternal

Several scriptures describe a state in which the earth is deeply renewed, yet sin and death have not been entirely eradicated. Isaiah 65:20, for example, speaks of dramatically extended lifespans alongside the continued reality of sin and death:

“No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.”

Isaiah 11:6–9 similarly depicts a time when the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea; when the wolf and the lamb will dwell together, the leopard lie down with the kid, and a little child will lead them. Yet the subsequent verses (Isaiah 11:10–11) indicate that some will still come to the Lord for salvation during this era—a time of magnificent renewal, but not yet the final, eternal state of absolute righteousness (see also Psalm 72:8–14; Zechariah 14:5–17).

We know for a fact that the eternal state will be marked by the complete absence of sin (2 Peter 3:13) and death (Revelation 21:4). Since these conditions are not yet present in the era described by Isaiah and Zechariah, this must refer to the millennial reign rather than the new creation. Recall that immediately before this millennial reign, Satan will be bound for a specific period of a thousand years (Rev. 20:1-4), so that ‘he might not deceive the nations any longer’.

Amillennial and Postmillennial interpretations of Isaiah 65

It should be acknowledged that Amillennial and Postmillennial interpreters would not generally grant Isaiah 65 as straightforward evidence for a future earthly millennium. Amillennialists often understand such passages as describing the new creation in figurative terms, or as prophetic language fulfilled spiritually in the church (present) age. Postmillennialists may read them as anticipating a golden era of gospel advance prior to Christ’s return.

Even granting this range of readings, however, the continued presence of sin and death in Isaiah 65— “the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed”—sits uneasily with any description of the eternal state, which Scripture uniformly presents as entirely free from sin and death (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:4). The contrast between the conditions in Isaiah 65 and those of the new creation points toward an intermediate period of magnificent renewal—which is precisely what the premillennial framework calls the millennium.

Revelation 20:1–4 tells us that immediately before this millennial reign, Satan will be bound, so that “he might not deceive the nations any longer.” And yet, even with Satan restrained, the fact that Christ will rule with a rod of iron (Psalm 2:9; Revelation 19:15) further suggests that during this period, there will be those who submit to His authority outwardly but not inwardly—compliance borne of compulsion rather than genuine transformation of heart.

Nonetheless, Christ will rule with perfect justice and righteousness (Psalm 72:8–14), and creation will be dramatically renewed – a breathtaking preview of what the world looks like when the rightful King is finally on His throne.

Conclusion

At the close of the millennium, Satan will be released for a season, will incite a final rebellion, but will be decisively and permanently defeated. Then will come the second resurrection (Revelation 20:5, 13), in which the unbelieving dead will also be raised, followed by the final judgment before the great white throne. And then, at last, the eternal state. But these are matters for a separate article.

What we can say here is this: what awaits the people of God is not a fearful escape from a world in chaos, but a glorious homecoming—resurrection, reunion with Christ our Lord, and the renewal of all things under His righteous rule. That is a hope worth holding firmly, and worth being ready for!

The post A Biblical Perspective on the Rapture – Part II appeared first on TGN.

The post has since gone viral, drawing thousands of views, likes, and comments.

While I am not here to evaluate the authenticity of Donnie’s dream, certain theological claims embedded in his post warrant careful biblical examination. Can genuine believers miss the rapture? Will the rapture be a secret event? What follows the rapture? What about the rise of the Antichrist and the great tribulation?

These questions belong to the branch of theology known as eschatology—from the Greek eschatos, meaning “last things”, and logia, meaning “study of” or “doctrine”—the doctrine of the end times and the future. My aim in this article is to provide biblical clarity on each of them and, in doing so, to offer genuine comfort to believers who have wrestled with them.

Some aspects of eschatology are genuinely complex, about which we cannot speak dogmatically, and we should extend grace to those who hold alternative views. Nonetheless, certain things are clear. Rather than surveying all the competing positions, I will begin with what Scripture teaches plainly, then move into areas of legitimate controversy. I invite the reader to weigh the arguments and judge for themselves by Scripture alone.

What Is the Rapture?

The term rapture refers to the taking up or snatching away of believers to be with Christ when He returns. It derives from the Latin rapio, meaning to seize, snatch, or carry away. The primary proof text is 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17. The same concept appears in our Lord’s teaching in Matthew 24:40–41: two men in the field, one taken and one left; two women grinding at the mill, one taken and one left—all of it grounded in His promise that He will come again and take His followers to be with Him forever (John 14:3).

Could Believers Miss the Rapture?

In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul is emphatic: believers who have died in Christ will rise first, and those still alive will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. Who are those who are “alive and left”? Given that the criterion for those who rise first is that they are “in the Lord,” it follows that those still alive who are caught up must likewise be in the Lord—believers living at the time of Christ’s return.

“In the Lord” is the New Testament’s shorthand for all who have placed saving faith in Jesus—a description of the union believers share with Christ and with one another. This is clear from the immediate context: verse 14 states, “since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” Paul is plainly addressing those who believe in the death and resurrection of Christ. He calls them brothers throughout the letter—the standard New Testament term for fellow believers—and describes them in 1:1 as “the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.“

Union with Christ: the deepest assurance of salvation

When one comes to saving faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit miraculously and irrevocably unites the believer to Christ Himself. Through this union, the believer receives all the saving benefits Christ merited by His life, death, and resurrection.

This spans their election in Christ before the foundation of the world, and by it they participate in everything that Jesus did during His earthly ministry as their representative. This means that when Jesus died, the old nature of the elect was crucified with Him (Galatians 5:24). By this Union, the believer’s sins were imputed to Christ, He atoned for them, and, in turn, the righteousness of Christ was imputed to the believer (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Notably, the believer’s union with Christ guarantees our security as Christians. Once united spiritually with Christ, one cannot be ‘unjoined’ from Him. The Union is an inseparable one. It is as irreversible as one cannot be unborn. This is what it means to be in Christ.

Justified in Christ by Union with Christ, free from condemnation

We can therefore conclude that the sole criterion for being raptured is the fact that we are in Christ, not works, achievement, or a particular level of spiritual zeal. To be precise, the reason no genuine believer can miss the rapture is not that he has met some subjective standard of spiritual readiness, but that God has already declared him righteous in Christ.

This is the doctrine of justification—the gracious and judicial act of God whereby He removes the guilt of sin and declares the sinner righteous in His sight, not because of anything done by them, but because of the righteousness of Christ imputed to him and received by faith alone. It is a forensic verdict, spoken from the throne of the eternal Judge. And it does not change.

Paul presses the point in Romans 8: 33–34 “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn?“. God does not justify by degrees. When He declares a sinner righteous, the verdict is final. The case is settled. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

The assurance we need is not a better assessment of our recent spiritual performance, but a clearer view of our objective standing before God in Christ. The question is not, “Have I been holy enough?” but “Has Christ truly atoned for all my sin, and am I clothed in His righteousness as a result?” And the answer to that second question, for every genuine believer, is an unequivocal yes.

Reading the comments on Donnie’s post, one cannot help but notice that many of the fears being expressed are not fundamentally eschatological—they stem from a lack of assurance of salvation. Many seem to be evaluating their standing before God in terms of recent spiritual performance rather than in light of the finished work of Christ. The remedy for such fear is not a more anxious inspection of one’s spiritual record, but a more confident resting in what Christ has already accomplished on our behalf.

Dear reader, as a sinner, have you come to Christ in faith? Then you are in Christ. And they who are in Christ will be caught up to meet with Christ upon His return. 

What then is the place of ongoing holiness?

We ought to take seriously our Lord’s command to remain watchful, like servants who do not know when their master will return (Matthew 24:45–51). But this warning should not be read to mean that a genuine believer can somehow miss the rapture. I suspect this is precisely the implication in Donnie’s post—that if the Lord returned while you were in the middle of committing a particular sin, you might be left behind.

I am not dismissing the importance of sanctification or holy living; quite the opposite. However, we must distinguish between our good works, which demonstrate that we are saved, and the fact that it is not our good works that save us.

What, then, do those warnings accomplish? Believers have been set free from slavery to sin (Romans 6). The warning passages of Scripture, therefore, call them to be functionally or experimentally what they already are positionally in Christ: holy (Galatians 5:1; Philippians 2:12–13).

Thus, the warnings of Scripture serve as the means by which God calls His people to watchfulness, not to be seen as a threat of exclusion, but as a means of sustaining those He has already secured (Philippians 1:6).

Will the Rapture Be Secret?

Here we enter an area of controversy. Donnie’s post implies that the rapture will be a secret event—a view held by those who believe the church will be quietly snatched away to escape the coming tribulation, after which Jesus will return to establish His millennial reign, followed by final judgment and the eternal state.

My difficulty with this view is that it requires not one but two future returns of the Lord: a second coming to remove His people secretly, and a third coming to establish His kingdom. But does the Bible teach two second comings?

Nowhere in Scripture do we read of two separate future returns. When Jesus ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives, the angels told the disciples plainly: “He will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). In Matthew 24, speaking of His return, Jesus says:

“So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man… Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:26–27, 30)

His coming will be visible to all—as unmistakable as lightning splitting the sky. Every person on earth will witness it. On my part, I cannot reconcile a secret return with this. 

Caught Up to Meet the Returning King

If the second coming is not secret, and there can be only one future return of Christ, then 1 Thessalonians 4 must be read accordingly: believers who have died and those still alive will be caught up together to meet the Lord as He arrives—not to be whisked away to a different location, but to welcome Him back.

The Greek word Paul uses for “meet” here—apantēsis—was used in the ancient world to describe the formal civic procession in which citizens would pour out of their city to welcome and escort a returning dignitary, conquering general, or king.

Similarly, the word Paul uses in 1 Thessalonians 4:15 for Christ’s coming—parousia—was the term for a royal visit: the arrival of a high-ranking official, even Caesar himself. Whenever such a figure approached, the people would go out to meet him with fanfare and celebration, then escort him through the city gates.

The direction of travel is telling: the citizens go out to the approaching figure, then turn back and accompany him in. We see the same pattern in Matthew 25:6, where the bridesmaids go out to meet the bridegroom, and in Acts 28:15, where Roman believers travel out to meet Paul on the road and then accompany him into the city.

Paul’s use of apantēsis, therefore, strongly suggests that believers meet Christ in the air not to be permanently transported away, but to escort the returning King back to earth as He takes His throne. This reading is supported by Revelation 20, which indicates that upon His return, Christ will immediately establish His millennial reign, with believers reigning alongside Him on a renewed earth (more of this in the subsequent article). 

Conclusion

We have established that no genuine believer can miss the rapture; not because of any spiritual achievement on their part, but because their standing before God rests entirely on the finished work of Christ. We have also seen that the biblical evidence points away from a secret rapture toward a visible, glorious return, in which believers are caught up not to escape to heaven, but to escort their returning King back to earth.

Much remains to be said: what happens next after the rapture? The questions of the great tribulation, the Antichrist, and the millennial reign of Christ all bear directly on how we read the times we are living in, and how we ought to live in them. We will take these up in the next article.

For now, let this much be settled in your heart, dear reader: if you are in Christ, you have nothing to fear. The God who justified you will glorify you. The Saviour who died for you is coming back for you. And when He comes, He will not lose a single one of those the Father has given Him.

Notes

1. For further reading on the doctrine of the believer’s Union with Christ, see this previous article and this series of articles and resources from Ligonier Ministries.
2. For further reading on the doctrine of Justification, please see this article.

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In a recent sermon by a pastor, he quoted Rev. 3:20 in line with a response to the gospel.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

On many gospel tracts today, it is one of the many verses used. Many quote Rev. 3:20 and point to the fact that, if one opens “his heart” and responds to the gospel call, Christ will come in. But does Rev. 3:20 really say that? Can the unregenerate sinner, dead in his sins, open their heart to believe the gospel?

Context: The Seven Churches

The book of Revelation is primarily eschatological, that is, it focuses on the second coming of Christ; end time teachings. In the Revelation of Christ to John, he gives him a series of messages to be passed unto seven churches in Asia minor. The churches were in Ephesus (Rev.2:1-7), Smyrna (Rev. 2:8-11), Pergamum(Rev.2:12-17), Thyatira(Rev.2:18-29), Sardis(Rev. 3:1-6), Philadelphia(Rev 3:7-13) and Laodicea(Rev 3:7-13). To these churches, he commends, condemns, counsels and challenges.

Christ commends the church of Ephesus for their good works, labor, patience, and their hatred of the Nicolaitians. However, he condemned them for leaving their first love and counseled them to remember from where they have fallen and repent. The challenge was to give to each of the tree of life all who overcome. The church in Smyrna, was also recommended for their works, enduring tribulation and poverty. There was not a single word of condemnation for them. However, he counseled them to fear not and continue to be faithful. They were promised not to be hurt by the second death if they overcome.

Those in Pergamum were also commended for their works, for holding fast to his name and not denying the faith. However, they were condemned for having false teachers of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. They were simply told to repent, and to all who overcome, they would be given hidden manner and a white stone

The church in Thyatira also received commendation for their good works, service, faith and patience. However, their condemnation was for allowing Jezebel to teach idolatry and compromising. They were counseled to hold on fast unto what they have until Christ comes, and all who will overcome, were promised millennial leadership and a morning star. After them, the church in Sardis also received commendation for their works. However, they received a more severe condemnation because they were dead and their works were not complete. They were told to watch and strengthen the things that remain, they were also told to remember, hold fast and repent. To all those who overcome, they were promised to be clothed in white raiment. Their name would not be blotted out of the book of life.

The church in Philadelphia received commendation for their works, their missions, their little strength for keeping his word and for not denying his name. Like the church of Smyrna, there was not a single condemnation. They were told to hold fast to what they have, and were promised to be made a pillar and all who overcome, will have written upon them the name of God and a new name.

The Church of Laodicia

I have separated Laodicia from all the others because it is in their letter we see Rev 3:20. This church, had become lukewarm, wretched, miserable, poor blind and naked. This was a reference to their spiritual state. Though they were rich physically, their spiritual state was nothing to write home about.

For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see (vv.17-18).

Their rebuke, was strong but in verse 19, Christ notes that, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” It is out of love, Christ speaks such strong words like, “spew you out” so that they may repent. This like all the other churches, was their counsel. They were told to be zealous and repent. Like the challenge he threw to all the other churches, he says in verse 20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”  Christ here calls a backsliding church to repentance. Revelation 3:20 is an urgent call to repentance of a lukewarm church. It is important to note that this is a letter to a church not an unbeliever. The church in Laodicea was neither cold nor hot; they had become lukewarm. Christ here then says to a church, that had backslidden, to come back before he returns.

In the broader context of Revelation, which primarily speaks on the return of Christ, Christ the master of the house stands outside the door. This is a reference to the nearness of his coming. It is like what is said in Matthew 24:33: “Then you will be like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once.” James even notes something similar in James 5:9 when he says, “Do not complain about one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged. Look, the Judge is standing at the door!”. There is a sense of urgency about the text. He starts by saying, “Behold”, that is look, a way of capturing the attention of his audience. We must therefore treat Revelation 3:20 as a wake-up call to the church–Christians and not necessarily a call for repentance of the sinner who cannot by themselves open their hearts. Christs’ coming will be sudden and it is so near that it is referenced as “standing at the door”.

Christ is coming, and when he comes he will dine with his bride. Unrepentant sinners will have no place at the table with him. Like those painted in the parable of the ten virgins as sleeping, the church of Laodicea had fallen asleep. They needed to wake up. The church of Laodicea then, was told to repent before he comes, a coming which is near. Those who hear his voice, are his sheep, and they truly repent.

The Problem With Opening Our Hearts

The Bible tells us that fallen humankind are by nature dead in their sins and they cannot open their hearts. To come to saving faith therefore, God will have to regenerate their hearts; replace their heart of stone with a heart of flesh to be able to believe the Gospel. It’s all the work of God. What sinners need is not opening of an old heart but the creation of a new heart to believe the Gospel. And only God can do this through his Holy Spirit. Christ doesn’t need permission to come into the heart of the unregenerate sinner; He is the master of the house. Like Lydia in Acts 16:14, we need God to open our hearts so that we believe in the gospel.

Revelation 3:20 has nothing to do with the gospel being proclaimed to unbelievers. This is a letter written to a church. To apply this text to an unregenerate unbeliever is to simply twist the word of God. Many, in zeal for people to respond quote Revelation 3:20 but it simply does not fit in our evangelistic settings. It is a call to a Church. Shall we put it back in its place?

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1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Living in a fallen world, you may have heard stories of or may have been a victim of thieves breaking in at unsuspecting hours; taking away what was not theirs. In 1Thes 5:1-11, Paul by way of reminder exhorts the believers at Thessalonica to be on the lookout for the second coming of the Lord, since it will come like a thief in the night. He wasn’t the first person to use “the thief in the night” metaphor Jesus himself and other apostles did that (see Matt. 24:23, Luke 12:39; 2Pet. 3:10; Rev. 3:3; 16:15).

Now since the first century, the followers of Jesus Christ have been curious about the exact time of his return. During his time on earth, he constantly spoke about his departure and the fact that he will be coming back for those who are his. The believers in Thessalonica were no different. The gospel had gone to them with a strong emphasis on the fact that Christ will be returning soon. However with the passage of time they realized that believers were dying and still there was no sign of Christ’s return. There were lingering questions on the minds of some of these new believers. It was in response to some of these questions that Paul wrote this letter. The exhortation of Paul is equally relevant to us.

Paul tells us three realities about the day of the Lord; the day God has set aside when Christ shall return in his glory, this time not as a Saviour, but as a judge when everyone will appear before the judgment seat of Christ to render account of their lives.

The Day of the Lord will be like a Thief in the Night

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night (v.2).

We see from the text that Paul is not saying anything different or new that his readers are not aware of. Paul however knew that as Christians in a fallen world, they are prone to wander and forget. Sometimes we discover that our lives and our theology don’t match. Because of this tendency to forget, we need to keep on reminding ourselves until the truth sinks in. and Paul does exactly that, “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night”

Dear friend, if you examine your life, are you expectant of Christ’s return?

The Day of the Lord will be a Surprise to those who are in Darkness

Paul goes on to say in vv. 3–4 “While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief”

We see from these two verses that even though the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night – sudden and unannounced, it is not meant to be a surprise to the Christian. It will only be a surprise to those who are in darkness. If you are unaware thieves are coming to your house, you will definitely be surprised when they show up. However, if you know, you may perhaps be prepared (Luke 12:39). We don’t know the exact hour when Jesus will come, but for the believer that is immaterial. It is as though we have received a tipoff.

The unbeliever however has chosen to walk in darkness. They are hypnotized by the deceitfulness of sin. The mundane and the busyness of life have deluded them into thinking there is “peace and security”. For others the affluence and seeming comfort provided by the things money can buy have cushioned them into thinking all is well. What’s your manner of life, are you confident you will be with Jesus if he came today? If you cannot answer a resounding yes, it is likely you are living in darkness.

However, there is hope; God in his kind mercies sent forth Jeus into the world to die to save sinners (Jn. 1:12-13; 3:16; Rom. 5:8, Eph 2:4) and that includes you, if only you will repent and trust in him.

The Children of Light Will be Ready

Paul says that while the Day of the Lord will be a surprise for those in darkness, it should not be for those who are children of light. He says “But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness” The children of light are those who are eagerly awaiting the return of the master. They are dressed for the occasion. Are you one of them?

How To Be Ready

Paul in verse 6, addresses how the Thessalonians can be ready for the day of the Lord. Firstly, he tells them “let us not sleep, as others do”. In view of what they know about the sudden nature of the second coming, he tells them not to sleep as others do. Just to be sure, Paul is not talking about sleep in the literal sense. He uses sleep here in a metaphorical way to describe spiritual apathy. For the Christian, every moment is game time. There is no room for sleep and slumber. Secondly, he tells them “but let us keep awake and be sober”. In other words he tells them to be dressed ready for action. We clearly see this idea further on in verse 8 where he says “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation”. The language he uses there is one of battle and warfare. We must put on the full armor of God and be ready for battle with the sword of the Spirit – the word of God firmly in hand and praying at all times in the Spirit with all kinds of prayer and supplication.

Finally, he tells them to be sober. What does he mean by that? It means to be self-controlled and clear-minded. This is important because it is possible also to be hysterical about the Day of the Lord. There are some Christians whose idea of the Day of the Lord is alarmist to say the least. It paralyzes them from doing anything. So while he warns them against spiritual sleep, he also admonishes them not to panic or be in a state of alarm but to be sober.

Are you ready for the day of the Lord? Your answer is either yes or no. There is no middle ground.

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