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THE DAY OF THE LORD. I Thessalonians 5:1-4. 10/10/21. #11.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 [New King James Version]
1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.
- Plain signs of the times
- Paul states that believers do not need to be taught about the return of Lord, for the signs of his return are obvious
- Indications of end times are all around us
- The Church Age = last epoch before the return
- The Day of the Lord mentioned in the OT (Amos 5:18-20), is a major theme in the NT (Mt. 24, 1 Ths. 2, Rev. 4-19…)
- The Day of the Lord covers several aspects:
- 1 Ths. 5, 1 Cor. 15 Christ’s return for his Church, followed by the Bema Seat Judgment for the rewards of faithful, & Marriage Supper of the Lamb
- Rev. 4-15 judgment poured out on the earth
- Rev. 16 Christ’s defeat of Satan & his forces at the battle of Armageddon
- Mt. 25, Joel 3 judgment of the nations (75 days)
- Rev. 20 Christ setting up his Millennial Kingdom
- The Day covers from the Rapture to Christ’s coronation
- A 7 year period
- After The Day = Christ’s reign, release of Satan from The Pit, The Last Battle, The Great White Throne Judgment, The Cosmic Conflagration (II Peter 3), The New Heaven & Earth created (Revelation 21), and The Glorious Eternity
- When Millennium begins, all that enter are believers, but as children are born, many are rebels
- II Timothy 3 men continually grow worse (Gen. 6)
- Paul states that believers do not need to be taught about the return of Lord, for the signs of his return are obvious
- Day of false peace
- Paul warns that the D of L will come covertly (as a thief)
- Those in Christ are not caught off guard
- Those apart from Christ will be destroyed
- The lie of tranquility
- In the end times men will proclaim peace & security, when there is none (Gen. 10)
- Evil men have continually promoted making an Utopia on earth apart from God (Jeremiah 6:14, 8:11, Ezekiel 13:10-16)
- The Jews will experience a false peace with a treaty with the Antichrist, which he breaks after 3 and-a-half years
- Paul warns that the D of L will come covertly (as a thief)
- Birthing of the Millennial Kingdom
- The last 3 and-a-half years of the Tribulation are traumatic
- God pours out his judgment on the earth
- Jn. 19:37; Zech. 12:10 the Jews will finally come to Christ (the One whom they pierced)
- 144,000 Jewish evangelists will span the globe, sharing the gospel
- Many of those who come to Christ will be killed
- Mt. 24 the 2nd half of Trib. = birth pangs of the Kingdom
- The wicked will not escape
- No one gets by with anything
- Psalm 2, Habakkuk 1, when time is ripe, judgment will fall on wicked men (will be permanent)
- The blood of the saints will be avenged
- 3 aspects of judgment to keep in mind:
- We want to see immediate judgment
- Everything will be brought to account
- The lost will be eternally condemned (Revelation 20), while the save will lose rewards for misdeeds, but will enter heaven (I Corinthians 3:11-15)
- Christ’s return will not overtake believers since we are already secure in Christ (only regret: unfaithfulness)
- We are not objects of God’s wrath (pre-Trib.)
- II Timothy 4 reward for looking for his coming
- The last 3 and-a-half years of the Tribulation are traumatic