1 Thessalonians 5:1-5

 

Rachel Workman: 5 Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters,^[a] we don’t really need to write you. ² For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. ³ When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.

⁴ But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief.^{[b] 5} For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night.

What does a world of peacefulness and security look like to an ungodly person? That's disturbing to me. Because it must look like madness to the Christian.

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John Burnett:  Now as to the periods and times, brothers and sisters, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction will come upon them like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, so that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;   These verses are describing the Day of the LORD and when He returns to judge the earth during the tribulation.  The thief in the night analogy plays to the lack of awareness of those who will be judged.  The peace and safety of verse 3 is already being worked on by different countries and factions and once the rapture takes place, the Antichrist will rise up and sign a 7-year peace treaty with Israel with the promise to protect them.  These seven years are called the tribulation and 3.5 years into the treaty, Antichrist breaks the treaty and begins persecuting the Jews.  Those who are aligned with Antichrist and who have taken the mark of the beast will have sudden destruction and face the wrath of God poured out on the world.  Those of us who are born again, know that these things are going to happen because we are sons of light and are not blinded by the darkness.

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Tomorrow’s reading for 1 Thessalonians 5:6-11

⁶ So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. ⁷ Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. ⁸ But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

⁹ For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. ¹⁰ Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. ¹¹ So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.