A study/commentary on 2 Thessalonians 2: 1-4

[omharris]

I primarily use the NASB, but occasionally I find it deficient; I will insert other translations if they can clarify the context. Those translations will be duly noted.

Chapter one was an appropriate greeting, but chapter two stands alone and begins to immediately address fears that have come as the result of some false teaching.

This theme was not a new to Paul as he had written to the Christ-followers in Thessalonica on a previous occasion.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 NASB 13) But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15) For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16) For the Lord, Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17) Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

Considering the years between these two letters, the new members that had been added to the church body, and the addition of some false teachings, the fear has had a chance to creep in. I see the effects of false teachings frequently in the church bodies I have had dealings with, as people espouse things they know so little about; all the while continuing to cloud the issue.

So let's dissect the passages and see if we can understand all that Paul is trying to say.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 NASB 1) Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2) that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

“with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,”

Coming – is the Greek word parousia; a being near, that is, advent (often, return; specifically of Christ to punish Jerusalem, or finally the wicked.) Strong's concordance.

In the explanation above I see two distinctly different things.

• One being Jehovah's return in the clouds to catch His church away. This catching away is called the harpazo, but it is also known as the advent or return.

• The second possible understanding is this idea of the punishment of Jerusalem or the wicked. This concept pertains to the wrath of God being poured out. One of the keys to understanding the difference between Jesus return for His church and His coming as the conquering Messiah hangs on this phrase - " the day of the Lord.” Using the NASB concordance, the expression shows up in 22 verses. 18 of those references are found in the Old Testament. Since the Tenach is designed for a Jewish audience then the language and references are expressly Jewish; that means that the phrase – the day of the Lord, is almost exclusively about the return of the Messiah.

  Of the four verses left and found in the New Testament, three of them are exclusively about the catching away of the church. This catching away is that time when Jesus comes back in the clouds for His church, and they will be caught up to meet Him in the air. 2Peter 3:10 leans more toward the time of the end, as it tells us that, “the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.” While all of these things are a part of the seven-year period the implications are that this will happen almost all at once when Jesus returns to the earth for the final time. You see, this is one of those areas that are not that black and white.

  So, let's see if the context of the passage answers the question about when this event will happen.

While I understand that Paul was addressing the body of believers in Thessalonica (a primarily Jewish audience,) these words also apply to us. I do not hear this complaint or question anymore, but I am aware that many do believe that Christ has already returned. If that is the case, what are we doing and why are we wasting our time?

But Christ has not already returned. How do I know that? Well there are markers, or some might think of them as guideposts along the way, and Paul spells them out.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 NASB 3) Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4) who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

• “The apostasy comes first.”

  Since apostasy means a falling away, I ask you, has that happened? Absolutely, and at an exponential rate.

• “and the man of lawlessness is revealed,”

I want to show you some alternate readings.

This second selection is from the Complete Jewish Bible, and it translates this passage entirely different from anyone else. Why is this significant? Because even the Muslims have prophecies, and one of them describes such a man;

• 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Darby Let not any one deceive you in any manner, because it will not be unless the apostasy have first come, and the man of sin have been revealed, the son of perdition;

  2 Thessalonians 2:3 CJB Don't let anyone deceive you in any way. For the Day will not come until after the Apostasy has come and the man who separates himself from Torah has been revealed, the one destined for doom.

• A man who is a descendant of Aaron –

  The priests were to come from the lineage of Aaron. Since we know that the temple will be rebuilt, then practically every preparation would have to be made at this point, for a high priest to be installed. He then would be the one to enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood of the lamb.

• The Muslim prophecies tell us that this Jew will reject the Torah, pay homage to the Mahdi, and follow him.

  Do you grasp the depth of this action? Many who have esteemed this Jew enough to appoint him as the high priest over the new temple will be deceived, turn from the true God, and follow his actions as they too will bow to the Mahdi in worship. This Mahdi appears to be the Islamic religious leader that will soon be saying peace peace. Most of this takes place 1260 days into the time of wrath upon the earth.

I am always concerned that people will see my words as unbelievable.

If, you are a follower of Jesus Christ, then, you are under a mandate to study to show not only, yourself, to be approved by God, but to judge the words being said to you, as to whether they are true or not. You are not doing this type of study to bash people, although I sometimes think that many should shut their mouths, but you are studying these things so that you can know what is right.

Let me show you an example: I believe in the pre-tribulation rapture, regardless of the poor choice of words we traditionally use. Although there is a voluminous amount of those in opposition to this understanding, I did my homework and became even more thoroughly convinced that Jesus is coming back for His church that is waiting for Him, and, He is going to do so before God's wrath is poured out upon the earth.

Specific reasons why I believe in a pre-wrath rapture.

• Matthew 3:7 NASB But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

  The obvious thing I see here is that Jesus just acknowledged that it is purposeful to flee from the wrath, and, that there is wrath coming.

• Luke 21:23 NASB ... for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people;

  Here we can see that the intended target is the land and these people. Now the statement, "o this people" is relatively generic and needs some clarity. Luke 21:24 NASB tells us that “they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations;”

  It is easy enough to see that a part of this fulfillment comes upon Israel and it's people, the Jews. However, pay attention, and you can see one other group, the Gentiles. The Gentiles and the nations are the same. If you are not a Jew, and you are a follower of Christ, then you have been engrafted into the vine and no longer fall under the category of being a Gentile in God's eyes.

  Those with a veil over their eyes will not get this concept. Since we are “in Christ” then we are part of the church and not subject to this wrath.

• Romans 1:18 NASB For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

  What is evident to me is the terminology, the wrath of God. Pay attention to the words being used and upon whom they are directed. Romans 1:18 can be taken as a somewhat broad spectrum statement.

  An example of this broad spectrum idea – I know a man who came to church for a time and did all the appropriate things. He came down front, cried his eyes out, made sorrowful and repentant statements. Why he even got baptized in a swimming pool as a symbol of this new and changed life he wanted to live. That didn't last long. Does he belong to God and is therefore not going to be subject to this wrath because he is part of the church. I do not know, because any fruit he produces is rotten and stinks before it falls off the tree. This pattern has been going on for years.

• Ephesians 2:3 NASB Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

  The Apostle Paul taught that we were formerly children of wrath, and no longer subject to the “wrath of God.”

• 1 Thessalonians 1:10 NASB 10) and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.

  1 Thessalonians 1:10 is one of the most specific examples that Paul gave us. Since we are in Christ, Jesus has rescued us from the wrath that is to come.

• 1 Thessalonians 5:9 NASB 9) For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

  Many think that we deserve punishment. Well, that might have been true, but as followers of Christ, we are of those who have agreed to and accepted His salvation. You see, you need to have a firm grasp on what Jesus did. I am continually trying to remind people that all sins were forgiven – past, present, and future. Then what are people being punished for? Look at what Colossians 3:5-6 tells us,

  Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6) For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, NASB

  Simply put, you either follow Jesus, or you follow the god of this world, Satan. He will go to an eternal punishment, as will all those who choose to follow him. This punishment, as many want to believe, is not the end-all statement, as God is a merciful God beyond everything else; ask Jonah. And that is why we have the sheep and goats of Matthew 25. Take the time to study that.

• Revelation 6:14-17 NASB 14) The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15) Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; 16) and they *said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17) for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"

  There are three things I want you to see here. Verse 15 gives us a description of some of the people affected by what is happening: kings of the earth; great men; commanders; the rich and strong, and every slave and free man. No one upon the earth is left unscathed by what is coming.

  In verse 16 we see them crying out to be hid from the presence of “Him who sits on the throne, AND from the wrath of the Lamb. This lamb is Jesus Christ. Since I used an example from the Revelation, let me point something out to you. This entire book is a Revelation of Jesus Christ. Even the rich, in this scenario, understood that God played a hand in this, and at the same time, they are acknowledging Jesus. It's all about Jesus.

  And the last thing, although I have already intimated it, is that this wrath is coming from God/Jesus.

Since we are going to be like Bereans, a people who had enough sense to verify that what Paul was teaching was right, what then do we use as a basis for what is true? Keep in mind, that the Bereans did not have Bibles, they had some scrolls. Those scrolls were so valued that only a limited number of priests could handle them, and so the Torah and Tanakh were read aloud. This idea of scrolls changes the whole idea of Bible study. The Bereans had no New Testament, it was being spoken in their ears by Paul and lived out right in front of them. I, on the other hand, have over thirty translations of the Bible on my computer, and over forty commentaries that I can glean from. I have no excuses.

The answer to the question is The Word of God. Now, since we know that there are errors across translations, is it wise to merely open the NIV for example, read it, and then say, “this is how that is supposed to be understood!” NO, because, as I said, there are errors. (Do not for a moment think that these errors are on God's part, as God's wisdom has been substantiated by His ability to get His message across plainly to those who choose to pursue this wisdom.)

So, what am I saying to you? Be open but alert; trust the Holy Spirit to guide you; judge everything against the word of God, and, remove yourself, if you can, from false teachers. They will corrupt you with the simplest of things, such as David conquering Goliath when David was only four foot tall. That is not even close to the terminology used in the descriptions of David. King Saul, who knew David well for David was his ARMOR bearer, called him a youth. But what does that mean? Are these things critical to the story? NO, but if you are willing to build false images about the nature and character of David, what else will a false teacher do with God and His word.

I can tell you what some will do, for I have experienced this first hand. These false teachers send everyone that comes to the Great White throne judgment to hell. There is nothing about that scenario that definitively points to that happening; these same teachers refuse to see that Matthew 25 and the story of the sheep and the goats, is just another picture of the Great White Throne. In other words, they will twist the gospel so tightly that in time, you will not be able to understand what is true.

 

 

 

[JoeCanada]

On 5/1/2018 at 2:33 PM, omharris said:

 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 NASB 13) But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15) For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16) For the Lord, Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17) Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 NASB 3) Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4) who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

• “The apostasy comes first.”

  Since apostasy means a falling away, I ask you, has that happened? Absolutely, and at an exponential rate.

• “and the man of lawlessness is revealed,”

 

Let me show you an example: I believe in the pre-tribulation rapture, regardless of the poor choice of words we traditionally use. Although there is a voluminous amount of those in opposition to this understanding, I did my homework and became even more thoroughly convinced that Jesus is coming back for His church that is waiting for Him, and, He is going to do so before God's wrath is poured out upon the earth.

 

 

 

 

Greetings  omharris....

Just a couple of comments.....

In 1Thes 4:16..........."For the Lord, Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first." 

and in verse 17...." Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

Then you go on to say....."I believe in the pre-tribulation rapture"

What I'm not seeing is how Pre-tribulation rapture fits with what Paul is telling us. Pre-trib teaches that we will be raptured BEFORE the tribulation. Paul clearly tells us that the dead in Christ will Rise FIRST........ THEN, we who are alive and remain shall be caught up TOGETHER with them......."

Can you shed some light unto where you see this fitting together?

You said.............. " Jesus is coming back for His church that is waiting for Him, and, He is going to do so before God's wrath is poured out upon the earth.

I absolutely agree  with you on this brother. 100%.

In Rev 6, there is the opening of the 7 sealed scroll. The first 6 seals correlate to the signs that Jesus gave in Math 24. Why didn't Jesus give any more signs?

Then at the opening of the 7th seal, (Rev 8) there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Why???? Heaven is never silent. Could it be that the silence is because Jesus has departed heaven and has gone to meet his bride?........maybe!!!

After the 7th seal opens, 7 angels are given 7 trumpets. If you read what happens with each trumpet blast, you can see WRATH. Jesus only gave us the signs of the 6 seals because we are not appointed to WRATH, which are the trumpet and bowl judgments.

There is a big difference between TRIBULATION and WRATH....... We are not appointed unto wrath......But....."in this world you will have tribulation"..Jn 16:33

Romans 5:3.... "And not only so, but we GLORY in TRIBULATIONS also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience"

That's it for now brother.....

 

 

 

[Larry 2]

On 5/1/2018 at 3:33 PM, omharris said:

We who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air,

Dear Brother omharris, I'll just attempt to address this one part of your post.

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

1Th 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep (their bodies) in Jesus will God bring with him.

1Th 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Now those separated from their bodies are at home with the Lord, their bodies will be raised first, and then we which remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thes 4:17)

[JoeChan82]

1 Thessalonians 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

The phrase "by the word of the Lord" makes me think that Paul is referencing the word of Christ. Christ mentions the timing of the event.  Matthew 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 

So here is a limited comparison of Matthew 24 and I Thessalonians 4.  

Both Christ and Paul mention certain characteristics of the second coming:

1. Clouds:

"they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven" (Matthew 24)

"Then we … shall be caught up together with them in the clouds" (1Thessalonians)

2. Angels:

"he shall send his angels" (Matthew 24)

"with the voice of the archangel" (1Thessalonians)

3. The Trumpet:

"a great sound of a trumpet" (Matthew 24)

"with the trump of God" (1Thessalonians)

4. The Gathering of the elect:

"they shall gather together his elect" (Matthew 24)

"caught up together with them … to meet the Lord in the air" (1Thessalonians)

 

[omharris]

On 5/10/2018 at 3:34 PM, JoeCanada said:

What I'm not seeing is how Pre-tribulation rapture fits with what Paul is telling us. Pre-trib teaches that we will be raptured BEFORE the tribulation. Paul clearly tells us that the dead in Christ will Rise FIRST........ THEN, we who are alive and remain shall be caught up TOGETHER with them......."

Because you brought up the fact that innumerable amounts of people have died horrible deaths for their testimony, then I must assume that you believe this can only happen during this time we love to address as the great tribulation. 

This concept above is an aspect of what I keep trying to drive home with people. The seven-year period we call the tribulation is God's wrath and judgment being poured out upon the earth, the nations, and the Jews. During that time the tribulation will become so great that we are told no one would survive the time period unless God intervenes and cuts it short.

Christ himself told us, his followers, that, in this world, you will have tribulation. That tells me that tribulation(s) is an ongoing process and aspect of our lives.

Fortunately, here in Southern California, my tribulations, so far today, have only been: my stepson not getting out of bed to move his car so that he does not get a ticket. This is the second week he has done this. Or, as I was driving back from the market this morning, it felt like my tire was going flat and I had to pull over to the curb, all the while hoping some fool puts down their phone long enough to notice that I was pulled to the curb with my emergency flashers on. This scenario rampaged through my head as I began to think about the possible costs involved in fixing whatever was going on. And then, having picked my wife up from work, just moments ago, I calmly listened as she told how today was abuse the librarian day. Imagine, this might affect someone who has struggled with anger and rage issues. 

So my tribulations are nothing compared to what the rest of the world suffers. Like having to deal with a brother in Christ, a man who has a doctorate in Theology, as he berated me for wasting my time reading The Shack by William Paul Young, all those years ago when he just as easily could have answered the questions that arose in my mind.

What is coming upon the earth, is like nothing we have ever seen. We are seeing glimpses of what is coming and I point those things out to people if they show an interest, but that rarely ever happens. What is coming is wrath! Paul, in his letter to the Romans, in chapter 5 verse 9, tells us that because of our relationship to Christ, that we are not subject to wrath, the implication is clearly God's wrath since Christ already took that on our behalf; in 1 Thessalonians 1:10 Paul tells us that we were delivered from the wrath that is to come. Take a good look at Hebrews 12:2 where we are told to fix our eyes on Jesus; there was a reason why this was done.

Since people have begun to follow Jesus they have been hunted down and martyred. James seems to stand out in my mind as one of the first (Acts 12:2), but who can forget how Saul the Pharisee, stood and held the cloaks of those who threw the stones at Stephen (Acts 7.)

Since there has been no catching away as yet, then it is safe to assume that Stephen and James will be some of the first to be caught up. How and why God seems to need or want these broken bodies to be attached I don't know. I do know that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 NASB.

Having said all this I realize that you are not the one who asked me to discuss, but here it is. This is what I do. Hope I made sense. I so desire to teach and those who know me tell me I should be. I always say, make it so. Irrelevant I realize but I loved responding to you. 

Have a great day in the Lord my brother.

Oz

[JoeCanada]

4 hours ago, omharris said:

Because you brought up the fact that innumerable amounts of people have died horrible deaths for their testimony, then I must assume that you believe this can only happen during this time we love to address as the great tribulation. 

This concept above is an aspect of what I keep trying to drive home with people. The seven-year period we call the tribulation is God's wrath and judgment being poured out upon the earth, the nations, and the Jews. During that time the tribulation will become so great that we are told no one would survive the time period unless God intervenes and cuts it short.

Oz

Hi Oz.....

No sir, I do not believe......"Because you brought up the fact that innumerable amounts of people have died horrible deaths for their testimony, then I must assume that you believe this can only happen during this time we love to address as the great tribulation." 

I do not believe that the "Great Tribulation" will be any more SEVERE than the TRIBULATION that our brothers and sisters in the past have suffered. They were boiled in oil, crucified, dipped in wax and used as human torches in Neros garden, sewn in animal skins and torn apart by lions, sawn in half.......etc

I believe that the Great Tribulation will be WIDESPREAD, possibly encompassing the whole world.

It should be the "Widespread Tribulation".......

You said....."The seven-year period we call the tribulation is God's wrath....."

I must disagree with you on this. God's Wrath doesn't begin until the opening of the 7th seal. Then there is the Resurrection, the Rapture, then the Wrath of God. All on the same DAY.......The trumpet and bowl judgments that follow are the wrath of God.

In Revelation 6:9, when the 5th seal is opened, the souls under the altar cry out for vengeance,  but are told to rest a little longer. God's wrath had not yet begun.

His wrath begins with the Day of the Lord....

Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.....Isa 13:9

For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.....Jer 46:10

Thou hast called as in a solemn day my terrors round about, so that in the day of the LORD'S anger none escaped nor remained: those that I have swaddled and brought up hath mine enemy consumed.....Lam 2:22

They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will seem like something filthy. Their silver and gold will be unable to save them in the day of the Lord's wrath. They will not satisfy their appetites or fill their stomachs, for these were the stumbling blocks that brought about their iniquity.....Ezek 7:19

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come....Joel 2:31

Joel 2:31 gives us the timing for when the Day of the Lord begins. Its Rev 6:12, AFTER the sixth seal opens.

Then look at Rev 6:17...." For the Great Day of his Wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?"

Also, from scriptures we learn that the Day of the Lord is a YEAR long, NOT 7 years .......

Isa 34:8.......  For it is the day of the LORD'S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.

Isa 61:2  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

Blessings brother.....

 

 

 

[Steve Conley]

Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

omharris, I appreciate you for trying to help others understand the Scriptures concerning Christ's return. Let me help you a little.

To have a proper eschatological model, it is of the utmost importance to distinguish between the unprecedented persecution of the elect and Israel, and the period of God's wrath in the eschatological day of the Lord. We are told that we, the church are not appointed unto God's wrath on the day of the Lord (See context of 1Thes 5:9 in vss 2 & 3), but we see that there are believers in Jesus Christ who are persecuted unto death in the great tribulation. How do we reconcile these. We must ask ourselves the question: "Is there another class of believers who will fall under the wrath of God." I say, absolutely not and so does the Scriptures.

Jesus said that the day of the rescue of the just would be the day His wrath is poured out. He gave two examples to illustrate this great truth.

Luk 17:26  And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
Luk 17:27  They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
Luk 17:28  Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
Luk 17:29  But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
Luk 17:30  Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

Throughout history it has been the M.O. of God to move the just to a place of safety before pouring out His wrath upon an unbelieving and rebellious people. Will the so-called "tribulation saints" be an exception? Will they be the one faithful group who falls under God's wrath? No, absolutely no. The "tribulation saints" as they have been called are the last generation of the church.

An easy way to see this is to ask: When does the great tribulation begin? and When does the day of the Lord begin? The Scriptures provide explicit answers to both of those questions. Notice I said explicit not inferred or assumed. If you find the explicit answer to those questions you cannot help but be on the right track to a Biblical eschatological model.

Concerning the Thessalonian epistles, Paul's teaching on the Second Coming of Christ

The Thessalonian epistles are a tremendous study in eschatology. Just as the Olivet discourse is Christ's exposition of His second coming and the events that are associated with it, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians are Paul's treatise on the same subject. The setting for the epistles is Paul's great concern for the newly formed church in Thessalonica. Upon leaving Philippi due to the intensification of the persecution there, Paul travels to Thessalonica where it appears he spent 3 weeks or more and saw many come to believe upon Jesus. When the persecution there became sharp he was sent away by the new believers. Some relatively short time later from Athens, Paul sends Timothy to them to check on them. Timothy returns when Paul is in Corinth and reports on their state. Paul learns of the severe persecution these new believers were facing from their own countrymen. It is Paul's concern that the Thessalonians be equipped to be overcomers in the midst of tribulation that is the impetus of Paul's epistle.

The best encouragement that a persecuted believer can have is knowing with certainty that Christ is coming again to receive him or her to Himself. Paul's focus throughout these two epistles is that second coming of Christ. Notice all the references made to the Lord's coming.

1Th 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

1Th 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

1Th 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

1Th 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

1Th 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2Th 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, ...
2Th 1:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

2Th 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

2Th 3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

The epistle, essentially written to encourage the persecuted saints in Thessalonica, presents many details concerning the coming (parousia) of Christ. Parousia means arrival and continuing presence.

1) The parousia will involve Christ coming with the holy angels into the atmospheric heaven (1Thes 4:17; 2Thes 1:7).
2) The parousia will involve Christ being revealed from heaven (2Thes 1:7).
3) The parousia will involve unbelievers being caught unawares (1Thes 5:2-3).

4) The parousia will be expected by the church which shall not be caught unawares (1Thes 5:4-5).

5) The parousia of Christ will involve the resurrection of the dead in Christ (1Thes 4:13-16).
6) The parousia of Christ will involve the church being gathered to Christ in the clouds (1Thes 4:17; 2Thes 2:1).

7) The parousia of Christ will initiate the day of the Lord (1Thes 5:2-3; 2Thes 1:6-10; 2Thes 2:1-2).

? The church is said to not be appointed unto God's wrath upon the day of the Lord (1Thes 1:10; 5:9, 2-3).

9) The church shall rest from persecution when Christ and the mighty angels are revealed on the day of the Lord bringing tribulation upon the wicked (2Thes 1:6-10).

10) The day of Christ which involves Christ's parousia and our gathering together unto Him is said that it will not come until a notable departure from the faith (falling away) and the man of sin (the Beast) is revealed by shewing himself to be God in the rebuilt temple (2Thes 2:1-4).

Paul agrees with Jesus, John, and Daniel that the unprecedented persecution comes before the rescue of the church which takes place earlier upon the same day when God's wrath begins to be poured out upon the wicked earth-dwellers who are and shall be our persecutors.

All praise, honour, and glory be unto the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 

Edited June 9, 2018 by Steve Conley