Tag: tribulation

Birth Pangs

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“But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.”  Matthew 24:8

There is a lot of talk about the birth pangs these days.  Many Christians are saying that we are seeing them now – earthquakes, wars, and rumors of wars, pestilence, even the potential for famines. 

Are we really experiencing the events that Jesus, Paul and John prophesied?   No, we are not.

We are not seeing the birth pangs that were prophesied because they are tribulation events.  We are not in the tribulation.  Are these types of things occurring today?  Absolutely, but nowhere near the level of magnitude as will happen in the 7-year tribulation period before the return of Christ to earth.

It’s easy to take the passage in Matthew – where Jesus is describing wars, famine, earthquakes, lawlessness and love growing cold – out of context.  These things have been occurring since the flood.  But that does not mean they are the specific things foretold as the ‘birth pangs’.

In Matthew 24, Jesus is clearly speaking about the tribulation.  His outline of things to come in response to the disciples question – “what will be the sign of Your coming and the end of the age?” – fits in precisely with the format we find in Daniel 9, 1Thessalonians 4 and 5, and Revelation.  The format, or timeline, is as follows:

  1. The Church is evacuated to heaven (1Thess 1:10; 1Thess 4:15; 2Thess 2:1-3)
  2. The antichrist is revealed (2Thess. 2:3-12)
  3. Peace and safety on earth (1Thess 5:3; 2Thess 2:8-11)
  4. An agreement is made with Israel and antichrist – probably to allow Israel to build the temple and sacrifice in peace. (Dan. 9:27)
  5. The birth pangs begin (Matt. 24:6; Mark 13:7-13; 1Thess. 4:15-5:3; Rev. 6)
  6. The 2 witnesses are killed (Rev. 11:7)
  7. Antichrist stops the sacrifices and enters Holy of Holies in the new temple in the middle of the tribulation, declaring himself to be God and Savior (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15; Mark 13:14; 2Thess. 2:4)
  8. Jews flee Jerusalem and elsewhere into the wilderness for the 3 1/2 years (Hosea 2:14-16; Matt. 24:16-20; Mark 13:14-18; Rev. 12:6)
  9. Satan is thrown down from heaven and permanently shut out of the throne room of God (Rev. 12:9-10)
  10. Satan tries to destroy the Jews in the wilderness and the rest of the Jews on earth (Rev. 12:13-17)
  11. Armageddon takes place (Ezek. 38-39:8; Zech. 14:2-3; Rev.19:11-21)Jesus returns to earth at the end of the 7 years. (Zech. 14:4; Matt.24:30; Rev. 19:11)

So, we see there are four other major events that will take place before the birth pangs begin.  None of these events have happened.  One of the main reasons we put the beginning of birth pangs at the number 5 position is because Jesus is answering the question from His disciples, “…what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age”. 

The birth pangs occur at the end of the age.  They do not occur throughout the age or ages.  And they are signs that verify that the Day of the Lord has come.  The Day of the Lord is an idiom that essentially means the judgment of the world up to and including the return of Christ to earth, i.e. the tribulation. 

This is what Paul explains in 1 Thessalonians.  In his condensed summary of the tribulation, Paul says the birth pangs begin after the rapture and then sometime after peace and safety have been established on earth by antichrist (1Thess. 5:2-3).

The birth pangs that Jesus lay out in Matthew 24 match up with the seal judgments in Revelation 6.

Birth pangs chart

It is also important to remember that Jesus said that the trials he listed are just the beginning of birth pangs.  The pangs continue throughout the 7 years all the way until the firmament is ripped open and Christ is seen coming to earth in the clouds.  They include the Trumpet judgments and the Bowl judgments of Revelation.

The birth pangs are the judgment of the world.  As birth pangs do, these judgments get longer and more painful in magnitude up until the birth, which is Jesus’ return and reclamation of earth.

We are not seeing the birth pangs.  But, with the increasing earthquakes, the locust plagues in Africa and the Middle East, the coronavirus travesty, and now rampant lawlessness, perhaps the Lord is giving a little warning of what is about to come upon the whole earth when the Restrainer is removed.

Read also, Who or What is the Restrainer?, Times and Epochs, The Gog Magog War IS Armageddon, The GreatFalling Away of the Church, Valley of Achor – the Door of Hope, and Three Bankable Scriptural Truths That Guarantee the Church Will Be Raptured Before the Tribulation.

Three Bankable Scriptural Truths that Guarantee the Church Will Be Raptured Before the Tribulation

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1. 1 Thessalonians 1:10 – “…and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

Really, this verse is all I need to be confident that the Church will be raptured prior to the tribulation.  The word ‘delivers’ in this verse is ‘ruomai’ in Greek which means “to draw to oneself as if dragging or pulling to rescue from danger”.  The word ‘from’ in the Greek is ‘ek’ which means ‘out of’.  A better translation of this passage would then actually be “…Jesus, who will pull us to himself to rescue us out the way of the wrath that is coming”.

This passage gives a much different picture than the picture put forth by those who advocate for a mid or post-tribulation rapture.  Their belief is that God will give the grace necessary to face all of the horror and suffering that will take place during the 70th week of Daniel. 

I don’t know about you but that doesn’t sound like being dragged out of the way of the wrath.  And it certainly doesn’t give me much comfort or peace of mind.  It’s no wonder why there is such a profitable business out there keeping the fear going by many preachers in the various media.   Apocalypse survival books make money!

This verse indicates a much more drastic action than just giving grace or strength.  It is saying that Jesus is going to pull us up to Himself and out of the world before the wrath of God is poured out on creation during the tribulation. 

2. Paul said that the rapture will precede the ‘Day of the Lord’ and the revealing of the antichrist.

“Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, that you may 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.  Let no one in any way deceive you, for IT WILL NOT COME UNLESS THE DEPARTURE COMES FIRST, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction”.  2Thessalonians 2:1-3

I go into greater detail in my post “The Great Falling Away of the Church”, but this verse is not saying the ‘Day of the Lord’ will come after the ‘falling away from the faith’, which is how most interpret it.  Most translations say “apostasy’ where I have ‘departure’. 

The Greek word ‘apostasia’ means departure or leaving.  There is no quantifying noun.  That is to say the word faith or truth is not there.  By itself, ‘apostasia’ simply means departure, leaving, or moving away from. 

In this context Paul is saying that the rapture or departure will come before the ‘Day of the Lord’.  ‘Day of the Lord’ is a Hebrew idiom for the 7 year period of judgment or tribulation before the return of the King of Kings. 

The Thessalonians thought they had been left behind and the day of the Lord had come.  Paul is clearly talking about the rapture when he says “with regard to the coming of our Lord…and our gathering together to Him”, and he uses the word ‘apostasia’ as another way of describing it. 

Paul says the order of events is 1) the departure will happen and then 2) the man of lawlessness will be revealed before the ‘Day of the Lord’.  The antichrist will not be revealed until the Church departs.  Which brings us to the the 3rd truth that guarantees the Church will be raptured before the tribulation begins…

3.  The ‘Restrainer’ is the Holy Spirit, and when He is removed the antichrist will be revealed.

“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way”.  2 Thessalonians 2:7

I won’t go into all of the detail here about why the Restrainer is the Holy Spirit.  You can read all about it in my posts “Michael the Restrainer?” and “Who or What is the Restrainer?”.

The Holy Spirit clearly is the Restrainer.  Paul is reiterating something he has undoubtedly gone over with them thoroughly in the past; namely, that the antichrist will not be revealed until the Holy Spirit removes Himself from the world.  Ergo, when the Holy Spirit is removed, the Church is removed because the Holy Spirit resides in the Body of Christ!  This is exactly what Paul said in 2Thess 2:3 – the departure comes first (Holy Spirit is removed) and then antichrist is revealed. 

Paul’s comforting message is NOT that the Church will be given grace to endure the tribulation, it is that the Church will not go through the tribulation!

The Thessalonians were obviously disturbed and shaken by the thought that the ‘Day of the Lord’ had come and that they were going to go through the tribulation.  If Paul had taught the Church would go through the tribulation, then why wasn’t Paul reminding them that God would give them strength and grace to endure the unprecedented sufferings, horrors, and tortures that will come during that time?  Instead, he reminds them of the sequence of events leading up to the tribulation. 

Think about that for a minute!

Christians are not supposed to prepare for the tribulation.

The bottom line is that we, the Body of Christ, should not be worried about the tribulation.  Not because somehow we will be able to endure it by faith, but because we’re not going to be here when the antichrist is revealed and the tribulation begins!

That really is the message in 1st and 2nd Thessalonians.  Paul was trying to get them to quit worrying about it and focus on the real mission.  Our mission is NOT to get ready to go through the tribulation.

One last thought.  Peter said that judgment begins now with the household of God (1Peter 4:17).  As Christians, if we are trying to live by faith in the flesh in this corrupt world, then we all will suffer in varying degrees, but suffer nonetheless. 

This life is OUR tribulation and judgment, our trial and testing – we will not be here for the world’s. 

Now that is real comfort! 

Dan Baker

 

Is Travel and Technology a Last-days Bible Prophecy?

travel technology

“But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.” – Daniel 12:4

You hear about this one all the time – in the last days people will be traveling all over the world because of jet airliners.  Also, because of technology (meaning internet), knowledge is going to increase exponentially.   This is how many in the mainstream interpret this passage.

In other words, going back and forth means increased travel capabilities, and knowledge increasing refers to having instant access to information.  This is a perfect example of putting something into a passage that has no business being there.  The verse is saying no such things.

The last 4 chapters of Daniel are visions pertaining to Daniel’s people (Dan. 9:24).  Who are Daniel’s people?  They are the Jewish people.  Daniel was Jewish, taken into captivity by the Babylonians.

In chapter 9, Daniel discovers, in the book of Isaiah, Israel’s judgment prophecy that resulted in the captivity in Babylon.  Then Daniel makes a deep and impassioned prayer for God’s mercy on Israel.  As a result of Daniel’s supplication, Gabriel comes to Daniel and lays out the future of Israel with respect to the coming kingdoms of Persia, Greece and Rome.  These visions span chapters 9-11. 

After revealing these visions, Daniel is told to conceal these words and seal them up until the end of time. 

So how does one extrapolate the idea that the verse is talking about airplanes and technology (internet)?  One does this by going off the rails and making wild speculations rather than staying in context.  Verse 12:4 has the answer right in it.

Going back and forth simply means searching the Scriptures and other reference material for understanding of the visions that Daniel was told to conceal.  In fact, some may even stumble on this article, after the rapture and before the antichrist shuts down the internet, and consider it in context with Scripture. 

And the ‘knowledge’ that will increase is that understanding of the prophecy.  It is all about Daniel’s people, the Jews, coming to an understanding of the Messiah and all of the events that are occurring during the 70th week of Daniel, or the tribulation period. 

In fact, the previous verse explains just this very thing.  In 12:3, it says that many of Daniel’s people (Jews) will lead other Jews to righteousness.  Leading to righteousness means leading them to the true Messiah and salvation.  They will lead other Jews to righteousness because they have searched the Scriptures, gained understanding, and shared this ‘knowledge’ with many other Jews.  Ergo, knowledge will increase.

This will happen during the last part of the vision of the Roman empire, the empire that will be revived under the antichrist.  Daniel 12 is specifically and exclusively a prophecy about the 70th week of Daniel, otherwise known as the 7 year tribulation. 

Daniel 12:4 is not about planes, trains and the internet.  It is about seeking, finding and proclaiming knowledge of the truth. 

Dan Baker

The Days of Noah

noah days

“For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.” Matthew 24:37

Before reading this, please read my previous post “Times and Epochs”. It will be very helpful in understanding this article.

There are many ideas on what the ‘Days of Noah’ actually means.  I think everyone agrees that it is referring to the period of time which immediately precedes the return of Christ.  The question becomes whether or not it is the period of time before the rapture, or Jesus’ actual return to earth. 

As always, I believe the context will reveal the correct meaning. So, let’s first start with understanding who Jesus is speaking to in this chapter and what the subject matter is.  Follow along in Matthew 24.  It is one of the most incredible, jam-packed end times passages in all of Scripture. 

Jesus is speaking to his Jewish disciples. Remember, Jesus said that His focus is the children of Abraham. These people are whom Jesus made a priority to preach to and disciple. “But he answered and said, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.'”  Matt. 15:24

He trained others to reach the rest of the world. His focus was Israel.  It is critical that Christians resist inserting the Church into passages where it doesn’t belong. Matthew 24 is one of those passages.

The subject matter is the ‘70th Week of Daniel’, otherwise known as the 7 years of tribulation.  This period occurs after the rapture.  I’m not going to go into a pre-tribulation rapture defense in this article.  I believe Scripture is perfectly clear that the Church will be evacuated prior to the beginning of the tribulation.  Read my previous posts, “Michael the Restrainer?”, and “Who or What is the Restrainer?”.  The Restrainer is key to understanding the rapture.

In Matt. 24:3 the disciples ask Jesus to tell them (1) when the Temple will be destroyed, and (2) what will be the sign of His coming and end of the age.  There are 2 questions.  Matthew only records Jesus’ answer to the 2nd question.  Luke records answers to both questions in Luke 21. 

In vs. 4, Jesus begins describing the ‘signs’ that will lead to His return to earth on Mt. Zion.   Vss. 4-8 is the description of the birth pangs described in Revelation 6-8, otherwise known as the 7 seals.  It’s important to realize that Jesus is prophesying in this context.  He is speaking past the immediate audience to a future generation of Jewish believers in the tribulation.  Why do I say that?  Because his disciples will not be on the earth during the 7-year tribulation period.  This prophesy is for a generation that turns to the Lord during the 70th Week of Daniel.

In vs. 13, Jesus tells this future generation that if they survive the 7 years they will be saved or rescued.  They will go on to live forever beginning with the 1000 year Millennial Kingdom.  This verse has nothing to do with the salvation of their soul.  See my post “The One Who Endures to the End”. 

Continuing on in vs. 15, Jesus tells this future generation that when they see the Abomination of Desolation standing in the holy place, they are to flee Jerusalem immediately.  The Abomination of Desolation is the antichrist standing in the Holy of Holies in the Temple that has yet to be re-built (Daniel 9:27, 2 Thess. 2:3-4).  This will occur in the middle of the 7 year tribulation.

Jesus tells this future generation that they are not to come out of hiding in the wilderness if they hear that Jesus has come to earth (vss. 23-26).  He tells them that there will be no doubt when He comes because they will see the Shekinah Glory in the sky when Jesus comes on the clouds!  (vss. 27-30) 

Upon His return and the destruction of the armies of Satan (Rev. 19), He will gather all the righteous Jews on earth and bring them to the Promised Land to dwell during the Millennial Kingdom (vs. 31).  He then promises that the generation that sees all of these events take place, from the opening of the seals to His coming in the clouds, will not pass away before everything takes place.   That is what He is saying in vs. 34. 

“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near;  even so you to, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.  Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”  Matt. 24:32-34

Jesus’ reference to the parable of the fig tree pertains to Messiah returning to earth and ruling from Jerusalem.  It is another Jewish idiom, it is not for the Church.  In other words, it is not about Jesus’ coming for the Church, it is about Jesus coming to rule from Zion and fulfilling all of the prophecies regarding Messiah and Israel going back to Abraham. 

Jesus is saying that when the believing Jews see all of the ‘signs’ of His return to earth – from the seal judgments, to the gospel of the kingdom preached to every corner of earth, the abomination of desolation to the false reports of Messiah when they are in the wilderness – they are to know and believe that they will NOT pass away before He sets foot on Mt. Zion.  That is the importance of the “Truly I say to you”.   He is saying that a remnant will survive.  You must stay in context! 

Then, in vs. 36, Jesus pivots and now speaks directly to His present company.  The next part of the chapter is specifically directed at the disciples.  Consequently, this part of the message is also for the Church.  (Mark 13:37) Why?  Because it is information relevant to all believers prior to the tribulation. 

“But of the day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” 24:36

What day and hour?  Here Jesus is referring to the “Day of the Lord” (1Thess. 5:2; 2Thess. 2:2; 2Peter 3:10).  The expression ‘Day of the Lord’ is an idiom or theme which references the period of the judgment of the world and the return of the Messiah to earth.  It is characterized as coming like a thief in the night.  The rapture is that singular event that there is NO sign for, and that cannot be predicted. 

The mistake that many in the Church make is trying to ascribe all the apocalyptic events in Matt. 24:6-8 as signs leading up to the rapture.  They are not.  They are signs that verify the tribulation is in full swing. 

So, Jesus tells them that the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.  What Jesus is referring to here in vs. 37 is the circumstances that will immediately precede and follow the rapture. 

What He tells His disciples (and in turn, us) is that life will actually be very mundane compared to the tribulation.  In the days of Noah, people were living their lives as if there was no judgment coming, all the while as Noah is building the Ark over a period of 120 years.  When Noah went into the Ark, Jesus said they didn’t understand. 

In other words, they undoubtedly looked upon Noah as a fool.  It was not until the floodwaters were raging that they realized what was going on.  So it will be when the Church is rescued and disappears.  They – the unsaved earth dwellers – will be perplexed for a time, and will probably even forget about the disappearance of a billion people from the earth, until the seals are opened (1Thess. 5:3; 2Thess. 2:8-12).  Then they will realize that destruction is upon them and it will be too late.

In vss. 40-41, Jesus describes that day and hour of the rapture – 2 men in the field and one will be taken, 2 women at the mill and one will be taken. 

The point that Jesus is making is that the ‘Days of Noah’ is a reference to people being hard-hearted and surprised when the Day of the Lord finally does come.  It is not about apocalyptic events leading up to His return.  It is about people not believing that Jesus is coming and living watchfully and alert.  This is what Jesus tells his disciples and it is the exact same thing that Paul told the Thessalonians – “But you brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day.  We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober”  1Thess. 5:4-6.

“And what I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!'”  Mark 13:37 

We are not to be overtaken.  

Dan Baker

 

Revelation 12 Sign

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From everything I have read, the celestial display that John saw in Revelation 12:1 will be visible this September 23, 2017.  The sign includes the constellation Virgo with the sun visible on her body and the moon under her feet.  Virgo will also be crowned with 12 stars, which are the 9 stars of the constellation Leo plus Mercury, Mars and Venus.  It also has Jupiter, the king planet, in Virgo’s womb and over time it passes out past her feet as if giving birth.  Clearly this display is presenting the virgin Mary pregnant and giving birth to Jesus, which is what verse 2, 4 and 5 describe.  The question is, if this is the precise presentation of the stars that John saw (and all indications are that it is), then what does it mean?

Always, we must go to the Scriptures before we do anything else.

To understand the Revelation 12:1 sign (there is another sign in 12:3) we must consider the context.  If you remove the chapter break, John is continuing his thoughts after describing events in the middle of the 7 year tribulation in Chapter 11.

The Book of Revelation is a chronological narrative with pauses to shed light in more detail on certain periods of the narrative.  Chapters 11-12 is one of those pauses, or side-bar.  These 2 chapters provide expansive details of prophecies focused on the middle of the 7 year tribulation.

We know from Daniel as well as Revelation that the 70th week of Daniel is referred to as two 3 1/2 year periods.  Revelation 11:3 says that God is going to grant authority to His 2 witnesses for 1260 days or 3 1/2 years.  This covers the first half.  Then they are going to be killed.  This will be right before the antichrist takes his seat in the Holy of Holies in the middle of the 7 year tribulation (Daniel 9:27, Matt. 24:15).  Jesus tells the Jews that when you see this, flee Jerusalem into the hills (Matthew 24:15-18).  These refugees will be a major part of the Jewish remnant that will be saved out of the Great Tribulation.  (See my previous post on The Greatest Sign)

Nothing to do with the Church

Here we now come to Revelation 12.  Revelation 12 describes what is going to happen during the last 3 1/2 years.  The focus in this chapter is on the Jewish elect or remnant.  It is NOT about the Church.  The Church is gone!  It was raptured before the 70th week began.  (see my post on The Restrainer).  It is exegetical malpractice to attempt to insert the Church into this passage.

The woman is Israel.  She flees into the wilderness just as Jesus warned in advance in Matthew 24.  There the Jews will be protected and cared for by God for the 2nd half of the tribulation – 1260 days (Rev. 12:6).  It is at this time that Satan realizes his time is short and his rage explodes (Rev. 12:12).  His focus now becomes exterminating the Jews, which he has been attempting to do throughout history.  Why?  Because of the promises to Abraham and David. 

If there are no descendants of Abraham left then God will have failed in his promise regarding the land and the throne of David.  If there are no Jews to welcome the coming Messiah, then there is no kingdom to restore.  Remember, Jesus told the Jews right before He was killed, “You will not see me again until you say ‘blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord'”.  If there is no one of the literal Abrahamic DNA, then Jesus seemingly would not return.  Satan wants this domain for himself.  If he can wipe out Israel once and for all, then the Son of David will not be able to restore the kingdom of God as promised.

So Satan goes all out against the Jews.  Rev. 12:15 says that he will literally try to drown all the remnant in the wilderness with a great flood, but God will protect them by opening the ground and diverting the water.  In Rev. 12:17, Satan then becomes even more enraged and goes to make war with all the other believing Jews.  All of the unbelieving Jews will undoubtedly be killed, which is why Jesus warned the believing ones to flee when antichrist declares himself to be God (2 Thess 2:4) in the Holy of Holies of the coming rebuilt Temple.

I believe the significance of the sign being mentioned in Revelation 12:1 is simply to set the context for the rest of the chapter.  I don’t believe the intent in this chapter was to say that this sign will appear as a herald of the immediate return of Jesus. 

In other words, John uses the celestial picture to emphasize that he is summarizing the Gospel story and to preface what Satan is going to try to do to believing Israel after the ‘abomination of desolation’ takes place.  Rev. 12:1-5 is the summary: Mary was with child, she gave birth, Satan (who rebelled with a large contingent of angels – verse 4) was waiting for the birth and tried to kill the child (Herod killed all the males 2 and under), Jesus died and was resurrected and taken up.  Verse 6 fast forwards to mid-tribulation.

The Revelation 12:1 sign evidently was also visible when Jesus was born.  My research says that it appears quite often in history, although perhaps not as precisely as it may this Sept. 23rd.  What the constellation depicts has ALREADY HAPPENED!

So, my conclusion is that it IS a sign.  David said ‘the heavens are telling of the glory of God’.  I can confidently say it is a sign of God’s glory, majesty and wisdom.  It is a sign that God fulfills everything in His Word down to the tiniest detail, which means it is a sign that Jesus is alive and will return to reign from Mt. Zion.

Dan Baker

Times and Epochs

Times and epochs

“Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.  2. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.  3. While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’, then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.  4. But you, brethren are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief;” 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4

There is a lot to unpack in these four verses.  Paul summarizes what is going to happen with regard to 1) the Church and the rapture, 2) those who do not know the Lord at the time of the rapture and 3) the beginning of the tribulation. 

First, what is Paul referring to in verse 1?  To find out, all you do is go back to the preceding verses.  5:1 is referring to when the rapture will take place.  Look at 4:16-18.  Here Paul describes what is going to happen at the rapture, how things are going to happen and the sequence of things. 

In 5:1 he tells the Thessalonicans that they have no need of him writing anything to them about the timing of what he just talked about in 4:16-18.  Paul has most certainly explained everything in extensive detail when he was with them in person (1 Thess. 2:1; 2 Thess. 2:5). 

So, in 5:1 he is referring to the rapture.  In verse 2 he says it will come like a thief in the night.  The ‘Day of the Lord’ is the rapture, but it is also much more. 

The ‘Day of the Lord’ is an idiom.  It means the time when the judgment of Yahweh is going to come to earth.  It is referring to the 70th week of Daniel, or the 7-year tribulation that precedes the physical return of the Son of David to earth.  It is a term that represents the beginning day (rapture – thief in the night), all the events of judgment and wrath throughout the period of the tribulation and the very day that Jesus sets foot on the Mount of Olives. 

It is signaled by the rapture, however, and that is what Paul is specifically referring to in 5:2.  The rapture will happen like a thief in the night.  No one knows when the thief will come.  But when He does, it is the beginning period of what will become the most terrible ever on earth.  5:3 describes what happens next.

Peace and Safety

“While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’, then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” 

The first thing we need to determine is who are ‘they’? To find the antecedent we must go back to 4:5. In the context, Paul is talking about the Gentiles who do not know God.  You can’t really say he is talking about ‘outsiders’ in 4:12 because the Greek word there essentially means ‘whoever’. 

So, unbelievers would be the general definition of ‘they’ in 5:2. They will be saying that the world has finally achieved peace and safety.  We know that when the Church is evacuated the Holy Spirit will be removed and the antichrist will be revealed (see my posts on the Restrainer). 

When the Holy Spirit is removed and perhaps as many as a billion people disappear, then literally all hell will break loose on earth.  It will undoubtedly be a time of chaos and economic collapse on a scale the world has never seen. But it is NOT the tribulation – yet. 

This is the stage that the antichrist will step up on and the events that will allow him to ascend to total world power.  In 2 Thess. 2:8-10 Paul says he will come with ‘all power, signs and wonders and every deception of wickedness’.  The antichrist will ‘miraculously’ stabilize all the upheaval, violence and economic chaos.  He is going to usher in a golden age and he will be viewed as the savior of the world.  How long this ‘golden age’ of peace and prosperity lasts, we don’t know.

So, the world will be dwelling in peace and safety (physical and economic) such as never before.  This is what Paul is saying in 5:3. Then the tribulation will begin.

Suddenly like birth pangs

It sounds like an oxymoron or paradox – suddenly but gradually.  But this describes exactly what Jesus said in Matthew 24.  The tribulation comes on like birth pangs.  The judgments or wrath of God will be poured out in increasing intensity and frequency over the 7-year period.  It is the first pang that comes suddenly and surprisingly. 

This is the first seal in Rev. 6:1. This will happen after the antichrist has facilitated some grand treaty with Israel, which will be the technical beginning of the 7 years (Daniel 9:27).  When the first seal is opened the peace on earth will end.  And it only gets worse from there.

Remember ‘they’?  Well, Paul says they will not escape.  Why?  Because there is no rescue for those who are not raptured.  The Church escapes.  That’s what the word ‘delivers’ (Greek – ruomai) means in 1Thess. 1:10.

“(We) wait for His Son from the heavens, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who DELIVERS us from the wrath to come.”  

The word ‘ruomai’ literally means to be rescued by physically dragging someone out of the way. 

Every believer that is alive when the Thief in the night comes will be ‘dragged’ up to meet Him in the sky.  But the remaining earth-dwellers will not escape.

The Thief is coming.