The Day of the Lord

What Paul wanted them to know (4:13). “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.” Ignorant here simply means not knowing. Paul wanted these believers to know the truth about people who had died. A gentle picture. Fallen asleep is Paul’s gentle way of speaking about believers who have died. It is only a picture word. Ordinary sleep at night is safe and good, and you can rest in your bed without being afraid. Sad is OK. Paul does not tell them to stop being sad. He tells them not to sorrow “as others who have no hope.” Jesus Himself wept when His friend Lazarus died (John 11:35). It is OK to be sad when someone dies, and Jesus cares. Talk to a parent or a grown-up you trust. If someone you love has died, it is never your fault. What hope means. Hope is being sure that something good is coming, because God has promised it. The reason for hope (4:14). “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.” Our hope rests on Jesus. He really died, and He really rose from the dead. Brought with Him. When Jesus comes back, God will bring with Him the believers who have died. They still belong to Jesus. What this means for you. When you feel sad about someone who has died, tell Jesus about it. He listens to every word, and He understands tears.

Not knowing (4:13). “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.” Ignorant is agnoeo (say: ag-no-EH-oh), not to know. It is not an insult. Paul is filling in what these young believers had not yet been taught. Fallen asleep. This is Paul’s gentle picture for believers who have died. It is a picture word only. Ordinary sleep is safe, and no one needs to be afraid of going to bed. Grief with hope. Paul does not forbid sorrow. He sets two kinds of sorrow side by side: sorrow that has hope and sorrow that has none. On the way to His friend’s tomb, Jesus wept (John 11:35). It is OK to be sad when someone dies, and Jesus cares. Talk to a parent or a grown-up you trust. If someone you love has died, it is never your fault. The foundation (4:14). “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.” This hope rests on two things that really happened: Jesus died, and Jesus rose. Even so. What God did for Jesus, He will do for those who belong to Jesus. Christ’s resurrection is the promise of theirs. In Jesus. Paul says they “sleep in Jesus.” Their death did not end their belonging to Him. Application. A believer can grieve deeply and still trust God. Bring your grief to Jesus in prayer, and let His people stand beside you.

Paul wrote to God’s people about those who had died. He did not want their sadness to be without hope. Tears are not wrong when someone dies. When His friend Lazarus died, Jesus cried too. It is OK to be sad, and Jesus cares about you. Talk to a parent or a grown-up you trust. God’s people feel sad too, but they also have hope. Hope means knowing that something good is coming. Here is our hope: Jesus died and rose again. He is alive today! And God will bring His people who died to be with Jesus. Paul also used a gentle picture word for dying. He called it sleeping. That is only a picture word. Going to sleep in your bed at night is safe and good.

Jesus rose, so we have hope when someone dies. It is OK to be sad, and Jesus cares. Talk to a parent or a grown-up you trust.

The word of the Lord (4:15). “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 by no means precede those who are asleep.” Paul is not guessing. This teaching comes from the Lord. Not ahead of them. Precede means to go ahead of. Believers who have died will not miss the Lord’s coming. The living will not get there first. The Lord Himself (4:16). “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.” Jesus will not send someone else in His place. He will come Himself. A shout and a trumpet. An archangel is a chief angel. These sounds will announce that the Lord has come. Rise first. “And the dead in Christ will rise first.” In Christ means belonging to Jesus. God will raise them to new life. Together (4:17). “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” The believers who died and the believers who are alive will meet the Lord as one family. Many Christians see this as the rapture, when Jesus takes His people to be with Him before the hard times at the end. Always (4:17). “And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” God’s people will never be apart from Jesus again. Comfort (4:18). “Therefore comfort one another with these words.” Paul gave these words so that believers would feel safe and hopeful, not afraid. What this means for you. When a friend is sad because someone died, be kind, listen, and share the hope that Jesus is coming back.

By the word of the Lord (4:15). “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 by no means precede those who are asleep.” Paul rests this teaching on the Lord’s own word, not on his own ideas. The coming. Coming is parousia (say: par-oo-SEE-ah), the arrival and presence of someone. Jesus will be present with His people. No one misses out. “Will by no means precede” means the living will not go ahead of the dead. The believers in Thessalonica most likely worried that those who had died would miss the Lord’s coming. Paul tells them they will not. The Lord Himself (4:16). “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.” Shout is keleusma (say: KEL-yoos-mah), a word of command. The Lord Himself gives the call. The dead in Christ. “And the dead in Christ will rise first.” They will be raised bodily. Death did not end their belonging to Christ. Caught up together (4:17). “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” Living and raised believers meet the Lord at the same moment. Many Christians see this as the rapture, when Jesus takes His people to be with Him before the hard times at the end. Always with the Lord. “And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” Being with the Lord forever is the hope Paul holds out. Comfort (4:18). “Therefore comfort one another with these words.” This teaching is given to comfort, not to frighten and not to start arguments about dates. Application. Think of someone who is grieving. Write a note or pray with them, and remind them that the Lord is coming.

Paul said these words came from the Lord Himself. Jesus will come down from heaven. There will be a loud command. The voice of an archangel will call out. God’s trumpet will sound. First, God’s people who died will rise to new life. Then God’s people who are still alive will go up too. They will all meet the Lord together in the sky. Many Christians see this as the rapture, when Jesus gathers His people. Best of all, they will be with the Lord forever. Paul said to comfort each other with these words. These words are good news, not scary news. We can share them with a friend who is sad.

Jesus is coming back one day. God’s people will be with Him forever. That is a happy promise!

Times and seasons (5:1). “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.” God has not told anyone the date. Like a thief (5:2). “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.” A thief does not send a note ahead of time. The picture is only about surprise. Jesus is not like a thief in any other way. No guessing. Nobody needs to guess the day. God’s people trust Him with the time. When people feel safe (5:3). “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them.” That day will bring God’s judgment on evil, and people who ignore God will not be ready. God’s people do not need to fear it, because Jesus has rescued them. Not in darkness (5:4-5). “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day.” People who belong to Jesus belong to the day. That day is not a danger to them. Stay awake (5:6). “Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” Here sleep means not paying attention to God. It has nothing to do with going to bed at night. Sober means clear-headed and in control of yourself. Faith, love and hope (5:8). Paul gives one quick picture: “putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.” What this means for you. God has kept the date to Himself. Your part is to live for Jesus today.

Times and seasons (5:1). “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.” Believers are not given a date; they are given a way to live. The day of the Lord (5:2). “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.” In the prophets, the day of the Lord is the time when God steps in to judge evil and to save His people. Paul uses the phrase for the coming of the Lord Jesus. As a thief. The picture is about timing alone: unannounced and unexpected. No one can work out the date. Sudden (5:3). “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.” Like labor pains, it comes suddenly and cannot be stopped once it starts. The warning is for people who brush God aside; for believers, the next words bring comfort. Sons of light (5:4-5). “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day.” A son of the day is someone whose life belongs to the day. The coming Day holds no threat for him. Awake (5:6-7). “Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” Sleep here is spiritual dullness, not bedtime. Believers stay alert to God and clear-headed. One picture (5:8). “Putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.” Faith and love guard the heart; hope guards the mind. Application. Ask God to keep you alert to Him this week. Choose one habit that helps you pay attention to Him each day.

When will Jesus come back? Only God knows. Paul said that day will come like a thief at night. A thief does not say when he is coming. Jesus is not like a thief in any other way. The picture only means we do not know the time. So nobody needs to guess the day. Paul said God’s people belong to the light and the day. Paul also said to be awake and have self-control. That means paying attention to God and choosing what is right. It does not mean you must stay awake all night! Faith, love and hope help keep God’s people safe. Each day we can trust Jesus and live His way.

Only God knows the day Jesus comes back. We belong to the light. We can live for Jesus every day.

Not anger (5:9). “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Wrath is God’s anger against sin. God’s plan for His people is rescue. Died for us (5:10). “Who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.” Jesus died on the cross in our place, and He rose again. Wake or sleep. Here wake or sleep means alive or having died. Either way, believers will live together with Jesus. Comfort and build up (5:11). “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” To edify means to help someone grow stronger in their faith. Keep going. The believers were already comforting each other. Paul told them to keep it up. Ways to comfort. We can listen, stay close, pray, share a Bible verse or just be kind. Being there matters more than saying the right thing. Building up. A kind word can help a friend trust Jesus more. A mean word can tear someone down, so choose words that build. What this means for you. This week, notice someone who seems sad or lonely. Find one way to comfort them or help them feel stronger.

Appointed (5:9). “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Wrath is God’s holy anger against sin. God’s purpose for His people is salvation, and it comes through Christ alone. Died for us (5:10). “Who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.” Christ’s death in our place is the reason believers are not destined for wrath. Wake or sleep. Here sleep means having died, as in 4:13-15. Living or dead at His coming, every believer will live together with Him. Comfort and edify (5:11). “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” To edify is to build someone up in faith, so that they stand firm in the Lord. Already doing it. Paul praises what the believers were doing and urges them to continue. Comfort is a lasting habit, not a single act. How it looks. Comfort listens before it speaks. It stays beside the grieving, prays, and points to the Lord’s promises. Application. Think of a classmate or family member who is struggling. Write down one thing you will do this week to comfort or build up that person.

Paul wrote, “God did not choose us to suffer his anger.” His plan was to save us through Jesus. We have all sinned, but Jesus died for us on the cross. Paul said He died “so that we can live together with him.” Then Jesus rose again, and He is alive! Alive or not, Jesus’ people belong to Him. Paul wrote, “So comfort each other and give each other strength.” Giving strength means helping someone feel braver. You can listen to a friend who is sad. You can draw a picture for them or pray together. Paul said the believers were already doing this. God’s family helps each other every day.

God wants to save us through Jesus. Jesus died for us. We can give each other kind words.