The Day of the Lord

1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 ESV

As chapter five opens, Paul shifts his focus from the Rapture, the end-times event when the church will be “caught up” to meet the Lord in the air, to the “day of the Lord.” Though closely related and timed to happen in sequence, these are two separate events, and Paul treats them as such. The Rapture of the church will usher in the Tribulation, a literal seven-year period of intense judgment upon the earth. With the church removed, God will turn His attention to the lost who will make up the entire population of the planet, including His original chosen people, the nation of Israel. Prophetically, the “day of the Lord” begins with the Tribulation, includes Christ’s Second Coming at the end of the seven years, and concludes with the Millennium, the 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth.

Having encouraged the Thessalonians about the fate of their deceased brothers and sisters in Christ, Paul now addresses the living rather than the dead. He wants them to have a well-developed understanding of the sequence of events that will make up the end times. He has already addressed the Rapture, and with that reality firmly fixed in their minds, the Thessalonians should have nothing to fear regarding the day of the Lord. Yes, it “will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2 ESV), unexpectedly and surprisingly. Jesus also warned His disciples about the sudden and unexpected nature of this end-times event.

“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” – Luke 21:34-36 ESV

Jesus was not suggesting that His disciples would live to see that day. Obviously, none of them did. He also did not teach that believers would experience the day of the Lord. But notice that He does suggest that they pray for “strength to escape all these things” so that they might “stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36 ESV). Jesus was encouraging His disciples and all true believers to live soberly and alertly, eagerly anticipating His return for the church (the Rapture). He assures them that those who remain in Him will “escape all these things that are going to take place.”

But Paul describes a drastically different fate for all those who are alive when the day of the Lord begins: “sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:3 ESV). Living with a false sense of peace and security, they will be entirely caught by surprise at the sudden and unexpected nature of God’s judgment. The prophets provide sobering details about the extent of the wrath God will pour out on sinful humanity in those days.

For see, the day of the Lord is coming—
    the terrible day of his fury and fierce anger.
The land will be made desolate,
    and all the sinners destroyed with it.
The heavens will be black above them;
    the stars will give no light.
The sun will be dark when it rises,
    and the moon will provide no light.

“I, the Lord, will punish the world for its evil
    and the wicked for their sin.
I will crush the arrogance of the proud
    and humble the pride of the mighty.” – Isaiah 13:0-11 NLT

“That terrible day of the Lord is near.
    Swiftly it comes—
a day of bitter tears,
    a day when even strong men will cry out.
It will be a day when the Lord’s anger is poured out—
    a day of terrible distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and desolation,
    a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness,
    a day of trumpet calls and battle cries.” – Zephaniah 1:14-16 NLT

Even Jesus described the devastating nature of God’s judgment.

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.” – Matthew 24:21 ESV

But Paul is telling the Thessalonians that they have no reason to fear those dark days, not because they will die long before the events occur, but because, as followers of Christ, they will be protected and preserved from judgment.

For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ… – 1 Thessalonians 5:9 ESV

The period of the Tribulation is intended as a divine judgment against sinful mankind. With the church removed at the Rapture, the remaining population of the earth will be made up solely of unbelievers. As Jesus indicated, the divine judgment God will bring upon them will be unlike anything anyone has ever seen. The Book of Revelation outlines the nature of these catastrophic judgments.

…hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. One-third of the earth was set on fire, one-third of the trees were burned, and all the green grass was burned. – Revelation 8:7 NLT

…a great mountain of fire was thrown into the sea. One-third of the water in the sea became blood, one-third of all things living in the sea died, and one-third of all the ships on the sea were destroyed. – Revelation 8:8-9 NLT

…a great star fell from the sky, burning like a torch. It fell on one-third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star was Bitterness. It made one-third of the water bitter, and many people died from drinking the bitter water. – Revelation 8:10-11 NLT

…and one-third of the sun was struck, and one-third of the moon, and one-third of the stars, and they became dark. And one-third of the day was dark, and also one-third of the night. – Revelation 8:12-13 NLT

In the chronicle of his divinely inspired vision, John describes days marked by darkness, disease, intense suffering, unprecedented meteorological events, devastating natural disasters, and demonic activity. John leaves no doubt as to the intensity of these judgments and their impact on the inhabitants of the world.

In those days people will seek death but will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them! – Revelation 9:6 NLT

They will be days marked by darkness, literally and figuratively. But Paul reminds his readers:

But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. – 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5 ESV

The judgments of the Tribulation are not for Christ-followers; they are reserved for all those who have rejected God’s offer of salvation through faith alone in Christ alone. Yet, God in His mercy will make His offer of salvation available to those living during the Tribulation. John describes 144,000 Jews who will come to faith in Christ and become witnesses during the days of the Tribulation (Revelation 7:1-8). As a result of their evangelistic efforts, many will turn to Christ, even amid all the pain and suffering.

John describes seeing “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9-10 ESV). When he inquires who these people are, he is told, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14 ESV).

Even while pouring out His wrath on rebellious mankind, God will extend mercy to those who accept His gracious offer of salvation. But for believers on this side of the Rapture, there is no need to fear the coming wrath of God. However, Paul warns that we are not to live with misplaced confidence. He warns the Thessalonians, “let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6 ESV). They were to live with keen awareness and sober-minded seriousness about their new life in Christ. Paul reminds them, “You are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:5 ESV). This is the same message Paul gave to the church in Colossae.

For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. – Colossians 1:13-14 NLT

And the believers in Ephesus were not left out.

Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” – Ephesians 5:10-14 NLT

As children of light who have been transferred into the Kingdom of Christ, we face a different outcome. We are not destined for the day of the Lord and the judgment of God. That is why Paul reminds provides the following reminder to his Thessalonians brothers and sisters.

We belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. – 1 Thessalonians 5:8 ESV

We have the resources necessary to live godly lives and the assurance of our future glorification. There is no reason to fear death or to worry about ever having to face God’s judgment.

Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:10-11 NLT

Father, we have no reason to fear Your future judgment because Your Son paid the price for our sins. As Paul put it, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 NLT). We are children of the light who will escape the darkness of those days because Your Son has promised to return for His bride, the church. But we do need to recognize the reality of that future day of judgment. While we have nothing to fear, there are countless millions who remain enslaved by sin and destined to endure Your well-deserved judgment. Give us a boldness to share the good news that has changed our lives. Fill us with a passion to tell the story of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection to all those who stand condemned and in need of a Savior. Sear the words of Paul on our hearts and minds. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” (Romans 10:14-15 NLT).

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Seek First the Kingdom of God

31 “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:31-33 ESV

Like many others, this command was delivered during Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. He was letting His Hebrew audience know that, with His arrival, things were about to change. Throughout His sermon, He emphasized the Mosaic Law to accentuate the kind of righteousness God demanded from His chosen people. He had already told them He had not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it.

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.” – Matthew 5:17-19 NLT

Jesus was communicating a new and improved version of righteousness based not on human effort but on the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. True citizens of God’s kingdom would live according to His laws willingly and obediently, and their desire to obey would emanate from the heart, not the head. He told the Samaritan woman, “But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24 NLT).

Through the prophets, God had promised to provide His chosen people with new hearts so that they might worship Him in spirit and truth.

“And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God.” – Ezekiel 11:19-20 NLT

“I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.” – Ezekiel 26:26 NLT

“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” – Jeremiah 31:33 NLT

This new covenant would require a new way of living made possible by a new source of power. The Holy Spirit would provide the life-transforming power that allowed disciples to obey God’s commands and live according to His will. Jesus had come to disrupt the status quo. Adherence to the law had never produced righteousness because that was an impossible task. The apostle Paul explained the built-in problem with trying to attain righteousness through law-keeping.

For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. – Romans 3:20-22 NLT

Jesus explained that He was offering something new and better. The law could only expose sin, not eradicate it. But Jesus came to provide a permanent solution to mankind’s sin problem. And that solution was not a slightly improved version of the old one. Jesus made that point clear when He compared the new covenant with the old one.

“No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment.

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins. But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say.” – Luke 5:36-39 NLT

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus provided a glimpse into the new Kingdom He had come to establish. It would be radically different than the one the Jews expected the Messiah to bring. His kingdom would not be about palaces, power, armies, and the overthrow of Israel’s enemies. Jesus had not come to be the deliverer who would ride into Jerusalem on a white horse and vanquish the dreaded Romans. For centuries, the Israelites had longed and waited for the Messiah who would be the Warrior King and restore them to power and prominence. Even Jesus’ disciples held on to their long-held expectations that the Messiah would be a new-and-improved David who would put Israel back on the map politically and economically. In their minds, the Messiah’s arrival would usher in a new age of prosperity, power, and global dominance. That was clearly the expectation of the mother of James and John when she boldly asked Jesus, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left” (Matthew 20:21 NLT).

When Jesus was later brought before Pilate, the Roman governor, He was asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” (John 18:33 NLT). His response was short and succinct.

“My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.” – John 18:36 NLT

Yet, when Jesus was asked by a Pharisee, “When will the Kingdom of God come?” (Luke 17:20 NLT), Jesus gave a seemingly contradictory answer.

“The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.” – Luke 17:20-21 NLT

How can the Kingdom not be an earthly kingdom and yet be present? If the Kingdom of God is already among us, what does that mean and how are we to “seek first” this Kingdom?

When Jesus delivered this command, the people of Israel were living in a time of great oppression, suffering under the iron fist of Rome. These descendants of Abram were powerless, king-less, and helpless to do anything about their circumstances. Their greatest concern was for their next meal. They were ruled by the tyranny of the urgent and had lost sight of their position as God’s chosen people. They had ceased to be Kingdom People and lived like all the other nations around them. They worried and fretted over material things. Their religious practices were done for the sake of men, not God. They were outwardly religious but inwardly spiritually bankrupt. They had failed to live as a set-apart people. Their ancestors had been plagued by sin and ruled by a spirit of rebelliousness and ended up in captivity. Even when they later returned to the land, they continued to struggle with a love affair with this world, refusing to live under God’s command and according to His rules. So by the time Jesus showed up on the scene, they were a weary and demoralized people.

They were spiritually and physically impoverished, constantly wondering if their sins were truly forgiven and whether they would be able to afford the next meal. They lived with constant guilt over their sinfulness and a gnawing frustration with their status as second-class citizens. They were starving to death both physically and spiritually. That is why one of the Beatitudes Jesus used to open His Sermon on the Mount was “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6 ESV).

The apostle Paul later expanded on this idea, providing much-needed clarification to Jesus’ words.

For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. – Romans 14:17 NLT 

And that is exactly what Jesus told His audience that day.

“I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?” – Matthew 6:25 NLT

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” – Matthew 6:31-33 NLT

Paul described the Kingdom of God as “living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Jesus associated it with living righteously. Neither emphasized material wealth, earthly power, or physical needs. So, what did Jesus mean when He said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously” (Matthew 6:33 NLT)? The apostle Paul provides an answer to that question.

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. – Colossians 3:1-4 NLT

Paul encouraged those he discipled to set their sights on the realities of heaven. He wanted them to understand that Jesus had returned to His Father’s side in glory and was destined to return. He wanted them to remember that the Father and the Son were orchestrating the grand redemptive plan that would usher in Christ’s future earthly Kingdom. This world was not to be their home or the focus of all their cares and concerns. When Paul commanded them to think about the things of heaven, he wasn’t suggesting that they become so heavenly minded they were no earthly good. He wasn’t encouraging a form of escapism. Paul was reminding them that the true Kingdom was yet to come.

Just prior to His death, Jesus informed His disciples what was going to take place when they arrived in Jerusalem.

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. – Matthew 16:21 ESV

Upon hearing this news, Peter responded, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you” (Matthew 16:22 ESV). He couldn’t imagine such an unexpected and unpleasant outcome because it would crush all his hopes and dreams concerning Jesus’ Messiahship. Death was not part of the plan. But Jesus knew the Kingdom He came to bring was dependent upon His death and resurrection. His Heavenly Father had a plan for reconciling the world to Himself and it could only take place through the willing sacrifice of His one and only Son.

That is why Jesus turned on Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man” (Matthew 16:23 ESV). Peter had lost sight of the goal. He had taken his eyes off the prize and focused his hopes and dreams on earthly things.

As painful as Jesus’ rebuke must have been, Peter learned a great deal from it. He would later encourage his own disciples to replace their cares and concerns with confidence in the power and plan of God.

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. – 1 Peter 5:6-10 NLT

To seek first His kingdom is to keep our focus on what really matters: The return of Christ and the establishment of His Kingdom on earth. The apostle John describes this future-focused lifestyle this way:

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever. – 1 John 2:15-17 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.