“For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” I Thessalonians 5:9
In I Thessalonians 4 and 5 Paul reveals some powerful truths about the sliver of time that is between the end of the Age of the Gentiles and the 70th week of God’s judgment on the nation of Israel often
called the Tribulation. There are a few truths in this section
of scripture that we often pass over.
The Sequence of the passages Paul tells us at the end of chapter 4 of the amazing rapture of the church. He describes the appearing of the Lord in the air (He does not come to the earth as He does at the second coming). Paul tells us this is a great comfort because we will now be with the Lord but also because of what we will avoid – God’s wrath. In the beginning of chapter 5 he tells us of the coming Day of the Lord. The sequence of events is seen in the order of their appearance – the rapture and then the Tribulation.
The Pronouns When discussing the rapture in chapter 4 Paul uses the pronouns ”we” and “you”. He is talking to believers who are looking for the return of the Lord but are fearful thinking they may be in the Tribulation period and have missed the rapture. When we come to chapter 5 we see Paul introduce a different pronoun – “they”. He first uses the third person pronoun in verse 3 (he uses it three times). “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.” He clearly is differentiating a group different than the “we”. He distinguishes them by writing that this “they” group will think they are experiencing peace and safety when sudden destruction falls on them. He then tells the “we” group that we will not be caught up in this deception. In fact Paul makes it clear that the “we” group is different in I Thessalonians 5:9. “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Peace and Safety There is a third truth in these passage that is becoming clearer as this time draws near. The tribulation begins (the rapture likely occurs right before the Tribulation) “at an hour you do not expect.” Most people will not be expecting anything unusual. There is peace and safety on the earth – no conflict or war to trouble people. We see this beginning to develop in the Middle East as Israel defeats its adversaries who are attacking them. We are also told in Ezekiel 38:11 when the war of God and Magog (Russia and its allies attack Israel) will occur. “I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will fall upon the quiet people who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gates.” It is a tie of peace and safety. Israel will beattacked when they feel very safe. God the destroys the Russian armies on the mountains of Jerusalem. The Antichrist takes credit for God’s victory and enters into a peace pact with Israel to offer them protection. (Their faith is, at first, in the antichrist rather than God.) We also read in Scripture the Russian army ‘s implements of war will be used by Israel for 7 years as
fuel (the length of the Tribulation.) Thus we see the rapture of the church may parallel the death of Methuselah as the flood began. Methuselah’s name means “when he is gone it shall come”. We know from scripture that Methuselah died in the year the flood came – exactly as God said.
What can we learn? God will leave the church here to be a witness for him until very close to the Tribulation. We can expect more persecution from a hostile world system, But if we see Jerusalem enjoy peace, be alert and look up. The redemption of the Lord draws near!