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What is the Day of the LORD? A contrast between 1
Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
The Day
of the LORD is a period
of time
when the LORD enters into human history in order to
bring about terrible judgment upon man for his evil. Ultimately, the
Day
of the LORD is designed to purge the earth of evil people and
prepare it for the reign of the Messiah. In New Testament terms, it is
"the hour of testing ... which is about to come upon the whole world,
to test those who dwell on the earth" (Rev. 3:10). But the term "Day
of
the LORD" is decidedly drawn from the Old Testament.
There have been historical fulfillments of the Day of the LORD (Joel 1:1-2:25; Isaiah 13:1-22). These historical fulfillments use language that typifies yet future fulfillments more devastating in ferocity and scope. Those eschatological fulfillments will take place during the Tribulation (Isaiah 13:6-13; Ezek. 30:3; Obad. 1:15-16; Zeph. 1:14-18), at the Second Coming of Christ to Judge the Nations preparatory to setting up His global Kingdom (Joel 3:1-17; Zech. 14:1-15), and at the Destruction of the Existing Heavens and Earth preparatory to the Creation of the New Heavens and Earth in which will exist only righteous conditions and righteous people (2 Pet. 3:10-13). For more on the Day of the LORD, go to The Day of the LORD Index Page. Incidentally, a number of Bible teachers mistakenly, in my view, assume that “the day of the Lord” to which Paul refers in 1 Thess. 5:2 is another way of identifying what they believe is the Post-Tribulation Rapture of the Church. They assume that the event Paul described in 1 Thess. 4:13-18 is the same event as that which he subsequently described in 1 Thess. 5:1-11. To them, “the Day of the Lord” is the return of Christ for His Church, which return bodes ill for unbelievers. In my view they overlook several important facts: (1) The mood of 1 Thess. 4:13-18 is decidedly jubilant and comforting, whereas the mood of 1 Thess. 5:1-11 is relentlessly somber and alarming. In the former passage, Paul did not want his readers to be grieved about their deceased loved ones in the same way as did the unbelievers, who have no hope (1 Thess. 4:13). In fact, he said that when He returned, Jesus will bring their departed loved ones back with Him (1 Thess. 4:14). The Lord will descend from heaven with a "shout," with "the voice of the archangel," and with "the trumpet of God!" (1 Thess. 4:16). This is a time for celebration! In response, "the dead in Christ will rise first" (1 Thess. 4:16). Then, "we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air!" (1 Thess. 4:17), "and so shall we always be with the Lord!" Because of the prospects of this anticipated reunion with loved ones and with Christ Himself, Paul exhorted them to "comfort one another with these words" (1 Thess. 4:18). In the latter passage (1 Thess. 5:1-11) Paul described the coming of the Day of the Lord using words such as “like a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5:2); “like a thief” (1 Thess. 5:4); “destruction” (1 Thess. 5:3); “suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child” (1 Thess. 5:3); “darkness” (1 Thess. 5:4); and “wrath” (1 Thess. 5:9). In this latter passage, the comfort Paul offers is that his readers will be exempted from “the day of the Lord,” not merely that they will not be surprised by it. (2) Paul used the words “Perì dè,” “Now concerning,” to begin the topic of 1 Thess. 5:1-11. That is Paul’s stylistic way of introducing a new topic. The topic of 1 Thess. 5:1-11 (the Tribulation), though in the same genre, Eschatology, is a decidedly different topic than the topic of 1 Thess. 4:13-18 (Rapture). See Paul’s use of Perì dè to introduce new topics in 1 Cor. 7:1, 25; 8:1; 12:1; 16:1, 12; 1 Thess. 4:9; 5:1. (3) Again, in my view, those who believe both passages (1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Thess. 5:1-11) are describing the same event have not studied adequately the somber and judgmental nature of “The Day of the LORD” in the OT. They defend their position by saying that the Return of Christ will be joyous for believers, but terrifying for unbelievers. In my judgment, they err in assuming a Post-Tribulation Rapture, a position that is, at least to me, eschatologically untenable. For more information see the article, “Nine Reasons Why Belief in a Post-Tribulation Rapture Is Not Credible.” (4) They assume that the Second Coming of Christ will occur in one event. They are oblivious that the New Testament teaches that Christ will return in two stages – (a) for His Bride, the Church; (b) in power and great glory to destroy His enemies and set up His Millennial Kingdom. In short, they fail to recognize subtle distinctions in the the two types of Scripture passages. Believing Sons of Israel were completely unaware that the coming of their Messiah would occur in two stages. Similarly, the vast majority of the members of today’s organized church are unaware that the Second Coming of Christ will occur in two stages. Paul actually described both stages of Christ's return. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 he carefully outlined the events of what I call Christ's return for the purpose of Reunion. In 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 he described in horrifying language Christ's return for the purpose of Retribution. In Paul's eschatology, the two descriptions of the two separate returns of Christ (1 Thess. 4:13-18 and 2 Thess. 1:7-10) surround the terrible time of God's wrath upon earth, The Tribulation period, to which he referred in 1 Thess. 5:1-11. The chart below will outline the different characters of the two, separate returns.
Conclusion: The Day of the LORD is primarily characterized as a time of great trouble for the entire world. It is the time of Tribulation
spelled out in great detail in the OT, and with some detail in the NT.
It is the time of a wrathful God and wrathful Lamb pouring at their
anger and vengeance upon a disbelieving, rebellious, and unrepentant
world (1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9; Rev. 6:16, 17; 11:18; 14:10, 19; 15:1, 7;
16:1, 19; 19:15). It is true that at the end of the Tribulation, Christ will return, but the emphasis of His return after the Tribulation will be one of Retribution upon the enemies of His people, including the Church
(2 Thess. 1:3-10) and including the believing Sons of Israel (Joel
3:1-17), but also to pay back those who have mercilessly tortured and
killed the Tribulation Saints, those who would not take the mark of the Beast (Rev. 6:9-11; 14:9-13), nor would they indulge in the False Religion of the Great Prostitute, Babylon (Rev. 19:1-6).
The Church has been exempted from the wrath of God exhibited in the Tribulation, also known as the Day of the LORD (1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9; 2 Thess. 2:1-2, 6-7, 13-15; Rev. 3:10). Jesus will come at first to claim Church-Age believers as His Bride from this earth and to take them back to His Father's house (John 14:1-6; 1 Cor. 15:50-58; 1 Thess. 4:13-18). Almost immediately after the Church's departure, the Day of the LORD will begin here upon earth. It is worth noting that after 19 occurrences of the word "church," ekklêsía (1577) in Rev. 1:4-3:22, the term does not appear in the book of Revelation again until Rev. 22:16. It appears the Church is absent from the earth all during the Day of the Lord, which is primarily the Tribulation. Presumably, the Church will be up in heaven, possibly in New Jerusalem, which I believe is the city in which are the residences Jesus is preparing for His Bride (John 14:1-6). After a time of purification up there, known as the Judgment Seat of Christ (Rom. 14:10-12; 2 Cor. 5:10), the entire Church, the Bride of Christ, will have made herself ready for her wedding (Rev. 19:7-8). Christ will return in power and glory to rid the entire earth of His adversaries and all unbelievers (Rev. 19:11-21; Isa. 63:1-6; Zech. 14:1-4; Matt. 25:1-13, 14-30, 31-46; 2 Thess. 1:3-10; 2:8-12). He will set up His Kingdom upon earth and reign from Jerusalem, Israel over all the earth for a thousand years (Psa. 2:4-9; Zech. 14:9; Rev. 20:1-6). It is probably at the start of the Millennial Kingdom that all saints will celebrate with Jesus the Marriage Supper of the Lamb to His Bride, the Church. Believing Israelis who are not part of the Church and Gentiles who are not part of the Church will be guests invited to the Marriage Supper (Rev. 19:9). The Bride, of course, will need no invitation. She will automatically be there. In summary, Jesus will return to this earth in two stages. First He will come to retrieve His Bride. There will follow on earth the Day of the LORD, that is, the Tribulation. After that Jesus will return in power and great glory to take vengeance on His enemies and establish His reign upon earth for a thousand years. The Rapture (1 Thess. 4:13-18) is to be distinguished from the Day of the LORD (1 Thess. 5:1-11). Return to The
Day of the LORD Index Page
Return to Eschatology Index Page Published November 17, 2018
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