1 Thessalonians 5:2-The Day of the Lord is Certainly About to Come Like a Thief in the Night Lesson # 70

1 Thessalonians 5:1 Now on the topic of times and seasons, brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you. 5:2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord will come in the same way as a thief in the night. (NET)

In 1 Thessalonians 5:1, the apostle Paul asserts that the Thessalonians possessed absolutely no need whatsoever for him, Silvanus and Timothy to write them concerning those particular distinguishable periods of time and specifically, particular distinguishable prophetic events.

Then, in verse 2 he gives the reason why this was the case for it asserts that each and every one of the Thessalonians possessed an accurate comprehensive knowledge that the day of the Lord, in the same way as a thief during the night, is certainly about to take place.

Therefore, the Thessalonians possessed absolutely no need whatsoever for Paul, Silvanus and Timothy to write them concerning those particular distinguishable periods of time and specifically, those particular distinguishable prophetic events “because” they possessed an accurate comprehensive knowledge that the day of the Lord, like a thief in the night, is certainly about to take place.

In other words, Paul, Silvanus and Timothy did not need to write the Thessalonians concerning distinguishable prophetic periods of time and specifically, those particular distinguishable prophetic events connected to the day of the Lord “because” they possessed an accurate comprehensive knowledge of this subject.

The expression hēmera kyriou (ἡμέρα κυρίου), “day of the Lord” refers to the seventieth week of Daniel and the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

The noun hemera, “day” is not used in a literal sense for the period between sunrise and sunset called the “day” in contrast to the night but rather, the word pertains to an indefinite period of time which could range from a relatively short to very long period of time.

The context will indicate the extent of the time period and here the period of time is the seventieth week of Daniel and subsequent Second Advent of Jesus Christ, which is indicated by the expression tōn chronōn kai tōn kairōn (τῶν χρόνων καὶ τῶν καιρῶν), “times and seasons” in verse 1.

In this expression, the noun chronos means “those particular distinguishable periods of time” since the word is referring to the Lord exercising His wrath or righteous indignation against unrepentant, unregenerate human being on the earth during the seventieth week of Daniel and His Second Advent.

Also, in this expression, the noun kairos means “those particular distinguishable prophetic events” since the word refers to the prophetic “events” which will take place in the future during the day of the Lord.

Specifically, it refers to all the prophetic “events” which will take place in the future during the seventieth week of Daniel and Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

These two words chronos and kairos appear in the plural in only one other place in the Greek New Testament, namely Acts 1:7 in relation to the nation of Israel and in particular restoring the kingdom of Israel.

These two words are used in Acts 1:7 in relation to the prophetic events of the seventieth week of Daniel and the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, which is indicated by the fact that 1 Thessalonians 5:2-11 uses them in relation to the events of the seventieth week and Second Advent.

Secondly, Acts 1:7 uses them with reference to the restoration of the kingdom of Israel, which speaks of the millennial kingdom, which will be established through the prophetic events of the seventieth week of Daniel and Second Advent of Jesus Christ and the latter terminates the former.

The term “Day of the Lord” occurs in the following passages: Isa. 2:12; 13:6, 9; Ezek. 13:5; 30:3; Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14; Amos 5:18 (twice), 20; Obadiah 15; Zeph. 1:7, 14 (twice); Zech. 14:1; Mal. 4:5; Acts 2:20; 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Thess. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:10.

The phrases “that day” or “the day” or “the great day” also refer to the day of the Lord and appear more than 75 times in the Old Testament.

The term “Day of the Lord” and the phrases “that day” or “the day” or the “great day” are used with reference to Daniel’s Seventieth Week (Isaiah 13:5-6; Ezekiel 30:3; Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11, 29, 31; 38:10-19; 39:11, 22; Obadiah 14-15; Zephaniah 1:14, 18; 2:2-3; Zechariah 12:3-4, 6, 8-9; Malachi 4:5).

They are also used of the Second Advent of Christ (Zechariah 12:11; 14:4, 6, 8), the millennium (Ezekiel 45:22; 48:35; Joel 3:18; Zechariah 14:9; Zephaniah 3:11), and the creation of the new heavens and earth (2 Peter 2:10).

Now, if you notice that there are only four passages in the New Testament in which “the day of the Lord” appears (Acts 2:20; 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Thess. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:10), however, this phrase is used often by the writers of the Old Testament.

Thus, Paul and Peter’s understanding of the day of the Lord was based upon their understanding of this use of the phrase in the Old Testament.

To summarize, “the day of the Lord” prophecies were already fulfilled in history in several different ways: (1) Assyrian deportation of the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C. (Amos 5:18, 20), (2) locust plague in Joel’s day (Joel 1:15), (3) Babylonian exile of Judah between 605-587 B.C. (Zeph. 1:7; Ezek. 13:5), (4) Babylonian defeat of Egypt in 587 B.C. (Ezek. 30:3), (5) destruction of Edom (Obad. 1-14). There are several “day of the Lord” prophecies which will be fulfilled during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week (Zeph. 1:14; Joel 2:1; 2:11, 31; 3:14; Zechariah 14:1-2; Is. 13:6-16). There are some that will be fulfilled through the Second Advent of Jesus Christ (Zech. 14:3-8) and His subsequent millennial reign (Zech. 14:9-21; Joel 3:17-21).

Therefore, we can conclude that the phrase “the day of the Lord” prophecies described the immediate future as well as those events taking place during the Seventieth Week of Daniel and Christ’s Second Advent and millennial reign.

Thus, in far eschatological sense, the “day of the Lord” is “not” a literal twenty-four period but rather, it is an extended period of time and begins with God’s dealing with Israel after the rapture of the church that takes place prior to Daniel’s Seventieth Week.

It extends through the Second Advent of Jesus Christ and His millennial reign, culminating with the creation of the new heavens and the new earth, however, the day of the Lord could also be a period of time taking place during the prophet’s own lifetime or not too long after.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:2, the verb erchomai, “will come” pertains to moving toward or up to the reference point of the viewpoint of the event.

In context, the events are Jesus Christ exercising His wrath or righteous indignation against the unregenerate inhabitants of planet earth during the seventieth week of Daniel and His subsequent Second Advent and so therefore, this verb is expressing the idea of moving toward these future events.

The futuristic present tense of the verb erchomai is describing Jesus Christ exercising His wrath or righteous indignation exercised against unregenerate humanity during the seventieth week of Daniel and His subsequent Second Advent as a certain, imminent future event, although as if it were already taking place.

The idea expressed by the futuristic present is that the day of the Lord is “about” to come or arrive in the same way as a thief during the night and is expressing the idea of immediacy and certainty or inevitability, thus, this indicates that the day of the Lord is “certain” to take place in the “immediate” future.

The verb oida, “you know” is expressing the idea that each of the Thessalonians possessed a comprehensive knowledge of the prophetic events connected to the subject of the Lord.

This verb is modified by the adverb of manner akribōs, “quite well,” which is expressing the idea that the Thessalonians possessed an “accurate” comprehensive knowledge of the prophetic events connected to the day of the Lord in the sense they possessed a detail and complete understanding of this subject.

The Thessalonians’ accurate comprehensive knowledge of the day of the Lord is implied in the expression tōn chronōn kai tōn kairōn (τῶν χρόνων καὶ τῶν καιρῶν), “times and seasons” in verse 1 while on the other hand, the Thessalonians’ knowledge of day of the Lord is stated explicitly in verse 2.

The comparative clause hōs kleptēs en nykti (ὡς κλέπτης ἐν νυκτὶ), “in the same ways as a thief during the night” is making a comparison between the prophetic events connected to the day of the Lord and a thief breaking into a home during the middle of the night.

So therefore, in 1 Thessalonians 5:2, the apostle Paul asserts that the Thessalonians possessed an accurate comprehensive knowledge that the day of the Lord, like a thief breaking into home during the middle of the night, is certainly about to take place.

In verse 3, he asserts that the non-believers will be thinking they are safe and secure but the day of the Lord will take them by surprise and they will not escape the day of the Lord.

Then, in verse 4, he reassures the Thessalonians that they are not in the darkness about the day of the Lord and they will not be taken by surprise it.

The day of the Lord refers to the seventieth week of Daniel and in particular the last three and a half years of this seven-year period which Jesus describes in Matthew 24:21 as the “great tribulation.”

This period is described by the apostle John in Revelation 6-18. During this time, God will exercise His wrath against the inhabitants of planet earth for their rejection of Him and His Son.

Then, in 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Paul asserts that the Thessalonians were not destined to experience God’s wrath during the day of the Lord.

In contrast to the non-believer, they are destined for salvation, which refers to the completion of their salvation when they receive a resurrection body.

Therefore, this passage teaches that the rapture will take place before the events of the seventieth week of Daniel.

So therefore a comparison of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, which addresses the subject of the rapture and 1 Thessalonians 5;1-11 which addresses the subject of the day of the Lord indicate that both are imminent and that the prophetic events connected to the day of the Lord begin with the rapture of the church.

The apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 provides even greater details with regards to the day of the Lord.