2 Thessalonians 2:1-Paul Addresses Problems with the Timing of the Rapture in Relation to the Day of the Lord

2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now regarding the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to be with him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2:2 not to be easily shaken from your composure or disturbed by any kind of spirit or message or letter allegedly from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. (NET)

2 Thessalonians 2:1 marks a transition from the first major section of the body of Second Thessalonians recorded in 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12 to the second major section in the body of Second Thessalonians, which is recorded in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17.

The former is the thanksgiving section of the body of the letter because it expresses Paul, Silvanus and Timothy thanks to the Father regarding the Thessalonians’ continued faithfulness to the gospel and resultant spiritual growth in the midst of persecution.

The latter addresses the Thessalonians’ relationship to the eschatological day of the Lord, which is composed of the seventieth week of Daniel and the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, which ends the former.

Specifically, it addresses the relationship between the rapture or resurrection of the church and the eschatological day of the Lord, i.e. the seventieth week of Daniel and the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17, Paul attempts to correct and reassure the Thessalonians that the eschatological day of the Lord does not precede the rapture or resurrection of the church.

He teaches that the Spirit, who indwells each member of the church and prevents the appearance of Antichrist and thus the seventieth week of Daniel from beginning, must be removed from earth before the Antichrist can manifest himself.

Thus, the Spirit and the church must be removed before the seventieth week can take place since Daniel 9:27 teaches that the seventieth week begins with Antichrist establishing a treaty with the nation of Israel.

Therefore, Paul is addressing in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 the relationship between the church as well as the rapture and the eschatological day of the Lord, i.e. the seventieth week of Daniel and the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

Now, here in 2 Thessalonians 2:1, Paul, Silvanus and Timothy are presenting a polite request to each member of the Thessalonian Christian community.

What this request is in relation to, is identified with the expressions tēs parousias tou kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou (τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ), “our Lord Jesus Christ’s arrival” and hēmōn episynagōgēs epʼ auton (ἡμῶν ἐπισυναγωγῆς ἐπʼ αὐτὸν), “our gathering into His presence.”

The latter presents the result of the former taking place.

Therefore, this means that the Lord Jesus Christ’s arrival at the rapture or resurrection of the church will “result in” Paul, Silvanus, Timothy and each member of the Thessalonian Christian community being gathered together before the Lord Jesus Christ at that time.

The noun parousia (παρουσία), “arrival” here in 2 Thessalonians 2:1 appeared four times in First Thessalonians (cf. 2:19, 3:13; 4:15; 5:23).

Now, as was the case in each of these verses, here in 2 Thessalonians 2:1, the word refers to Jesus Christ returning at the rapture or resurrection of the church to remove the church bodily from the earth prior to Daniel’s seventieth week.

Therefore, a comparison of these two expressions indicates that the Lord Jesus Christ’s arrival to planet earth in the earth’s atmosphere at the rapture or resurrection of the church will result in the church gathering into His presence.

2 Thessalonians 2:2 presents the content of the request since it identifies for the Thessalonians what Paul, Silvanus and Timothy are concerned about in relation to the rapture or resurrection of the church.

The contents of this verse reveal that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy were politely requesting that the Thessalonians would not be easily shaken from their composure or disturbed by any kind of spirit or message or letter allegedly from them, which taught that the day of the Lord is already here.

Therefore, a comparison of these two verses reveal that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy were concerned that each member of the Thessalonian Christian community would understand completely the relationship between the rapture, i.e. resurrection of the church and the eschatological day of the Lord.

So therefore, the contents of 2 Thessalonians 2:1 reveal that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy are politely presenting a request of each member of the Thessalonian Christian community which is in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ’s arrival which will result in the church gathering in the Lord’s presence.

This arrival is speaking of the rapture or resurrection of the church.

Therefore, the contents of 2 Thessalonians 2:1 reveal that this request is with regards to the arrival of the Lord Jesus Christ which will result in the dead in Christ and those alive in Christ on the earth gathering in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at the rapture or resurrection of the church.

Correspondingly, the contents of this request which appear in 2 Thessalonians 2:2 reveal that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy were requesting that the Thessalonians would not be easily shaken from their composure or disturbed by any kind of spirit or message or letter allegedly from them, which taught that the day of the Lord is already here.

Therefore, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 reveals that in relation to the rapture or resurrection of the church, Paul, Silvanus and Timothy were politely requesting that the Thessalonians would not be easily shaken from their composure or disturbed by any kind of spirit or message or letter allegedly from them, which taught that the day of the Lord is already here.

Thus, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 echoes 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:9 since the former clearly implies what is explicitly taught in the latter, namely, the church will not experience the eschatological day of the Lord.

They will not experience the righteous indignation of the Lamb during the seventieth week of Daniel and the Lord’s Second Advent.

We noted in our study of 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:9 that the church will be delivered from the Lord exercising His righteous indignation against the unrepentant, unregenerate inhabitants of planet earth during the seventieth week of Daniel and His Second Advent.

However, the contents of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 reveals that the rapture or resurrection of the church will be what causes the church to be delivered from the wrath of the Lamb during the seventieth week and His Second Advent.

Therefore, Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 is reiterating what he taught the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:1-10, namely that the Thessalonians will not experience the righteous indignation of the Lord Jesus Christ during the seventieth week and His Second Advent because they will be delivered from His wrath through the rapture or resurrection of the church.

Correspondingly, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 implies what is explicitly taught in 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:9, namely that the church will not experience the eschatological day of the Lord.

In other words, the church will not experience the Lord’s righteous indignation which He will exercise against every unregenerate, unrepentant human being living on the earth during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week of Daniel and during His Second Advent.

This will be the result of the Lord removing the church from the earth at the rapture or resurrection of the church.

Thus, we can understand why Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 was requesting that in relation to the rapture or resurrection of the church, the Thessalonians would not be deceived by false teaching which asserted that the eschatological day of the Lord was taking place in their day and age.

They must not be deceived by this false teaching because the rapture or resurrection of the church will deliver them from the eschatological day of the Lord.

Now, in 2 Thessalonians 2:1, Paul addresses each member of the Thessalonian Christian community with the noun adelphos (ἀδελφός), “spiritual brothers and sisters.”

This word expresses the eternal, familial spiritual relationship that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy shared with each member of the Thessalonian Christian community.

It is expressing the idea that they are spiritual brothers and sisters as a result of their union and identification with Jesus Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father.

This took place through the baptism of the Spirit when the Father declared them justified through faith in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

This word adelphos is functioning as a nominative for vocative or nominative of address, which is expressing the fact that 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 is a solemn request.

It also expresses the deep concern which these three men possess for each member of the Thessalonian Christian community that they are not upset by this false teaching that the eschatological day of the Lord was taking place when this letter was penned by them.