October 8, 2001

Lessons for October 21

EXPLORE THE BIBLE:
Being sensible about the Second Coming of Christ
___ 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
___By Pete Freeman
___First Baptist Church, The Woodlands
___In 1988, a writer published a little booklet titled "Eighty-Eight Reasons Jesus Will Come In 1988." The author just happened to find 88 biblical reasons why Jesus would return in 1988. I often wondered how the sale of the booklet would have been affected if there would have been 89 reasons? I would imagine that the author made a sizeable amount of money on the booklet.
___Considering the immediacy of Christ's return, I thought it was interesting that any purchaser could buy the booklet with his charge card. That should have been a dead give-a-way. This was not the first and will not be the last time people try to capitalize on the Second Coming.
___Capitalism was not the motivation behind those in the first century who prematurely announced the "day of the Lord." Yet it was a problem enough that it prompted our writer to address the "time and season" of the "day of the Lord" frequently. Paul addressed it in greater detail in his following letter to the Thessalonians. It is apparent he preached on this subject in depth while he was with them. Now, he has to spend time clarifying and re-emphasizing the basics related to the "day of the Lord."
___It is interesting in our day that writers fit either one of two extremes on this matter--over-kill or under-kill. It is evident both our Lord and the Apostle Paul were able to strike a balance on this subject. Jesus stated, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Mark 13:32). Paul's language about the parousia is general in nature. He sees the Lord's coming as a means for encouraging believers in their daily living. Therefore, he is concerned that God's people be sensible about the second coming.
___He opens by using two words that express both duration of time and the nature of the events that characterize the end time. "Times" is the root for our word "chronology." Therefore, it denotes time simply as sequence. The second word, "dates," refers to the kinds of events that take place during the chronology-time.
___He later, like Christ, gives his readers some general signs related to the end of time. But in this passage he is more concerned about both their attitude and their actions as they relate to the certainty of the "day of the Lord."
___The "the day of the Lord" is a very archaic biblical thought. It is much older than even the words of Amos. He spent considerable words in correcting the erroneous ideas of his contemporaries about a coming "judgment day." Of course, this was carried over into the New Testament. Leon Morris concludes that "the men of the New Testament found a large place for the events of that day, and that it was a major concept for them."
___The certainty of that "day" is expressed in the words,"for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come." It is a day that will take place like a "thief in the night." I have yet to hear of a homeowner who received a letter in advance about the specifics of a planned robbery at their home. They may know robberies may be on the increase in their neighborhood or that their failure to install a security system increases their chances of being robbed. But a thief never announces the details of his arrival. Such unexpectedness should cause every believer to beware of all date fixers.
___In verses 3 through 5, Paul contrasts unbelievers and non-believers. "People" refers to non-Christians who are wrapped up in their own sense of security and therefore, give little thought about the end of the world. They have no clue to the impending "destruction" about to come on them. Writers do not agree on the meaning of "destruction" but most dismiss the idea of annihilation. From the usage of this word in 2 Thessalonians 1:9, we can conclude the word denotes the "loss of fellowship with God."
___What could be worse than to be totally and eternally absent from the presence of God? We must note the writer describes such "destruction" as sudden, inevitable and inescapable. As sure as labor pains mean impending birth, the day of the Lord will certainly come about. For those who do not know Jesus Christ, it will be a day of judgment.
___How are believers to be sensible about the second coming? What are some characteristics of those who look forward to the "day of the Lord?"
___For brevity's sake, let's break his instructions into three areas--alertness, self-discipline and edification. All Christians should be good theologians concerning end times. They should weigh the contents of a writer, no matter how popular he may be, to the contents of the word. As well, they should strive for balance in their thinking about end times. They shouldn't chase after the sensational theories of eschatology. Third, a believer's hope in the Second Coming should be reflected in relationships with other believers. A balanced understanding of the "day of the Lord" produces spiritual growth, not schism.

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