Do we know the exact time of the return of the Lord? Yes, we do!
But didn’t Jesus say, “that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven” (Mathew 24:36). Yes, He did say that.
Then how do we know the day and hour of the return of Christ? It is when the trumpet sounds.
It is just that we do not know when the trumpet will sound. So, no we don’t know the day or hour of Christ’s return. This is not a joke about the time of Christ’s return. Instead, it is a joke about the eccentric people who think they know the time of Christ’s return. Of course, no one knows when Christ will return.
Paul is writing to the Thessalonian Church about the return of Christ and about Christians who die before the return of Christ. In Acts 17 we read he was only there in Thessalonica for three Sabbaths. He may have worked there longer if that meant he worked with the Jews for three Sabbaths and the Gentiles he worked with additionally and styed longer than three weeks. Philippians 4:16 indicate he was in Thessalonica more than 3 weeks but still only a short time. Paul is writing new believers who have not had much time to grow deep in theology.
When Believers Die (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17)
Paul said he doesn't want these believers to be uninformed. You can imagine how little they had been instructed. This is especially true considering they may have been coming from a gentile background. Paul had only been with them a very short time.
In act 17 it says Paul was in Thessalonica three sabbaths, but we are thinking Acts 17 mentioning three sabbaths is the time just with the Jews in the Synagogue. He might have spent more time in Thessalonica with the gentiles. This seems to be the case because of the reference that the Philippian church gave him gifts while he was in Thessalonica more than one time (Philippians 4:16). But even with possible amount beyond the three weeks mentioned in Acts 17 Paul was in Thessalonica only a short time. Then there was an uprising and he slipped out under the cover of darkness (Acts 17:10).
Paul instructed the church that when a believer dies, they are not to grieve like those who have no hope in Christ. They must have experienced a believer dying already and Paul was giving them instruction on this. Probably no one in this new church knew what to say at the funeral when a church member died.
There was lots of good news when Timothy brought back the report to Paul and Silas as they were waiting in Athens to find out about their faith. It was a joy for Paul to find out their testimony was ringing out in Macedonia and Achia. But they were needing some help to clear things up when a believer in Christ died.
It's not that they are not to grieve at the death of a fellow believer. But their grief is different than those who have no hope in Christ. As believers we do grieve when we lose loved ones. But for believers we are grieving for ourselves and our loss, not for the person that died.
This assurance believers have is because of the hope we have in Christ. When a believer dies r they are present with Christ in heaven. Our grief is for ourselves because we have lost someone important to us. Our lives will not be the same without them. There is grief but not like those who have no hope.
There is a complete difference between a funeral for a believer and an unbeliever. “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord’’ (2 Corinthians 5:8)
And Paul makes it clear why we have this hope because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. And so, he is explaining that those who died as believers will also rise because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
When Jesus comes again those who've already died have not missed it. They will be resurrected. As believers all of us, those who died before the return of Christ and those who are alive at the return of Christ will meet the Lord at his second coming.
We will be with the Lord forever. Our faith in Christ has changed our destiny for eternity. We will be with the Lord forever. And we are to encourage one another with these words. This is a very encouraging part of our Christian faith that will be with the Lord forever in heaven.
The Day of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11)
Paul didn't want the believers to be uninformed about people who died but now he is saying you are informed about the day of the Lord. He told them you are informed about there being no revealed set time of Christ’s return. Paul says there is something that the new believers in Thessalonica know very well, The Day of the Lord. Paul is using this term, Day of the Lord, as the return of Christ. In the time of the Old Testament the Day of the Lord was some big military event and coming day of judgement.
The children of Israel were warned in the Old Testament if they were wayward, not to only think of the Day of the Lord as judgement for their enemies and salvation for themselves. Because of their waywardness the day of the Lord would mean judgement for God’s people too, unless they turned back to God (Amos 5:18-20).
Woe to you who long
for the day of the LORD!
Why do you long for the day of the LORD?
That day will be darkness, not light.
19 It will be as though a man fled from a lion
only to meet a bear,
as though he entered his house
and rested his hand on the wall
only to have a snake bite him.
20 Will not the day of the LORD be darkness, not light—
pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?
They also do not need to be told about the day and time of Christs return.
So, while Paul is writing them they already have this New Testament association between the day of the Lord and the return of Christ. They know very well that this will come like a thief in the night unexpectedly.
People will be saying peace and safety and then Christ’s return will come suddenly. There will be no escaping the second coming of Christ. It will be a day of salvation for believers in Christ and a day of judgement for unbelievers. Paul is contrasting the darkness and light and they're not like the ones that live in the darkness but their ones who live in the light serving Jesus Christ.
In the Old Testament this day of the Lord was going to be judgment for some who thought it was going to be their deliverance. And the return of Christ is deliverance and salvation for all who've trusted Christ as their savior. But it will be a day of judgment for those who have not put their faith in Jesus Christ. And Paul makes the clear connection for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and for those who receive salvation at the second coming of Christ.
There is a salvation the Thessalonians experienced when they became believers in Christ (salvation past). They were living out this salvation and their testimony rang out through Macedonia (salvation present). There is the full blessing of their faith in Christ at the second coming of Christ they are awaiting (salvation future).
So, when Jesus Christ died for us whether we have lived out our life on earth and died in the Lord and in heaven or if we're alive at the second coming of Christ we are all living together with Jesus Christ in Heaven. Therefore, we build each other and encourage each other with this. Our future hope in heaven is the ultimate encouragement.
Conclusion
Peter had a parallel thought about the second coming of Christ. There were those that said, oh the Lord has not returned because it's been the same as before all this time. Jesus hasn't returned yet. So they say he is not coming again. They are wrong.
The Lord's purpose in waiting for His return is to make an opportunity for all of those who would to come to Jesus Christ in salvation by faith. People thought the coming of Messiah was slow and that He would never come. They were wrong. Jesus came the first Christmas morning at God’s perfect time.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
This is time for you to trust Christ to be ready for the return of Christ. Jesus’ death and resurrection is for you if you trust him now by faith. There is still time for you to share Christ with others who do not know him. Let us encourage each other with the return of Christ and our eternal destiny of living with Christ forever in heaven.
