The Second Coming of Christ Part Two

It is Christmas time. And based on my conversation with many, by now your Christmas shopping is in full swing. Let me share with you what you probably don't have on your Christmas shopping list: A respirator. A good set of operating equipment. You know, scalpels, operating tables, operating table lights. You probably do not have a CAT scan machine on your list. And I am quite sure that most of you do not have a portable X-ray machine on your wish list either. Now my question for you is this: Why is that? Each of these items is so important and yet so few of us own them. And it's not because of a lack of money. In fact, when someone wins the lottery and becomes an overnight millionaire, you never hear of them quitting their job, selling their house and putting all their money into medical equipment. And so I ask this question: Why? Why do so few of us own the medical equipment I just mentioned? Is it because these items are not important? NO! Rather, it is because while we recognize they are important, we deem them irrelevant for daily living.

Now unfortunately that is how many of us view the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ. We see that it is very important and we are glad that there are scholars who have committed themselves to its study. But when it comes down to it, quite frankly, we think that the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ is irrelevant for life in the '90s. And that's too bad. The impetus behind our present text and Paul's description of the Second Coming of Christ was so that the Thessalonians might have comfort and encouragement in the midst of difficulty. The Thessalonians were losing loved ones and were suffering under intense grief.[1] As a means to enable the Thessalonians to grieve in hope, Paul addressed the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ. And in the middle of it all, he wrote these words:

1 Thessalonians 4:18, "Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

Truly, Paul understood that there was no more practical truth than the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ. Therefore as we continue in our study of heaven let us study about the Second Coming of Christ with a view of doing much more than just satisfying idle curiosity. Let us seek to be transformed by this doctrine.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-2, "But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that aught be written unto you. For yourselves know perfectly[3] that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night."

Paul tells the Thessalonians that they "know perfectly." This phrase is in the emphatic position. In other words, what Paul was writing here was something that the Thessalonians were well acquainted with--or at least they should have been. And by way of application, what Paul is writing here is something we too must be acquainted with, "that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night."[4] Paul evidently believed that this knowledge was a crucial part of anyone's theology. Let us discuss this phrase by phrase.

The Day of the Lord; in the Old Testament references the day when Yahweh vindicates His righteous cause and executes impartial judgment.[5] Now by the time we get to the New Testament it has reference to the day of Christ's revelation in glory, when He comes to vindicate His people and judge the world in righteousness.[6] It is otherwise called these things: The Day of Judgment,[7] the Day of Wrath and Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God,[8] the Day of Redemption[9] , the Day of Salvation,[10] the Day of God[11] , the Day of Jesus Christ[12] , the Day of the Lord Jesus,[13] the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ[14] , that Day[15] , the Last Day[16] , and the Great Day.[17] And so, "the Day of the Lord" has reference to the day when all men will be judged and either rewarded or punished according to their deeds.[18] Now, according to our text, this day will come just like a thief.[19] Now what does this mean?

To answer this, notice that the imagery of a thief carries with it two prominent ideas each of which will teach us something about the Second Coming of Christ. The first image that Paul picks up on here is its suddenness in verse three.

1 Thessalonians 5:3, "For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape."

Paul uses the same phrases to describe both the work of the thief and the Second Coming of Christ. He states that there will be "sudden destruction[20] ." Here it is placed in the emphatic position, which emphasizes the abruptness of Christ's return. When Jesus returns it will be suddenly. The destruction of the ungodly will come upon them suddenly like the birth pangs upon a woman with child. Once again we see the theme of suddenness. When a woman is in labor, contractions come with a force and a suddenness that is indescribable to someone who has never seen them--much less felt them. Now both of these images- the thief and labor- depict swiftness and intensity!

2 Peter 3:10, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."

1 Corinthians 15:51-52, "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

The twinkling of an eye; refers to the time it takes for a beam of light to pass from the outer perimeter of our eye to our retina. In other words, Christ's coming will be sudden! And so, like the victim of a robbery or the woman experiencing a contraction, that glorious day will occur in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, with much intensity!

1 Thessalonians 5:2, "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night."

The imagery of a thief carries with it two nuances: the first of which is that of suddenness! And yet, there is another picture here. The second image that Paul picks up on regarding the Second Coming of Christ is its unexpectedness. "While they are saying, 'Peace and safety!' then destruction will come upon them..." gives us a graphic picture. The word peace; emphasizes the absence of alarm. It is a complete failure to reckon with the realities of the situation.[21] The word safety; emphasizes security. It literally means that something "cannot be made to totter or shake."[22] By way of implication, this means that up until the moment of Christ's Second Coming, the world will be confident. There will be no need for alarm. Everything will be safe and secure. Perhaps cancer and AIDS will be cured. Perhaps there will no longer will be shortages. Unemployment will be at an all-time low. There will be very little unrest in the world. Those that speak of a need for Christ will seem odd. Even those in the church will grow cold in their love and devotion to the Savior.[23] And then, to the amazement of all there will be sudden destruction.[24] These individuals will not escape.[25] Once again, this is in the emphatic. NONE who were unprepared for Christ's coming will escape the devastation!

And so the picture here is that of a completely unheralded approach, devastating in its effects! Truly, Jesus Christ's Second Coming will be at the utter shock and amazement of the world. As the home-owner is taken totally off-guard when awakened by a thief so will be the experience of most at the Second Coming of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:4-5, "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness."

Another way of stating this is this: "But you, on the other hand, are not in the realm of darkness, living as wicked men and women such that the day should seize or grasp you like a thief for you are all sons of light and sons of day." Now in Semitic literature, to be a son of something meant that that thing characterized you.[26] And so, to be a "son of light" and a "son of day," implies that those who will not be caught off-guard at the Second Coming of Christ are those who are characterized by living in the light. In other words this is speaking of the moral purity growing in love and devotion to the Savior. Living in the day means living as if Christ's appearing will be at any moment.

From this we see the contrast that Paul is making here. While the Second Coming of Christ will be sudden and will catch many off guard such will not be the case for those who are living in light of the Kingdom of God. Truly, at the Second Coming of Christ, the child of God--by definition--will not be caught off guard.

One of the most profound, modern day illustrations of Christ's Second Coming is the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger. In the early '80s, the United States largely was in the midst of prosperity and success. You know, Reagan was in the White House. The economy was booming. The Iran hostages had recently been freed thanks to the threat of our power and might. And the "layman" had access to modern technology like never before. Computers, the microwave oven, big screen televisions, and the remote control were all available to the masses. As one man told me at the time, "There is very little that we as Americans can't do if we put our minds to it!" And so, the very best of America were chosen to fly to outer space in the Challenger.

Now you may recall all the press that was focused on one-person: Christa McAulif. Particularly--she was the epitome of America--she was a woman. She was a working woman--schoolteacher--with children. In other words she could do it all! She was bright, energetic, and inspiring. And she would be the first American woman in space. And as a nation we vicariously took the challenge; with this lady and rode the Challenger to space. And yet, to the amazement and utter shock of all, one minute into the flight--in the twinkling of the eye--there was SUDDEN and UNEXPECTED destruction! One moment the shuttle was in perfect flight, the next moment all one saw was a fireball in the sky!

Such will be the case at the Second Coming of Christ! The call will be that of "Peace and Safety!" The truth of God's kingdom will be ignored with an ever-growing contentedness with worldly pleasure. And then sudden and unexpected destruction will occur and there will be no escape!

Two thousand years ago, the kingdom of God broke into this world with the promise that one day it would completely conquer Satan and his domain. Since then the kingdom of God has grown like a mustard seed and we now are 2,000 years closer to the time when Christ will come again we must ask this question: How ought we to respond to this message? We must answer with caution, sobriety, and readiness! Notice how Paul exhorts us in this text.

1 Thessalonians 5:5-6, "Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober."

The only healthy response to this text is that we loose our grip on the pleasures, passions, and concerns of this world, and live in light of the reality of the Second Coming of Christ. Thus we need to busy ourselves with the work of the kingdom avoiding all worldly distraction and cares. Truly, the coming of God's kingdom in its fullness is on the horizon of this world--we can see its dust; let us prepare. The fact that Paul calls us to be sober and alert tells us that the temptation will be strong for us to fall asleep. In fact listen to these words:

2 Peter 3:3-4, "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation."

There is more than one way to state this. While there are some today who verbally express doubt about the Second Coming of Christ, the vast majority who participate in this act of denial do so by their actions. While you may profess with the loudest voice that your hope is in the Second Coming of Christ does the sermon that you preach with your life agree? Truly, we must avoid the temptation to grow weary in our longing for and live in light of the Second Coming of Christ. William Barclay used to tell the story of the three apprentice devils.

"As Satan questioned them as to their plan to tempt and ruin mankind the first devil said, "I will tell them that there is no God." Satan responded, "That will not delude many, for they know that there is a God." The second devil said, "I will tell men that there is no hell." Satan exclaimed, "You will deceive no one that way; men know even now that there is a hell for sin." The third devil said, "I will tell men that there is no hurry." Satan said, "Go and you will ruin men by the thousand."[27]

Truly, the delusion that we have "all the time in the world" has destroyed so many. It leads husbands and wives to neglect their marriages. It leads parents to neglect their children. It leads students to neglect their schoolwork. AND, it leads men and women to hell by the thousands! For those who think, "there is always tomorrow to worry about Christ," recognize that there may never be a tomorrow for you. Oh how I plead with you today turn from your sin! Turn from your commitment to self by which you think you can stand before God on the basis of your own merits. Recognize that no matter how "at peace" your life may seem today there is no safety from the coming destruction unless your confidence is in Christ alone for your salvation. And thus I urge you to rely upon the merits of Christ as the basis for your salvation. For mankind could never be saved on account of their sin.

Therefore, God took the form of man, lived a perfect life, and died in our place. We need only recognize this and trust in the work of Christ to save us, and God will forgive us. Whatever you do, don't delay! In the words of Paul:

2 Corinthians 6:1-2, "We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)"

To delay is to place yourself on the space shuttle Challenger--it will blow up and you will perish!

If you are a believer, how ought you to respond to a message like this one? Paul once again gives the answer.

1 Thessalonians 5:5-6, "Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober."

Stay alert! Watch yourself. Make sure your focus remains on God and His kingdom. What an important exhortation! The tendency as children of God is to view all that we have talked about in the same manner as we view expensive medical equipment--important but irrelevant to most people's daily living. Paul in this passage warns us not to respond in such a manner. Rather, we must allow the truth of our text to sober us- life will not always be as it is now. We must allow this truth to temper us--where are your affections today and will you bring these passions into glory? If not, than they are worthless! We must allow this truth to drive us to our knees in dependence upon God--and God alone!

One of the traits of the (false) church when Christ returns will be its love affair with the world.[28] It will be found relying upon the world. It will be found seeking after the world's goals and possessions. It will be found fellowshipping with the deeds of darkness. It will be found glorifying herself. And we must not be named among it! Rather, we must be alert, steadfast in prayer and devotion, laboring in the service of our Lord. We must be found exalting and living in light of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In fact, let me end on this note: Another characteristic of the (false) church in the last day will be its focus on glorifying itself.[29] It will have replaced the grace and glory of Christ with the idols of self-effort and self-love. And thus, rather than being a herald of salvation, it will make its converts "twice as much a son of hell" as itself.[30] How ought we to respond to such a sobering message of judgment and warning? Cling all the more to Christ! In light of the promise of His Second Coming, Christ told His disciples these words:

Luke 21:36, "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."

When Christ called His disciples to prayer on account of the Last Day, He was calling them to nothing less than a life of dependence upon Him and Him only! As the day draws near, let us be found loving the Savior all the more. Let us be exalting His work and not our own. Let us be looking to Him and not ourselves. Let us be longing for Him. Let us be endeavoring to know Him! For only such as these will be ready to greet the Lord when He returns!

(c) 1997 Cornerstone Publishing, Greg Thurston preached this sermon in 1996

The footnotes were added by the editor to aid the reader in their study of Scripture.

[1] Compare 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

[2] To this point our outline has included these topics: The Second Coming of Christ, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 5:1-5aa.The Second Coming of Christ will be Impartial, v. 15, 16b-17a.b.The Second Coming of Christ will be Glorious, v. 16a.c.The Second Coming of Christ will Bring Unbreakable Communion with Christ, v. 17b.

[3] akribos oida ; This can be rendered "know full well"

[4] hoti hamera kuriou hos kleptas en nukti houtos erchetai -- hoti hamera kuriou hos kleptas en nukti houtos erchetai

[5] Compare Amos 5:18; Joel 2:31; Malachi 4:5

[6] Compare Acts 17:31, Revelation 16:14

[7] Compare 2 Peter 2:9

[8] Compare Romans 2:5

[9] Compare Ephesians 4:30

[10] Compare 1 Thessalonians 5:9

[11] Compare 2 Peter 3:12

[12] Compare Philippians 1:6

[13] Compare 1 Corinthians 5:5

[14] Compare 1 Corinthians 1:8

[15] Compare 2 Thessalonians 1:10

[16] Compare John 6:39

[17] Compare Jude 6

[18] Compare Revelation 19-20

[19] The word here is kleptas; from which we get our word kleptomaniac; .

[20] Aiphnidios ; the word for suddenly; has reference to rapidity of action or that which occurs in a moment.

[21] Refer to Jeremiah 6:14 and Ezekiel 13:10 to see what this refers to.

[22] The Greek is asphaleia.

[23] Compare Matthew 24:11

[24] Olethros ; this refers to utter and hopeless ruin, the loss of everything worthwhile.

[25] ekpheugo

[26] That is why when Christ referred to God as His Father, the Jews sought to kill; He was making Himself equal with God, John 5:18!

[27] The Gospel of Matthew; , William Barclay, Volume 2 [Philadelphia: Westminster, 1975], page 317

[28] Compare Revelation 18

[29] Compare Revelation 18:7