The Rapture (Part 2) -The Day Of The Lord

** This is part 2 in a series on the rapture.  For part one click HERE. **

This is the second of three articles dealing with the rapture of the church, the Day of the Lord and the return of Christ.  It is my intention to show that the child of God needs not fear the return of Christ, but should look forward to His return.  2 Timothy 4:8 promises a crown of righteousness to all who love his appearing. 

1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 tells us that, "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." 

So what is "The day of the Lord?" In 2 Peter 3:8-10 we read "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 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."  The day of the Lord is a thousand year period of time which includes the Great Tribulation period and the return of Christ as well as His earthly Kingdom.  The Day of the Lord is described in great detail in the book of Revelation, chapters six through twenty.

According to both 1 Thessalonians 5:2 and 2 Peter 3:10, The Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.  Over the years, I've heard many good intentioned folks make predictions as to the time of Christ's return.  Christ Himself told us that,"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only," Matthew 24:36.  Christ clearly tells us that no man knows the time of His return.  1 Thessalonians 2, tells us that the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.  Just how does a thief arrive?  A few years ago, a thief broke into our home while we were out.  I checked the answering machine and there was no message from the thief.  No, he didn't call in advance of his coming to our home.  He didn't send us a letter confirming the time he would break in and rob us.  A thief will never announce his coming.  The Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, unannounced.   

In the previous article, we read about the rapture in chapter four of 1 Thessalonians.  Now in chapter five, we are introduced to the Day of the Lord.  It is no mystery as to why Paul would introduce the rapture in chapter four and the Day of the Lord in chapter five.  Now, I'm no theologian, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that chapter four comes before chapter five because the events of chapter four take place before the events of chapter five.  Remember Paul told us that "God is not the author of confusion..." in 1 Corinthians 14:33.  There are some Bible teachers out there that want you to believe that the events described in chapter four of 1 Thessalonians will take place in the middle or at the end of those events described in chapter five.  At the risk of publishing a lengthy article, I'm going to print here the last six verses of chapter four and the first three verses of chapter five.  I want you to notice closely the wording in these nine verses.  1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:3 "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 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."

Did you notice the wording of these verses?  The "we" of chapter four is the church, the body of Christ, those who have accepted Christ as their personal saviour.  The "they" and "them" of chapter five are those who rejected Christ. Sudden destruction will fall on them not us and they shall not escape. Let's look at Revelation 6:2-8 "And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny (a penny was a day's wages); and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth."  Chapter six of Revelation begins recording the events of the Great Tribulation which continues until chapter nineteen of Revelation. "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," 1 Thessalonians 5:3. This is the Great Tribulation. 

Now lets look at 1 Thessalonians 5:4 "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief."  Now why won't the day of the Lord overtake us as a thief?  Because we were taken out in chapter four of 1 Thessalonians.  

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 tells us "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do."  Paul tells us to comfort ourselves and to edify one another.  The reason we can take comfort in this passage of scripture is because "God hath not appointed us to wrath."  In a study of the book of Revelation we see that God's wrath is poured out on the people of this earth during the Great Tribulation period.  We my friend are not appointed unto wrath.

The book of Revelation details certain event such as:

1. Church history - chapters 2 & 3
2. The rapture - chapter 4 verse 1
3. The church in heaven after the rapture - chapters 4 & 5
4. The Great Tribulation period - chapters 6 - 19
5. Christ's return and earthly kingdom - chapters 19 - 20
6. New heaven, new earth and the eternal reign - chapters 21 & 22

If we take these events and keep them in the order which God gives them to us, we'll have a clear understanding of the rapture, the Great Tribulation and the return of Christ.  Just as we can see the order of events in Revelation, we can see the same order of events in 1 Thessalonians 4 & 5.  In chapter four of 1 Thessalonians, we see a beautiful description of the rapture.  In chapter five of 1 Thessalonians we see the Day of the Lord coming as a thief in the night.

So in conclusion of this article, I would again like to quote the Apostle Paul "Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

This is part 2 in a series.  Stay tuned for part 3.