1. In the last chapter, we leave the discussion of the Catching Away of the Church and the great joy connected with that, and now we start speaking of the events directly following the rapture.   He continues with this now with talking about the approach of the Last Times and the coming Day of the Lord and the seasons that lead up to that.

Technically, the Last Days began at Pentecost after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The signs of Pentecost were marked by Joel and Peter in Acts as the Last Days.  A thousand years with the Lord is as a day, and the past 2 thousand years have been the “Last Days”.

2 Peter 3:8-12 (KJV) “ 8 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.       9 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.   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.   11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,   12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? “  

Chapter four is resounds with the hope to the believer, either those who are asleep in Christ or those who are alive and remain at the catching away (harpazio) of the church.  But here, Paul starts speaking of the events that will come upon the Earth and the warning to the world of what is to come, and to not be corrupted as the world is or put yourself into that same danger that they shall face.

So, there is a sharper edge to this last section of the letter to the Thessalonicans.  There is a warning of the things that shall come, and the signs that they are at hand.

2. He made it clear that you know yourself already that you will know the seasons when it is close at hand.  It is amazing that this young church knew something that many in the church in our generation with the completed canon of scriptures seem to have missed. 

In the same way that when it starts getting colder and the leaves turn colors that you know that Autumn is almost here, the state of the world shall enter a season and time that will show that the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is close at hand.  You will know when you are close to that last season before this all starts occurring because of the change in the world just before.

Now, let us fast forward toward our generation to another “time of silence”.  Since the reformation, every 100 years or so has come a new revival that included the Baptists, the Methodists, and the Pentecostals all bringing us closer and closer to what the Bible says that the Church is supposed to be in Acts and the writings of the Apostles. 

And now in our generation, the signs that are spoken of that would come in the last generation suddenly start happening.  They started slowly, but now every day it would seem, there are things in the news that directly connects to Eschatological Prophetic predictions in the Bible. 

3. THE TIMES AND SEASONS OF THE END TIMES IS UPON US!  We can see it, and Paul said that the church that was “awake” and walking in the light would see those signs and not be caught unaware.

Even the world knows that we are near to a world-changing event.  You can see it in the tabloids and hear it on Talk Radio.  The discussion goes from the scientific and reasonable to the far out and fantastic.  Those who have never been interested in the Bible are suddenly interested in Biblical Prophecy because of so many things that have been predicted in the Bible have come alive in our generation.

The Devil through is false prophets and religions are trying to prepare people to believe the Great Deception through UFOs and New Age and Occultism, because even he knows the hour is close that these things will come to pass.

But strangely, so many in the church have fallen into the Laodicean Lie that they are “the blessed”, and seek out more blessings not recognizing the need to work the Harvest or to prepare themselves spiritually.

Revelation 3:14-19 (KJV) “ 14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;   15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.   16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.   17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:   18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.   19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. “

Luke 21:34-36 (KJV)34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.   35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.   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.  

John 4:35-36 (KJV) “ 35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.   36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. “

Matthew 20:6-8 (KJV) “ 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?   7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.   8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. “

Keep this in mind, because we will discuss the Laodicean Pattern more as we talk about the drunkenness and darkness of those who are in the world.  But to the ones who were spiritually aware and in tune with the Lord, he had no need to write of those things for the church will know when they are in them.

4. You know that the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night!  This is a theme used by Jesus over and over again, and now you see the Apostle Paul repeating it here.  There is a true element of surprise connected to the Day of the Lord and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

There is a surprise element about all of these things.  I believe that one of the reasons that there is disagreement on the timing of the Catching Away (rapture) of the church is tied up in the surprise aspect of the End Times Events.  Some confuse the catching away of the church to the Marriage Supper and the Second Coming at the Day of the Lord because of that element of Surprise.

The idea is to watch and pray always because you cannot predict when exactly that these things shall transpire.  You can and will know the times and seasons, but never the day or the hour until it occurs.

BUT PLEASE NOTE THIS FOR IT IS IMPORTANT! 

5. This is not speaking of the Catching Away of the church that is spoken of in the last chapter.  Note that it is clearly stated that we are not in the night or the dark, but of the day and the light that this day not catch us unaware. 

Oh, this is a good truth if you can receive it.  As you read on, you find that you (the church) are not in the night, and the Day of the Lord shall come as a “thief in the night”.  We aren’t in that night!  We are in the day!  It is the world that is in the night!  Jesus will catch them unaware as a thief in the night!

If you understand this, then it takes the confusion away from the joy of that day where Jesus catches away the church in the First Resurrection in the last chapter, and the TIME OF NIGHT that will bring the Day of the Lord that shall catch the world unawares. 

6. You know this perfectly well or diligently.  There is no doubt of it in your minds for this is an established truth of the Kingdom Message.  The King is returning and when He comes it will be suddenly and without warning.  You will know that it is close, but you will not know exactly when and it will surprise you.

Jesus (as quoted above) told his disciples that they should watch and pray always that they would be accounted worthy to escape all of those things (all of the things that he had just described that were events that occur in the Tribulation before the Day of the Lord or Armageddon) and stand before the Son of Man.  This is the event spoken of in the last chapter when we meet Jesus in the air.

There is the idea of “Maranatha”, or the Lord comes… and to be ready at all times should He come today.  There is the idea of the imminent catching away of the church where we are to have our vessels filled with the oil (the Holy Spirit) for our lamps should the Midnight Cry be made tonight while we slumber.  We are to be ready to go into the Marriage Supper (which does occur in Heaven during the Tribulation).   Matthew 25:1-7 (KJV) “ 1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.   2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.   3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:   4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.   5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.   6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.   7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. “

But you will see in a moment how that we should not be taken unaware as the world will be.  We should be watching and praying so that we are not shut out of the Marriage Supper and be caught as the world is.  Matthew 25:10-13 (KJV) “ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.   11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.   12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.   13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. “    

7. But the Day of the Lord and even the whole Tribulation which is tied into the Day of the Lord will come as a surprise to the world.  They will think one thing is happening and not expect that Jesus Christ, the same Son of God that the Bible declares shall be physically returning to Planet Earth to destroy the enemies of the Cross and to put all under his direct Lordship.

Those in darkness shall be taken unaware, and Jesus will come as a thief in the night.  It is a surprise!  There is the thought that Jesus gave us that no man knows the hour.  God is the only one who knows the exact day and hour.  We WILL know the times and seasons, but not the DAY or HOUR.

Matthew 24:36 (KJV) “ But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. “

Luke 12:35-40 (KJV) “ 35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;   36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.   37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.   38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.   39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.   40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. “

We are told that HE will come in an hour that we think that he would not come.  Notice that in Matthew 25, all of the Virgins are sleeping (both those who are ready and those who are not).  I think that we would not have been sleeping if we knew the hour that Jesus would come.

So, we must be ready at all times and watch and pray to maintain that oil in our vessels.

1. This is connected into the predictions of Jesus about the Tribulation in Luke 21/Matthew 24.  Peace and safety is the theme that Benjamin Netanyahu would use in the 90’s just before all the great violence erupted from the Palestinians upon the Israelis.  They have not had a moment’s peace since then.

This event was like a prophetic foreshadowing of what was to come.  In the beginning of the Tribulation, there will be a great invasion and world war that will center in on Israel with Russia as one great power backing an Islamic Jihadist movement into Israel that will rape their land, and Israel standing alone at first on the other side.  The United States of America will enter into this war and others and it will escalate into a world war that will engulf one fourth of the world according to Ezekiel 38 and Revelation 6.  This is the war of the four riders of the Apocalypse. 

Revelation 6:7-8 (KJV)  “ 7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8 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. “

Revelation 6:8 (AMP) “ So I looked, and behold, an ashy pale horse [black and blue as if made so by bruising], and its rider's name was Death, and Hades (the realm of the dead) followed him closely. And they were given authority and power over a fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword and with famine and with plague (pestilence, disease) and with wild beasts of the earth.  “

There will be a great cosmic cataclysm followed by a thermonuclear war that will burn down one third of the actual Earth.  There will be retaliation on the other side as well.  You can read about that in Revelation 8 when the Islamic world war becomes nuclear.

Revelation 8:7 (AMP) “ The first angel blew [his] trumpet, and there was a storm of hail and fire mingled with blood cast upon the earth. And a third part of the earth was burned up and a third of the trees was burned up and all the green grass was burned up. “

Revelation 8:7 (NASB) “ The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. “

The passage in Daniel 11 is believed by some liberal Bible scholars to have been fulfilled by the Greek King Antiochus Epiphanes.  However, Antiochus might have fulfilled it to a degree, but it will be fulfilled fully by the coming Antichrist who will be destroyed by the Prince of the Covenant.  He will use flatteries and promises of peace to take control.  But, he will bring war through his promises of peace.

Daniel 11:21-25 (KJV) “ 21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.   22 And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.   23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.   24 He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.   25 And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him. “

2. This European Leader known as the Antichrist (we know that he is European from Daniel 7, 8, and 9) will rise up with European Union forces (a resurrected Roman Empire-the head that was slain and lives again), and push the Russian forces completely out of the Middle East and back into its borders.  They will also take control of the three main Islamic Nations that rose up against Israel (Iran, Sudan/Ethiopia, and Libya). 

He will bring a kind of “peace” to Israel, and the Israelis will hail this military/political leader as a messiah or savior that saved them from their enemies miraculously.  But he is the FALSE MESSIAH OR ANTICHRIST, and shall bring the kind of peace where the Devil gets complete control over your land and people through peace keeping forces.

He will move and bring those peace keeping forces on the authority of a covenant or treaty that he will have established with them at the beginning of the 70^th week of Daniel (the 7 year tribulation period).  He will break it in the middle of the 7 years and take over as absolute dictator abolishing the Jewish Religion and establishing his own Satanic Version with the Abomination of Desolation.

Daniel 9:27 (KJV) “ 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. “

He will keep the peace and in the process make himself a new Emperor over a new kingdom that will be formed out of 10 nations including the 3 Islamic ones that he overtook in this war.

Daniel 2:42-43 (KJV) “ 42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.   43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. “

Daniel 7:24 (KJV) “ And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. “

Revelation 17:12-14 (KJV) “ 12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.   13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.   14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. “

The Bible makes it clear that he destroys more through peace than he did through war.

Daniel 8:24-25 (KJV) “ 24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.   25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. “

He will show himself in the middle of the Tribulation to all the nation of Israel and the Jews when he declares himself to be god and stands in the rebuilt temple as God.  He is the son of blasphemy and Jesus told his disciples when they see this happen (the Abomination of Desolation), to flee right then.  And many of them shall flee to the mountains of the desert in Jordan called Petra and remain there until the end of the Tribulation.  Matthew 24:15-16 (KJV) “15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)   16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: “

3. He will declare peace and safety from their enemies, and then he will declare himself “god” standing in the holy place and reveal himself as the Antichrist.  By then, he will have deceived enough to be fully in power, and will remain so until Jesus Christ returns and casts him alive into the Lake of Fire at the Day of the Lord.

Daniel 12:11 (KJV) “ 11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. “ 

Revelation 13:15 (KJV) “ 15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. “ 

4. As “travail” that comes upon a woman.  This is where the word tribulation comes from.  It literally means birth pangs or labor pains. 

Travail = Greek odin = birth pains which are intolerable.  This is the calamities or tribulations of the last 7 years before the Day of the Lord fully comes.  So, this is not only talking about the actual Day of the Lord as in Armageddon, but the tribulation or birth pains that lead up to it.  The second half of the 7 years is called Great Tribulation just as a woman who is having a very painful time giving birth.

 5. What is being birthed?  The nation of Israel is being birthed again or born again and will by the end of the Tribulation turn as a whole (the ones who have not taken the Mark of the Beast and endures to that point) to Jesus Christ and believe upon Him as Messiah and be brought into the New Covenant and the Everlasting Righteousness of Jesus Christ.  Daniel 9:24 (KJV) “ 24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. “

Jeremiah 31:33-34 (KJV) “ 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.   34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. “

Remember that there will be a great delusion that is tied into the Antichrist.  He will, after a world war that turns nuclear, claim to have the answer to everything and will establish a one world monetary system that will rebuild the markets and put a Mark on everyone to buy and sell, and tie into a new one world religion where he declares himself as god and worships a god of forces. 

6. Those who follow this Antichrist and buy into the lie of the Great Delusion that he rides shall not escape the judgment of God.   They shall not escape.  Those who are in the light and the day shall not have to face this.  And those who learn of the truth and receive Christ shall not believe the lie, but those who swallow the lie shall not escape the judgment of following the false peace into damnation. 

The wicked shall not escape the Lord and His armies on that Day of the Lord.

Jude 1:14-15 (KJV) “14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,   15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. “

Destruction shall fall upon the ungodly who have had pleasure in unrighteousness and flaunted the law of God and joined the Antichrist in his blasphemy. 

2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 (KJV) “ 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:   9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,   10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.   11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:   12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. “      

1. You brothers and sisters in the Lord are not in darkness like the world.  The thief will come at night in the dark, but you are not in darkness as the world that this day should overtake you as a thief.  This should encourage those who are in Christ and walk in the light of Jesus Christ!

See, we are in the time of grace of the church where the light of Jesus Christ is freely shining and the church has been given the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and is operating as the body of Christ on Earth.  When the church is raptured or caught up, then that which is withholding the evil shall be removed and the darkness shall come in like a flood.

2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 (KJV) “ 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.   8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: “

Ephesians 5:6-10 (KJV) “ 6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.   7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.   8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:   9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)   10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. “

1 John 1:7 (KJV) “ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.  “

1 Peter 2:9-11 (KJV) “ 9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:   10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.   11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; “

2. We are told as we see the day coming, to put on the armour of light, which is the Lord Jesus Christ.  We are literally commanded in Romans to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and He will be our armour of light to protect us from the corruption of the darkness.  We are of the light!

Romans 13:11-14 (KJV) “ 11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.   12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.   13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.   14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. ”

We are children of the light.  There are two spiritual families of mankind upon the Earth.  Both families have two very different spiritual fathers.  One family is the church or the body of Christ.  Their spiritual father in Yahweh, or God the Father and we are brought or adopted into His family by the Holy Spirit when we come through Jesus Christ.  The other spiritual family is those who are lost in their sin, and their spiritual father is the Devil.  They are of the darkness, and walk in darkness.

But we are to cast off the works of darkness by the Spirit of God, and clothe ourselves in Jesus Christ.  He is our holy armour.  We are children of the light because God has translated into His marvelous light through Jesus Christ. 

We are not one of those who is supposed to be caught unawares.  We are to walk in the light as Jesus is in the light.  We are to be a disciple of Christ and walk in the Spirit.  Once again, that is why Jesus exhorted us to watch and pray always that we would be accounted “worthy” to escape all of the things of the Tribulation.

Luke 21:36 (KJV) “ 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. “

3. We do not have a part with the night, nor the spiritual darkness that accompanies the time where the light of God is held back from the Earth.  We are not of that time of night, or of the evil darkness that goes with that.

We will not be caught unawares by the Day of the Lord.  We are in the light and the worry of being caught unawares as the world who does not have Jesus, the light of life is not ours.

1. There is a commandment given here.  This fits into the above warning of Jesus Christ in Luke 21 about watching and praying “always”.  We are commanded not to sleep as the world and act like the world, but to watch and be sober.  This also fits in the above exhortation from Paul in Romans 13:11-14 to AWAKE, and keep from the corruptions of the world and put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. Don’t spiritually sleep and be unaware of the time or your own condition as those without Jesus do.
2. Watch or be alert and awake to both your own condition and what is going on.
3. Don’t allow yourself to be drunken, but stay sober and abstain from the things that drunken.

The world both gets drunk on alcohol and worldliness and drugs and the things that the world offers to dull yourself to your own condition.  Many times, alcohol numbs you to your pain and your true condition.  They do this in the night away from the light of conviction.

2. The world is spiritually asleep not recognizing that sin is destroying them and their ultimate peril.  They are dull to the spiritual realities of eternity and what is coming.  They are unaware of the evil that is bending their minds and hearts to its will through their lusts.  They do these things in the night away from the light of God.

Do not act like the world!  Do not get your help and pleasure and entertainment from the intoxicating things of the world, be it alcohol or drugs or sexual lust or power or money.  These things intoxicate people and get them numb to the truth of their own spiritual condition and the fact that judgment is coming.

Titus 2:12-13 (KJV) “ 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;   13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; “

We are to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and live SOBERLY and GODLY in this present world, looking for the catching away or glorious appearing of Jesus Christ!  This is what we are to look forward to if we are of the day and walk in the light.  This is our walk of hope!

But the world is in the darkness of the night, and they have no such appearing and catching away to look forward to.  If they are walking in ungodliness without Jesus, then they are walking in the night and spiritual darkness and that Day of the Lord shall catch them unawares and they shall not escape.

There is a contrast between the hope of the destiny of those in Christ Jesus compared to the utter hopelessness of those who are not walking with Jesus for the end times.

1. Once again, we are told as children of the light to remain sober or alert and not drunken, and to put on the armour of God, which is the Lord Jesus Christ.  Here you see the armour, which is something used in spiritual warfare, as something that is vital for us to walk in this evil world and remain in the light of God.

See, it is clothing ourselves in the Lord Jesus Christ that keeps us bathed in His light and keeps the darkness of the world and sin away from us. 

That sounds familiar, doesn’t it?  We see these same three spoken to us in 1 Corinthians as those things from God that will last forever.  They are very important to God, and they are vital to have in our lives.  They are a part of the fruit of the Spirit and cannot be worked up or manufactured by us, but can only come from a life submitted to God that the Holy Spirit can bring them through.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (KJV) “ And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. “

Galatians 5:5 (KJV) “ For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. “

Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV) “ 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,   23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. “

2. Ephesians 6:10-18 speaks of taking the whole armour of God to be able to “stand” (a military term) in the evil day against all of the wiles of the Devil quenching every fiery javelin that he throws our way by that armour and that shield of faith.

Romans 13:12-14 (KJV) “12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.   13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.   14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. “

Ephesians 6:10-18 (KJV) “10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.   11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.   12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.   13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.   14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;   15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;   16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.   17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:   18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; “

We have the hope of salvation, and not wrath.  We clothe ourselves in the Lord Jesus Christ and through that armour, we are able to walk in the light throughout the darkness of the world.  We have the hope of salvation to look forward to, and not wrath.

1. The bottom line is that God has not appointed us to wrath or that which is poured out in the Tribulation.  It is not the will of God that the children of God ever go through the Tribulation or wrath of God, and especially the pure form of the wrath of God seen in the actual Day of the Lord.

It reminds me of what J. Vernon McGee said when someone challenged him with the question if he thought he was good enough to be taken out in the rapture.  He told him that he wasn’t even good enough to be saved, but it was by God’s grace.  See, God has given us the means to live holy in the light in this world by faith, and He brings the works of God through us. 

We aren’t literally perfect yet, but we are a work in progress.  I have weak points and so do you (if you can admit it or not).  But it is not God’s will that we who are of the light go through the wrath of God, but we have instead been appointed to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ!

Yes, we are told not to give into the world and not to be drunken with the world that it does catch us unaware, and you can see the best example of that given to us by Jesus in Matthew 25 with the 10 Virgins.  5 were foolish and did not take with them enough of the oil or presence of the Holy Spirit to keep their lights burning.  Their lights went out.  They were Christians, but they were lukewarm.

We don’t have to do this, but the grace of God has provided for us.  We can put on the armor of Jesus Christ and walk in the light of God and obtain salvation and not wrath.

2. Matthew 25:1-13 shows the lukewarm Christians getting revived after the midnight cry to come to the marriage supper (which occurs in the Tribulation in Heaven), but the door is shut to them and they just cannot go in.  This is where many of the martyrs of the 5^th Seal in Revelation 6 comes from.  God does not want us to miss Him though, which is why Jesus gave us this example.

Matthew 25:6-10 (KJV) “ 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.   7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.   8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.   9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.   10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. “

Matthew 25:13 (KJV) “ Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. “ 

Revelation 3:14-19 (KJV) “ 14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;   15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.   16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.   17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:   18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.   19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. “

The Laodicean Pattern is what you hear coming from a lot of popular Christian Television Ministries.  It is popular because it appeals to the greed factor in the flesh, but it equates wealth with godliness and faith, and that is an outright lie.  It takes some scriptures about the blessings of God out of balance with other scriptures and paints a one-sided gospel that becomes deceptive.  It encourages religiousness without repentance and lukewarmness as the Holy Spirit is grieved and the oil dries up in people’s lives. 

There is a reason that Jesus told us to watch and pray always (he told disciples that, not the lost) so that we could be accounted worthy to escape all these things. 

3. But beyond the danger of being lukewarm is the very real last days danger of apostasy as people give into feel-good doctrines that lead people from the true gospel.  If the lukewarm example is followed long enough, then it opens the door for serious error that can lead to denying the truth faith.

There is sadly, a very real danger of apostasy (falling away from the faith) and losing our way by giving into the drunkenness and sin of the world.  There is a real danger of holding the truth in unrighteousness of falling away from the faith. 

Romans 1:18-22 (KJV) “18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;       19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.   20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:   21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.   22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, “

1 Timothy 4:1-2 (KJV) “1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;   2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; “

Hebrews 6:4-6 (KJV) 4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.“

There is a reason that we are to walk in the Spirit and clothe ourselves in Jesus Christ.  There are forces out there that are trying to pull us back into sin and to reject the truth of God and embrace the darkness again.  There is just too much in scriptures warning us about it to ignore it in this very perilous time that we live. 

4. You study the Book of Revelation, and find that from the middle of the Tribulation (and this after 1/3 of the Earth has been burned down and a great world war and martyrdom and the torture of the fallen angels released from the abyss) on is the Lord pouring out His wrath upon the ungodly.  For 3 ½ years, the pure wrath of God is being poured out ending with a crescendo at the Day of the Lord when Jesus Christ, the King of Kings returns with the armies of Heaven to bring destruction on the Antichrist and his forces.

Revelation 6:16-17 (KJV) “ 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? “

Revelation 11:14-19 (KJV) “ 14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. 15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, 17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. 18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. 19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. “

Revelation 14:9-10 (KJV) “ 9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: “

Revelation 14:17-20 (KJV) “ 17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. “

Revelation 15:1 (KJV) “ And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. “

Revelation 16:1-2 (KJV) “ 1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. 2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. “

Revelation 19:11-16 (KJV) “11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.   12  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.   13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.   14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.   15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.   16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. “

God has not appointed His children, who walk in the light, to this wrath that shall be poured out upon the Earth, but to obtain salvation.

We have the promise found in the catching away of the Church seen in 1 Thessalonians 4 so that we do not have to face the actual wrath of God that is not meant for us anyway.  You know, we are justified by faith and it is the works of God working in us that brings righteousness through faith anyway.  It isn’t the church that needs to be purified.  I have heard those arguments before, but they miss some very fundamental truths of God’s Word.  You can read Daniel 9:24-27 and see the purpose of the Tribulation (70^th Week of Daniel).  It is to bring all of Israel into the New Covenant under Jesus Christ, and to bring judgment upon the world.  The church is not an issue in it.

1. Jesus Christ died on the cross to bring us salvation that we might live together with Him.  We are not supposed to face the wrath of God if we are in Christ.  Jesus paid a great price with His own life’s blood that we might be saved from the wrath of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:10 (ALT) “10  the One having died on our behalf, so that whether we are awake [fig,. are alive] or are sleeping [fig., have died], we shall live together with Him. “

2. It does not matter if we are alive at the catching away of the church, or we have already died in the Lord.  He will bring our souls back in that case and be given a resurrected body, and we shall live together with the Lord Jesus Christ forever.  This repeats the message of 1 Thessalonians 4.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (KJV) “ 16 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:   17 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.   18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. “

1 Corinthians 15:51-53 (KJV) “ 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,   52 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.   53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. “

John 14:1-3 (KJV) “ 1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.   2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.   3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. “

Those who have died in the Lord are said to be “asleep”.  It is quite true in a very real way that there is no death for a true child of God.  The body might sleep, but death has been swallowed up in victory.  Not only is the soul redeemed, and to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, but the body itself shall raise on the Day of Redemption (the First Resurrection or the Rapture). 

3. Chapters four and five show the vivid contrast between those who shall be caught up with the Lord (in what we call the rapture or the catching away), and those who are in the darkness of sin in the world.  Those who are walking in the darkness of the world shall not escape the wrath of God which is poured out in the Tribulation.  Those who are in Christ in the light is not appointed to the wrath of God, but Jesus is their salvation and shall call them to be with Him.  It is clear.

4. This is a word of comfort to those who are living in the light of the Lord.  God has not destined us to face His wrath, but to be saved and be called up to be with Jesus.  This is a comforting word from God.  This is not a doctrine that should cause confusion and anger, but it should give comfort and faith.  It should comfort and edify those who hear these words of hope and deliverance!

5. It truly is a word of comfort, but this is more than that.  It is a command to comfort one another.  We are commanded to edify one another.  This is how that we are to relate to one another in Christ.  We are to build up one another and help one another, and not to tear down and cause harm to.  We are part of one body spiritually, the body of Christ.  If we help one part, we help all.

Comfort is the same word used in 1 Thessalonians 4:18 about the rapture/first resurrection.  And edify is to build one another up.  Ephesians 4:29 (KJV) “ 29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.  “

Verse 11 is a connection verse that ends one train of thought and leads to another.  Following is what I like to call Christianity 101.  It is basic Christian lifestyle in how to please the Lord.  The transition here is to “walk in the light and day” so that we not be drunken and asleep with the world.

This is the first in a series of commandments of how to walk with God and not grieve the Holy Spirit for we are to walk in the light with Jesus Christ.