“But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 NKJV
Watch for what? Good question. Today I want to share a lesson I learned long ago which concerns looking at the context of a passage so we can better understand exactly what we are being told. In the passage above, we find the apostle Paul answering questions from the believers of the church located at Thessalonica. Those questions are specifically about the end times and the future of the Church, which coincidentaly, many in the church are asking today.
When Paul had first visited the city, his time there, by most accounts, was very short. Some commentaries speculate it was as little as three weeks or so, and if that is the case, it doesn’t seem at all surprising that questions would arise that Paul would need to address. While the church there was apparently in good health and spreading the gospel to other cities, it was also beginning to suffer some persecution. In this letter Paul reminds them that this was to be expected, and encourages them to stand fast and endure. Yet some believers had already passed away and there were concerns within the church that those individuals would somehow miss out on spending eternity with Christ.
In the passage above, Paul makes the point that believers should, and can, know” the times and the seasons”. Times and seasons of what? Paul calls it the “day of the Lord”, and goes on to say that we are to watch for it. Now I have often tried to make the point when I teach on this passage an other like it, we as believers would not be told to “watch” if we weren’t going to be given something to see. Paul here uses the example of a thief coming to steal, and makes it perfectly clear that if we watch, we will see the thief coming. So too, if we watch for the “day of the Lord”, we will see it coming. If, however, you are wondering just what Paul means when speaking of this “day”, he explains what he is talking about in the previous chapter.
“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NKJV
This passage describes exactly what all believers are looking forward to with so much anticipation and that is the rapture of the Church when Jesus will appear in the clouds and call us home to be with Him for all of eternity. This event is what Paul goes on to call the “day of the Lord” in chapter 5. It is also, I might add, what he tells us we must watch for and will recognize when the “times and seasons” arrive. As believers, Paul makes it perfectly clear that not only are we supposed to be watching for the rapture, if we do watch we will know when the time is near.
The year 2020 will most likely be looked back as the year when it all began to change. Consider if you will what your life was like just one year before 2020 and compare it with the present situation we all find ourselves in. Although it often seems difficult to get people to agree on much of anything, it would appear that many, if not most, now believe our lives will never be the same. There will never be a return to the old “normal” we were so comfortable and used to living in, and to be completely honest, many truly believe things are only going to get worse. The only positive I personally can take away from the past four years are the sheer number of believers who have come to believe that what we are seeing are the signs we have been told to watch for.
The truth is, nobody knows scripture better than Satan. After all, who has been around to study it as long as he has? He quoted it when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness, and he most assuredly uses it against us. So do you think with what he knows about the end of the age, he wouldn't have a clue as to when God was preparing to take us home? Satan knows what God has in store for him, and when he believes the end times are approaching it would make sense that he would do anything in his power to release all the evil on this earth at his control in order to take as many down with him as he could.
I believe much of what we will see happen before the rapture is a direct result of Satan increasing his efforts as he sees the day approaching. I truly believe this is exactly what we can see right now in the world around us. So many events are occurring on a daily basis that it simply seems unbelievable that we could not be close to the time Jesus commanded us to watch for.
“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? “Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.” Matthew 24:45-46 NKJV
What is the “food” wise and faithful servants are supposed to be serving? There is no doubt in my mind we are to be encouraging others with the knowledge of just how close we are to the rapture of the Church. The phrase “due season” in the Greek is the word “kairos” which is translated to mean; “a fixed and definite time, the time when things are brought to crisis, the decisive epoch waited for”. Now is it just me or does that not sound like the perfect description of the times we find ourselves in today? By all accounts, many are of the opinion the world has arrived at a tipping point where the stage seems set for someone to come on the scene and seek to establish himself as the savior of the world.
While I have never claimed to “know” when the rapture will occur, there are definitely times of the year when I believe we should especially be watching. My personal favorite is the spring and I will share my thoughts on that subject with you next week. Never forget, the passage above tells us if we watch, we will know the times and seasons.
The most important decision we need to make, however, is to accept the gift of God to us which is salvation through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. If you have never made the decision to accept that free gift I encourage you to do so today. Simply ask God to forgive you of your sin based on your belief that Jesus died to pay the price for your sin, and turn over control of your life to Him. You can do that right now by praying a prayer just like this one;
"Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me. Amen."
Keep watching.
