Two weeks ago, we examined 1 Thessalonians 4, 13 through 18 and 1 Corinthians 15, 51 and 52 in a sermon I entitled, The Reality of the Rapture. I pointed out how the doctrine of the rapture was used by Paul to bring comfort to the Thessalonians who were concerned about those who had fallen asleep in Jesus. They had died and they didn't know exactly what was gonna happen to them in the future. Were they gonna miss this? What was the truth? And so Paul assured them they would not miss out those who had already had died. They're not gonna miss out that when the Lord appears in the clouds with the shout, the voice of an archangel, the trumpet of God, then the dead in Christ rise first, then we who are alive and remain are going to be transformed as well. We will gain glorified bodies. Together we will meet the Lord in the air and so we shall ever be with the Lord. That rapture happens suddenly, it happens unexpectedly, it happens quickly. But it is a comfort to them. Now the rapture is a very distinct event from the second coming or second advent of Christ that is preceded by many signs on earth and in the heavens as Messiah returns from heaven in the clouds riding on a horse accompanied by angels, His holy ones and the armies of heaven. He physically touches down on the Mount of Olives which splits in two and then his angels are going to separate the elect from the ungodly prior to the beginning of the millennium. Now, last week I focused on the many passages that call upon believers to have an expectation that the Lord is returning for his church, that it is imminent. That means that Jesus could return at any time because nothing must happen before he returns, but he doesn't have to come immediately. He can wait. He's been waiting for a while. I'm one who hopes he doesn't wait much longer. I could do this, he could come right now and I don't even have to finish the sermon. And then you all know the reality of what I've been talking about, right? Because you'll either be up there with me like, yeah! Or you're going to be sitting here going, oh no. Okay? Well the oh no is kind of what we're going to be talking about a little bit today. There's nothing prophetic that must happen. We know from the prophecy of the 70 weeks in Daniel 9, that in the middle of that week, that week is often referred to the tribulation period or the time of Jacob's troubles. In the middle of that, the Antichrist is going to make a, he's going to set up the abomination of desolation and the Holy of Holies in the temple. So we know at, during that tribulation, the Jews are going to be back with a temple, and worshiping because you can't stop the worship and set up the abomination of desolation unless it's there. Now that temple could be rebuilt before Jesus returns or it could be rebuilt immediately after he returns. If you're not aware of it, they're ready to build it at any time. Everything's set and ready. There's even a guy in Texas about 20 years ago that was able to breed a red heifer for the cleansing. Everything's ready to go. So, we mean by eminence is that Jesus can return at any time because nothing must happen, but many things could happen. We need to be ready. Now, the doctrine of eminence, just to review quickly what we talked about last week, is this expectation, or the foundation of this is an expectation the apostles had, both for themselves and to those to whom they were writing, is that the rapture could happen while they were still alive. So that's a close time period. There are statements that the Lord is near, Philippians 4, 5. He's at hand and standing right at the door, James 5, 7 through 9, which refer to Him being close and proximate in time. There are statements He's coming quickly in Revelation 2, 16, 3, 11, 22, 12, 20, and 27. All meaning that He is coming swiftly, all at once, before you could be prepared It's going to be fast. There are the statements that he's coming like a thief in the night, which means he's coming unexpectedly. Revelation 33 verse 3, 1 Thessalonians 5, 2 and 2 Peter 3, 10 all state that specifically. And then there are many verses that call upon us as believers to have a eager anticipation for this event and the things related to it to happen. It's an eager waiting. I went over three different words that are used for this. Apodechamai is used to express an anticipation and waiting for the hope of righteousness, Galatians 5.5. awaiting eagerly the revelation or unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 1-7. The anxious longing of the creation, which waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God, as well as our own waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons. Romans 8, 18-25. There's an eager waiting for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, from heaven. Philippians 3-20. And an eager awaiting of Christ's appearance. Hebrews 9-26. Another word, prox decaminoi, is used by Jesus in Luke 12 to express the expectancy that we should have it as coming. In Titus 2.13, it's used for looking for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus. And in Jude 20.21, it is waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to return alive. All those longings are fulfilled at the rapture. Then the third word on amend though is to wait one whose coming is known and foreseen. You just don't know exactly when they're going to arrive. Paul uses in 1 Thessalonians 1 10, to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, that is Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. Now that verse also brings up the topic of today's sermon, which is reasons for the rapture. We're gonna be examining that in just a few moments. But first, just a reminder, we should be gracious to one another in the debate over the timing of the rapture. There's, tragically, there are those who end up splitting churches over this, and that should not happen. It's one of the reasons we defined it in our own doctrinal statement, is to avoid that kind of contention that arises. Remind you, eschatology, if you haven't figured out yet, is difficult. And part of that is you're taking so many different things from so many different passages and trying to compile them together to make sense of all of it. Now, that doesn't mean I'm in any way shy about my own beliefs on this. I believe very strongly that the greatest scriptural support for the rapture is that it's pre-tribulational. Christ comes before the tribulation begins. The beginning of the 70th week of Daniel's prophecy. The primary reason for that is the Doctrine of Eminence. The other views have a difficulty with that because they end up looking for something else to happen rather than Jesus' return. And we're told specifically, too many places, to be looking for Him. In addition, as I stated in 1 Thessalonians 1 10, Jesus is going to rescue those who belong to Him from the wrath that is to come. The other Positions do have a harder time with that. What are exactly you rescuing them from? Now, Paul transitions from his discussion in 1 Thessalonians 4, 13 through 18, which deal with the rapture, the hope, the comfort, the encouragement, the word there is parakaleo, that the rapture brings and its ramifications to believers to a broader topic as he transitions to 1 Thessalonians 5. And that's where we'll be spending a lot of our time. So turn over your Bibles, 1 Thessalonians 5. Because in 1 Thessalonians 5, 1 through 11, Paul is going to repeat the point in 5, 9, the point he made in 1, 10, that God has not destined us for wrath. Jesus rescues us from the wrath to come. Now I preached to First Thessalonians back in January 2021, so I'll refer to those sermons for details on this. I spent three sermons dealing with that. I'm not going to be doing that here. I'm going to summarize a bunch of things. On the website are all the links to those sermons. But there are several things from this passage I do want to highlight today. Now the passage begins, Now as to the times, or now concerning the times and epochs, Brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. And so Paul transitions from specific detailed teaching about the rapture to a very more general discussion concerning the day of the Lord. Now, as he's doing this, he brings up times and epics. And we have some interesting insight into that from Acts chapter 1, verses 6 through 8. Because the disciples came to Jesus, now that he's resurrected, asking a very logical question for him. Lord, is it at this time you're going to restore the kingdom to Israel? Messiah's here, he's resurrected, We're bringing in the kingdom, right? And Jesus' answer to that I think helps keep a proper priority. Their expectation is for the kingdom to be set up. Now, Jesus' answer to this is intriguing, because he could have answered it so many different ways. He could have just said, no, not yet. That'd been simple enough, right? Or he could have said, no, but it is the start of the last dispensation prior to the kingdom's restoration, and then given an explanation, either short or detailed, but he doesn't do that either. Now, he doesn't rebuke them for this expectation. Instead, he gives a correction on their focus on the timing of it. Here's his reply, verse 7, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and even to the remotest part of the earth." In other words, Jesus did not want them to be that concerned about the timing of the restoration of the kingdom of God. He's given them information about it, but He says that's not your big concern. God is going to take care of that in His own plan. He wants their focus to be on being my witnesses while you're here. Starting in Judea, or in Jerusalem, then Judea, then Samaria, then the outermost parts of the world. There is a balance that we need to keep and there's a priorities we need to keep. And I like going to this particular passage just as a reminder to keep the priorities straight. There's a lot of speculation that gets going in eschatology. And there's people who just spend inordinate amounts of time with that, but they shift from a proper priority of, we're here to serve God now. We occupy until he comes. I'm looking for him to come, but I'm not gonna get lazy, just like, well, just until he comes, I don't have to do anything, or paranoid about it. I'm looking for him to come, but I'm gonna keep serving him now with a proper priority of, that's what life is about. Okay? Now here's the reality is, Jesus could come at any moment. You could also die at any moment. Are you going to serve him as long as you're alive? However long that may be. And none of us know. We simply do not know. So that's the proper focus. Now, that doesn't mean that what we believe about the future doesn't have effect on the here and now, because it does. They understood that. What Paul describes in chapter 5, verses 5 through 8, as sons in light and sons of day who are alert and sober is part of a response of understanding Jesus' coming. Their character is changed by it. I pointed that out when we were looking at 2 Peter 3 a few weeks ago. The practical effect of eschatology should be a greater quest for personal holiness in the here and now. You don't know when he's coming. Be ready now. Be pursuing holiness. Be ready for eternity. Frankly, if your beliefs about God's revelation of future events does not result in you living a more righteous life, then something is wrong with your understanding. Okay? That's the practical aspect of this, and I have to keep emphasizing that. Because we are going to get into a lot of detail, but the focus here is always going to be back on, he's coming, are you ready? Now Paul states that there was no need for him to write to them further about this subject. And so from that we have to assume they were already well taught concerning times and epics. So Jesus' command to the apostles later on there is more information given to them and they had taught that. I wish I had that. I wish I had all the things that Paul said about it, but we don't. But what we do have is sufficient for us to pursue holiness, a life of godliness, even as 2 Peter 1, verses 3 and 4 tells us. It's sufficient. Now time here, chronos, is a general reference to its course or span as demonstrated in our English words derived from it, like chronology, the sequencing of events in their order, or chronometer, which you better know as a clock. Most of you have chronometers of many types. Okay, that's the word. Chronos, time. The other word here translated epics or seasons, kairos, carries the idea of decisive moment or point and it will encompass the events or the characteristics of a period in which related events are going to occur. And so we use several words, epic or if you're English and British you could call it epoch. In Americans we call it epic or epoch. So we have epochs, we have eras, we have seasons because they signify a period of time marked by certain characteristics. For example, summer is the season when it's hot and winter is the season when it's not. We recognize the characteristics of it. We recognize, we talked about the Victorian era. We're talking about that period of time and the characteristics of during the life of Queen Victoria of England, the Victorian era. Now if you put both of these ideas together, Kronos and Kairos, we're referring then to when the events of the future will take place, what will be the characteristics of future eras, and how long those eras are going to last. Now, all those are fixed by God, as Jesus said in Acts 1-7. We do not know the specifics of what Paul taught the Thessalonians concerning the times and epics, but what he states here and what's in other passages do give us a general understanding of God's plan for the future. Now, a quick footnote here in what he states in Thessalonians. Notice he calls these Gentile believers brethren. That was contrary to both the ethnocentric pride of both Jews and Gentiles. Neither of them were that friendly or kind to people who weren't of their own group. Paul states here is their brethren, Jews and Gentiles together, one family, and that's what we are. It's one family before God in Christ. Now, Paul ties the times and epics, the day of the Lord in verse two. Now, I discussed the phrase Day of the Lord in some detail last month in the sermon from Daniel 11. The sermon was The Future Foretold, and I'm not gonna repeat that today. There are still some copies, or at least there were some copies by the faith box of the comparison chart of all the passages that talk about the Day of the Lord. You can see there are different days of the Lord, different events that happen within them, different ways to describe. But there is also a final Day of the Lord. And that day begins suddenly and it goes to eternity with multiple elements within it. Each prophecy about it gives a little more understanding about the times and epochs that are part of it. Part of what's going to come. And that's one of the reasons eschatology is difficult. It's putting together those bits and pieces from many different passages to try to understand the whole. Now to this we can add there are also other passages that refer also to this final day of the Lord with a different phrase. For example, in Philippians, Paul refers to the day of Christ three different times. but it's talking about this day of the Lord. Then there are passages of Zechariah 14 and Daniel 7, 9, 11, and 12, all clearly speaking about that final period, this final day of the Lord, yet it doesn't use that phrase at all. We're trying to pull all that together to understand what God has for us in the future, or for the, I should say, for the world in the future. We know that 1 Thessalonians 5 deals with an imminent return of Christ due to its tie to the rapture in the very previous verses. We also know it deals with the final day of the Lord, the last days, because of its reference to it coming like a thief in the night, and that those in it will not escape. Theologians refer to that as the eschaton. Now last week I spoke about the unexpected nature of Jesus' return for his church expressed in that phrase, the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 2 Peter 3.10 states the same thing. It's one of the arguments for believing his return is imminent. Because a thief comes and you're not prepared. Because if the thief sees you're prepared, he's not coming. He'll wait till you're not prepared. Now there's going to be signs of the season and we'll get to that in detail in future sermons. But the vast majority of people are not going to pay attention to preliminary warnings that we are currently in the last days. And we are currently in the last days. We've been in the last days for a long time. There are things that, like 2 Timothy 3, 1 of an increasing evil among people. And just because it's increasing at a faster rate now doesn't mean it hasn't been increasing for a long, long, long time. It has. Then there are the mockers who reject both the promise of Christ's return and reject the evidence of God's judgment in the past by the flood during Noah's days. Because they have to reject that in order to reject a future judgment to come. That's 2 Peter 3. Now Paul continues here in 1 Thessalonians 5.3 with more detail about this sudden arrival of the day of the Lord. He says, At the very time that the world thinks that we're achieving peace and safety, they are suddenly going to receive the opposite. It's a very vivid description here. This analogy gives a pregnant woman knows she's going to have to go through labor pains in order to have this child. When she gets in that last trimester and she begins to waddle around and it's very uncomfortable, she starts getting bracts and hicks. There's these warnings. It's coming! Yet, when it does come, it still comes suddenly. Once it starts, There's no getting out of it. Sorry, ladies. Diane had a very long labor with Jonathan, and I was there, and I was sore from rubbing her back, and she was in terrible shape. Who was I to complain after what she went through? But all that was forgotten as soon as we were holding that little boy. There's no escape from it. That's the analogy he's giving here. Now it is speculative to know exactly what would cause people to say peace and safety just prior to the destruction. And so this is speculation but it is paying attention to world events at the current time. There's a strong hint about what it is because it's tied so closely to the rapture in chapter 4. The rapture has something to do with this. Because it's from that he then jumps into the day of the Lord and talking about it coming suddenly. They are connected together. And then going on to describe those who are of the night and those who are of the light. Those who obtain salvation, those who undergo wrath. Now those paying any attention to the leaders who advocate what has been called the Great Reset, Also know that these people believe that it is Christian values that are holding them back from what they would like to achieve. We are blocking their path to their utopian socialist dreams led by them, the elite. And so they're looking for ways to either get us to recant our beliefs, and they become effective at that, or to join them because we recant our beliefs, or be forced into submission to them, or just simply remove us. In addition, for many decades, ideas have flowed around in both cults and in the New Age movement about some miraculous thing that will happen in the future that is going to remove Bible-believing Christians for the benefit of all the rest of the world. So Satan has been preparing the world for an explanation of the rapture and the Christians disappearing for many, many, many decades. There's alternative explanations for it. Now imagine the reaction of people when suddenly all the Christians are suddenly gone. They disappeared. The opposition is gone. Utopia can be fulfilled. And so they're going to believe that they're entering into a time of wonderful peace and safety because all the things we believe can now be implemented. The Christians are not there to block us. Now that's not going to be anything new. Nero blamed the Christians for the burning of Rome and not much has changed since then, has it? Evil people blame righteous people for what evil people do, or the consequences of what evil people do. Understand that we who are Christians are the stabilizing influence on the world. We are a restraining force against the blatant sin that is all around us. The church being removed, the Holy Spirit's ministry changed, and people are going to pursue their evil desires without restraint. Revelation 6 then describes in quick succession horrible things are going to happen. A conqueror goes out to conquer. That's followed by war, then famine, then death by starvation, disease, a sword, and wild beasts. And then everything else is described in Revelation. You see our enemies have depraved minds, described in the end of Romans 1. So I don't think that any of them are going to believe that They believe that any means can be justified in their pursuit of what they think brings utopia. And for them, that's an elite-led, socialistic society that allows every form of moral perversion and opposes anything that reflects God's morality. We see that in our own nation. Many believe this is going to be a superior society, and that's why they advocate it so much, fight for it, be even violent to try and bring it about. But they, having no sense of history, don't know that the leaders of such socialist movements turn on themselves in the quest for power and position. They also do not know that the equality of socialism only makes people equally miserable unless you manage to get a position among the elite. So without any means of improvement except becoming the elite, it just gets worse and worse. That's true in history, it will be true in the present, it will be true in the future. Now again, that's speculative, but I think there's got to be a tie because of what Paul does in tying the rapture to the day of the Lord and his quick coming. There's a tie there someplace. Peace and safety, it's going to be tied in. The rapture is going to bring something about that for them, thanking that, and then destruction happens, because all the rest of the events, the day of the Lord, start coming out. Now in verses 4 through 11, Paul contrasts believers and unbelievers, and what is going to happen to each. Look at verse 4. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief. The reference there, day, is the day of the Lord. The day would overtake you like a thief, for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness, so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep, do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are also doing. Now, there's a descriptive metaphor here, suns of light, suns of day, that is given as a complete contrast to those who are of the night or of the darkness. The term suns of signifies this is what they're characterized by, these qualities. The double reference using cinnamons light and day as well as night and dark intensifies the strength of these characteristics. Believers have opposite characteristics from those who are not believers. Sons of light, sons of day, are alert, they're sober, so the coming of the day of the Lord doesn't overtake them. It's gonna come like a thief, but we're ready for it. Those that night in darkness or sleep are drunk. They are characterized by an ignorance and or an indifference, the coming of the day of the Lord, and so they're gonna be caught unaware. They'll be unable to respond properly when it arrives and the destruction will come upon them swiftly, suddenly. Now the sons of light and day are going to be prepared for that day because God has already provided for us what is going to be needed. That's the breastplate of faith and love, the helmet of the hope of salvation. Remember back in chapter 1, of Thessalonians, Paul had commended the believers of this church because of their reception of the gospel and their proclamation of it everywhere. Not only in Macedonia where they were, but also Achaia, the southern part of Greece. And because it's a major shipping place, everywhere else any ship from there went, they were proclaiming the gospel. Paul specifically states in chapter 1 verses 9 and 10 that these believers had turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, to wait for His Son from heaven whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus who rescues us from the wrath to come. Now here in chapter 5 verses 9 and 11, Paul specifically states concerning them, "...for God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with him. Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are also doing." Now note that that term awake or asleep and then living together with him in 510, that is a direct reference back to chapter 4 verses 13 through 18 about those who are asleep in Jesus and those who are alive and remaining being raptured together to be ever with the Lord. It's a direct reference. Also note in the command in chapter 5 verse 11, it is the same as in chapter 4 verse 18. It is to comfort or encourage. The same word, parakaleo. That is what we're to do with the truth of these doctrines. So the doctrine of the rapture, it brings comfort and encouragement. And so does a proper understanding of the doctrine of the Day of the Lord. It brings comfort and encouragement to believers. Why? Because it does include this fact. God has not destined us for wrath. Chapter 5, verse 9. Because Jesus is the one who rescues us from the wrath to come. Chapter 1, verse 10. Well, what is that wrath? The word translated as wrath is orige. And in this context, it refers to God's coming angry judgment and punishment against sinners. Those who obtain salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are not going to experience that wrath because God has not destined us for it, appointed us for it, the word is tithami, and Jesus rescues us from it. Those chosen by God, and that is the word that is used for the Thessalonians back in chapter 1 verse 4, are destined for salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ, not for wrath. Jesus rescues those who place their faith in Him because He, by His own sacrifice of His life, propitiates or He appeases God's wrath because He's paid the price for it. He took it on Himself. And so that is the price of redemption so he can offer forgiveness and being made righteous in him. He who knew no sin was made sin that we might become the righteous of God in him. Jesus took that on. Now while Romans 118 states that at present the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteous of men who suppress the truth and unrighteousness. The specific wrath in view here in 1 Thessalonians is one that's future. Romans is a current wrath that's existing. And it's demonstrated in the consequences of sin upon people. But this is a future wrath that is going to come in conjunction with the day of the Lord. It comes like a thief in the night. It brings sudden destruction on sinners and they will not escape. Now Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians to clear up a confusion that had developed among them. And somebody was claiming that they were already in the day of the Lord. And this really concerned them. What do you mean we're in the day of the Lord? This doesn't make sense. How can we be in the day of the Lord? And they were very disturbed by it. And so Paul points out in chapter 1 that though they were currently afflicted, God would give them relief. In fact he says, when the Lord Jesus will be revealed, apokalipsis, it's what was hidden is now seen, is revealed from heaven with his mighty angel and flaming fire dealing out retribution to those who do not know God, to those who do not obey the gospel of Lord Jesus. That was a reminder to them that Jesus appearing, because he comes from heaven, is no longer hidden, is going to bring relief for them but it will be punishment for the unsaved. That is the rapture as clearly indicated in chapter 2 verse 1 by the reference to the coming, parousia, the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him. I mentioned earlier that verse traces directly back to the rapture in chapter 4. Paul then, chapter 4, 1 Thessalonians, Paul then continues to explain to them that they cannot be standing in the day of the Lord, they're not in the day of the Lord, because two events that would prove it had not yet come. The first is that the day of the Lord is not present, states there, unless the apostasy comes first. And that hadn't happened. In my exposition of 2 Thessalonians 5 in 2021, I argue strongly the apostasy here is a reference to the rapture. The word apostasy has a root meaning of to stand separate from and only the context can determine if that standing separate from something in the sense of a defection or revolt or if it is a standing apart from in the sense of a departure or disappearance. The context here is departure. This is the apostasy not an apostasy and occurs first. It is a starting point of a sequence of events. The apostasy is a particular event that Paul can point them to that the Thessalonians would recognize marking whether they are in or not in the day of the Lord. Every reference to an apostasy of a defection or revolt against sound biblical teaching, such as 1 Timothy 4, 1-5 or Matthew 24, is an ambiguous increase of heretical or aberrant theology. There's nothing definitive within it. You can't say, are we really in it or not? How much has increased? Have we reached the point of so much departure from truth in the churches that we now can say we're in the day of the Lord? It's ambiguous. This apostasy he's talking about has to be something that fits being sudden, unexpected, like a thief in the night, as described in 1 Thessalonians 5, 9, and is definitive that you know it has or has not happened. So the context here better supports the apostasy here being a departure of the saints in the rapture when Jesus appears and believers are gathered to him. That's the context of the passage. That fits the meaning of the word. It fits the context of parousia, this appearing of the Lord before his church in verse one. And it is a specific definitive event the Thessalonians would recognize, that would determine, are you or are you not in the day of the Lord? It is the first of a series of events, the first of a sequence of things are gonna happen. So that's first. Second event mentioned there in 2 Thessalonians 2 that's going to mark being in the day of the Lord is, quote, the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction being revealed. That's apokalupthe, that's to be what was hidden is going to be seen now. is going to be revealed. Verses 4-12 then continues on to give further description of what He's going to do and the future events that will take place in relationship to Him. Now, without getting into all the details, as I have in other sermons, this is the prince who is to come that makes a firm covenant with the many in Daniel's prophecy, Daniel 9, 26 and 27. There are actually three, four sermons on 2 Thessalonians 2. Again, they are on the website and the links there on the webpage. The many that the prince to come is going to make a covenant with are identified in verse 24 as Daniel's people. Daniel's people are the Jews. So, whatever else this covenant entails, it is going to give a guarantee of protection to the Jews that are going to enable them to resume sacrifices in the temple since the abomination of desolation, which occurs later, cannot happen without that. This covenant is what marks the beginning of the 70th week of Daniel's prophecy. So whoever makes this covenant is going to be easily identified. And since that hasn't happened either, then the Thessalonians are not in the day of the Lord. Now the various passages that reveal the events that occurred during the 70th week, this tribulation period, describe sudden destruction as God's wrath is then outpoured. 1 Thessalonians 1 10 and 5 9 are clear, believers are not destined for wrath and that Jesus rescues us from this wrath to come. Now that also matches Revelation 3 10 in which Jesus promised the church at Philadelphia that he'd keep them from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth. That directly leads right into the tribulation period. So the church, the body of Christ, is protected from this wrath that comes in the day of the Lord, this part of the Tribulation period, and Revelation, the church is not mentioned in any form between Revelation 6 and Revelation 19. It's not present. The wrath of God does not pertain to the church. In addition, the prophecy in Daniel 9 is about Daniel's people. They're the Jews and the holy city, that's Jerusalem. Daniel 9... 24 states, 70 weeks have been decreed for your people, your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place. The rest of the passage is about fulfillment of that prophecy and the references to Gentiles within it are as oppressors of the Jews. God's wrath comes in the Tribulation period, the 70th week of Daniel's prophecy. It is about unregenerate Gentiles and God fulfilling His promises to the Jews, which includes the purging and a final restoration of remnant. We actually saw that in Daniel 11 and 12 when we studied that. What was left and what's currently going on is a purging of Israel. In the tribulation, two-thirds will be purged out. Only one-third will be left. It should also be noted here that God's wrath pertains to the whole period of the 70th week, not just those portions that occur after the sixth seal is broken in Revelation 6.12. We will talk more about that when we get to Revelation. Not only is the verb tense there an eros indicative showing its past action, it already has come, but Luke 21, 23 even refers to the events that occurred prior to the breaking of the sixth seal as wrath to his people. Same word, orge. So what does all this mean? Now in the future, I'm gonna be giving even more detail about the general points I've made today. If I haven't already done so in past studies, we're gonna get to some of these other passages. We'll be getting to Revelation, we're getting to Zechariah, we'll be getting into some of these others. But I've already gone through 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 Peter, Daniel, and a lot of specific things. Those are all posted on the website. I'm gonna include the controversial passages too. I'm not gonna shy away from those. I don't have to. Because the subject, though difficult, it's not impossible. We can understand it. We can understand the general flow. We're going to be gracious to others because it is difficult. I would just say from a personal standpoint, if it took me years to start figuring this out and become comfortable for it, then I certainly have to be gracious that it's gonna take other people that long too. And maybe longer, because they didn't have the privilege of being able to spend days, hours and days and weeks and stuff just digging into it. And you probably didn't have somebody who held to another view, kept hounding you on it. Because I'd just as soon not get bothered with it. I like being pan-tribulationalist. You know what that means? They're all going to pan out in the end, so why are you worried about it? Are you looking for Christ? Okay, so eminence is still important. I don't care when you think He's coming. I just want to know you're looking for Him to come. Okay? That's the fundamentalist position. Jesus returning physically. Okay? But you keep getting someone poking at you and it's like, alright, I'll keep studying it. And the more I study it, the more it's like, no, this is what Scripture says. So we can be gracious with each other. It is hard. But it's not impossible. Second, the doctrine of imminence and the rapture that accompanies Jesus' return to disciples, it is a comfort for us. And we are told to use that as a comfort. Same thing with the day of the Lord and looking to it. That's not something that is frightening to us as believers. He is specific. We are to comfort and encourage each other with this very doctrine. And I don't know about you, but this idea of having a future home and a glorified body with Christ, in the Father's house, in something He built for me, I like that. I'm looking forward to it. I don't have to wait for tomorrow. I get it. He can come right... I'm sorry Dave, I don't even have to get down to men's lunch. Okay? And I like pizza, but I don't even have to get down there. He can come right now. That is what good news this is. That's a comfort. That's an encouragement. We are told to be looking for that. And then contrary to the accusations, the doctrine of the rapture is not a doctrine of escape. That's often accused. You're just trying to escape trouble. Well, how can I escape trouble and tribulation? Jesus said that in this world you will have tribulation, but I have overcome the world. Jesus and Paul also told us that all who strive to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. That's not one of my favorite encouraging verses. I don't think it is yours either. I don't like that idea, but it's a reality. But then Jesus said, persecute you and say all manner of evil against you. They slander us. Why? Because reward in heaven is great and so they persecuted the prophets before you. So the rapture is not a daft escape from trouble because we're going to have it, but our faith in Christ means that we can take courage because Jesus has overcome it. He will use it in our lives. In fact, James 1 and Romans 5 tells us He's going to mature us through these things. So I'm not fearful of those either. But the rapture is a great assurance that we're escaping the wrath of God that's gonna come upon the whole world in the tribulation period. Why? Because his wrath would have no purpose on the church during that period. And in addition, even more important, it'd be contrary to the promises that God has made. We are not appointed for wrath, we're appointed for salvation. And Jesus rescues us from the wrath to come. The day of the Lord which follows a rapture is going to bring a sudden destruction as God's wrath is poured out on an unregenerate world and Israel is purged to be reduced down to a remnant. If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, then when the rapture comes you're going to be left behind and you're going to be experiencing that wrath. And yes, it is true that there will be many people saved during the tribulation, but most of them, according to Revelation 6, are going to be saved and they're going to be martyrs. They will be killed. There will be a few that are going to be left to populate the millennia. But you can't wait for that because you don't know when you are departing this yourself. You don't know you're going to make it home alive. Because we don't. Today is the day of salvation. To all who are believers, then we need to understand the unregenerate are oblivious to the reality that we're in the last days and this is coming. And the only hope they have is to come to repentance and faith, the person that worked the Lord Jesus Christ. And we have the gospel message of hope they need to hear. And God has given us a commission to go out and tell them. So we have a job that God has given us to do. Let's make sure we're going out and doing it with great joy for our own future, but trepidation for them. So there's some motivation both ways. I'd like them not to fear. I'd like them to have the joy that I have, even as I face the future, whatever it's going to be, because my God's standing right with me. Isn't that Jesus' promise? Lo, I'm with you always, even to the end of the age.