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1 Thessalonians 5_1-11 Session 12.pdf
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The Day of the Lord (vv. 1–11)
The Times and the Seasons (vv. 1–5)
1 Thessalonians 5:1 – Blue
- “Times and seasons” (chronōn kai kairōn) refers to prophetic timing, not ordinary change.
- Used in Daniel 2:21 and Acts 1:7 to describe God’s control over prophetic events.
- Paul shifts to prophetic (non-Pauline) material yet still speaks directly to the Thessalonians.
- “No need that I write unto you” (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 2 Corinthians 9:1) implies previously known truth.
- The Thessalonians could already know this from prophetic Scripture, not from new revelation.
- Paul connects their understanding to the prophets, even though the Body of Christ relates differently to the coming day.
- The church is “built upon the foundation of the prophets” (Ephesians 2:20).
1 Thessalonians 5:2 – Blue
- “The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.”
- Known perfectly—Paul reminds, not reveals.
- The Day of the Lord = time of divine intervention, judgment, and kingdom establishment (Isaiah 13:6–13; Joel 1:15; Amos 5:18–20; Zephaniah 1:14–18).
- “Know perfectly” = their prior prophetic understanding.
- Our knowledge depends on study (2 Timothy 2:15).
- The “thief” imagery echoes Jesus’ teaching (Matthew 24:43; Luke 12:39–40).
- Old Testament prophets also described it as sudden and unexpected (Joel 2:1; Zephaniah 1:15–18).
- Paul’s imagery aligns with prophetic tradition: judgment will come swiftly and inevitably.
1 Thessalonians 5:3 – Black
- “When they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them.”
- Transition from “you” to “they”—shift from believers to the unbelieving world.
- “Peace and safety” = deceptive calm before judgment.
- Parallel to “days of Noah” (Matthew 24:37–39).
- Paralleled in Jeremiah 6:14; Ezekiel 13:10—false assurances of peace.
- Refers to future prophetic moment, not every peace declaration in history.