The Strand Study Bible

Written From Corinth During Paul’s Second Missionary Journey

I THESSALONIANS 4:17 - 5:5

2008

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be 1 caught up together with them 2 in the clouds, to meet the 3 LORD in the air: 4 and so shall we ever be with the Lord. P P 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. I Thessalonians 5 The promise of Great Tribulation to come, i.e., the DAY OF THE LORD (Fulfilled - Rev 6:5-8 & 13:5) Date Written - c. AD 52

1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the DAY OF THE LORD so 5 cometh as a 6 THIEF in the night. PP 3 For when 7 they shall say, Peace and safety; then 8 sudden destruction cometh upon them, as 5 TRAVAIL upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. P 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that 5 DAY should overtake you as a thief. P 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the

1. Fulfilled - Rev 4:2 (NT Resurrection) 2. Heb 12:1-2 3. Fulfilled - Rev 4:1 (Rapture) 4. Jn 14:3 & 17:24 5. Fulfilled- Rev 6:5-8 & 13:5 (Great Tribulation; Day of the Lord) 6. “unexpectedly” - Rev 3:3a 7. that is, “the global community” 8. that is, “the second half of the Seven-Year Tribulation will begin” - Mt 24:21 & Rev 7:14

4:17 a This word ( caught up ) is the Greek word ‘ DUSDJKσοPHθD ( harpagesometha ), which comes from the root word ‘ DUSD]Z ( harpazo ), and means “ to carry off; to snatch up; to remove away suddenly .” The translation from harpazo to rapture involved two steps. First, when the Bible was translated into Latin, the scholars rendered harpazo as rapturo . Secondly, the Latin word rapturo became our English word rapture . The word rapture implies being carried away into sublime happiness. It is a post-biblical word used by Christians to indicate the catching up of the Church to Heaven seven years before the Second Coming of Christ. Most of Christendom agrees that surely as Philip was caught away (literally and physically), and the Ethiopian convert saw him no more (Acts 8:39), so Christians shall be caught away in the twinkling of an eye (I Cor 15:51-53) and the world will see them no more (I Thess 4:13-18). NOTE – While most Christians agree that the Church will certainly be raptured , what they don’t agree on is whether the Rapture of the Church will take place before (pre-tribulation view), during (mid-tribulation view), or after (post-tribulation view) Daniel’s Seventieth Week begins. It is the opinion of this author that the Rapture of the Church will take place sometime before Daniel’s Seventieth Week (known as the seven-year Tribulation Period) begins. The reasons for my “pre-tribulation” views are found under the footnote on Luke 17:27-28 . 4:17 b The RAPTURE of the Church ( to meet the LORD in the air ) and the SECOND COMING OF CHRIST are two separate events that are separated by a seven-year period. Doug Chatham in The Rapture Book notes:

Even beginning Bible students are quick to note that there are some vast differences in some of the passages which describe events involving the return of our Lord. There is a very obvious explanation: there will be two phases of His return, and they are to be different in manner and circumstance! 1

Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins in Are We Living in the End Times? note:

When the more than three hundred Bible references to the Second Coming are carefully examined, it becomes clear that there are two phases to His return. There are far too many conflicting activities connected with His return to be merged into a single coming. 2

NOTE – According to the Bible, there are three definite differences between these two events: 1. Whereas, in the Rapture of the Church the Lord will meet the saints “ in the air” (I Thess 4:17), at the Second Coming the Lord will meet with the saints on the earth (Zech 14:1-5, I Thess 3:13, Jude 14 and Rev 19:11-14) 2. Whereas, the Rapture of the Church is seen as a time of joy (I Thess 2:19, II Cor 1:14 and Jn 14:1-3), the Second Coming is seen as a time of judgment (Mt 25:31-46, I Thess 5:1-3, II Thess 1:7-10 and Rev 19:11-16) 3. Whereas, at the Rapture of the Church the Man of Sin (Antichrist) is discovered (II Thess 2:1-3), at the Second Coming the Man of Sin is destroyed (II Thess 2:4-8 and Rev 19:17-21) NOTE - The fact that the Rapture of the Church is a separate event from the Second Coming makes it a distinct part of the great drama of eschatology (the study of future biblical events). 5:2 The phrase “ DAY OF THE LORD ” is referred to 27 times in the OT (Joel 1:15 & 2:1-2,11,31 & 3:14, Amos 5:18,20, Isa 2:12,20 & 13:6,9 & 34:8, Obad 15, Ezk 30:3, Zeph 1:7-10,14-15,18 & 2:2-3 & 3:8, Zech 14:1 and Mal 4:5). In every case and without exception that DAY is always connected with the Second Coming of Christ and Armageddon. However, according to the following three passages within the New Testament, the scope of the DAY OF THE LORD broadens to include: 1. The entire 3½-year GREAT TRIBULATION (I Thess 5:2-4) (Dan 9:27 & 12:1, Jere 30:5-8 and Isa 66:7-8) 2. The Second Coming of Christ and Armageddon (Acts 2:20) ( Rev 3:3 b & 6:5,6-8 a ) 3. The entire 1000-year millennial reign of Christ (II Pet 3:10,12) 5:3 a Interestingly enough, Paul here uses the term “ they ” (excluding himself and his Christian readers) because he knows Christians will not be around during Daniel’s Seventieth Week (the Seven-year Tribulation Period). 5:3 b According to I Thessalonians 5:3, Ezekiel 38:8,11-14 and Daniel 8:23-25 & 11:21-24 & 9:27, relative “ peace and safety ” will characterize the first 3½ years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week (Dan 9:24-27, Mt 24:9-26 and Rev 6:1-2 ). 1 Chatham, Doug. The Rapture Book , Monroeville, PA, Whitaker House, 1974. Print 2 Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. Are We Living in the End Times? , Wheaton, ILL, Tyndale, 1999. Print