Note on 1Thessalonians

1: 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

We are waiting for Salvation…deliverance - because we know this world is under judgment (1John 5:19)

Ch.213 And we also thank God constantly[d] for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men[e] but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 

The Word works (Hebrews 4:12; Isaiah 55:10-11)

14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews,

Here is unity through suffering 

Ch.311 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you,

For, it is God who paves our way and directs our steps. (Psalm 37:23)

Ch..416 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

Here is a mystery: Are the dead already with Christ, or still literally sleeping? A clue is in vs.14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 

If God will bring them with him, they must already be with the Lord - at least in spirit form. (Romans 8:10) So it seems that this resurrection is more connected to our bodies than our spirits, which are already regenerated. (Romans 8:11; Ephesians 2:6; 2Corinthians 5:8)

The first fruits of this resurrection being described in Matthew 27:52-53

Ch.5:5 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers,[a] you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

What does this mean? That he will come when people are off guard…sleeping: see Matthew 25:1-13

3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 

This implies that we will still be here at this point: There will be no space between the rapture of Ch.4 and this point. The difference  - what sets us apart - is this 👇

4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children[b] of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 

See again Matthew 25:1-13; also 1John 1:5-10

6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 

This is a picture of the world just before the coming of the Lord; and why we must be set apart…although in it, not of it. John 17:6-19; John 16:33; Acts 2:40; Psalm 37

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2037&version=ESV

8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. Romans 13:11-14

We are looking for an eternal Kingdom - not of this world. 

Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.2Timothy 4:8

9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. (Remember Ch.4:16-17)

Here is where we know: we have nothing to fear from the great tribulation - Revelation 7:9-17 (Psalm 37:28)

11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

2Thessalonians 1

5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— 6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, 

When will this relief come - and how?

7cont…when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 

(See Revelation 19 - implying that we the elect, will be there almost until the End)

9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

This is what it means to be “built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets” in Ephesians 2 - to believe their testimony. There will be no opportunity to “marvel” for those who did not believe.

11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here is Sanctification : By God’s power, through God’s grace.

2 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers,[a] 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness[b] is revealed, the son of destruction,[c] 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

So we will see the tribulation…and must endure for a time

6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Here is the description of anti christ that needs no explanation.

13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits[d] to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 14 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

The key to standing us through knowing the Truth; revealed to us ONLY through his written Word - the Bible 

16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,17 comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

This is why the Word of Fod must go forth swiftly and effectively: It is the only hope for Salvation 

Ch.3

3 Finally, brothers,[a] pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored,[b]as happened among you, 2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. 

It is faith in God and in his testimony about Christ, coming through his Apostles and Prophets, that is the difference between Life and Death…

3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.[c] 4 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. 

5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.