Thessalonians, Part 5

Last Bible study that we had on Thessalonians, we stopped on chapter 4, verse 8. So today, brethren, after a little brief review, so that as we go into the study, we don't feel like we jump into the book somewhere in the middle and just go on to the next verse, we're going to do a brief review and then we'll continue from verse 8 and 9 onwards. So basically, to give you a little bit of background, we saw that Saul, as a devout Pharisee, was converted. And then during his second missionary trip, he passed by Thessalonika and he taught there on the Sabbath. Thank you. And many Gentiles were converted. That you can read that section all the way up through to Acts 17. Now, I try to think how difficult it would be to start a new church.

And the challenges that Paul had, and in a sense, I am going through some of those challenges in Brazil, brethren.

I'm going to Brazil after Passover, during the latter part of Unleavened Bread, and a few days afterwards. And we've got a group of people in northern Brazil, and that's where we're going to have a feast site. But our further south is Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo, you've probably heard of Sao Paulo, surely. It's a city with 20 million people. 20 million people. It's an enormous city. It's the industrial hub of Brazil. And as you probably know, Brazil is now one of the developing countries. You've probably heard of the Greek countries, Brazil, Russia, India, and China. And now they call them Greeks, because they've added S to South Africa. So those are countries that are developing. They basically do not feel the 2008 economic downturn. They had a minor downturn, but they're just moving forwards. And Brazil is one of those countries, economically. They've got a lot of natural resources, a developing country. And Sao Paulo is the industrial hub, in the sense, of Brazil. Now, there are a few people that have contacted me, and they said, oh well, you know, we'd like a visit and this and that. And so I wrote to them, and I've been thinking, well, maybe I should have a kingdom of God seminar. I want to have a kingdom of God seminar after Pozo, after the Bezalu de Breslin bread in the north, with the brethren on in the village, also in another area with the brethren in Montesclados. But I was thinking, do I do something in Rio and in Sao Paulo? And I may actually, quote-unquote, not do one in Rio, because the messages I've sent so far haven't got anything back, or anything concrete back. And so I may not do one in Rio, because if there's not really advice there, why do it? But, and the costs are very high, just doing it in a hotel. I mean, I was trying to book a small room in Sao Paulo, and a small room costs in dollar terms for one kingdom of God seminar, $500. And, and you, it's shocking, because I mean, yeah, in the States, you can get a room like, we hire this room, costs us $50. We can get a room for somewhere about $100, $150.

But it's not sold in Brazil. Costs in those developing countries are unbelievable, are unbelievable. And, and I was saying, I'm not going to do it in Sao Paulo, at that price, I'm not going to do it. And I was praying about, about it to God.

And I said, at that price, I'm not going to do it. And then these, these people, once a few people in Sao Paulo came to me, but once specifically came back to me.

And he said, what do you mean? If we interested coming to visit you, we are interested, we want to see you. And in fact, they they've been attending with a Church of God, Seventh-day type group, they've fallen apart. There's about 19 members there that don't know where to go. And they said, please come and speak to us. And, and what's more, there's another group out there, which is a Seventh-day Reformed group, which also want to talk to you. They've got about 15 people. And please, we want to speak to you. And, and what's more, they're building a hole because they've had some problems. This is that they're building a hole, very humble, very humble people, some things, but you know, we've got a hole for you. All you need just because it's a different group, just give them a little donation to them. And, and, but please come and see us.

So that changed my perspective about Sao Paulo, because I'm going to do a Kingdom God Seminar. And, and what is going to happen? And now I'm talking about Paul starting a new church in Thessaloniki. Now, I'm going to go into a group there. I don't know what challenges I'm going to encounter. I'm going to encounter people with certain religious backgrounds. Maybe some are Pentecostal. Maybe some come from other background, because this group Seventh-day Adventist, they say they keep the Sabbath and they keep the Holy Days, but they don't keep them all, but they want to talk to us. And so there's a mixture, let's call it a hodgepodge, of different people with different backgrounds and different situations. And I'm going to have to go and, and work with that, because that's where God is leading us. And I think Paul was, had the same situation. He was going out there and what I was encountering? He was encountering the church with different challenges. And he was there only for a little while, and he had to leave. And, and as these people came to the truth, they, they had other people coming in with different ideas, different challenges, and therefore he had to write to them about some of the challenges they were having.

And to, in a loving way, to encourage them, but also point them to God's truth. And that's what we have in Thessalonians. That was the first letter, first Thessalonians, the first letter that Paul wrote, the first epistle that's in the Bible, let's put it this way, the first epistle that's recorded in the Bible that Paul wrote, from a timeline point of view of sequence, put it this way. And, or at least that it is recorded. He may have written at this, but it's the first one that it's actually recorded in a Bible. And so, what were the challenges in that era that Paul had? Well, there were two basic challenges.

One was really from people that were coming in, turning the grace of God into lawlessness, a liberty from law. Very similar to what we have today.

But also, they had people coming in there with, had backgrounds which were pagan, because they came from a pagan environment. And therefore, there were certain challenges, certain things that were bringing in. At the same time, there were some people who were self-righteous about the law, and they wanted to bring in Jewish-style traditions. And that throughout, throughout Paul's epistles, those are the basic two issues that he's encountering. And so, he's going from one to the other. Either they had pagan beliefs, and they were pulling in pagan directions, or taking the grace of Christ into an excuse to break the law. So, they had that one side of the equation, with pagan gracious and that. And the other one was the Jewish-type tradition, saying, no, we've got to be, do more things. We've got to go beyond Christ. We've got to go beyond by, by having some rituals and ceremonies, etc., because we've got to go over and beyond. We've got to do more. And so, he had those two things all the time. You see that, keep that in mind, as you read Paul's letters, those were the challenges he was encountering. And all the time, he had to address them. And that's particularly pertinent when we later go into relations. It will be the after we cover Thessalonians, if we ever finish that. No, I'll just joke here. But we'll finish Thessalonians today, God willing. But then we're going to second and then to the relations, because that's the sequence, the way they wrote, and that's how I would like to cover them in our puddlesnines. So, Paul started this church in Thessalonians. He was only there for a short period. And as he got there, there were people that gave him more time, and he had to leave. And as you can see, there were stonings, and there was a big commotion that developed.

So, he was concerned, because you're starting a whole church there, and he was only there for a short period. And then he had to leave. Very similar. Okay, timings are different, but as we are going out and preaching the gospel onto other areas, for instance, Paul Murray, I think, is his name?

Ken Murray. Ken Murray. He just went to India, and he's been going to Sri Lanka. And he's meeting people that want to talk to him, and they're keeping the Sabbath, and they want to keep the Holy Days, and they just want to serve God. So, he's encountering some of the challenges there, the same thing. Mr. Kubik is going out into Estonian areas and meeting people with other languages that they want to know the truth. And so, it's this challenge that you are basically starting new churches, quote unquote, and how do you deal with these people that have different backgrounds, and because of their historical backgrounds or personal experiences in their lives, they push or deviate a little bit because of that.

And we've got to bring them into the, as that young girl said, the plain truth of what God has given us and Christ has given us on that straight and narrow path. And so, that was the challenge of Paul. And so, he sent Timothy to Thessalonika to try and go and encourage them because he couldn't be there all the time. And then, Timothy came back with a report with a lot of good news and some, some also little areas that need to be addressed. And so, that was the background of Thessalonians.

And so, he wrote Thessalonians to encourage them and to correct them when necessary. And so, we've seen in our Bible study that in the first chapter, Paul basically thanked them for the example of leaving idols, leaving paganism, and how they were eagerly waiting for the coming of Christ. Then, we also cover the second chapter of Thessalonians, and that he wants to make sure that they know that Paul's personal life example was a battery approach, was a battery approach, that he cares for them, he loves them, and that Paul's joy is to see them working towards the kingdom.

And indeed, that's the joy of any man, a certain elder in the church, is to see God's people working and striving to go towards the kingdom. That is our joy. Then, in the third chapter, Paul encourages them by saying that he is really genuinely concerned for their fight, and that's why he sent it to Timothy. And therefore, he wants to make sure that they are well established in the truth and to encourage them to stay in the truth.

So, Timothy and others had preached to them a number of other principles about the truth, and so he wants them to be established in the truth, in that plain truth, and to encourage them to stay on that straight and narrow path. And so, then he prays that God may increase the outgoing concern, their love for one another, and that God may establish their hearts in genuine holiness. And that's how he basically ends the third chapter. And then he moves on to the fourth chapter. And in the fourth chapter, basically, it now turns from encouraging them into a very gentle approach of correcting them, of addressing some areas that needed a bit of attention.

And the first, let's call it corrective point, or the first area that needed some attention, was that they needed to avoid some sexual sense. And so, he covers that in the first few verses of chapter four, and he ties that to holiness, which is the point that he ended on chapter three. So, he's saying, you know, we really gotta be holy. We gotta be different. We gotta be separated. And so, let's go on now, on first Thessalonians chapter four verse seven.

That's where he's talking about that. For God did not call us unto Him, please, but unto holiness. Therefore, He who rejects this does not reject man, but God who has given us His Holy Spirit. In other words, do not disregard this instruction that we've given you about holiness, because it is very important. Don't do away with it. And in fact, He's bringing a point here, which He's gonna bring later, but He's bringing a point and He says, He will reject this, does not reject man.

It was, you're not rejecting a minister. He's bringing a point here and says, listen to the ministry. Listen to what the ministers are saying, because you're not rejecting man, but God.

Now, that's a very important point. And He's saying, the ministers are really just trying to point you to God's Word, and really, you're not rejecting the messenger. You're rejecting the person that is the originator of the message, which is God.

So, He comes to that point a little later again. So, He touches on that twice in this concluding remarks of 1 Thessalonians. So, that's important, because then He says, because it's God who has given us His Holy Spirit. Now, you get thinking about it. The baptism, we all baptized. Last week, we had a counseling session on baptism, and it's interesting because it says, you know, John the Baptist was saying, I baptized you with water. And that's what the ministers do. We baptize you with water. It's water baptism.

But it says, He that's coming after me, that's Christ, will baptize you with the Holy Spirit, or with fire, or end with fire. Obviously, it is Christ, it's God that gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit. It's not a man. It's not a man. It's not when I baptize you, I baptize you with baptismal water. And that's got a whole meaning about it being completely underwater, completely coming out, changing completely. All that's got a meaning. As we come out of the water, we come out as a new man. All symbolic, of course. But there is a meaning in that, and symbolism, and even Christ had to be baptized because it says we don't want Scripture to be broken. He had to fulfill that. So it is something we've got to do. Now, Christ baptizes us with the Holy Spirit. That's important for us to tie. It's not a man that baptizes you with the Holy Spirit. It's a gift from God. A man prays, lays on hands after baptisms, and asks God to bless you with the gift of the Holy Spirit.

But it's not a man that baptizes you with the Holy Spirit. It's Christ. Christ went to heaven. He came, went to heaven off His resurrection. Then, on the day of Pentecost, He sent the Holy Spirit and baptized people with the Holy Spirit. Obviously, the first time, there was first, let's call it, the first showing, the first example. So it was done with a certain visible outward sign. When you and I are baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we don't necessarily receive that sign. That was done at the beginning, so to know and to teach certain lessons. But when God baptizes us with the Holy Spirit, it is God that gives us the Holy Spirit. It's not a man. It's from God. Now, why do we receive the Holy Spirit? We receive the Holy Spirit because Christ said, I will send you the helper. The helper, the Holy Spirit is there to help us. To help us what? Help us overcome. To help us with our trials and difficults to overcome. So we can become like Christ. So Christ can live in us through the Holy Spirit. So we change. We become different people to help us overcome. And that's what he's saying. Yeah, he rejects this, does not reject man, does not reject the minister, but rejects God who has given us the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is to help us to overcome. So if we have these problems, it's the Holy Spirit that's going to help us overcome. And so don't reject us because we've got a bit of self-control through the power of God's Holy Spirit, through the help of God's Holy Spirit. And then he goes on to the next area that he wants to correct them. And that is an area regarding an application of love. And he says, but now concerning Bradley Love. If you were to read those two words in Greek, you would say, but now concerning Philadelphia. You have no need that I should write to you. It's interesting because the word for Bradley Love is actually Philadelphia. It's Bradley Love. So concerning this love between brethren, I don't need to write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.

I don't need to write to you about Bradley Love. You know that we need to have Bradley Love. And indeed, you do so towards all the brethren who are in Macedonia. And in fact, you're already practicing it. Yes, you are a caring, humble people, loving people. You're doing this.

But we urge you, Bradley. So what is he asking them? I'm urging you, pleading with you, please. Plead in you, please. He says that you increase more and more.

So he's saying, listen, what we want you to do is to grow, to grow in that. Now, it's interesting what he goes on today. In verse 11 he says that you also aspire to meet a quiet life. So he's saying, grow in love, have a quiet life, to mind your own business.

So yeah, I mean, he's actually not talking about love as a feeling, but he's talking about love as an action, as a verb, because it says to love one another. It's an action. It's a verb.

So it's not a feeling that you go around and being a busybody, taking your time and just being with people and have this feeling of lovey-dovey-dovey, lovey-lovey-dovey, whatever. But it's an action. Lead a quiet life to mind your own business and to work with your hands. It's tying the act of love to actually doing some work.

So they ought to lead a quiet life to mind their own business and to work. And to work. He's commanding them to work. He says to work with your hands as we commanded you.

So he already told them that before.

He had already mentioned that to them before. There was a problem there, could we call it, of lisiness. And this laziness was kind of coming across as, well, we are working because we're going out and talking to people and we're showing a lot of love and spending a lot of time with people and showing a lot of love. Maybe it was this. I don't know. But he's tying it together and saying, lead a quiet life. Come to work! Now, it is also you read other commentaries. He says that it's possible also.

And they tie this to the fact that some of them thought that Christ was coming at any moment.

And because they thought that Christ was coming at any moment, and there were some members in the church that had really little and some members in the church that were, let's call it, better or financially. They had Apple stock or whatever. Whatever they had, they were better off. All right. So they said, well, because Christ is coming, and what are you going to do with that extra Apple stock? You might as well just sell it. And help us all out. And we all have fellowship and we all have time to fellowship and be loving to one another. And Christ is coming. So, come sell your stock and come help us out. And we'll all be nice. And maybe that was that. Some commentaries say that because they were thinking that Christ was coming soon, that they really did not need to work and was actually an excuse to lay things.

And that's why he's addressing a problem. So exactly whatever the cause of the problem was, he is actually saying, we need to love. We urge you that you increase more and more in love.

And then he says, lead a quiet life, mind your own business and work, as we've told you before.

So there is something there that really, and from us, the lesson is, we all need to grow and outgrow and concern and love one another. But at the same time, we need to have our own jobs, we need to mind our own business and not be interfering in other people's lives. And using that as an excuse that we are loving. We need to love, we need to identify where people need help and be willing to help when people need help, but also don't interfere. So there is a balance thing of genuine, outgoing concern in love. And that is important. So let's go on. That you may walk properly toward those who are outside and that you might lack nothing. And so that way that means that you're going to be an example to those that are not in the church by working, by being an example of hard workers. And also because you're a hard worker, then you're not going to lack things because you're being productive and things like that. So there is something in there that is a lesson for us. And in verse 13, he goes on to address what people believe was the cause of that problem. Because they were thinking that Christ was coming soon. Because they were thinking Christ was coming soon. Then maybe, as I mentioned before, maybe they said, oh well, we don't have to work. On the other side, they had a misunderstanding about Christ coming soon. Because they're thinking that Christ was coming soon. Therefore, those people, amongst them, they were older or ill, that had just died, or they were dying, you know. Society was different. Maybe people died younger or health conditions and food, etc. was different. Maybe the period of life was different. But some people had died in the church. And they were concerned and they were sad because those people that had died in the church, they had died before Christ's coming. And before they were losing out on the joy of being part of Christ's coming, they were losing out of seeing the experience of the Lord, the day of the Lord. And so they were losing out on that. And so he asked to address that issue because there was a misunderstanding there. And so he says, 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. You see, we have a hope. These people that have died, they're going to be resurrected. And what he's saying is, let's see what he's saying first. What he's saying is the following. These people have died, they'll be resurrected, and in fact, they will see Christ's coming, because they'll resurrect before you that are living will be changed to spirit. So if you are a true Christian, they will be resurrected before, so they will not lose out on anything. They'll be resurrected before you that are living are getting changed. And therefore, let this be comfort, comfort you that you will be changed. Yes, you'll be changed. But those that have died, they will see, in a sense, will become spirit beings before you that are living. Okay, maybe a split second, but they'll be there. They'll experience that joy. So you don't have to be sorry for them missing on that out, because they will be resurrected and they will be there.

So let's go on reading that verse 14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. It was if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, that's our belief. And yes, that's our belief that he was resurrected.

When he comes back, he will raise up, you'll make those that are asleep to be resurrected, so that when he comes, they'll come with him, because they'll resurrect and they all come together. They'll resurrect and then they'll come together to earth. They'll come with him. That's what he's explained. They'll resurrect first. They'll meet him on the clouds, Isaac's coming. They'll meet him on the clouds, and then they'll come to earth with him. They'll come together with him. They come with him. It's clear when we understand it, but obviously people in the world today have twisted this to other things, which we'll talk about in a moment. For this we say, verse 16, to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, in other words, we that are true Christians, that are living, that are still living with the time is of Christ's coming, will by no means precede those that are asleep. In other words, by no means will we proceed. In other words, we will at once be spirit beings before those that are asleep. Those that are asleep will be spirit beings before us. We don't know how long, maybe it's a split-second, maybe it's two split-seconds. I don't know, but whatever it is, it will be before. Verse 16, for the Lord himself will descend from heaven. In other words, Christ himself will descend from heaven with a shop, with the voice of the archangel. In other words, with the trumpet of God. And we know elsewhere, and we've talked about it a little bit more in a moment, it will be the lost trumpet, the seventh trumpet, the lost trumpet. That's when Christ comes, the lost trumpet. That's when it comes. And the dead in Christ will rise first. So there it is what I mentioned to you just now. He's coming, it will be the seventh trumpet, the dead in Christ will rise first.

Then we who are alive and remain, there was we as true Christians that are still living and remain, those of you that are remaining, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds. So we will be changed to spirit beings and will be caught up as spirit beings with the others in the clouds as Christ is coming. Right? Because he says, and when it comes, they'll come with him. So those are asleep. So those are sleep resurrected. Christ is coming. We that are still living as true Christians will be changed. We'll meet them in the clouds as well. And then that's when it comes. We'll see later that it comes to earth and his feet will stand on Mount of Olives. We'll see that in other scriptures in a moment just to back that up. So I'm just giving you the overall picture. He says, then we are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So that's how to meet the Lord in the air. It doesn't say to be there forever in the clouds. It says to meet. You know, like somebody comes to your home, you open the door and you go out and you meet them at the door. To meet. That's not where you stay all the time. You don't stay there at the door. You say, come in, come inside, sit down. You don't stay at the door. That's where you meet them. You see? And thus we shall always be of the Lord. That is how we will be with the Lord. It's not saying that we'll be there in the clouds forever, but it's giving a sequence because of a concern of them that those people that had died would not see Christ's coming. He's saying, no, no, they will. In fact, they will be before. They will be changed first into spirit beings before you that are still alive. When he says we that are still alive, which shows they did not understand that it would be there. Remember, the book of Revelation, which is the last book in the Bible, the last book that was written, was written about 45 years of the Hero of the Slit. And 45 years of the Hero of the Slit, which means the apostle John, when he was given the revelation, was nearly half of the Kaid later. They did not understand some of the things that you and I understand now in the book of Revelation. So they thought Christ's coming was imminent. Even Paul did not dispute that. And he said, if we, so they don't know how long Christ would be coming. Now, for one reason, when we read this today, we can apply it to ourselves. Do we?

But it just shows God intended not to reveal when He would be coming.

No man knows the day of the hour. They do not know at that time. And we still don't know.

So they thought Christ's coming was imminent. So He's not talking about when He says, we'll meet Him in the air and thus would shall always be of the Lord. That's how we'll be with Him forever. It's not saying where we'll be within forever. That's how we'll be forever.

And thus, this is how it will happen and thereafter we'll be within forever. It doesn't say where, and it doesn't say where we'll be and things like that. So this is important because this, for us to understand this, because this is where the world goes wrong.

Now, it's very important to understand what we believe and what the Bible says clearly. And we'll go through scriptures today in a Bible study, a few scriptures, to back that up, to show you and to prove what it is that we believe, because it is important to spend a bit of time in this. Because using this scripture, people have created one major false doctrine.

One major false doctrine. In fact, they use this for two false doctors, but they've created one major false doctrine from this scripture. Do you know which one?

The rapture. Now, there were certain books written that you may read called Left Beyond. There's a whole series of books called Left Beyond, and that story in those books talks about an instant in which millions of people just disappear. Millions of people just disappear. And chaos develops, because imagine, people are driving, and they on the highway are going at, basically at 65. Because they do Christmas, right?

So they're going at 65 exactly, and suddenly there's nobody there on the car.

And the car is just going now, and it goes over the highway, smashes against the car, and kills other people, because these true Christians have been raptured secretly in some way.

And yeah, you can think about it. I mean, I use the example of motorists, but you can think about whatever people are doing. Suddenly people are working in the field, and one will be taken, and I don't want to be left. You know, they use these scriptures, and people are just, there's a bear, just zapped out, zapped.

Now, and so what they have is, they have this belief. If you're being in the church, and you've been brought up in the church, you probably don't even know what the rapture says. So let me say to you what the rapture is, basically. The key understanding of the rapture is that people will be taken suddenly, and they'll go to heaven. They'll go to heaven. It'll be secret. That's why they call it the secret rapture. I mean, be secret, you know. And they'll go to heaven. And the reason is, they go there for seven years to be protected during the great tribulation, which they say is seven years. Now, you can see, if you really know the truth, and you know your Bible, you know there's a number of errors there. Error number one. We're not going to heaven.

Error number two, the church is not taken secretly.

Error number three, the great tribulation is not seven years.

And those that are alive are not taken seven years before those that are resurrected, because that's what they're saying. They're saying that those that are alive make it seven years before those that are resurrected.

Well, that's what we're saying. That's not the case.

So, you can see, the rapture has some serious flaws, if you really know your Bible.

But regrettably, it is so, so profound out there in the Pentecostal wall today. It's unbelievable.

Now, what is the purpose of this doctrine of the rapture?

Think about it. It's to protect Christians and motivate them to be ready to protect them from the great tribulation. And so, kind of to give them like a hell and fire, whatever, warning, repent now type of thing, or change, or believe in Christ now. Yes, because they don't talk about repent, so they always say, all we need is to believe. So, believe now and you'll be saved.

And you'll be protected from the great tribulation.

What is it the falsification of? What is it a falsification of? I mean, there's a lot of lies in there.

As I mentioned a few already. So, what is it a falsification of?

It's a falsification of the place of safety. Because a place of safety will not be in heaven, the church will not be taken secretly, the great tribulation will not be seven years, and the people still be human beings to the place of safety. And also, let's understand what is it that the Bible talks about here in 1 Thessalonians 4 to 17. When we're reading 1st 4th 17th, it says, first, we are there to meet. We're not to stay there, we're to meeting. Second, we said it's not secret. Well, turn with me to Matthew 24. Matthew 24 verse 27. Matthew 24 verse 27.

Matthew 24 verse 27 says, for as the lightning comes from the east and flash to the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man being. Is that secret? When there's lightning, is that secret? That's not secret. That's pretty visible. Lightning is pretty visible. Christ's coming will be visible. Now also, they said, oh well, people go to heaven. Well, look at Zechariah 14. Look at Zechariah 14, the second lost book of the Old Testament, Zechariah 14.

Luke starting from verse 1 through the beginnings of verse 4.

The all the day of the Lord is coming, and you'll spoil the dividing your list. I'll gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem. So there'll be a time that will be all the nations gathered, and then it goes on and talks about what will happen there. And in verse 3, then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations. So that'll be a time when Christ's going to come and fight those nations. So there will be nations gathered, preparing to fight Christ. I mean, that day, His feet, Christ's feet, will stand on a Mount of Olives.

So Christ is going to come to earth. They'll meet Him, but after that, He'll come to earth, and they'll be on Mount of Olives. Then read also in verse 9.

Yeah, in verse 9, it says, And the Lord shall be king over all the earth.

That's Zechariah 14 verse 9. The Lord will be king over all the earth. In that day it shall be the Lord is one, and His name one. And He's going to rule. Christ is going to rule on the earth.

Look also at the end of verse 5 in the same chapter. And it says, Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with you, all the resurrected saints, both the ones that were asleep and the ones that were changed, they'll meet Him in the clouds, and then they come from the clouds to the earth to rule on earth. And as we know, for a thousand years, that's the millennium.

Look at Revelation 11 verse 15. Revelation 11 verse 15.

Then the seventh angel sounded, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever. The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of Christ.

The nations of this world, the United States, Germany, Australia, China, those are the kingdoms of this world. The United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Thailand, Singapore, the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, of God and of His Christ. And He, Christ, shall reign forever and ever.

Where will they reign? Revelation 5 verse 10.

Revelation 5 verse 10.

Revelation 5 verse 10 says, And have made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth. We shall reign on the earth.

So, Reverend, the contextualist Paul is writing to these people that he was sad because some of them had died thinking that they had missed out on Christ's second coming. And so he's explaining to them, now they have not missed out. They really have not missed out on Christ's second coming.

In fact, they'll be resurrected first and they knew that our lives will be changed after that. That's where we'll meet Christ. We'll meet Christ in the clouds. And that's how we'll be of Christ forever. That's how we'll be with Him. Doesn't say we'll be there, we'll be in heaven, or whatever it is. That's how we'll be within forever. And other scriptures then explain exactly what will happen.

So, as you can see, going back to 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul is correcting them on a number of things. He was correcting them on sexual sins. He was correcting them on laziness.

Whatever the cause was, it was to have genuine, outgoing love, go to work, and serve other people by having the means so that you lack nothing, then you can serve and give. And then he was correcting them on their misunderstanding about the coming of Christ and versus those that have died. So, in verse 18, he says, therefore comfort one another of these words. These words are very comforting. They are comforting to us. They are comforting that we know the truth and that we will be resurrected, or if we are alive, we'll be challenged if we are faithful true Christians at that time. So, it's very comforting, very encouraging.

Then he goes on in chapter 5. Let's start in verse 1 and 2. But concerning times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. Brethren, we don't know when. Oh, yes, we can get an idea of seasons, things are approaching, etc., but we don't know the day. But he says, for yourselves know perfect that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.

You know that the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. How does a thief in the night come?

How does a thief in the night come?

Well, tonight a thief is coming, so tonight I'm locking up the doors, I'm staying up, I'm saying, no, it doesn't.

I mean, we've had experiences in our home when we lived in South Africa.

There was one day we woke up and our daughter came to us, so the room says, Dad, where's the TV?

Where's the feature recorder? So it's there, it's there. It's not. Where did you take it? Didn't take it anywhere. So we go downstairs and it's gone. And then we look at the window, it's broken. And then we look at the bars, they've been bent out of shape.

So we didn't know he was coming that night. It was our next day. Then we talked to our son that had a bedroom downstairs near there. And he says, Oh yeah, I remember there was a shadow that came into my room. And then you said, Get out! And the person ran away. And then I had left my coat, whatever it is, over the, you know, on the stairs. You have this thing by the stairs and I had left my coat or my jacket coat, whatever it is, and it was gone right there next to his bedroom.

And we know that a lot of people go and just stab and kill two people. He said, God protected us. God protected us. But we do not know that faith was coming that night.

We really did not know. It was unawares.

Let's go on.

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes the thinking of not. For when they say peace and safety and sudden destruction comes upon them.

So there is some sort of sequence. There is some sort of sequence.

And one of the things that is going to happen is that there's going to be a time that is going to be a false sense of security.

In fact, brethren, this whole thing caused this explanation of fault, caused problems in the church. Did you know that?

Because now they thought something else. You know, when you try and explain to somebody something, you explain to them something, no, this is it. And then they come back to you and say, oh, but you said this. No, I didn't say that. I didn't say that. So now you say that, oh, I see how you took that to mean something else. And you now interpret it as meaning something else. Now I've got to correct. That's not what I meant. I meant this. Oh!

You see, because they misunderstood that, what he explained to them, yeah, he had to write Second Thessalonians.

Because they misunderstood what he wrote in First Thessalonians, yeah, about Christ's coming. And because of that, look at Second Thessalonians, Chapter 2, verse 1 through 4.

You see, he has to go back to this and to say, you guys misunderstood me, and yeah, is a bit further explanation, because you're going again on the wrong track. And he says, now brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and now gathering together to him. Yeah, he just finished explaining the previous letter. Now they misunderstood it. They went out onto a different tangent. Now he's going to come back to it and says, listen, guys, don't be so soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ has come. Let no one deceive you by any means, for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first and the man of sin is revealed the son of perdition. Now he has to say, listen, guys, there's more to it. Yes, there's something else that's not just peace and peace before Christ's coming, because, hey, you know, around us, maybe it is peace and peace, and there was a part maybe of law or security, whatever it might be, and he said, oh, it Christ's coming now. And no, there's other things. There's got to be an apostasy, a falling away, and a man of sin is revealed.

Now there's a whole secrecy.

Now, it's interesting to look at historically. You look at historically and you think historically. What happened?

It's an interesting study for you to read a little bit of that.

There's a very interesting book. I was not thinking of mentioning it, but called Primitive Christianity by Ellen Knight. Very interesting book. And in that book, he explains how in that era the apostasy came in two phases.

And that's interesting. It's interesting for us to remember.

The first phase was people infiltrated into the church and brought in false doctrine, causing the church to go wrong. An apostasy coming into the church.

And therefore, that happened in the... And Paul writes of time and time again. Be careful, because they'll come in amongst you like wolves, like false Christians. They come from you. They come and they beware, beware. Paul throughout his scriptures tells them all the time. They'll come into the church and try and deceive you and go the wrong way. And that didn't happen.

And then we see the church after the year about 150 or so, which is actually a different church. It's no more a Christian church, true Christian church. It's actually a false Christian church, but with the name of Christian. Because the true Christian church is now kind of hiding. So when you read things about Christian churches and what they're doing and what they've done, and you read things into the Council of Nasea and the Council of Constantinople in the years 325 and 370 or so. I don't remember these dates exactly off my heart, but somewhere around those times, they had different ideas. And it was this idea or that idea. And people think it was this right idea of Christianity and this wrong idea of Christianity. No, no, no. It was this wrong idea of Christianity or this other wrong idea of Christianity. There were two wrongs. And they were fighting by which one of them? And then ended up deciding which one of them, and then ended up deciding, well, we'll go with this. And after that, an apostasy, a second wave of phrase of apostasy came which was forced. Was forced. Because then the Emperor sanctioned what they decided. You read between one wrong and two wrongs. The Emperor sanctioned it. And then the Emperor forced that upon other Christians. And yes, a lot of these Christians were really not true Christians, but the real true Christians were also impacted by that. And so the second wave of apostasy was amongst not just through God's Church, but in terms which are today's language. The first wave, as I said, was in God's Church. They infiltrated God's Church and they tried to lead God's Church to go the wrong way. So the majority of them ended up going the wrong way. Doesn't that sound familiar somewhere along the line to what happened a few years back? But then the second wave that came quite a few years later was between two wrongs of Christianity coming one against the other, then the leadership, the Emperor and those religious leaders forcing one of those dictates and those being forced upon the other people. And that was the second wave of apostasy, which was, let's call it, a dictatorial enforcing of certain things, such as enforcing the keeping of Sunday and enforcing away from the the Passover on the 14th, but having what they call today Easter Sunday.

And so that apostasy came in two waves. Now I'm not saying that will be the case at the end time, but it's always interesting to learn something from history.

So apostasy, phase one, has happened in the way I see it. If there is going to be a phase two, that is thought to happen at the same time. And then it talks the man of sin will be revealed. And the man of sin, you can go into a number of other scriptures.

You can go into a number of other scriptures about who the man of sin, which is the abomination of desolation, that will come and a whole lot of things will develop from that. I gave a sermon some months back about that, and I gave some handouts about the time sequence and going into that area. So I don't necessarily want to go into that today, but there are a number of scriptures that show that basically you look at abomination of desolation. You look in Matthew 24. If you want to just write down, I'm not going to go to those scriptures. I'm just going to give you a list of scriptures that if you want to study, they give you that sequence. So you can just write them down and you're on private study. Matthew 24, 15 through 16, talks about the abomination of desolation, and the putting a time to flee. That's the time to go to the place of safety. Then Revelation 12, verse 13 and 14, talks about Satan being angry and persecuting the church, because the church is fleeing and it's showing that it's for three and a half years, not seven years, three and a half years. Then you go back to Matthew 24, verse 21 through 29, talking about the heavenly signs. After the Great Tribulation, you'll be heavenly signs. Then you go to Revelation 6, verse 9. It shows that the Great Tribulation, it's the sixth seal. Abhippār is the fifth seal. And then on verse 12, it shows that the heavenly signs is the sixth seal. And then you go into Matthew 24, verse 15, 21 and 29, and it shows the heavenly signs. It's God's sign that is now going to intervene. And then you can write down Acts 2, verse 20, where it says those signs will be before the Day of the Lord. You can write also in Joel 2, verse 30 and 31, that the signs, the heavenly signs will be before the Day of the Lord. And so it gives you a whole sequence there, if you want to go into that. But in summary, what we have is the following. There's an apostasy.

There's an apostasy. After the apostasy, one or two wives, maybe it's two wives. If we learn from history, maybe it's two wives, then there'll be a man of sin will be revealed. The man of sin will then trigger the abomination of desolation. The abomination of desolation basically is a trigger to flee to the place of safety. Then is the great tribulation for three and a half years.

Towards the end of the great tribulation, maybe a year before it ends, there'll be the heavenly signs.

After the heavenly signs, there'll be the sealing of those that are repented through the great tribulation. The sealing of those repented. It talks about of the Israelites, which is 144,000, and of the non-Israelites, which is a great multitude, which is a fruit of what we do today, because they will repent then when they see those things happening. And then the Day of the Lord starts, which is the seventh seal, starting from Revelation 8 onwards with the seven trumpets. There's a sequence. And Jesus Christ comes at the lost trumpet, which is when is the first resurrection. You see, there's a sequence. There's a lot of things that are going to happen before Christ comes. It's not going to be 2012. There's a lot of things that are going to happen. But it is important that we understand these things so that we can watch, so that we are not caught and aware like a thief in the night. Let's go back to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5.

It says, we're talking about, comes as a thief in the night, in the night at the end of verse 2. And then it says, for when they say peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them. So, before all these things go back, there's going to be some sort of a love, a false sense of security.

And it says, comes upon them as labor pines upon a pregnant woman. Aha!

Sometimes we read the labor pines and we read it incorrectly. You see, what it says here is, the labor pines come suddenly. I mean, I remember when we had our first child, Michelle.

I think it was Michelle, correct me. We had visitors at home. Right? Friday night, we had visitors at home.

We were kind of expecting, you know, we were awake. We were expecting. But the visitors weren't expecting. And what happened is, my wife called me and signed and said, George, tonight, tonight, tonight. Because the water's broken. And it says, aha! So what I have to do? I have to go to the visitors. They weren't expecting it and I had to send them home.

They understood, of course. But we had to send them. They were not expecting it, but we were expecting it. And so the point he asked is, watch, be aware. It comes as as labor pines suddenly come. We don't know which day the water's going to break and things never start.

But if you are alert, you know it's going to be any moment. If you're not alert and you don't know, it kind of hits you as a surprise. I mean, you've seen stories on TV about these mothers. I don't know how it happens. The challenges says, I don't know, I've even played it. There are some driving, there's a baby. I don't know how that happens. I don't know how this happens. Sorry. I'm sorry about that.

Let's just put it this way. Matthew doesn't call again. I'm sorry about that. But it comes in the state of hand. You're not watching for it. You're not aware. The point, brethren, is we've got to be alert. We've got to be awake. We've got to be watching as it comes when we're not expecting it. So then he goes on. This is, and they shall not escape. You know what is going to happen? That's it. There's no way out. It's going to happen. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, verse 4, so this day should overtake you as a thief.

I mean, you know enough information to be alert, to be aware. So don't be caught unawares. Be prepared.

Goes on. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night, full of darkness. And there's a whole thing that I could go into, which I'm not going to go about, being sons of the light, walking in the light, and all principles about that. Where we are, sons of the light. Therefore, verse 6, let us not sleep as others do.

I mean, you know about the ten virgins. They all slept. They all slept. But at least some we're prepared. They were ready. And so it says, let us watch and be sober.

So we have to watch and we have to be sober. It's very important to be prepared. Be serious minded. Be prepared about this. For those who sleep, verse 7, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.

So people are going, they're barking, etc. They're in the night. They don't see it. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. The breastplate is over the heart. That's where faith and love originate from, from the heart. It's really heartfelt emotions.

And the helmet is what's over the brain. It's over the mind. And what's the helmet is the hope. In our mind is the hope. It's the hope of salvation, the hope of what we see of this truth. That gives us that hope. But at the same time, we need that breastplate of faith and love, of genuine, that right heart. So it's the mind and the heart, the gain, the mind and the heart. The good scripture to have in mind and to go and study together with this is Ephesians 6, verse 11 to 17, which talks about putting on the whole armor of God and to a stand in the day of evil, because it is a spiritual door. You know, there are demons, there are prophets, there are powers out there. They're trying to destroy you and I. Let's understand and be very clear. As we saw on the Seminent, we really are preparing for Passover and we really need to be alert. And as it said, and when we see and we go through situations where there's evil and things like that, don't turn evil for evil or anything. Let's just be good, but be prepared, be alert. Things are going to go bad around us. Be prepared. There's a demonic war out there and we're part of that. And then goes on. For God to not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Brethren, we are appointed to salvation. God wants to give you and I salvation. God does not want us to go through troubles, through wrath, through the wrath of God.

God does not want us to go through that day of the Lord. He doesn't want us to. He appointed us to salvation. But it is our choice. It really is our choice, whether we awake or not. It's our choice. He wants us to be saved through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us. That whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. In other words, whether we are awake, whether we are living and not in the night we are awake, or whether we're dead.

So whether we are awake, I'm not talking about the ones that are living but asleep, but whether we are awake because we're living and we're alert and we're awake, we're prepared. Or whether we're sleeping or whether we're dead. So we're through Christians that are living and we're ready. Or whether we're through Christians that we've already died, we should live together with Him.

Therefore, comfort each other and identify each other. When another, just as you are also doing. So as he finished in verse 18 at the end of chapter 4, he's again saying the same thing. Let's be comforted with these words of encouragement. We urge you, brethren. And so Paul Yah basically finishes that correction section. That correction section which started in chapter 4, it basically finishes Yah. And it basically addressed a few issues like sanctification or holiness against sexual immorality. He also the need to work and to lead a quiet life, not gain concern. And a number of misunderstandings about the coming of Christ.

And then he goes on to a few other details. And in verse 12 and interesting, he goes back to what I mentioned earlier on. He again highlights the point of people to recognize and respect the ministry. And he says, and we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor amongst you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you. In other words, there is an authority. They are librarian. They are over you. But there is a government. But they need to serve you. They need to serve. They're not to be dictators. They need to serve you and to esteem them very highly to love for the worksite. Be at peace amongst yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren. And one does one really comfort the fine-hearted. Uphold the weak. Be patient with all. So it's just giving them general different encouragements. And basically, wonder and rule. In other words, being subordinate. Those that don't want to follow government, give them a warning. Uphold the weak. In other words, those that are maybe spiritually speaking, they're weak. They don't have the same strength. They don't have the same degree of hope. Uphold them. Encourage them. Because not everybody grows at the same speed. Some people are growing faster than others spiritually speaking. So encourage the fine-hearted, the weak. And be patient with everybody. Verse 15. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all, as we heard in the sermon. So thank you. I don't have to cover that in more detail.

But just keep in mind as Romans 12, 17 to 21. It's a good scripture that tells with that. Romans 12, 17 to 21. Or even 1st Peter 3, verse 9 to 14. Good scriptures to go together with that one about the same principle. And then it summarizes a few Christian virtues. Like says, rejoice always. Pray without seizing. In everything, give thanks. Be grateful. In other words, have contact with God, always in a prayerful attitude. Show gratitude. And then he goes on, in everything, give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. In other words, God wants us to be grateful. God really wants us to have an attitude of gratitude. Do not quench the Holy Spirit. Do not quench the Spirit. How do we quench the Spirit? By not having enough prayer, by not renewing God's Spirit daily. Doesn't it say, Luke, it says, the Lord's Prayer, as people call it, or the model prayer, give us today our daily bread. What is our daily bread? Yes, it's physical, but isn't our daily bread also? The bread of life? Isn't that the Holy Spirit? And don't we need to be asking every day the daily bread? You read that in Luke 11. Luke chapter 11, where it talks about that, about the model prayer, and then it goes on to a number of parables about knocking and asking for bread, and ask for bread daily, and even when it's inconvenient, and it says, and then it says, want your Father, which is 11, want to give you the Holy Spirit. He directly relates that daily bread, or giving bread, to the Holy Spirit. Luke chapter 11. So we need to be asking daily, give us our daily bread, not just physically, yes, do ask physically, but do ask spiritually as well for the Holy Spirit daily, and don't quench it. You know, it's renewed daily, by the way. We do it, by the way. We practice, because the Holy Spirit flows in and out. So, practice it. Do not despise prophecies, test all things. Do not despise prophecies. Do not despise prophecies. What's prophecies? The preaching, the preaching of the gospel of the truth. Test all things. All falsehoods good, abstain from every form of evil. So it's all a group of Christian things, and then there is one like test all things. Look, God tests the hearts. God is testing the hearts. So search the truth, search, test the hearts. Now, verse 23, may the Lord God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body. Do you understand what is your spirit, soul, and body? Do you understand what that means? Your spirit is the spirit of man in man. That's your spirit. It's not talking about God's only spirit. It's your spirit, the spirit of man in man. So there's a little bit of studying for you. What is soul? Soul is your life. It's your physical life. It's your vitality. You're living. Remember, Genesis said, they became a living soul after he breathed life into Adam and Eve. Adam, he became a living soul.

And body, which is our physical body, which is our physical body. We preserve blameless at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He calls you, he's faithful. You'll also do it. There's no doubt. God will do it. Brethren, pray for us. Greet, O brethren, with a holy kiss. A holy kiss. It's a caring act by the holy people. A good hug in today's society. It's a nice hug. A holy kiss in other societies might be different. A kiss on the cheek or something like that. Whatever it is correct to our society that we live in. Greet, O brethren, with a holy kiss. I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to hold the holy brethren. I'm giving instruction to read this manuscript in all the churches to all the people. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you always. Amen. And it ends with amen. There are a few of the epistles that don't end with amen, but we can talk about that at another time. But anyway, next time that we're going to Thessalonians, we'll go into the second epistle. And again, if I've missed anything or I mentioned something, and if you have any questions that you'd like to address me in Thessalonians or that, please send to me as questions. And when I will do Bible studies, I'll be happy to address some questions that you may have. Thank you very much, brethren. I continue to have a good second.