1 thessalonians 5

Read 1 Thessalonians 5 at Bible Gateway.

1 The 4:17-5:11 chiastic structure:

1a) 1 The 4:17-18, We shall always be with the Lord + comfort one another with these words;

1b) 1 The 5:1-3, Day of the Lord: When they say, “Peace + safety!” sudden destruction comes which they shall not escape;

central axis) 1 The 5:4-8a, Central theme repeated twice for emphasis:

1.1) 1 The 5:4-5, You are sons of light and day, not of night nor darkness;
1.2) 1 The 5:6, Let us not sleep but let us watch and be sober;
2.1) 1 The 5:7, Those who sleep/ sleep at night + those who get drunk/ drunk at night;
2.2) 1 The 5:8a, Let us be sober;

2b) 1 The 5:8b-9, God did not appoint us to wrath but to salvation through Jesus Christ who died for us;

1a) 1 The 5:8b, Putting on the breastplate of faith + love/ a helmet of the hope of salvation;
central axis) 1 The 5:9a, For God did not appoint us to wrath;
2a) 1 The 5:9b, But to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ;

2a) 1 The 5:10-11, We should live together with Him/ comfort + edify one another.

Church, we do not need to fear the wrath that is coming upon the sons of darkness. We are not appointed to wrath but to salvation. How do we know we are appointed to salvation and not to wrath? Well, the sons of light are not appointed to wrath. Are we vigilant or asleep? Are we sober or drunk? If the answer is vigilant and sober … we are sons of light. So do not fear.

I know that everyone is saying, Doom is coming on the world, that is how we know the end is near. The world will not be experiencing doom before the end. The world will be experiencing peace and safety. The shaking that is going on now, I sincerely believe, is for the benefit of the sons of light. God is waking His own up, so that they will be vigilant and sober until the end.

I know I am going against the mainstream by saying, things are going to get better in the world, not worse. The world is going to be lulled to sleep again by peace and safety. Jesus taught the same when He said His coming would be like the days of Noah and the days of Lot (Luk 17:26-30). Those of the world did not believe Noah when he preached righteousness to them, because things were going good. Those of the world did not believe Lot when he warned them of the destruction of the city, because things were going good.

And just as God was able to judge the Egyptians with plagues, while keeping His own in perfect safety (Exo 1-12), so He will be able to appoint wrath to the world, while preserving us in salvation. So, fear not!