Week 15, Day 4: The End of Time
Today’s Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 Thessalonians 1:12
Some thoughts from yesterday’s reading…
Recently, we have been studying the book of Revelation in our adult Bible studies on Sunday morning. As we have been talking about chapter 20, the doctrines of pre-millennialism and the end of time have been discussed frequently. Paul’s writing in 1 Thessalonians 4 make it pretty clear that the doctrines devised from Revelation chapter 20 are unsubstantiated by scripture. When we have a difficult passage to understand, like Revelation 20, we cannot violate passages that are much easier to understand, like 1 Thessalonians 4. Paul does not write about a 1000 year reign at the end of time, but tells us very clearly what will happen at the end of time. Here, he is not using figurative or symbolic language like John is in Revelation 20.
Paul provides for us a time line concerning the resurrection. He tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 that the Lord will descend from Heaven with a shout, and with the sound of trumpets and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, those who are alive and faithful will be called to meet Him in the air. Notice that Paul did not mention those who were not faithful to Christ–only the faithful. Was Paul saying that the unrighteous would not be raised, or that they would be raised at a different time? No. In this passage, Paul’s purpose is to encourage those who are faithful (1 Thessalonians 4:18), and his attention is not focused on the wicked at all!
We can see, however, by looking at another clear passage that the wicked and the righteous dead will be raised in the same day. In John 5:28-29, Jesus tells us that the hour is coming when all of the dead would be raised from the dead. At the same time, the righteous would be raised to their reward of eternal life, while the wicked would be raised to their eternal destruction. This is the final judgment that Paul writes about in 1 Corinthians 15:21-24, after which comes “the end”. There is nothing that follows that. There is no 1000 year reign. There is no battle of Armageddon. There is only the judgment, and then the end for the souls–punishment or reward.
This passage in 1 Thessalonians 4 should be encouraging to saints. It is not very encouraging however to those that are not faithful to God. We as Christians have something to look forward to when this life is over. The unfaithful have nothing but fear. This thought should comfort the faithful and frighten the unfaithful! It should be easy to decide which camp we want to be in.