1 Thessalonians 5:4

But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. NOT IN DARKNESS - of understanding (i:e., spiritual ignorance), or of the moral nature (i:e., sin) (Ephesians 4:18; 1 John 2:9). THAT, [ hina (G2443)] - 'in order that:' with God results are all purposed. THAT DAY - Greek, 'THE day:' the day of the Lord (Hebrews 10:25), in contrast to "darkness." OVERTAKE - unexpectedly (cf. John 12:35). As a thief....

4_But ye, brethren_. He now admonishes them as to what is the duty of believers, that they look forward in hope to that day, though it be remote. And this is what is intended in the metaphor of _day _and _light_. The coming of Christ will take by surprise those that are carelessly giving way to indulgence, because, being enveloped in darkness, they see nothing, for no darkness is more dense than ignorance of God. We, on the other hand, on whom Christ has shone by the faith of his gospel, differ much from them, for that saying of Isaiah is truly accomplished in us, that while darkness covers the earth, the Lord arises upon us, and his glory is seen in us. (Isaiah 60:2) He admonishes us, therefore, that it were an unseemly thing that we should be caught by Christ asleep, as it were, or seeing nothing, while the full blaze of light is shining forth upon us. He call

1-5 It is needless or useless to ask about the particular time of Christ's coming. Christ did not reveal this to the apostles. There are times and seasons for us to work in, and these are our duty and interest to know and observe; but as to the time when we must give up our account, we know it not, nor is it needful that we should. The coming of Christ will be a great surprise to men. Our Lord himself said so. As the hour of death is the same to each person that the judgment will be to mankind in general, so the same remarks answer for both. Christ's coming will be terrible to the ungodly. Their destruction will overtake them while they dream of happiness, and please themselves with vain amusements. There will be no means to escape the terror or the punishment of that day. This day will be a happy day to the righteous. They are not in darkness; they are the children of the light. It is...

Verse 1 Thessalonians 5:4. _BUT YE, BRETHREN, ARE NOT IN DARKNESS_] Probably St. Paul refers to a notion that was very prevalent among the Jews, viz.: that God would judge the _Gentiles_ in the _night time_, when utterly secure and careless; but he would judge the _Jews_ in the _day time_, when employed in reading and performing the words of the law. The words in _Midrash Tehillim_, on Psalms 9:8, are the following: _When the holy blessed God shall judge the Gentiles, it_ _shall be in the night season, in which they shall be asleep in_ _their transgressions; but when he shall judge the Israelites, it_ _shall be in the day time, when they are occupied in the study of_ _the law_. This maxim the apostle appears to have in view in the 4th, 5th, 6th...

BUT YE, BRETHREN, ARE NOT IN DARKNESS, THAT THAT DAY SHOULD OVERTAKE YOU AS A THIEF - The allusion here is to the manner in which a thief or robber accomplishes his purpose. He comes in the night, when people are asleep. So, says the apostle, the Lord will come to the wicked. They are like those who are asleep when the thief comes upon them. But it is not so with Christians. They are, in relation to the coming of the day of the Lord, as people are who are awake when the robber comes. They could see his approach, and could prepare for it, so that it would not take them by surprise....

EXPOSITION CONTENTS.—With regard to the time of that glorious advent when believers, whether dead or living, will be gathered together to Christ, the Thessalonians had already been fully instructed. They knew well that the day of the Lord would come suddenly and unexpectedly, and surprise an ungodly world. But they were not in darkness so as to be taken by surprise. Still, however, they must exercise constant watchfulness and sobriety, and be armed with the Christian graces of faith, love, and hope, being comforted with the assurance that God had not appointed them to wrath, but to the acquisition of salvation through Jesus Christ, who died for their benefit, in order that, whether living or dead, they might share in the blessings of his advent. Now follows a series of short admonitions. The Thessalonians were to love and honor their ministers, to live in peace among themselves, to admo...

BUT YE, BRETHREN, ARE NOT IN DARKNESS,.... In a state of unregeneracy, which is a state of darkness, blindness, and ignorance, and which is the condition of all men by nature; they are born in darkness, and are brought up in it, and willingly, walk in it; they are covered with it, as the earth was covered with darkness in its first creation; and dwell in it, as the Egyptians did for some days, in thick darkness, darkness which might be felt; their understandings are darkened with respect to the true knowledge of God, the nature of sin, the way of salvation by Christ, the work of the spirit of God upon the soul, and the necessity of it, the Scriptures of truth, and the mysteries of the Gospel; and which is the case of God's elect themselves, while unregenerate: but now these persons were called out of darkness, turned from it, and delivered from the power of it; and therefore knew that th...

1 Thessalonians 5:1. _But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night._ It will be a great surprise to the wicked. It will take them at unawares. Just at that moment when they least expect it will Christ come; and as the thief comes to destroy and to kill, so will the coming of Christ be the death of their carnal ease the destruction of their earthly hopes. 1 Thessalonians 5:3. _For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape._ A terrible text that «They shall not escape.» They shall not escape by their own power or force

1 THESSALONIANS 5:4 kle,pthj {A} The reading kle,ptaj, supported by three Alexandrian witnesses (A B copbo), appears to have arisen from scribal conformation to the preceding u`ma/j, resulting in near nonsense (cf. the similar image in ver. 1 Thessalonians 5:2)....

V. THE DAY OF THE LORD AND EXHORTATIONS CHAPTER 5 _ 1. The day of the Lord 1 Thessalonians 5:1)_ 2. Exhortations 1 Thessalonians 5:12) 3. Conclusions 1 Thessalonians 5:23) 1 Thessalonians 5:1 “But concerning the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.” The apostle next men