1Th 5:2-6 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 2. For yourselves know perfectly . That is, they had been taught this. There could be no doubt in their minds respecting it. The day of the Lord so cometh . Of the Lord Jesus--for so the word "Lord" in the New Testament commonly means. . The "day of the Lord" means that day in which he will be manifested, or in which he will be the prominent object in view of the assembled universe. As a thief in the night . Suddenly and unexpectedly, as a robber breaks into a dwelling. A thief comes without giving any warning, or any indications of his approach. He not only gives none, but he is careful that none shall be given. It is a point with him, that, it possible, the man whose house he is about to rob shall have no means of ascertaining his approach until he comes suddenly upon him. Comp. ; and , , . In this way the Lord Jesus will return to judgment; and this proves that all the attempts to determine the day, the year, or the century when he will come, must be fallacious. He intends that his coming to this world shall be sudden and unexpected, "like that of a thief in the night;" that there shall be no such indications of his approach that it shall not be sudden and unexpected; and that no warning of it shall be not the point of the comparison in expressions like this, what is it? Is there anything else in which his coming will resemble that of a thief? And if this be the true point of comparison, how can it be true that men can ascertain when that is to occur? Assuredly, if they can, his coming will not be like that of a thief. Comp. . (a) "cometh as a thief"

1 Thessalonians 5:2-6

Verse 2. For yourselves know perfectly. That is, they had been taught this. There could be no doubt in their minds respecting it.

The day of the Lord so cometh. Of the Lord Jesus--for so the word "Lord" in the New Testament commonly means. Acts 1:24. The "day of the Lord" means that day in which he will be manifested, or in which he will be the prominent object in view of the assembled universe.

As a thief in the night. Suddenly and unexpectedly, as a robber breaks into a dwelling. A thief comes without giving any warning, or any indications of his approach. He not only gives none, but he is careful that none shall be given. It is a point with him, that, it possible, the man whose house he is about to rob shall have no means of ascertaining his approach until he comes suddenly upon him. Comp. Mt 24:37; and Mt 24:38-43, Lk 12:39, Lk 12:40. In this way the Lord Jesus will return to judgment; and this proves that all the attempts to determine the day, the year, or the century when he will come, must be fallacious. He intends that his coming to this world shall be sudden and unexpected, "like that of a thief in the night;" that there shall be no such indications of his approach that it shall not be sudden and unexpected; and that no warning of it shall be not the point of the comparison in expressions like this, what is it? Is there anything else in which his coming will resemble that of a thief? And if this be the true point of comparison, how can it be true that men can ascertain when that is to occur? Assuredly, if they can, his coming will not be like that of a thief. Comp. Acts 1:7.

(a) "cometh as a thief" Lk 12:39,40, 2Pet 3:10, Rev 16:15 Verse 3. For when they shall say, Peace and safety. That is, when the wicked shall say this, for the apostle here refers only to those on whom "sudden destruction" will come. Compare Mt 24:36 and following; 2Pet 3:3,4. It is clear from this,

(1.) that when the Lord Jesus shall come, the world will not all be converted. There will be some to be "destroyed." How large this proportion will be, it is impossible now to ascertain. This supposition, however, is not inconsistent with the belief that there will be a general prevalence of the gospel before that period.

(2.) The impenitent and wicked world will be sunk in carnal security when he comes. They will regard themselves as safe. They will see no danger. They will give no heed to warning. They will be unprepared for his advent. So it has always been. It seems to be an universal truth in regard to all the visitations of God to wicked men for punishment, that he comes upon them at a time when they are not expecting him, and that they have no faith in the predictions of his advent. So it was in the time of the flood; in the destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah, and Jerusalem; in the overthrow of Babylon; so it is when the sinner dies, and so it will be when the Lord Jesus shall return to judge the world. One of the most remarkable facts about the history of man is, that he takes no warning from his Maker: he never changes his plans, or feels any emotion, because his Creator "thunders damnation along his path," and threatens to destroy him in hell.

Sudden destruction. Destruction that was unforeseen (αιφνιδιος) or unexpected. The word here rendered sudden, occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, except in Lk 21:34, "Lest that day come upon you unawares." The word rendered destruction ολεθρος --occurs in the New Testament only here and in 1Cor 5:5; 2Thes 1:9; 1Timm 6:9, in all of which places it is correctly translated destruction. The word destruction is familiar to us. It means, properly, demolition; pulling down; the annihilation of the form of any thing, or that form of parts which constitutes it what it is; as the destruction of grass by eating; of a forest by cutting down the trees; of life by murder; of the soul by consigning it to misery. It does not necessarily mean annihilation--for a house or city is not annihilated which is pulled down or burned; a forest is not annihilated which is cut down; and a man is not annihilated whose character and happiness are destroyed. In regard to the destruction here referred to, we may remark,

(1.) it will be after the return of the Lord Jesus to judgment; and hence it is not true that the wicked experience all the punishment which they ever will in the present life;

(2.) that it seems fairly implied that the destruction which they will then suffer will not be annihilation, but will be connected with conscious existence; and

(3.) that they will then be cut off from life, and hope, and salvation. How can the solemn affirmation that they will be "destroyed suddenly," be consistent with the belief that all men will be saved? Is it the same thing to be destroyed and to be saved? Does the Lord Jesus, when he speaks of the salvation of his people, say that he comes to destroy them?

As travail upon a woman with child. This expression is sometimes used to denote great consternation, as in Ps 48:6, Jer 6:24 Mic 4:9,10; great pain, as Isa 53:11, Jer 4:31, Jn 16:21; or the suddenness with which anything occurs, Jer 13:21. It seems here to be used to denote two things: first, that the coming of the Lord to a wicked world will be sudden; and, secondly, that it will be an event of the most distressing and overwhelming nature.

And they shall not escape. That is, the destruction, or punishment. They calculated on impunity, but now the time will have come when none of these refuges will avail them, and no rocks will cover them from the "wrath to come."

(b) "travail" Jer 13:21 Verse 4. 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 men 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 men 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.

(c) "brethren" Eph 5:8, 1Jn 2:8 Verse 5. Ye are all the children of light. All who are Christians. The phrase "children of light" is a Hebraism, meaning that they were the enlightened children of God.

And the children of the day. Who live as if light always shone round about them. The meaning is, that in reference to the coming of the Lord, they are as men would be in reference to the coming of a thief, if there were no night, and no necessity of slumber. They would always be wakeful and active, and it would be impossible to come upon them by surprise. Christians are always to be wakeful and vigilant; they are so to expect the coming of the Redeemer, that he will not find them off their guard, and will not come upon them by surprise. Verse 6. Therefore let us not sleep as do others. As the wicked world does. Comp. Mt 25:6.

But let us watch. That is, for the coming of the Lord. Let us regard it as an event which is certainly to occur, and which may occur at any moment. Mt 25:13.

And be sober. The word here used (νηφω) is rendered sober in 1Thes 5:6,8, 1Pet 1:13, 5:8; and watch in 2Ti 4:5, 1Pet 4:7. It does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament. It properly means, to be temperate or abstinent, especially in respect to wine. Joseph. Jewish Wars, 5. 5. 7. Xenophon, Cyr.. 7. 5. 20; and then it is used in a more general sense, as meaning to be sober-minded, watchful, circumspect. In this passage, there is an allusion to the fact that persons not only sleep in the night, but that they are frequently drunken in the night also. The idea is, that the Lord Jesus, when he comes, will find the wicked sunk not only in carnal security, but in sinful indulgences; and that those who are Christians ought not only to be awake and to watch as in the daytime, but to be temperate. They ought to be like persons engaged in the sober, honest, and appropriate employments of the day, and not like those who waste their days in sleep, and their nights in revelry. A man who expects soon to see the Son of God coming to judgment, ought to be a sober man. No one would wish to be summoned from a scene of dissipation to his bar. And who would wish to be called there from the ball-room; from the theatre; from the scene of brilliant worldly amusement? The most gay votary of the world; the most accomplished, and flattered, and joyous patron of the ball-room; the most richly-dressed and admired daughter of vanity, would tremble at the thought of being summoned from those brilliant halls, where pleasure is now found, to the judgment-bar. They would wish to have at least a little time that they might prepare for so solemn a scene. But if so, as this event may at any moment occur, why should they not be habitually sober-minded? Why should they not aim to be always in that state of mind which they know would be appropriate to meet him? Especially should Christians live with such vigilance and soberness as to be always prepared to meet the Son of God. What Christian can think it appropriate for him to go up to meet his Saviour from the theatre, the ballroom, or the brilliant worldly party? A Christian ought always so to live, that the coming of the Son of God in the clouds of heaven would not excite the least alarm.

(a) "let us not sleep" Mt 25:5, Rom 13:12,13 (b) "sober" 1Pet 2:8