1 Thessalonians 5:1 - Meaning and Application

In these words, Paul tells the Thessalonians that it is pointless to ask about the exact time of Christ’s coming: “About the times and seasons, you do not need me to write to you” (1 Thessalonians 5:1). Christ will certainly come, and God has already fixed the time for that coming. But Paul had no message from God to give them about the exact date, and they should not try to pry into a secret the Father has kept under his own authority.

Jesus himself did not reveal this while he was on earth. It was not part of his mission as the great prophet, that is, God’s special messenger and teacher to the church. He also did not tell his apostles the exact time, because there was no need for them to know it. There are times and seasons for our work, and it is wise to know and use them well. But we do not know when we must give an account to God, and we do not need to know that in advance.

Paul’s point is that many things our curious minds want to know are not things we need to know. Knowing them would not help us.

Paul also tells them that Christ’s coming will be sudden and will surprise most people (1 Thessalonians 5:2). They already knew this well, or could have known it, because Jesus had said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44). He also said, “Watch, because you do not know when the master of the house will come, so that when he comes suddenly he will not find you sleeping” (Mark 13:35-36).

No doubt Paul had also taught them that Christ would come suddenly, like a thief in the night, meaning in a time when people least expect it (Revelation 16:15). A thief usually comes in the dead of night, when no one is looking for him. In the same way, the day of the Lord will come as a surprise. This truth is more useful than knowing the exact time, because it should keep us alert and ready whenever he comes.

Paul then shows how terrible Christ’s coming will be for the ungodly (1 Thessalonians 5:3). That day will bring destruction on them. The righteous God will bring ruin on his enemies and on the enemies of his people. Their destruction will be total and final, and it will come in two ways.

First, it will be sudden. It will catch them in their false peace and careless joy, when they are saying in their hearts, “Peace and safety.” They will be dreaming of happiness and distracting themselves with empty pleasures, not thinking about judgment at all. It will come on them like labor pains on a pregnant woman. The time is set, but it is not always expected at that moment.

Second, it will be unavoidable. “They will not escape.” There will be no way for them to avoid the terror or the punishment of that day. There will be no place to hide, no shelter from the storm, and no shade from the fire that will consume the wicked.

Paul then turns to the comfort of the righteous on that day (1 Thessalonians 5:4-5). Their character and privilege are these: they are not in darkness. They are children of light and children of the day. This was true of the Thessalonians, and it is true of all genuine Christians.

They were once in sin and ignorance, like the pagan world around them, but now they are light in the Lord. God had given them the light of his truth about unseen and eternal things, especially about Christ’s coming and what follows it. They are children of the day because the morning star has risen for them, yes, the Sun of Righteousness has risen with healing under his wings. They are no longer under the darkness of paganism, nor under the shadows of the law. They live under the gospel, which brings life and immortality into the light (2 Timothy 1:10).

Because of this, that day will not overtake them as a thief (1 Thessalonians 5:4). If they are surprised, it will at least be their own fault. They have fair warning and enough help to prepare for that day. So they may hope to stand before the Son of Man with comfort and confidence. For them, it will be a time of refreshment from the presence of the Lord, who will appear without sin for their salvation, and will come as a friend in the daytime, not as a thief in the night.