posted on Mar, 25 2008 @ 03:54 PM
Ack...I had to use SirPaulMuaddib_2 ....instead of SirPaulMuaddib, because I'm sneaking this post in from work...and forgot my password.
Anyway fascinating...I was just going to start a thread on this very subject...
Let's proceed carefully...
I'm going to go at it raw, that is, I'm reading the verses and believing what it says, and not "cheating" by going to other sites for their
explanation.
I'm going to be a tease, and give a little hint here....
Could there be more than one time spoken of here and elsewhere??
The main verses again.....
1 Thessalonians 5
1But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3For 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.
4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
O.K....
Let's "re-read" and believe what it says, you'll be surprised at what really is being said.
2For yourselves know perfectly that THE DAY of the Lord SO COMETH as a thief in the night.
Ah...this is not talk about the Lord's Return! But THE DAY OF THE LORD. Here (we'll get to other verses that touch on this later), but again here,
we're NOT talking about the Lord's return, but the DAY..that Day..it is the Day of the Lord that comes as a thief. Using day = year principle that
prophecy buffs know about...we then know that THIS PASSAGE...is referring to the Day of the Lord, or the Last Year of the Tribulation Period.
Now notice...
3For 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.
4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that THAT DAY should overtake you as a thief.
The destruction coming is UPON THEM...that is the WORLD, upon the world yes, that FINAL YEAR does come like a thief (the final year, because remember
for 2 1/2 years the Beast power will bring "PEACE" and "SAFETY" to the whole world, but in the last year the Beast power will be punished for that
whole final year.).
In verse 4 we see that "THAT DAY" should not overtake YOU (YOU CHRISTIANS), but ONLY IF....only if you are watching, if you are spiritually awake
and watching THEN it won't overtake you, but if you (a Christian) are NOT spiritually awake it will overtake you as well.
When one is sleeping, one's EYES ARE CLOSED! When your eyes are closed you CAN NOT WATCH, you must be awake TO WATCH!
Now notice....something very, very, interesting I hadn't noticed before! Being awake is not enough! You must be: awake-->watchful AND SOBER.
You must be sober, what is the opposite of being sober? Well, it's being drunk! (verse 7)
The bible defines "drunkeness" as the keeping of "false doctrines"! So to "sleep in the night" is to be in spiritual darkness, and to be drunk,
is to be steeped in FALSE DOCTRINES!
When you are steeped in false doctrine, you can not see, because you don't know what you're supposed to be watching for.
O.K.
Mark 13:34-36 (King James Version)
34For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and
commanded the porter to watch.
35Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
36Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
[CONTINUED IN NEXT POST]