Expert: Dr Don Howe - 2/17/2009

Question
The Bible says in II Thes 2 1-4 that the Day of Christ is preceded by the falling away and the revelation of the man of sin. The Bible also says in Acts 2: 20-21 that the Day of the Lord is preceded by " the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood BEFORE the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord come..." Both of these days are preceded clearly by signs. The scripture also says that the Day of the Lord will come as a "Thief in the Night". How does the Day of the Lord come as a thief in the night when it is preceded by the sun turning to darkness and the moon into blood? How is the Pretrib rapture said to come as a thief in the night when the Day of the Lord is the only day that is to come as a thief in the night and yet the Day of the Lord is preceded by these cosmic signs. Doesnt that mean that the Day of the Lord is the return of Christ after the great trib and after the cosmic signs as the Lord himself stated? Matt 24:29-31

Answer
   Thank you for your question.  The Thessalonian Church had been under persecution by the Jews who rejected the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and accused Paul of preaching another Jesus. So the Thessalonians had many questions about the Second Coming of Jesus as false teaching had creped in unaware and  false teachers were teaching false doctrine. Paul spent 1 Thess. to correct these false teaching and answer the questions of the Thessalonians.  Preaching on the doctrines of the faith,  the Rapture, and the suddenness of the Lord’s coming to who  are unprepared.  In 2 Thess., Paul highlights some of the events that will occur before Jesus returns, and he mentions an intervening period of “lawlessness” before His return. In 2 Thess., Paul is still answering the questions that the Thessalonians had. 2 Thess. 2:1-4 states “Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for {it will not come} unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.”
  2 Thess. 2:1, Paul uses the strong word “now” is de in the Greek but or nevertheless. He is saying but we request you brothers with regard to the coming of the our Lord Jesus Christ. The word coming is  parousia in the Greek which arrival of the Our Lord Jesus Christ, which is the same word Paul used in 1 Thess. 4:15 and both refer to the Rapture, not the Second Coming. Paul is saying Now we request that with regard of the coming (Rapture) and gathering together to Him (refers to the Rapture also).
  2 Thess. 2:2, Paul states do not be shaken or can mean agitated (saleuō) from your composure which is nous in the Greek which means mind, understanding, or the power of considering and judging soberly, calmly and impartially. The Thessalonians were very agitated and shaken in their mind by the false teachings, and Paul saying do not be this way. Paul goes to say do not be disturbed (throeō), alarmed, or frightened by a spirit, message, or letter as if he had been written by us. The Thessalonians had received false doctrines by false spirits, false messages, and false letters that someone wrote impersonating the Apostle Paul and made them more prone to accept a false letter as authoritative. Paul mentions this again in 2 Thess. 3:17. Paul is saying do not be agitated in your mind, do not be alarmed or frightened by a spirit, message, or letter. as someone has written under false pretense, that says that the Day of the Lord has come already in regard of the coming of Our Lord and gathering to Him.  From these false teaching by spirit, message, and false letter, the some Thessalonians thought they were in the Day of the Lord and in the tribulations and they were feeling persecuted as a result of, and others that the Second Coming had passed them by. Nelson Study Bible states “The false teaching was that the day of the Lord had already come, bringing with it the tribulations they were experiencing. Thus, some Thessalonian believers thought the Second Coming had passed them by.”
   Concerning what is the Day of the Lord, Mal Couch states “The most common biblical term for the seven years of Tribulation in both testaments is the Day of Jehovah, or the Day of the Lord.” So the Rapture occurs the Day of the Lord starts and ends with the Second Coming. Walvoord and Zuck feel the “Day of the Lord” (2 Peter 3:10) includes the Tribulation, the Millennium, the great white throne judgment, and the destruction of the present heavens and earth” based on the way Peter was using the Day of the Lord in a broad context.
  2 Thess. 2:3, Paul goes on states for the Thessalonians not to be deceived by anyone, for it will not come (the Day of the Lord or Tribulation) until three things happen: the apostasy or falling away of the Church comes first, second, the man of lawlessness, also known as the son of destruction, and Anichrist) is revealed. Third thing is the removal of restraint (speaking of the Holy Spirit) against lawlessness (vs 6-7). Jerry, here are the signs that take place before the beginning of the Tribulation.
   John Walvoord and Roy Zuck state concerning the apostasy “One major event is the rebellion (lit., “the falling away,” he apostasia, from whence comes the English word “apostasy”). This is a revolt, a departure, an abandoning of a position once held. This rebellion, which will take place within the professing church, will be a departure from the truth that God has revealed in His Word.”
   Walvoord and Zuck go on to state about the man of lawlessness “Another even that must take place before the judgments of the day of the Lord occur is the revelation of the man of “the man of lawlessness”. Paul used a tense for the verb is revealed which indicates that this revelation will be a decisive act that will take place at a definite moment in history (cf. vv 6, 8). He will be fully associated with and characterized by “lawlessness” for “sin.”
  In 2 Thess. 2:4, the “man of lawlessness” or Antichrist will oppose and exalt himself above every god or object of worship, so that he can take his seat at the temple (which starts the second 3.5 year period called the Great Tribulation), and display himself as God. Daniel described an individual person or man of lawlness: The prince who is to come Daniel 9:26, the king of fierce countenance Daniel 8:23,  and the willful king Dan. 11:36-45. Jesus described an individual person: The one who comes in his own name (John 5:43). We are not surprised that Paul described this man of sin as an individual person, not as a system or an office.
   Jerry, 2 Thess. 2:6-7 is about the third sign of who is restraining the man of lawlessness and He will be revealed. Walvoord and Zuck states about this removal of the restrainer is the Holy Spirit and will be removed “When the church leaves the earth in the Rapture, the Holy Spirit will be taken out he way in the sense that His unique lawlessness-restraining ministry through God’s people will be removed. The removal of the Restrainer at the time of the Rapture must obviously precede the day of the Lord. Paul’s reasoning is thus a strong argument for the pre-tribulational Rapture: the Thessalonians were not in the Great Tribulation because the Rapture had not yet occurred.”
    God’s Holy Word even tells us what the church will be like leading up to the final apostasy.   The Bible tells us: (1) there will be a final apostasy that will blanket the world. Paul tells us "in later times some will fall away (apostatize) from the Faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Tim. 4:1), and "in the last days difficult times will come. For men (the world) will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, … disobedient to parents, … unloving, … lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God …" (2 Tim. 3:1-on). "The time will come when [men] will not endure sound doctrine, but they will be wanting to have their ears tickled with lies …" (4:3). "There will be false teachers among you …" (2 Pet. 2:1). The apostasy of the Church is taking place RIGHT NOW. The great PAROUSIA IS COMING. All Christians need to be prayed up, packed up, loved up, rested up, reconciled up, because we are moving on UP and our redemption draweth nigh.  
      Jerry, now you know the three signs that will take place before the Day of the Lord takes place. Just remember the  expression "The Day of the Lord" has to do with the tribulation and the seven year period of the wrath of God upon the sinful and rebellious world, which I believe we are coming close to. However, the rapture of the church must come first. If we are getting close to the Day of the Lord, we are getting close to the rapture of the church, the Day of Christ. After the seven year tribulation, will be the Second Coming of Christ to the Earth.

    Jerry, you stated “The Bible also says in Acts 2: 20-21 that the Day of the Lord is preceded by " the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood BEFORE the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord come..." Both of these days are preceded clearly by signs.” To fully understand what Peter was saying in Acts Chapter about what the Prophet Joes, we have to keep it in context and we need to look at Acts 2:14-21. Acts 2:14 states “But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: "Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words.” Peter took control of this encounter and “take heed to my words” as he was fixing to dress down the Jews who accused the eleven of being drunk with wine because they were talking in tongues or languages, and this does not mean the gibberish you hear today.
   Acts 2:15 states "For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is {only} the third hour of the day.” It was unthinkable then to be drunk by the third hour of the day which would be our 9:00 AM. David Guzik states about this “Peter deflects the mocking criticism that the disciples were drunk. In that day, it was unthinkable that people would be so drunk so early in the day (about 9:00 in the morning).” Adame Clark in his commentary states further about being drunk in the third hr “that most Jews - pious or not - did not eat or drink until after the third hour of the day, because that was the time for prayer, and they would only eat after their business with God was accomplished.”
    Acts 2:16 states “but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:” Jerry, note that Peter purposefully stated “this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel.” Merrill Unger states about Peter’s choice of words “Peter quoted this passage, saying, “This [the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost] is that which was spoken through the prophet, Joel” (Acts 2:16-17). Contrary to the common contention of commentators that Peter meant that Pentecost was “a fulfillment” or a so-called “partial fulfillment” of Joel’s prophecy, Peter purposely avoided that confusing terminology. He simply staid, “this that,” indicating merely “this is [an illustration of] that which was spoken through the prophet, Joel.” This is good point that Unger makes. As some people feel that that the sending of the Holy Spirit was a near fulfillment of the Joel’s prophecy and the final fulfillment coming in the last days.
   Jerry, remember Joel’s prophecy tells of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit during the last days of the Day of the Lord. Unger states about this outpouring “The great event of the outpouring of the Spirit wil occur afterward, that is, “in the last days” (Isa. 2:2) after Israel’s chastisement at the hands of the nations during the Great Tribulation, which will result in the purging out of the saved remnant at he Messiahs second advent” i.e. Second Coming.
   Acts 2:17 says “'AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' God says, 'THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS;”
    2:18 states “EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT And they shall prophesy.”
    2:19 states “'AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW, BLOOD, AND FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE.”
    2:20 states “'THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME.”
    2:21 tell us “'AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.'  
    Acts 2:16-21 are clearly signs what will happen in the last days (the END) of the Day of Lord preceding the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. And there will be a remnant of the Jewish state left that will go into the millennial reign after the Second Coming.
    2 Thess. 2:1-7 tells of the signs that WILL TAKE PLACE BEFORE the Day of the Lord BEGINS i.e. the great apostasy, the man of lawlessness is revealed, and the restrainer is removed.
    Jerry, notice in verse 21 that shows the love that God has for us as he gives man a chance to repent and be saved before the Second Coming because “that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” People going through the Tribulation can still come to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
    You mentioned specifically  Acts 2:20 “'THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME,” as signs. Jesus talked about this in Matthew 24:29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.” And this further corresponds to Ezek. 32:7 “And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.” So this was a well known sign by the Prophets and the Apostles about the as one of the signs in the last days of the Day of the Lord before the Second Coming of Jesus.
 
  Jerry you stated “The scripture also says that the Day of the Lord will come as a "Thief in the Night". How does the Day of the Lord come as a thief in the night when it is preceded by the sun turning to darkness and the moon into blood?” The term “thief in the night” occurs in 1 Thess. 5:2 and 2 Peter 3:10 in KJV.  So let’s rightly divide the Word of Truth and see what Paul is saying in 1 Thess Chapter 5.
   Starting with 1 Thess. 5:1 states “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.” Times is chronos which means a space of time or ages and seasons is kairos refers to a fixed and definite time, the time when things are brought to crisis or events. Paul is saying but of the ages  and events  you have no need that I write unto you because he had told them of the rapture in 1 Thess. Chapter 4 and said also to “comfort one another with these words” (1 Thess. 4:18).
   Hiebert writes concerning these times and seasons “The first designates time in its duration, whether a longer or shorter period; the second draws attention to the characteristics of the period. The first deals with the measurement of time, the second with the suitable or critical nature of the time.”  
    1 Thess. 5:2 states “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” 1 Thess. Chapter 4 told of what to expect of the characteristics of the Rapture and Christ coming for His church, but in 5:2 Paul is dealing with the timing of the Day of the Lord will comes as thief in the night. No one knows when the timing of the Rapture will occur and the timing  of when the Day of the Lord will occur, but it will be unexpectantly and sudden as Jesus said in Matt. 24:36 “But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”
    We do not know when the timing of the Rapture will occur but we know the signs that will lead up to the Rapture: 1). Great apostasy of the Church will occur, 2). The man of lawlessness will be revealed, 3) and the restrainer will be removed. And this all happens at one time. But we do not know the timing of the Rapture only the Father knows that. When the Rapture happens the dispensation of the church age ends and THE DAY OF THE LORD BEGINS. No where in Scripture does God say that the Rapture will occur as a thief in the night.
   1 Thess. 5:2 is talking about the timing of the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night not the Rapture.
   We know the signs of the times leading up to the Rapture that will occur. And by God’s own timing,  God will take his finger off the trigger and tell His Son “Go get my Church” and we will met Him in the air. Just as suddenly God tells His go my church, then just as suddenly like a thief in the night the Day of the Lord will begin. The Rapture begins and ends suddenly, and the Day of the Lord begins suddenly. One leads into the other both unexpectantly. But the timing is totally controlled by God Himself. Only on the unsaved world will see the Day of the Lord coming as a thief in the night as the Christians are listed as MISSING BY PROVIDENCE AND IN HEAVEN WITH JESUS.
    Walvoord and Zuck states about the Day of the Lord “This period of history will come as a surprise to those on the earth at the time, like the visit of a thief to a sleeping homeowner (cf. Mtt. 24:43-44; Luke 12:39-40). But the thief in the night illustration should not be pressed too far. The point is that this day will come unexpectedly, not necessarily that it will take place at night.”

  In 2 Peter 3:10, Peter tells us of another occurrence in the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. The text states “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” Peter tells us the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night and unexpected. The Heavens will pass away with a great noise, and elements of the earth will burned by fire.  Peter is talking about what God will do after the millennial reign in which the Earth will be burned up with fire and the New Jerusalem will come from Heaven.
   Jesus mentions that He would come like a thief. Rev. 3:3 states “I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” Rev. 16:15 states “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed [is] he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”
    Jerry you stated “The scripture also says that the Day of the Lord will come as a "Thief in the Night". How does the Day of the Lord come as a thief in the night when it is preceded by the sun turning to darkness and the moon into blood?”  As stated in Acts 2:20,  Matthew 24: 29, Ezek. 32:7, and  Joel 2:31 tells of the “THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME,” but this is a sign before the Second Coming of Christ and these verses do not say anything about the Day of Lord being like a thief. The Day of Lord will be like a thief to those who are not saved. And we who are saved look for His coming because we know the signs based on God’s Word.
    You stated “as a thief in the night when it is preceded by the sun turning to darkness and the moon into blood?” You are trying to put the Day of the Lord as one event. The Day of the Lord is many events which starts when the church age ends with the Rapture, and the Day of the Lord goes on through to the Millennial reign of Christ.    
   You stated “How is the Pretrib rapture said to come as a thief in the night when the Day of the Lord is the only day that is to come as a thief in the night and yet the Day of the Lord is preceded by these cosmic signs.” Scripture does not say anything about the Rapture coming as a thief in the night. I gave you all the verses that talk about the thief of the night and it is dealing with Day of the Lord, and NOT THE RAPTURE. The thief in the night is only describing the timing of different aspects of the Day of the Lord occurring which will be unexpected.
    The Rapture has to be pre-tribulational as when the Day of the Lord starts the Tribulation period, born again believers are in Heaven with the Lord Jesus going through the Bema Judgments and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The Church does not go through the Tribulation and this is why when the Second Coming happens the Church comes with Him.    
  
      You stated “Doesnt that mean that the Day of the Lord is the return of Christ after the great trib and after the cosmic signs as the Lord himself stated? Matt 24:29-31.” Yes and No. No, The Day of the Lord is not just the return of Christ.  The Day of Lord begins when the Church is raptured out and the Day of the Lord ends with the Millennial reign (Some theologians vary on all the events that take place making up the Day of the Lord). Yes,  the Second coming does take place after the Great Tribulation and the cosmic signs as stated in Joel and Acts takes place as sign of His coming, and this too is part of the Day of the Lord.

Blessings.

Dr. Don Howe, RN, PhD, ThD.