Snoopy's Thoughts on 1 Thessalonians

[Mystic]

And yet some Christians believe we all "sleep" until the resurrection when Jesus returns, after which we will reighn with Him on Earth.
Anyway.....believe what you want.

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away; and there was no sea (Revelation 21:1)."

the seer's vision of a new earth is a spiritual earth in a spiritual dimension, such as is witnessed in so many NDEs.
Our earth will pass away, not be remodeled. Most of our earth consists of ocean, but the new earth will have no sea.

 

[paradox3]

Forgive me folks because I don't have a well formed theology of end times. I am convinced, however, that John the Baptist and Jesus were part of an emerging apocalyptic group in Judaism.

Beyond these basics, it seems to me we have a mash-up of ideas from Daniel, Paul's epistles and Revelation. All open to interpretation of course.

 

[unsafe]

And yet some Christians believe we all "sleep" until the resurrection when Jesus returns, after which we will reighn with Him on Earth.

Here your speaking of Jesus 2nd coming and he is not coming to resurrect anyone ----He comes with all His Saints to defeat Satan --and set up his new earth -----He just Separates the people who have received Salvation during the Tribulation from the people who did not receive Salvation during the Tribulation -----it is the separating of the Sheep from the Goats --so there is no Resurrection here ---just separation ----before the new earth is established --

There are 2 Resurrections ---the first one is the Rapture of the Church to reign with Christ in the Millennial Kingdom -----
The Second is the Resurrection after the Millennial years have ended of the unbelievers -----see Below

And
Well I wouldn't count on what SOME Christians Say ------they may be very ignorant of what God says -----and Some Christians just like to call them selves Christians who are not really Christians ---so you have to be careful who you listen to ------these some Christians may not be going where they think they are going -----

Without receiving Jesus you are not going to heaven ---sorry to say -----without Jesus you can't do the will of the Father -----

Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven..." "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

And today again when you die you are judged right away ---so God has to have your Spirit and soul there with Him to Judge your fate ---eternal life or eternal death ----there is no second change after you physically die ---the decision where you end up is in the here and now -----

Hebrews 9:27​

And just as it is appointed and destined for all men to die once and after this [comes certain] judgment
Read full chapter

​

What is the first resurrection? What is the second resurrection​

What is the first resurrection? What is the second resurrection? | GotQuestions.org

What is the first resurrection? What is the second resurrection? Are believers and unbelievers resurrected at different times?

www.gotquestions.org

Revelation 20:12-13 identifies those comprising the second resurrection as the wicked judged by God at the great white throne judgment prior to being cast into the lake of fire.

The second resurrection, then, is the raising of all unbelievers; the second resurrection is connected to the second death. It corresponds with Jesus’ teaching of the “resurrection of damnation” (John 5:29).

The event which divides the first and second resurrections seems to be the millennial kingdom.
The last of the righteous are raised to reign “with Christ a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4), but the “rest of the dead [that is, the wicked] lived not again until the thousand years were finished” (Revelation 20:5).

What great rejoicing will attend the first resurrection!
What great anguish at the second!
What a responsibility we have to share the Gospel! “And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire” (Jude 23).

 

[paradox3]

1 Thessalonians 5

Bible Gateway passage: 1 Thessalonians 5 - New English Translation

The Day of the Lord - Now on the topic of times and seasons, brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you. For you know quite well that the day of the Lord will come in the same way as a thief in the night. Now when they are saying, “There is peace and security,” then...

www.biblegateway.com

Paul writes that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. Sudden destruction will come like labor pains to a pregnant woman.

The people are to put on the breastplate of faith and love. And a helmet of hope for salvation. God has destined them for salvation through Jesus Christ.

Paul gives final instructions to the Thessalonians to be at peace among themselves and remain holy.

 

[paradox3]

Snoopy's Snappy Review: 1 Thessalonians 5

An encouraging letter!
Yours Snoopy

 

[unsafe]

We see in this chapter that Paul turns his attention to God's Wrath that is coming to this earth called The Day Of The Lord ----

My View

He says this day will come like a thief in the Night ---no one knows the day or hour -so Paul is Preparing his believers to be watching and prepared for the unexpected ---

So he says when People are saying all is well and they feel secure ----then all of a sudden tragedy strikes the unbelievers and there is no escape -----

Remember in Previous Chapter ----all Saints --dead and alive are caught up with Jesus ---- so it is all unbelievers left on this planet to go through the 7 years of tribulation -----

Paul explains that they are under the power of light not darkness ----and they are to not be asleep but to keep awake and alert and on guard and be sober minded ---so they are to put on the Breastplate of Faith and Agape and the Helmet of Salvation -----

Verse 9 here is Important for Believers to understand in my view ---as it is stating that this Wrath that is coming is not for believers -----

AMPC B----verse 9 For God has not appointed us to [incur His] wrath [He did not select us to condemn us], but [that we might] obtain [His] salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)

Romans 8:1 ----------This also says believers are free from any condemnation ======
Amplified Bible
Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior].

Paul tells them to be encouraged and build each other up ---and be at peace and to keep praying and Thank God in every situation ----

Pauls tells them to not suppress or subdue the Holy Spirit ---stay away from evil -----

Paul tells them not to spur gifts or revelations of the prophets or despise inspired instructions -----
I say
I think this goes with the line above ----which states ---- not suppress or subdue the Holy Spirit ---stay away from evil -----as doing these things would definitely suppress and subdue the Holy Spirit ----

He says that God is Faithful and trustworthy and it is He who calls you ------

 

[Mystic]

"While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. (5:3)"

The mass killing of thousands of Jews will happen less than a couple of decades later in a way Paul couldn't anticipate--at the hands of the Romans during the zealot-inpsired revolt. The Jews at Jerusalem, Gamla, Masada, and elsewhere are massacred en masse. The Temple, is destroyed.

 

[unsafe]

interesting read

Who were the Zealots in the Bible?​

Who were the Zealots in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who were the Zealots in the Bible? Why did Jesus choose Simon the Zealot to be one of His disciples?

www.gotquestions.org

In the New Testament, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ was named Simon the Zealot (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). What was a Zealot?

The Zealots were members of a first-century political movement among Judean Jews who sought to overthrow the occupying Roman government. The word zealot derives from the Greek zelotes, meaning “emulator or (zealous) follower.”

According to the Jewish historian Josephus, three main Jewish groups existed at the time of Christ—the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes. He also mentions a fourth group called the Zealots who were founded by Judas of Galilee and Zadok the Pharisee. Josephus notes that the Zealots “agree in all other things with the Pharisaic notions; but they have an inviolable attachment to liberty, and say that God is to be their only Ruler and Lord" (Antiquities 18.1.6).

Of importance in New Testament history, the Zealots led a rebellion when Rome introduced imperial cult worship. The Great Jewish Revolt began in A.D. 66. The Zealots successfully overtook Jerusalem, but their revolt was ultimately unsuccessful. In A.D. 70, the Romans destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the temple. A remnant of the Zealots then took refuge in Masada.

Because of their often-violent tactics, the Zealots have been called some of the world’s first terrorists. Though the label is only partially true (not all Zealots were violent), the reputation of Zealots as forceful, aggressive agitators carries a significant lesson for us. Jesus chose Simon the Zealot, a man who likely desired to forcibly remove the Roman government, and He also chose Matthew, a tax collector working for the Roman government. Both Simon and Matthew, though natural enemies, were part of the Twelve. What a beautiful illustration of the peace Jesus brings! Today, God still brings healing and changes lives. Those with a violent past or extremist tendencies can be transformed as God uses them to spread the good news of Christ’s love for all people.

From Google
How many Jews died in the Roman revolt?

In all, Josephus claims, over one million Jewish people were killed. Jewish people were sold in to slavery and many were taken back to Rome. 70, 000 Jewish slaves built the Roman Colliseum. In Judaea, The Temple was destroyed and never rebuilt which instigated a new form of Judaism; Rabbinic Judaism.

 

[Mystic]

'Pray always. Give thanks in all circumstances. for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus (5:16)_"

The most distinctive concept of Christianity is the experience of grace through Christ's atoning death. "Grace" means "unmerited favor" and the proper response to grace is a life that expresses gratitude. So the heart of Christian spirituality is a permanent mood of gratitude that deems service to God and others a privilege than just the expression of a sense of duty, Paul's companion command, "pray always," implies that a permanent mood of gratitude can best be cultivated by an intentional permanent experience of one's connectedness to the divine.

A massive Harvard Medical School study indicates that chronic expressions of gratitude not only increase one's sense of wellbeing and health, but even significantly increase longevity.

Gratitude enhances health, brings happiness — and may even lengthen lives - Harvard Health

Gratitude has the power to boost well-being, improve sleep, lessen depression, and help heart health. Now new data from the long-term Nurses' Health Study shows that it may extend lives. How can yo...

www.health.harvard.edu