RECONCILIATION AND FAILURE OF THE LAW 81

Prominent in the epistle is the hope of the Lord's return. Those who were saved were to be found waiting `for

His Son from heaven', and this waiting and this coming is closely connected with deliverance from wrath to come

(1 Thess. 1:10). The apostolic reward and recognition in that day is closely linked with the Lord's return.

`For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at

His coming?' (1 Thess. 2:19).

The end which the apostle had in view was that the Lord may:

`... stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus

Christ with all His saints (holy ones)' (1 Thess. 3:13).

The apostle's comfort to the perplexed and sorrowing ones concerning their loved ones who had fallen asleep is

that of the Lord's coming:

`For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the

Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,

with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God' (1 Thess. 4:15,16).

This coming is directly connected with the day of the Lord:

`For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night' (1 Thess. 5:2).

The final reference is very beautifully complete:

`And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; And I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be

preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ' (1 Thess. 5:23).

The coming in each case is the parousia enunciated, dated, and explained by the Lord in Matthew 24. The

archangel of Scripture is Michael, and he stands for the people of Israel. When he stands up, there takes place an

unprecedented time of trouble, a deliverance for all found written in the book, and a resurrection of many that sleep

in the dust of the earth (Dan. 12:1,2). The `saints' of 3:13 are the `holy ones' or angels - not the redeemed. If the

`saints' of this verse should mean the believers, then those whose hearts are unblameable in holiness are evidently

left behind, otherwise no `saints' could come with the Lord. The Lord continually spoke of being accompanied on

His second advent by holy angels, or as Jude puts it (14), `holy myriads'.

For further notes on the parousia the reader is referred to chapter 11 of Dispensational Truth.

The second epistle is largely corrective in character. The faith is said to have grown `exceedingly'. The love of

every one toward each other `abounded'. Patience is referred to, but hope is missing (2 Thess. 1:3,4).

The problem of the `hope', partly dealt with in the first epistle, is continued here. Difficulty is added because the

subject had not only been misunderstood, but because the minds of the believers regarding the coming of the day of

the Lord had been shaken and troubled by some speaking under the influence of a spirit, and by the circulation of a

spurious epistle purporting to come from the apostle (2 Thess. 2:1,2). For the protection of the churches the apostle

draws attention to his handwriting:

`The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I WRITE' (2 Thess. 3:17).

After dealing with the coming (parousia) of the man of sin the apostle again returns to the theme of the first

`... the Lord direct your hearts into the LOVE of God, and into the PATIENT WAITING for Christ' (2 Thess. 3:5).

The unsettled state of the church consequent upon the idea of the imminence of the Lord's return had ended in

many ceasing their legitimate work, leading them to become busybodies. The apostle draws attention to his own

example, and enjoins upon all the necessity of quietly working, eating their own bread, even though watching and

waiting for `His Son from heaven'. How intensely practical, and how far removed from the excited fanatic is this

apostle of the Gentiles!

We can do no more than give the Structure of the epistle as yet deeper studies await us.