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It is pathetic to see the efforts of some expositors who seek to dissociate `the last
trump' of I Cor. 15: from the seventh trumpet of the Revelation. This is obviously
because they are confusing the `things that differ' and seeking to make the hope of the
period covered by the Acts, the hope of the church after the Acts as revealed in Paul's
prison epistles, which is definitely not the parousia of Matt. 24: or I Thess. 4:, with
its earthly goal, but a hope that takes us to the glory of heaven's holiest of all.
No.6.
5: 1 - 28.
pp. 115 - 119
Chapter 5: commences with the words, "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye
have no need that I write unto you (or better as R.V. `that aught be written unto you')".
Why? Because their calling and its hope had no connection with times or seasons? So
some teach who see no difference between the position and hope of the churches formed
during the Acts, and the church of the joint-Body revealed afterwards. But the reason
given by the Apostle Paul is very different and perfectly simple--they knew already.
"For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night."
This they had most probably learned from his oral ministry. That he had given them
detailed instruction verbally concerning the prophetic period known as the Day of the
Lord and such happenings as the rise of the man of sin II Thess. 2: 15 makes clear.
They knew that the Day of the Lord would come suddenly and without warning as a
thief in the night. This most important prophetic time has its first occurrence in the
Scriptures in Isa. 2: 12 and there are nineteen other occurrences in the O.T. The N.T.
has three direct references (I Thess. 5: 2; II Thess. 2: 2; II Pet. 3: 10) and if we include
Rev. 1: 10 "the Lord's Day", we have four. The main theme is the exaltation of Jehovah
over all the earth and the abasement of man (Isa. 2:). Now God is silent and man has all
the say--it is "man's day". When God begins to take a direct hand in government of this
world, resuming his dealings with Israel and intervenes in history by the Second Advent
of Christ, "the Lord alone will be exalted in that day" (Isa. 2: 11, 17) and all opposition of
men will be silenced. This is the prophetic time following this age of grace.
"When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them,
as travail upon a woman with child: and they shall in no wise escape" (5: 3 R.V.).
Evidently the Apostle means the unbelieving world at large when he uses the word
`they'. The crying need of the world is peace and safety and never more so than with the
generation in which we live. The threat of war and the ever mounting weapons of
destruction devised by man make these themes of paramount importance. The prophetic
Scriptures make it clear that, at the end of this age, Satan will produce a spurious world
peace.