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"And the dragon (Satan) gave him (the Beast) his power and his throne and great
authority . . . . . and the whole world wondered after the Beast; and they worshipped the
dragon, because he gave his authority unto the Beast; and they worshiped the Beast,
saying who is like unto the Beast; and who is able to war with him?" (Rev. 13: 2-4).
Satan now has authority over the air (Eph. 2: 2) and whoever can control the aerial
regions, dominates the earth. The Beast receives this Satanic power at the end time and
so is able to guarantee peace in exchange for world worship. This is all part of the
gigantic deception which characterizes the close of this age--world peace without Christ!
Paul, however, reminds the Thessalonians that the enlightenment of the Truth has saved
them from such deception and darkness.
"But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief"
(I Thess. 5: 4).
He does not say this period would not overtake them, but that it would not find them
unprepared and overtake them as a thief, which is a different matter. The Second
Coming to the earth of the Lord Jesus would not only be the hope of the believer at this
time, but would fall as a sudden catastrophic blow on an unbelieving world, just as
Daniel portrays the stone cut without hands (the Lord Jesus) smashing the whole Image
of Nebuchadnezzar (Gentile dominion) and destroying it completely. The Apostle goes
on to remind them that they are `sons of light' (verse 5 R.V.), and as such they must
watch and be sober. He then once more brings in the three graces around which this
epistle is woven.
"But let us, who are of the day, be sober putting on the breastplate of faith and love;
and for an helmet, the hope of salvation" (verse 8).
This is only another way of `putting on the Lord Jesus Christ' and making no
provision for the flesh. There was no excuse for the instructed believer at this time
becoming drowsy or unwatchful. He was exhorted to be on the alert continually and
ready for the Lord's arrival. The word `wake' of the A.V. in verse 10 is the same as
`watch' of verse 6 and should be so translated. The goal is the obtaining of salvation
through our Lord Jesus Christ so that the believer `should live together with Him', and
this living and being with Him is once more linked by implication with His Return and
not with death.
"Wherefore encourage one another, and build each other up, even as also you are
doing" (verse 11).
The Apostle lays great stress upon positive building up in the truth throughout his
epistles (see Rom. 14: 19; I Cor. 14: 26; II Cor. 12: 19; Eph. 4: 11, 12, 15, 16, 29;
Col. 2: 7). There can be no substitute for this, whether we are dealing with the Acts
period or the present age. Where this is ignored, immaturity, spiritual weakness and
ineffectiveness surely follow.
The Thessalonian believers are now exhorted to highly esteem their leaders.