Parallels in 1 Thessalonians chapters 4 & 5

Parallels between Enoch and 1 Thessalonians  chapters 4 & 5.

Enoch parallel

In 1 Thess. 4.1 Christians are exhorted “to walk and to please God”. Here is an allusion to Enoch who walked and pleased God. Genesis 5.22, 24 (walked); Hebrews 11.5 (pleased). Enoch lived in a sinful world which God judged by sending a world- wide Flood, Genesis 6.5-7. Enoch avoided it because “God took Him”, Genesis 5.24 or “translated him”, Hebrews 11.5. Noah, a descendant of Enoch, went through the Flood but was preserved with his family, Genesis 7.1. Everyone else perished.

These events have a parallel in 1 Thess. 4 & 5. Christians are to walk with God and to please God in a sinful world, 1 Thess.4.1-8. They will be “caught up” to Heaven, verse 17, before the judgement of God falls on this world, not as a flood but as a series of catastrophes, 1 Thess. 5.1-9, Revelation 6-19. Compare Matthew 24.37-41; Luke 17.26-30.

Parallels between chapters 4.13-18; 5.1-11.

Ch. 4.Coming – ignorance, verse 13.
Ch.5. Coming – perfect knowledge, verses 1,2.

Ch.4. Coming in blessing.

Ch.5. Coming in judgement.

Ch. 4. Coming to the air.

Ch.5. Coming to the earth.

Ch.4. Coming is private – only the church involved.

Ch.5. Coming is public – manifestation to the world.

Ch.4. Coming welcomed, verse 18. Compare  Revelation 22.20.

Ch. 5 Coming unwelcomed. Compare Revelation 6.15-17.

Ch.4. “The Day of Christ”, Philippians 1.10.

Ch.5. “The Day of the Lord”, verse 2.

ch.4: The church.

Ch.5. The nations.

Ch. 4. The Rapture is a New Testament revelation. Compare  1 Corinthians 15.51.

Ch. 5. The Day of the Lord is a part of Old Testament prophecy.

Ch.4. Sleep = death for the believer. Compare 5.10.
Ch.5. Sleep = intoxication of the believer.

(Sources: Counsel magazine; JR Baker, former editor of The Believer’s Magazine)