Restraint, Derision, and Sudden Destruction

One element about prophecy about the future that has puzzled me in a certain context is the phrase “sudden destruction” in the following:

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:3)

As I say, my perplexity has stemmed from the context. This is a follow-up passage from the Apostle Paul’s further revelation on the mystery about the Rapture:

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:16–18)

For me, the disconnect came from my long-thought belief that there will be, following the disappearance of millions of believers, a collapse–a meltdown—of human interaction on a global scale. Chaos would immediately follow this staggering event, but it would, I believed, be a more-or-less controlled chaos; the cry for peace and safety would be like a growing worldwide emotional breakdown and financial, societal, and cultural collapse that would cause people to beg for somebody to fix it all.

Antichrist would be willing and able to step up, and the panicked people would readily accept the back-to-normal promises he offered, giving him growing control over the nations.

But why, then, the term “sudden destruction”? It smacks of instant devastation, not of slow or even rapid collapse into chaos and dystopian existence for the world of left-behind people.

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Restraint, Derision, and Sudden Destruction

One element about prophecy about the future that has puzzled me in a certain context is the phrase “sudden destruction” in the following: For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden dest…

terryjamesprophecyline.com

 

[Baby Yoda]

Perhaps the sudden destruction is what happens to those left behind as planes/autos crash around them? Or maybe there is a Sodom and Gomorra type occurrence that is destructive and after that, those remaining are eager for a world leader?

 

[Tall Timbers]

Relative to the beginning of Tribulation, the anti-christ comes riding on a white horse but the world quickly falls into war and there is a massive amount of death followed by famine and pestilence.

 

[lismore]

But why, then, the term “sudden destruction”? It smacks of instant devastation, not of slow or even rapid collapse into chaos and dystopian existence for the world of left-behind people.

Hello!

I may be wrong but my take would be in our post World War 2 society the world has been trying to ensure some sort of 'peace and safety' through organisations like the UN, keeping some sort of a global balance of power, preventing a third world war. Suddenly this post war consensus will break down into 'sudden destruction', WW3 in the Tribulation. The world won't have time to reset or stave it off, it will be swift and unpreventable. God Bless

 

[Batman]

Would the "sudden destruction" passage tie to Matthew 24, which many think is the mid Trib when the antichrist sets up to abomination that causes desolation and then breaks the Israeli covenant to hunt them down?

 

[TCC]

In 2017 I used to believe that this 1 Thes verse meant all the world. And that as we see increasing UN themes of peace and safety, we would be in line for that. Regardless of whether this collapse is wide scale or localized, I do believe that themes of peace and saftey by the United Nations is perhaps providentially used by God as a general timestamp marker--that we are in the season...heads up. And this seems to be an increasing theme at least since 2017. Perhaps this is meant potentially to get our attention to "consider" what 1 Thes is saying. And maybe not as much as: "THAT is what it is saying."

Batman, I have heard this sort of thing as well. That may be the peace and safety then sudden destruction thing is the midpoint. After going through Andy Woods series on Partial Rapture debunking, he highlighted Luke 21:34-36. He noted that with such prior mention in Luke 21 of so much Israeli theme (comparing 70 AD with language moving forward) that Luke 34:35-36 would naturally be understood also very connected to Israeli. ALSO if you look at Matt 24 & Mark 13, we see in both accounts of the abomination of desolation. Notice that is not mentioned in Luke 21. Where it would seem vs 35 & 36 be "stand ins" for the otherwise seeming ommitance of the abomination of desolation. Like mirroing passages. If so, Luke 35 and 36 would not be the beginning of the tribulation but it would be the midpoint. And the way of escape is God sending angels to protect the Jews in the wilderness for 3.5 years. If you are in a stupor and weighed down...the antichrist's army will get you. If you are awake, and flee Jerusalem at that most horrific moment in world history...you will be able to escape.

In Rev 16 we see the term "theif in the night," used as late in the tribulation as the bowls period (certainly the second half and approximately the eve of Armegeddon in its
use there).

. . . . .

But I find it interesting that Thes 4 talks about the rapture at the end of it. And chapter 5 is the sudden distruction concept early on. For this is the first time I noticed that.I do not get my 1st and 2nd seal view from 1 Thes. But oh my does it fit like a glove here. Of course my views of seal 1 and 2 could be in error. But i tend to see seal 1 as a judgement against the NWO. And seal 2 as Ez 38. With a "pretrib" rapture prior to seal 2 but during seal 1. I say "pretrib" because in my view the tribulation begins on seal 3. Which no one said ever...before. So I get it...i'm a rooting/tootin loner on this view...lol. But it just makes the most sense to me. I guess we will see.

. . . .

1 THES POTENTIAL

In 1 Thes 2:13-16 Particulary vs 16. We see in this context the Jews are singled out as blocking Christian progress as well as having put to death their own Messiah. It is of these in this same letter it is said: "But wrath has come upon them [v]fully." Some theologians defer this to the tribulation. Some defer it only to 70 AD (which at minimum it was). But regardless of "when," it is clear that 1 Thes disgnates the Jews hostile to the gospel as those "children of wrath." Comparing that with chapter 5 (along with a surrounded emblematic stance of "woman pregnant in travail," (Is 66:8, Micah 5:3, Rev 12:2) it would seem reasonably the Jews to be in particular focus with Woman/Child language.

There I lean toward "sudden destruction" to be Ez 38. Not the tribulation. But the gateway in. I see seal 1 as the "door closing." And seal 2 as the door opening. And seal 3 as the hallway in. In that scenario (if accurate) it would be:

* Seal One -- end of the age of grace. End of the gentile gospel period. America being most pronounced as "gentile nation." Used to aid and empower Israel. Abraham Accords and Saudi normalization (for USA military protection in return) be those ingredients that empower Israel unto peace and saftey. So ironically, I would see "peace and safety" not as deception or even a part of the antichrist. But that which props Israel up to be able to have such a luxurious rule. Albeit short lived. I don't believe there is a worldwide false peace the antichrist creates. I believe there is a real peace and saftey for Israel (seal one--reminding them of God's 1,000 year reign promise to them--before they go headlong into their 70th week).

* Seal Two -- Israel attacked by Ez 38 (sudden destruction). For it is described as a surprise in context. And mirrors how the world was surprised by October 6. Perhaps a wink at...yes...we can still be surprised.

. . . . .

Not sure if any of that helps or confuses things more. But in overview of this, it is pretty interesting how the rapture is mentioned in 1 Thes and then sudden destruction in light of my view not considering 1 Thes but coming to it by other passages or insight. Blessings.

 

[Spartan Sprinter]

Today our news has put the hindu/indian version of their end times predictions https://www.news.com.au/technology/...s/news-story/8b83c598d2a95259252f98b21c3e3cbd

 

[mattfivefour]

That is nonsense, of course. But, interestingly, hidden in some of the Hindu vedas are fragments of Bible truth that indicate an ancient knowledge that has been lost and covered over with pagan superstitions. One of the most interesting is that hundreds of years before Christ, around the time of the earliest Old Testament prophets, the Hindu Rishis (venerated ancient enlightened teachers) wrote the Gayatri Mantra which speaks of asking the “God who is the giver of life” to give mankind His “sin-destroying light.” These ancient Hindus recognized that sin was man's major problem and that God alone could provide a light to the world that would destroy sin's power. Just as the Old Testament does, their ancient belief speaks of the Creator who alone can provide the light that can destroy the sin of man.

That said, there is absolutely nothing in Hinduism that is of any use or interest to us who know God. But things such as the Gayatri Mantra I mentioned above can be useful in bringing a Hindu to the light of Christ. I know it has been used by Christian missionaries in India to lead people to faith in Jesus.

 

[mikhen7]

Simply put, the seal judgements are sure to bring Sudden Destruction in many ways.

 

[Margery]

The Restrainer Restrains until He is taken out of the way. The natural reaction when restraint is removed, is that which was being restrained, breaks out.

Peace and Safety are both the rallying cry of the globalists and the people who have no saviour but to trust in humanity to save the day.

Looking for the guy on the White Horse to come riding in.

Either Christ or the AC who imitates Christ and is that first rider when Christ opens that first seal.

They want to get rid of the Christians and the Jews and the God of both. They imagine then that there will be an end to wars (think John Lennon's Imagine song)

here's the lyrics: Straight out of Satan's songbook. I've bolded for emphasis.


Imagine there's no heaven (implication- no God, no reward for salvation)
It's easy if you try

No hell below us (Implication- no God, no punishment)
Above us, only sky

Imagine all the people Livin' for today (living for themselves alone, without any fear of God or hell)
Ah

Imagine there's no countries (The globalists dream, God divided the nations and set up the boundaries, but they want to destroy that)

It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion, too (more of the same)

Imagine all the people
Livin' life in peace (PEACE and safety, that is what this song is all about)
You

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one (Globalism as the saviour of mankind)

Imagine no possessions (The WEF dream as Klaus Schwab outlines it)

I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man (globalism, a brotherhood of man, not brotherhood of Christians)

Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world (Communism)

You
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one (Globalism)

 

[TCC]

Hi Margery. I always enjoy your posts. You are a very thoughtful and engaging believer part of this forum. In the event globalism gets overturned along the way, i still think your song applies. But sudden destruction, as Mikhen7 underscores, might be for them. As i consider these odd ways i view things, I'm not overly confident they are true. If so though, we are kind of in that season i reckon. But if so, like the Terminator, "They'll be...back." Blessings.

 

[mattfivefour]

"Imagine" ... the anthem of those deluded people who think that man can solve his problems, so there's no need for God.