Deeper Reflection
THE COMING OF “THE DAY OF THE LORD” SHOULD NOT “surprise” us “like a thief ” (vv.2, 4), unlike the unbelievers, who while thinking that they are living in “peace and security”, “then sudden destruction will come upon them” and “they will not escape” (v.3). However, if we believers are not watchful and alert, we can be caught off guard and be surprised. Jesus has solemnly warned against this with a discipleship challenge: “Who then is the faithful and wise servant…?” (Matt 24:45-51). Are you such a servant? We should not be caught surprised by Christ’s return, because we are “not in darkness” but “children of light”, “not of the night” but “children of the day” (vv.4, 5).The Bible divides history into two “ages” (aiōn): “the present age” and “the age to come” (Matt 12:32; Eph 1:20-21), which are sometimes portrayed as “night” and “darkness”, and “day” and “light” respectively.⁶ The “present age was like a long dark night”⁷. But when Jesus began His messianic mission, “a light has dawned” and “the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light” (Matt 4:13-16), and Christ “gave Himself for our sins so that He might deliver us from the present evil age” (Gal 1:4).At present, the two ages overlap in the eschatological already-and-notyet: “the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shinning” (1 Jn 2:8). But as “children of light” living in the two overlapping ages, we can easily and subtly “conform to this age⁸” (Rom 12:2) and be consumed by “the worries of this age⁹” (Matt 13:22).

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⁶ John R. W. Stott, Thessalonians, 111 ⁷ John R. W. Stott, Thessalonians, 111 ⁸ Greek: aiōn ⁹ Greek: aiōn