Keep Ready for Jehovah’s Day

1. What must we do to survive Jehovah’s day?

WHEN the Bible speaks of “Jehovah’s day,” it refers to the time when Jehovah judges his enemies and brings salvation to his people. In the past, Jehovah at times carried out judgments. (Isa. 13:1, 6; Ezek. 13:5; Zeph. 1:8) In our time, “Jehovah’s day” begins with the attack on Babylon the Great and culminates in the battle of Armageddon. To survive that “day,” we need to prepare now. Jesus taught that we must not only get ready for the “great tribulation” but also “keep ready” for it.​—Matt. 24:21; Luke 12:40.

2. Why can we benefit from 1 Thessalonians?

² In his first inspired letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul used a number of illustrations to help Christians keep ready for Jehovah’s great day of judgment. Paul knew that Jehovah’s day would not come right then. (2 Thess. 2:1-3) Still, he urged his brothers to prepare for that day as if it were coming tomorrow, and we too can apply his counsel. Let us consider his explanation about the following: (1) how Jehovah’s day would arrive, (2) who would not survive that day, and (3) how we can prepare to survive.

HOW WILL JEHOVAH’S DAY ARRIVE?

3. How does Jehovah’s day come as a thief in the night? (See also picture.)

³ “As a thief in the night.” (1 Thess. 5:2) This is the first of three word pictures used to describe the arrival of Jehovah’s day. Thieves often act quickly and under the cover of darkness to catch their victims off guard. Jehovah’s day will also strike suddenly, taking most people by surprise. Even true Christians might be surprised by how quickly events unfold. But unlike the wicked, we will not suffer destruction.

4. In what way is Jehovah’s day like birth pains?

⁴ “Like birth pains on a pregnant woman.” (1 Thess. 5:3) An expectant mother cannot predict the exact time when she will go into labor. She has no doubt, though, that it will occur. When it does, the labor will likely be sudden, painful, and unstoppable. Similarly, we do not know the day and hour when Jehovah’s day will begin. Still, we are certain that it is coming and that God’s judgment on the wicked will be sudden and inescapable.

5. In what way is the great tribulation like the dawn?

⁵ Like the dawn. Paul’s third illustration again mentions thieves stealing at night. But Paul shifts his viewpoint and seems to compare Jehovah’s day to the dawn. (1 Thess. 5:4) Burglars who come at night could be so preoccupied that they lose track of time. The light of a new day might catch them off guard and expose them. The great tribulation will likewise expose those who, like thieves, remain in darkness by persisting in works that displease God. Unlike them, we can be ready by rejecting behavior that displeases Jehovah and pursuing “every sort of goodness and righteousness and truth.” (Eph. 5:8-12) Paul next uses two related illustrations to describe those who will not survive.

WHO WILL NOT SURVIVE JEHOVAH’S DAY?

6. In what sense are most people asleep? (1 Thessalonians 5:6, 7)

⁶ “Those who sleep.” (Read 1 Thessalonians 5:6, 7.) Paul compared those who will not survive Jehovah’s day to people who are asleep. They are unaware of their surroundings or the passing of time. Hence, they cannot discern important developments or respond to them. Most people today are asleep in a spiritual sense. (Rom. 11:8) They are indifferent to evidence that we are living in “the last days” and that the great tribulation will come soon. Major world events may rouse some from spiritual slumber and move them to show a little interest in our Kingdom message. Yet, many go back to sleep rather than stay awake. Even some who believe in a day of judgment think that it is far off. (2 Pet. 3:3, 4) However, we recognize that the inspired counsel to stay awake becomes more urgent with each passing day.

7. How are those who are facing God’s wrath like drunk people?

⁷ “Those who get drunk.” The apostle likened those who face God’s wrath to drunkards. People under the influence of alcohol are slow to respond to what is happening around them, and they make poor decisions. Similarly, the wicked do not respond to God’s warnings. They choose a course that leads to their destruction. But Christians are told to keep their senses, to be sober. (1 Thess. 5:6) One Bible scholar describes this soberness as “a calm, steady state of mind which weighs and estimates things aright and thus enables us to make the right decision.” Why must we keep calm and steady? So that we do not get caught up in today’s political or social issues. The pressure to take sides in these matters will increase as Jehovah’s day draws closer. Still, we need not be anxious about how we will respond. God’s spirit can help us to have a calm and steady state of mind and to make wise decisions.​—Luke 12:11, 12.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO PREPARE FOR JEHOVAH’S DAY?

8. How does 1 Thessalonians 5:8 illustrate the qualities that will help us to stay awake and keep our senses? (See also picture.)

⁸ “Put on the breastplate . . . and the . . . helmet.” Paul compares us to soldiers who are alert and dressed for battle. (Read 1 Thessalonians 5:8.) A soldier on active duty is expected to be prepared for battle at all times. It is similar with us. We remain ready for Jehovah’s day by wearing a breastplate of faith and love and a helmet of hope. These qualities can help us greatly.

9. How does our faith protect us?

⁹ A breastplate protected a soldier’s heart. Faith and love protect our figurative heart. They will help us to keep serving God and following Jesus. Faith assures us that Jehovah will reward us for seeking him with all our heart. (Heb. 11:6) It will move us to remain loyal to our Leader, Jesus, even if we have to endure hardships. We can build the faith to face life’s challenges by noting modern-day examples of individuals who maintained integrity despite persecution or economic hardship. And we can avoid the snare of materialism by imitating ones who simplified their life to put Kingdom interests first.b

10. How does love for God and for our neighbor help us to endure?

¹⁰ Love is also essential to stay awake and keep our senses. (Matt. 22:37-39) Love for God helps us to endure in preaching despite any trouble this might bring on us. (2 Tim. 1:7, 8) Because our love extends to those who do not share our faith, we keep preaching and keep working our territory, even witnessing by telephone and by letter. We do not give up hope that one day our neighbors will change and begin to do what is right.​—Ezek. 18:27, 28.

11. How does love for fellow believers help us? (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

¹¹ Our love of neighbor includes fellow Christians. We show such love by “encouraging one another and building one another up.” (Read 1 Thessalonians 5:11.) Like soldiers serving side by side in combat, we encourage one another. Of course, a soldier might accidentally injure a fellow soldier in the heat of battle, but he would never do it deliberately. Comparably, we would never knowingly hurt our brothers and sisters or repay injury for injury. (1 Thess. 5:13, 15) We also show our love by respecting the brothers who are presiding over the congregation. (1 Thess. 5:12) When Paul wrote this letter, the Thessalonian congregation was less than a year old. Its appointed men were likely inexperienced and may have made mistakes. Still, they deserved respect. As the great tribulation approaches, we may need to depend on local elders for direction even more than we do now. We may lose contact with world headquarters and the branch office; hence, it is important to learn to love and respect our elders now. No matter what happens, let us keep our senses, not focusing on their imperfections, but focusing on the fact that Jehovah through Christ is guiding these faithful men.

12. How does our hope protect our thinking?

¹² Just as a helmet protected a soldier’s head, our hope of salvation protects our thinking. With strong hope, we recognize that what this world offers is worthless. (Phil. 3:8) Our hope helps us to remain calm and steady. This was true of Wallace and Laurinda, who serve in Africa. Within three weeks, each lost a parent in death. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they were unable to return home to be with their families. Wallace wrote: “The resurrection hope helps me to think of them, not the way they were in their final days in this world, but the way they will be in their first days of the new world. This hope calms me when I struggle with sadness or feelings of loss.”

13. What can we do to receive holy spirit?

¹³ “Do not put out the fire of the spirit.” (1 Thess. 5:19) Paul compared holy spirit to a fire within us. When we have God’s spirit, we are aglow with zeal and enthusiasm for what is right and we are energized to work for Jehovah. (Rom. 12:11) What can we do to receive holy spirit? We can pray for it, study God’s inspired Word, and associate with his spirit-directed organization. Doing so will help us to cultivate “the fruitage of the spirit.”​—Gal. 5:22, 23.

14. What must we avoid if we are to continue receiving God’s spirit? (See also picture.)

¹⁴ After God gives us his holy spirit, we must be careful that we “do not put out the fire of the spirit.” God grants his spirit only to those who maintain clean thinking and clean conduct. He would not continue to give us his spirit if we were to harbor unclean thoughts and act on them. (1 Thess. 4:7, 8) To keep receiving holy spirit, we must also “not treat prophecies with contempt.” (1 Thess. 5:20) “Prophecies” here refer to messages produced by God’s spirit, including those concerning Jehovah’s day and the urgency of our times. We do not push that day off in our mind, thinking that Armageddon will not happen in our lifetime. Instead, we speed it up​—keep it close in mind—​by maintaining right conduct and keeping busy with “deeds of godly devotion” every day.​—2 Pet. 3:11, 12.

“MAKE SURE OF ALL THINGS”

15. How can we avoid being fooled by misinformation and demonic propaganda? (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

¹⁵ In the near future, God’s opposers will in some sense declare: “Peace and security!” (1 Thess. 5:3) Demon-inspired propaganda will fill the earth, misleading most. (Rev. 16:13, 14) What about us? We will not be fooled if we “make sure of [or, “test”] all things.” (Read 1 Thessalonians 5:21; see study notes.) The Greek word rendered “make sure of” was used in connection with testing precious metals. Thus, we need to test what we hear or what we read to determine whether it is genuine. That was important for the Thessalonians, and it will be even more important for us as the great tribulation approaches. Instead of naively accepting what others say, we use our thinking ability to compare what we read or what we hear with what the Bible and Jehovah’s organization say. In doing so, we will not be fooled by any demonic propaganda or trickery.​—Prov. 14:15; 1 Tim. 4:1.

16. What sure hope do we have, and what are we moved to do?

¹⁶ As a group, God’s servants will survive the great tribulation. Individually, though, we do not know what tomorrow will bring. (Jas. 4:14) Still, whether we live through the great tribulation or die before then, we will be rewarded with everlasting life if we remain faithful. The anointed will be with Christ in heaven. The other sheep will be on a paradise earth. May we all focus on our wonderful hope and keep ready for Jehovah’s day!