Left Behind enthusiasts, when told that First Thessalonians does not teach their Left Behind scenario, quickly respond with half of a verse taken from its whole context which they left behind:
“God did not appoint us to wrath”–1 Thessalonians 5:9a.
But here is the context! –This is The Day of the Lord when he comes to bring his wrath on the unbeliever and salvation for his people.
Paul began this letter with the affirmation that we “await His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead–Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath”–1 Thess. 1:10. This is “the second coming” (NICNT)*…”The Advent (Parousia) of Christ” (F. F. Bruce).** This is “the day of Christ’s revelation in glory, when he comes to vindicate his people and judge the world in righteousness (cf. Acts 17:31)”–Bruce. There lies the ground of our “hope.”
Matthew 24
And here is the context of 1 Thess. 5:9a, quoted at the start, above. “Paul proceeds to speak of salvation negatively and positively. God’s purpose for us is not wrath…On the contrary, he purposed that they should obtain salvation…” (NICNT)
8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of our hope of salvation. 9 For God has not appointed us to suffer wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.…
Rahab let down the red cord and her house was saved in the midst of the judgment on Jericho which fell.
God’s people in Egypt put blood on their doorposts and were saved from the judgment on their neighbors brought by the angel of death.
We have the blood of the Lamb on our doorposts.
Paul ends this section as he began it. Reassuring those Christians that:
“whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.…”
He began, at 1 Thess. 4:13, by addressing a concern of those Christians at Thessalonica:
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope…”
The exposition continues here (link). https://textsincontext.wordpress.com/2013/05/11/second-coming-rapture-vs-scripture-christian/
*New International Commentary on the New Testament, Leon Morris, 1991.
**Word Biblical Commentary, F. F. Bruce, 1982.
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