But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that ye should be written to,
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The Setting of the Verse
Paul has just unveiled the fresh revelation of the Lord's coming for His saints (1 Thess. 4:13–18). He now turns from that new disclosure to a subject the Thessalonians had already been taught — the "times and seasons" connected with the day of the Lord — and tells them they have no need that he should write to them about it.
A Deliberate Contrast With What Just Preceded
The opening words of chapter 5 stand in striking contrast with chapter 4. The rapture was an entirely new revelation; the day of the Lord was not.
William Kelly"But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that ye should be written to." [What a contrast with the foregoing new revelation!]
Hamilton SmithIt was necessary that the Apostle should write to these believers concerning the true Christian hope, in order to correct their erroneous thoughts as to the coming of the Lord for His saints. But as to the "times and the seasons", which relate to the day of the Lord, there was no need to write in detail.
"Times and Seasons" Belong to the Earth, Not to the Church
The expression itself has a settled meaning across Scripture. It is the language of God's earthly dealings — not of the heavenly calling.
F. B. Hole'Times and seasons' as relating to the earth are first mentioned in Genesis 1:14. We have the exact words here, and we meet with them again in Acts 1:7 and 1 Thessalonians 5:1. It is clear that this expression refers to God's dispensations and dealings on the earth... that coming has to do with a heavenly calling, while 'times and seasons' relate to the earth.
Hamilton SmithTimes and seasons, do not refer directly to the Church; they look on to the times, and conditions, in which God will carry out His ways with the earth, as foretold in the prophetic Scriptures.
Why Date-Setting Is Forbidden Ground
The apostle echoes what the risen Lord had already told the eleven in Acts 1:7. Attempts to fix the date are not only fruitless but a refusal of Christ's plain word.
F. W. GrantThe Lord had said to His apostles after His resurrection, that it was not for them to know times and seasons, which the Father had placed under His own authority (Acts 1:7). That which will be unfolded to the "wise" in Israel in the due time of their need (Dan. 12:9-11) was expressly hidden from the leaders in the new dispensation.
Hamilton SmithHence any attempt to calculate and predict the date of the Lord's coming, from Daniel's prophecies, or other Scriptures, will be futile, and worse, for it will be an attempt to find out what the Lord definitely says is not for us to know.
The Distinction Between the Rapture and the Day of the Lord
Verse 1 is the hinge on which Paul separates the two events. The rapture had needed special teaching; the day of the Lord was already known from the Old Testament prophets and the Lord's own words in the Gospels.
Edward DennettThus to go back to 1 Thess. After having described the character of the coming of the Lord for His saints (1 Thess. 4:15-18), he proceeds: "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." (1 Thess. 5:1-2.) The saints therefore at Thessalonica had been instructed concerning the day of the Lord — the coming of the Lord in manifested glory — as recorded in Matt. 24 and elsewhere... and hence this is a totally different thing from the coming of the Lord for His people.
The Believer's Posture Toward Passing Time
Because our hope is not tied to dates but to a Person, the calendar plays a small part in the Christian's heart. It serves only to stir us to readiness.
Edward DennettAs those who have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, and who have before us the prize of our calling on high of God in Christ Jesus, we are but little concerned with the rapid flitting by of the times and seasons. If it has any voice for us, it is only to remind us that the night is far spent, and the day is at hand; and that it behoves us to have our loins girt about, and our lights burning, in the prospect of the speedy return of our Lord.
Summary
- Sharp contrast. Chapter 4 unveiled fresh truth about the rapture; chapter 5 turns to the day of the Lord, of which the saints already knew enough.
- Earthly scope. "Times and seasons" is the language of God's dealings with the earth (Genesis 1:14; Acts 1:7) and does not directly concern the Church's heavenly hope.
- No date-setting. Christ Himself withheld the calculation of times from the apostles; attempting to fix a date contradicts His word and has disappointed multitudes.
- Two events distinguished. Verse 1 is the pivot that separates the Lord's coming for His saints from His later day of judgment in manifested glory.
- Practical effect. The believer is freed from anxiety over the calendar and instead kept watching, with loins girt and lamps burning, for the Lord Himself.