Study From The Watchtower, Week of August 21 to 27, 2023, “Always be prepared” for the day of Jehovah, Underlined Answers.

Study From The Watchtower, 21-27-August-2023, "Always be prepared" for the day of Jehovah, Underlined Answers.

Yellow: Direct Answer.

Dark Yellow: Additional Answer.

Light Blue: Additional Points.

“The day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night” (1 THES. 5:2).

1. What must we do to survive the day of Jehovah?

 IN THE Bible, the expression “the day of Jehovah” refers to the period of time in which he destroys his enemies and saves his people. That already happened in the past, when Jehovah executed his sentences (Is. 13: 1, 6; Ezek. 13: 5; Zeph. 1: 8). The coming “day of Jehovah” begins with the attack on Babylon the Great and ends with the battle of Armageddon. To survive that “day”, we have to prepare now. In fact, Jesus taught that we must be “always ready” for the “great tribulation,” indicating that it is an ongoing process (Luke 12:40; Matt. 24:21).

2. Why is it good that we analyze the First Letter to the Thessalonians?

2 In the First Letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul used several comparisons to help Christians prepare for the great day of Jehovah. Paul knew that that day was still a long time away (2 Thess. 2:1-3). However, he said it was very important to prepare as if it were just around the corner. We too can follow that advice. Let's see what he had to say about 1) how the day of Jehovah would come, 2) who wouldn't survive, and 3) what we can do to prepare.

HOW WILL THE DAY OF THE LORD COME?

ILLUSTRATION

Series of images: 1. The Apostle Paul writes on a scroll. 2. A burglar sneaks into a house at night while the owner of the house is fast asleep. When the Apostle Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians, he used comparisons that help us a lot. (See paragraph 3).

3. In what sense does the day of Jehovah come like a thief in the night? (See also pictures).

3 “Like a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5:2). This is the first of three comparisons that Paul uses to describe how the day of the Lord will come. Thieves often steal quickly and in the dead of night, when no one is expecting them. In a similar way, the day of Jehovah will come quickly, taking almost everyone by surprise. Even true Christians may be surprised at how fast things are going to happen. But we will not be destroyed; the wicked do.

4. In what sense does the day of Jehovah come like the pains of childbirth?

4 “Like the birth pangs of a pregnant woman” (1 Thess. 5:3). A woman expecting a baby does not know the exact moment when labor will begin. But she's completely sure that day will come, and usually when it does come it's sudden, painful, and unstoppable. In the same way, although we do not know the day or the hour that the day of Jehovah will begin, we are convinced that it will come. We know that he will carry out his sentence suddenly and that the wicked will have no escape.

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

5 Like the dawn. Pablo, in his third comparison, talks again about thieves who steal at night, but this time he does a little twist. He seems to compare the arrival of the day of Jehovah with the dawn (1 Thess. 5:4). Thieves may be so focused on stealing that they lose track of time. They may not even realize that dawn has begun and that the light could expose them. Something like this will happen in the great tribulation. People who act in the dark, just like thieves, and who insist on doing things that displease God will be exposed. We are not like them, but we show that we are prepared for the day of Jehovah.As? Rejecting any behavior that Jehovah condemns and striving to continue walking “in all manner of goodness, righteousness, and truth” (Eph. 5:8-12). Paul then follows with two comparisons that describe those who will not survive the day of Jehovah.

 WHO WILL NOT SURVIVE THE DAY OF JEHOVAH?

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

6 “Those who sleep” (read 1 Thessalonians 5:6, 7). Paul said that those who are not going to survive the day of Jehovah are like those who are asleep. When a person is asleep, he is not aware of his surroundings or how time passes. He, too, does not perceive the importance of certain events nor is he able to react well. The same thing happens in a spiritual sense: most people are asleep (Rom. 11:8). They ignore the evidence that we are living in "the last days" and that the great tribulation is very near. When big changes take place in the world, there are those who open their eyes a little and become interested in the Kingdom message.But many of them are short-lived interest and immediately fall asleep again. And there are even people who believe in a day of judgment, but it seems to them that it is a long time before it arrives (2 Pet. 3:3, 4). Instead, we know that the advice to stay awake is more important with each passing day.

7. In what way are the people whom God will eliminate like drunkards?

7 “Those who get drunk.” The apostle Paul compared the people that God will eliminate to drunkards. The drunkard loses part of his reaction capacity and makes bad decisions. Similarly, the wicked do not respond to God's warnings and choose a way of life that leads to destruction. But the apostle advises Christians to keep their senses, to be sober, not drunk (1 Thess. 5:6). One Bible scholar says that being sober means having "a calm and stable frame of mind that weighs and calculates matters well, enabling us to make the right decision."But why do we need to have calm and stability? Because it is very easy to get entangled in the political and social affairs of this world. Furthermore, as the day of Jehovah approaches, the pressure to take sides on these issues will increase. But we don't have to worry about how to respond because God's spirit will give us calm and stability and help us make good decisions (Luke 12:11, 12).

HOW CAN WE PREPARE FOR THE DAY OF THE LORD?

ILLUSTRATION

A Roman soldier in full armor. He is standing guard at the entrance to a tent. Behind him are some soldiers who are not wearing their armor and who are drinking and laughing. Most people live without giving importance to what is happening, but we are always ready for Jehovah's day: we wear the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of hope. (See paragraphs 8 and 12).

8. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:8, what do we need to stay awake and keep our senses? (See also image).

8 “Let's put on the armor […] and the helmet”. Paul compared us to soldiers who are watchful and have armor on (read 1 Thessalonians 5:8). In times of war, a soldier must always be ready for battle. The same happened to us. We show that we are prepared for the day of the Lord if we put on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of hope. These qualities are very helpful.

9. How does faith protect us?

9 Just as the breastplate protected the soldier's heart, faith and love protect our symbolic heart. These qualities help us to continue serving Jehovah and following Jesus. Thanks to faith, we are convinced that Jehovah rewards those who earnestly seek him (Heb. 11:6). Also, faith motivates us to be loyal to our Leader, Jesus, despite difficulties. To strengthen our faith and face problems, let's look at how the brothers have managed to be upright in the face of persecution or economic crises. And, so that we are not trapped by the desire to have material things, we can follow the example of those who lead a simple life and put the Kingdom of God first. 

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

10 To stay awake and maintain good judgment, we also need love (Matt. 22:37-39). For example, love for God helps us to continue preaching even when difficulties arise from doing so (2 Tim. 1:7, 8). Because we also love people who don't share our beliefs, we do everything we can to get our message across, even by phone or letter. We don't give them up for lost. Rather, we hope that one day they will change and start doing what is right (Ezek. 18:27, 28).

11. How does love for our brothers help us? (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

11 We also love our brothers and we show it by encouraging and building each other up (read 1 Thessalonians 5:11). Soldiers who fight together support each other. But, being in the middle of battle, they could inadvertently injure a comrade; they would never do it on purpose. Likewise, we would never knowingly harm our brothers or repay evil for evil (1 Thess. 5:13, 15). Another way to show that we love the brothers is by respecting those who lead the congregation (1 Thes. 5:12).Consider the congregation in Thessalonica. When Pablo wrote this letter, it had been in operation for less than a year. The elders were probably inexperienced and made mistakes, but they had to be respected. As the great tribulation approaches, we may need to rely more on the elders of the congregation than now, for we may lose contact with world headquarters and the branch office, and we may not have their guidance. Therefore, it is very important that we now learn to love and respect the elders of our congregation. No matter what, let's keep good judgment and not focus on their flaws. Rather, let us keep in mind that Jehovah is using Christ to guide these faithful men.

12. How does hope protect our thoughts?

12 Just as the helmet protected the soldier's head, the hope of salvation protects our thoughts. Because we keep our hope in mind, we consider that what this world offers is useless (Phil. 3:8). Hope also calms our hearts and gives us stability.That's what happened to Wallace and Laurinda, who are serving in Africa. In just three weeks, one lost his father and the other his mother. And they could not return to their country to be with their family because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He wrote: “The hope of the resurrection helps me a lot. I don't think about how they were in their last days in this world, but how they will be in their first days in the new world. Thanks to this hope, I feel calmer. The sadness of having lost them is more bearable”.

13. What can we do to get Jehovah to give us holy spirit?

13 “Do not put out the fire of the spirit” (1 Thess. 5:19). Paul compared the holy spirit to a fire that burns within us. Thanks to that spirit, we are filled with fervor and have the desire to do what is right and the strength to work hard for Jehovah (Rom. 12:11). What can we do to get Jehovah to give us holy spirit? Ask him, study his Word, and be united with his organization. If we do that, we will cultivate “the fruit of the spirit” (Gal. 5:22, 23).

ILLUSTRATION

Series of images: 1. A brother is reading the Bible. 2. The same brother is preaching with his wife. Ask yourself: “Do my actions show that I want Jehovah to continue giving me his spirit?” (See paragraph 14).

14. What should we avoid if we want to continue receiving the spirit of God? (See also pictures).

14 Jehovah gives us his spirit, but we must be careful. We don't want to do something that puts out "the fire of the spirit." In order for Jehovah to grant us his spirit, our conduct and thoughts must be clean. If we allow impure thoughts to take root in us and get carried away by them, we will lose the spirit of him (1 Thess. 4: 7, 8). What else should we take into account? Paul said, "Do not show contempt for prophecies" (1 Thess. 5:20). In this verse, the word “prophecies” refers to the messages that God gives through his spirit. Among them are the messages about the day of Jehovah and how close it is.We do not think that the day of Jehovah is long away or that we will not see Armageddon. On the contrary, we speed up the day of Jehovah in our minds, that is, we keep it very much in mind. That is why we attach great importance to our conduct and perform "deeds of devotion to God" every day (2 Pet. 3:11, 12).

“CHECK EVERY THING”

15. What should we do so that no one deceives us? (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

15 In the near future, the enemies of God will somehow declare "Peace and safety!" (1 Thess. 5:3). Demon-inspired messages will begin to circulate everywhere, deceiving almost everyone (Rev. 16:13, 14). And we? Will we be fooled? That will not happen to us if we follow this advice: "Test everything" (read 1 Thessalonians 5:21). The Greek word here translated “verify” has to do with confirming the authenticity of precious metals. We have to do something similar: check if what we hear or read is true. It was important that the Thessalonians do this, but it is going to be even more important that we do it as the great tribulation approaches.Instead of being naive and believing everything we are told, we use our thinking ability to compare what we read or hear with what the Bible and Jehovah's organization say. Thus, no cunning message from demons will deceive us (Prov. 14:15; 1 Tim. 4:1).

16. What wonderful hope do we have, and what should we do now?

16 We know that Jehovah's servants as a group will survive the great tribulation, but we do not know what will become of each of us tomorrow (James 4:14). Whether we go through the great tribulation or die first, Jehovah will reward us with eternal life if we are faithful. The anointed Christians will be with Christ in heaven, and the other sheep will live in paradise on earth. In the meantime, let us focus on our wonderful hope and always be ready for the day of Jehovah.

WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?

How will the day of Jehovah come?

"Like a thief in the night" (1 Thess. 5:2).

“Like the labor pains of a pregnant woman” 

"Like the morning" (1 Thess. 5:4).

Who will not survive the day of Jehovah?

"Those who sleep" (Thessalonians 5:6, 7). When a person is asleep, they are not aware of their surroundings or how time passes. He, too, does not perceive the importance of certain events nor is he able to react well. 

The same thing happens in a spiritual sense: most people are asleep (Rom. 11:8). They ignore the evidence that we are living in "the last days" and that the great tribulation is very near.

"Those who get drunk" (1 Thess. 5:6). The drunkard loses part of his reaction capacity and makes bad decisions. Similarly, the wicked do not respond to God's warnings and choose a way of life that leads to destruction.

How can we prepare for the day of Jehovah?

Paul compared us to soldiers who are watchful and have armor on (read 1 Thessalonians 5:8). In times of war, a soldier must always be ready for battle.

We show that we are prepared for the day of the Lord if we put on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of hope.

Faith and love protect our symbolic heart. These qualities help us to continue serving Jehovah and following Jesus. 

We also demonstrate by being awake and maintaining good judgment.

We also need love (Matt. 22:37-39). For example, love for God helps us to continue preaching even when difficulties arise from doing so (2 Tim. 1:7, 8).