DAILY TEXT, Saturday, August 23, 2025, Behave like a man (1 Kings 2:2).

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Saturday, August 23, 2025

The day of Jehovah will come exactly like a thief in the night (1 Thess. 5:2).

In the Bible, the expression “the day of the Lord” refers to the period of time in which he will wipe out his enemies and save his people. This has already happened in the past, when Jehovah carried out his judgments. (Isa. 13:1, 6; Ezek. 13:5; Zeph. 1:8) The coming “day of the Lord” begins with the attack on Babylon the Great and ends with the Battle of Armageddon. To survive that “day,” we must prepare now. In fact, Jesus taught that we should “always be ready” for “great tribulation,” indicating that it is an ongoing process. (Luke 12:40; Matt. 24:21)

In First Thessalonians, the apostle Paul used several comparisons to help Christians be prepared for Jehovah's great day. Paul knew 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. w23.06 8 pars. 1, 2.

In what sense does the day of Jehovah come like a thief in the night?

“Like a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5:2). This is the first of three comparisons Paul uses to describe how the day of Jehovah will come. Thieves often steal quickly and in the darkness of night, when no one expects them. Similarly, the day of Jehovah will come quickly and take almost everyone by surprise. Even true Christians may be surprised by how quickly things will happen. But we will not be destroyed; the wicked will.

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

“Like the labor pains of a pregnant woman” (1 Thess. 5:3). A woman expecting a baby doesn't know the exact moment when labor will begin. But she is absolutely certain that the day will come, and usually when it comes, it is sudden, painful, and unstoppable. In the same way, although we don't know the day or the hour when the day of Jehovah will begin, we are convinced that it will come. We know that he will execute his judgment swiftly, and that the wicked will have no escape.

In what sense is the great tribulation like the dawn?

Like the dawn. In his third comparison, Paul again speaks of thieves who steal at night, but this time he makes a slight twist. He seems to compare the coming of the day of Jehovah to 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 similar will happen during the Great Tribulation. People who act in darkness, like thieves, and who insist on doing things that displease God will be exposed. We are not like them, but we demonstrate that we are prepared for the day of Jehovah. How? By rejecting any behavior that Jehovah condemns and striving to continue walking “in all goodness, justice, and truth” (Eph. 5:8-12). Paul then continues with two comparisons that describe those who will not survive the day of Jehovah.

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