Continuing on from the end of I Thessalonians chapter 4, Paul writes:
I Thessalonians 5:1 and 2:
5:1But concerning the (chronological-)times and the (specific-)times, brothers, you do not have a need (for) you to be written to, .2for you yourselves knew2 accurately that (the) day of (the) Lord as a thief in (the) night thus comes;
Again Paul addresses these Thessalonian holy-people (sanctified-people, Christians, saints, children of God) as "brothers" thereby emphasizing and reminding them that all holy-people are brothers one of another because we all have the same holy spirit within us and God is our Father in the spirit category.
But about the chronological times (different times lasting for particular durations, quantities, lengths of time) and the specific times (the opportune or precise periods, occasions, seasons), brothers, you do not have a need (you don't have a necessity, no use, it is not needful) for you to be written to, for you (emphatically) yourselves knew and you still know accurately (you exactly, precisely perceive) that the day of the Lord comes as a thief (in comparison to how a thief comes to his target) during nighttime.
The chronological-times and the specific-times have not been revealed and made-known by God to any other spirit or any person. The day of the Lord refers to that time commencing with the coming and presence of Christ to gather together the church, as taught by Paul in chapter 4, and will continue with the wrath portion and end with Christ handing the kingdom over to God his Father. At the exact-moment that the Lord Jesus Christ will come then begins his day, referring to his time (not just one 24-hour period) and nobody or no spirit will be able to stop him; he will be carrying out God's will! The Lord Jesus Christ is not being likened to a thief, but the day of the Lord comes in a manner as a thief comes in the night.
In what manner does a thief come during the night? First of all, nobody is aware of what chronological night he will come, because the thief does not make this knowledge known; and secondly, nobody knows the specific time of his coming during the night he chooses to come, because the thief also does not make this knowledge known. Therefore, nobody can truthfully say, "The thief will come at 10:30 on Tuesday night, so I will lock everything up at 10:15 on Tuesday night and be prepared and ready for his coming"! Nor can anyone see a thief coming during the night because it is dark and therefore cannot truthfully say, "I see him coming in the distance, he is definitely on his way here at this very moment, so let us prepare quickly"!
The timing of the day of the Lord coming is under the authority of the only true God; He will give the Lord Jesus Christ the 'go-ahead' when that time comes.
[Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (2) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]
or
True Bible Study - First and Second Thessalonians
We can do things with a view to the spirit category
Difference between spirit and soul
(May) the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (be) with you.
