1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

[9] For  God  not  appointed  to  wrath,  but  to  obtain  salvation  by  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  [10] Who  died  that,  whether  we wake  or  sleep,  we should live  together  with  him. 

What does 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Deliverance from the judgments of the day of the Lord (i.e, the outpouring of God"s wrath in the Tribulation) is certain for Christians. It is certain because God has not appointed His children to wrath in any form or at any time (cf. 1 Thessalonians 1:10). In the context, the wrath of the day of the Lord is in view specifically. Rather He has appointed us to full salvation ( 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17). Whereas Christians do experience divine discipline (cf. Hebrews 12), we will not experience divine wrath (cf. Romans 8:1).
" 1 Thessalonians 5:9 is not a "both/and" statement. The believer is not appointed to wrath and to salvation-to the Day of the Lord and the Rapture (the posttribulational view). The verse states "not one, but the other." The believer is appointed not to wrath, but to salvation; not to the Day of the Lord, but to the Rapture (pretribulationalism). The believer"s hope is the Rapture. We are not watching for wrath, but for the Lord." [1]
"When God vents his anger against earth dwellers ( Revelation 6:16-17), the body of Christ will be in heaven as the result of the series of happenings outlined in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 (cf. 1 Thessalonians 3:13). This is God"s purpose." [2]
This deliverance is certain because Jesus Christ died as our substitute. He took all God"s wrath against us on Himself (cf. Romans 8:1). Consequently we can have confidence that we will live together with Christ after the Rapture whether we are watchful or unwatchful at the time of His coming.
The Greek word translated "asleep" in 1 Thessalonians 5:10 is from the same root as the one translated "sleep" in 1 Thessalonians 5:6 where the reference is to spiritual lethargy. It is a different one from the word translated "asleep" in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15 where the reference is to physical death. [3] God will snatch away all Christians whether watchful or unwatchful at the Rapture. [4] This statement refutes the partial rapture theory, the view that God will rapture only watchful Christians. Moreover it is another indication that the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation since the Tribulation is a time when God will pour out His wrath on those dwelling on the earth (cf. 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Revelation 3:10).