<p>5:3 <i>When people are saying: Peace and safety, then sudden destruction will come upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall in no way escape</i>- See on :2, where I suggest that the cry of 'peace and safety' is amongst the unprepared within the brotherhood. It could also refer to a brief respite in the troubles of the last days, perhaps offering a possible explanation of how the final invader comes down upon Israel that is living without bars and gates and at peace, &quot;dwelling safely&quot; (Ez. 38:11). Prophecy after prophecy describes a time of global cataclysm around the time of the second coming, even though this may be mixed with a fair degree of material prosperity.&nbsp;In no way will it be a time of &quot;peace and safety&quot; for the world; and their ever-increasing escapism shows that they don't exactly see it like that either. Biblically speaking, their hearts are failing them for fear, apprehensive concerning whatever is going to happen to their planet earth (Lk. 21:26, see modern versions). So I am inclined to see this as referring to a situation amongst the brotherhood.</p><p>Paul begins chapter 5 by saying that we do not need to know exact times and seasons (i.e. dates) of the second coming, because the most obvious sign is that it would come when some in the ecclesia were unaware- it would come upon them as a thief. Likewise Jesus said that a sign more important that famines etc. was the tribulation of the household. The unworthy saints of the last days who are not watching will find the second coming take them like a thief (Mt. 24:43). 1 Thess.5:3 says that those who think there is &quot;peace and safety&quot; within the ecclesia will also find the second coming to be thief-like. Thus a lack of spiritual watching is the equivalent of the &quot;peace and safety&quot; cry. The attitude that all within the house (the ecclesia) is well and there is no real danger of tribulation will result in a lack of watching. What sense can we make of Lk. 21:36 if we deny the possibility of a persecution period: &quot;Watch ye therefore, and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass&quot; ...? &quot;Pray <i>always</i> that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that <i>shall</i> come to pass...&quot;. Whilst it is possible that we will be <i>saved out of</i> the tribulation, to dogmatically say that we will not experience it, coupled with an attitude which refuses to admit the doctrinal and behavioural problems within the ecclesia, will result in us being lulled into a sense of peace and safety. This &quot;peace and safety&quot; atmosphere within the ecclesia matches that in Israel just prior to the Babylonian invasion: &quot;Them that are at ease (A.V.mg. &quot;secure&quot; ) in Zion&quot; (Am.6:1, cp. Lk.6:24) trusted in their riches and regular observance of a few religious rituals.&nbsp; But surely we &quot;are all the children of light&quot;, and therefore &quot;are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief&quot; (:5,4). &quot;By peace (prosperity) he shall destroy many&quot; (Dan. 8:25) is the language of 1 Thess.5:1-3 regarding peace, safety and materialism destroying the saints of the last days. If this connection is valid, it shows that the little horn of Daniel will exert its influence within the ecclesia.</p><p>Ezekiel (8:8-15; 9:8; 11:3), Jeremiah, Micah and perhaps even the Lord Jesus (Is. 59:16; Lk. 13:8) over-estimated the spirituality of God's people in the run up to the 'day' of Divine judgment in their time. The &quot;peace and safety&quot; cry within the latter day ecclesia is part of an extended set of allusions back to the parables of Mt. 24 and 25, concerning the apostate, drunken servant who thinks everything is fine being suddenly destroyed by his Lord's coming. This kind of believer had been foreseen by Moses in Dt. 29:19; the type who hears the curses for disobedience, but blesses (forgives) himself in his heart, &quot;saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst&quot;. As natural Israel will be awoken from their drunkenness by the final Arab invasion (Joel 1:1,2), so spiritual Israel will be awakened by the holocaust to come. The false prophets who lived on the eve of the Babylonian and Assyrian invasions told Israel that everything was &quot;peace and safety&quot; within the ecclesia of their time (Jer. 5:12; 6:14; 14:13; Ez. 13:10; Mic. 3:5). It seems that the latter day ecclesia will likewise have a faithful remnant who clearly perceive the apostasy, although they are surprised at it, seeing in it the clearest sign of their Lord's return; and an apostate majority, backed up by the elders of the ecclesia, who will claim with some aggression that this is all utter nonsense, and there is peace and spiritual safety within the ecclesia.</p><p>The day of the Lord will result in the wicked being &quot;in pain as of a woman that travails&quot; (Is. 13:8; 1 Thess. 5:3). The Lord seems to have alluded to this when He spoke of how the faithful just before His coming would be like a woman in travail, with the subsequent joy on delivery matching the elation of acceptance at Christ's return (Jn. 16:21). So, it's travail- or travail, especially in the last days. If we choose the way of the flesh, it will be travail for nothing, bringing forth in vain (this is seen as a characteristic of all worldly life in Is. 65:23). We either cut off the flesh now (in spiritual circumcision), or God will cut us off. This point was made when the rite of circumcision was first given: &quot;The uncircumcised un-cut off man... shall be cut off&quot; (Gen. 17:14).</p>