Hi, @RaymondFrantz🙂
It is while the religions are saying "peace and security" that they are attacked by the governments of the nations. It isn't the governments that will say "peace and security". The context of First Thessalonians shows that Paul was talking about religious people saying "peace and security" and then being attacked by the governments.
"Now as for the times and the seasons, brothers, you need nothing to be written to you. For you yourselves know very well that Jehovah’s day is coming exactly as a thief in the night." (1 Thessalonians 5:1,2)
The JWborg incorrectly said that "the day of Jehovah" (when Jesus began ruling in the kingdom and tossed the Devil out of heaven) was in 1914. But Jesus said "no man knows the day or the hour" the kingdom would begin - nobody could calculate the start time.
"Whenever it is that they are saying, “Peace and security!” then sudden destruction is to be instantly on them, just like birth pains on a pregnant woman, and they will by no means escape." (1 Thessalonians 5:3)
Just like in the first century, the Jews in Jerusalem thought they were safe but then Rome got them, so it will be the same for the religious institutions today. For example, the JWborg thinks that the UN will attack Jehovah's Witnesses last, but they are wrong. They are spiritually asleep and spiritually drunk on the false teachings of the GB/FDS.
"But you, brothers, you are not in darkness, so that the day should overtake you as it would thieves, for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We belong neither to night nor to darkness. So, then, let us not sleep on as the rest do, but let us stay awake and keep our senses. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But as for us who belong to the day, let us keep our senses and put on the breastplate of faith and love and the hope of salvation as a helmet because God assigned us, not to wrath, but to the acquiring of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:1-9)
Since the GB/FDS told Jehovah's Witnesses that Jesus already became king in 1914 and the Devil is already cast out of heaven, the JWborg is asleep as to what is about to happen. The JWborg has said "to the effect that the day of Jehovah is here," that Jesus has already been ruling as king in heaven and the Devil has already been cast down since 1914/1918.
"However, brothers, concerning the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you not to be quickly shaken from your reason nor to be alarmed either by an inspired statement or by a spoken message or by a letter appearing to be from us, to the effect that the day of Jehovah is here." (2 Thessalonians 2:1,2)
They are "the man of lawlessness". The GB/FDS "sit down in the temple of God, publicly showing himself to be a god." The GB/FDS demand that people obey them as ruler ahead of God. Anyone who puts God first gets "disfellowshipped." The GB/FDS are apostates. They have apostatized from the healthful teachings of the Christ. They are antichrists.
"Let no one lead you astray in any way, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction. He stands in opposition and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits down in the temple of God, publicly showing himself to be a god. Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I used to tell you these things?" (2 Thessalonians 2:3-5)
In Revelation, the angels are depicted as holding back the winds of destruction from Babylon the Great until all the anointed are sealed. Once the anointed are all sealed, the angels let go of their restraint.
"And now you know what is acting as a restraint, so that he will be revealed in his own due time. True, the mystery of this lawlessness is already at work, but only until the one who is right now acting as a restraint is out of the way. Then, indeed, the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will do away with by the spirit of his mouth and bring to nothing by the manifestation of his presence. But the lawless one’s presence is by the operation of Satan with every powerful work and lying signs and wonders and every unrighteous deception for those who are perishing, as a retribution because they did not accept the love of the truth in order that they might be saved. That is why God lets a deceptive influence mislead them so that they may come to believe the lie, in order that they all may be judged because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness." (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12)
The "powerful work" of the JWborg leaders includes presenting lots of numbers - "look at all this growth!" And the lying signs include things like "look, 1914, there was a war! We were right about 1914!" But the truth is that Jesus did not start ruling in 1914.
Timeline:
Soon Jesus will be enthroned in heaven.
Then Satan will be kicked out of heaven and Satan will get the UN to attack religion, starting with those who claim to be God's Name People, Jehovah's Witnesses - all their real estate and properties will be "devoured" by the nations.
At that point we'll see that evidence of the great tribulation started, of the UN attacking religion, and we'll know Jesus has at last been enthroned in heaven.
So then we preach the good news that the Kingdom is in power in heaven.
At that time all of us who know these things and speak about them will be witnesses for Jesus.
That witnessing work will be done under difficult conditions. The two specific witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11:2,3 are said to preach while "dressed in sackcloth".
"But as for the courtyard that is outside the temple sanctuary, leave it out and do not measure it, because it has been given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city underfoot for 42 months. I will cause my two witnesses to prophesy for 1,260 days dressed in sackcloth."
It won't be only those two specific witnesses who are "in sackcloth". All of us witnessing about Jesus at that time will be under extreme pressure because the UN will have banned all religion.
"If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is meant for captivity, he will go into captivity. If anyone will kill with the sword, he must be killed with the sword. This is where it calls for endurance and faith on the part of the holy ones." (Revelation 13:9,10)
We will have the angels helping us to announce the good news during that time of the 3 1/2 years of the great tribulation.
"This good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14)
There is a lot of work to do ahead!🙂 Good thing Jesus is the one taking the lead!
Jesus said "I will be with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things." (Matthew 28:20)
