a sudden thing in the way that a visit from a burglar might be. It is not altogether unexpected. As soon as the woman in question realizes that she is expecting a child, she must reckon with the fact that she can have some idea, to within a month or so, of the likely time of delivery. Paul’s concern at this point, however, was to show that the day of the Lord is inevitable. Once the mother-to-be starts to experience the contractions that mark the onset of labour, she can be sure that a process is