Is the Lord Jesus Christ coming back as a "thief in the night?"?

Question

In my last Yahoo Answers question, we found that the "Rapture", the catching away of the saved to the Lord in the sky and then into heaven occurs at the end of the world (Judgment Day). Many people said in their response that Jesus would come as a "thief in the night." Plz read 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3. But let's read further: "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief, Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober."
"Watch", comparing Scripture with Scripture (1 Corinthians 2:13), implies watching for the Master (Christ). We "see" the Lord through the Bible, not through the events occuring in the world. Believers see the Lord because He has opened their spiritual eyes. Lot saw the Lord because he was watching (Gen. 19). See these verses: Mark13:33-37 + 14:38; John 21:36; 2 Thess. 4:5; 1 Peter 4:7

Answer 1

i believe that those who have not accepted christ as there savior he will come to them as a thief in the night, but those who know christ will see him and know that he has came.

Answer 2

At the Sixth Seal, heaven and earth will witness the appearance of the Lord with power and majesty (Re.6:12-17).

Additional Scriptures pertaining to the Sixth SEAL are - Re.1:7, 1 Thess.5:2, Acts.2:20-21, Lk.21:25-27, Matt.24:29-31, Mk.13:24-27, Re.1:7, Isa.13:6-11, Joel 2:31-32, Jer.30:7, Isa.2:19, Lk.23:30, Lk.21:36.

The Sixth SEAL should not be confused with the Seventh TRUMPET (1 Thess.4:16-17, 1 Cor.15:52, Re.10:7). These are two separate events. There is a seven-year time frame between the Sixth SEAL and the Seventh TRUMPET.

Trumpet events begin when the trumpets are given; they are given at the Seventh, and final SEAL (Re.8:1-6); Plague events follow Trumpet events and fall once they are given (Re.15:6-7).



Pat (ndbpsa)

Answer 3

Ask yourself this: How does a thief come? If someone is coming to rob you at night they are very quiet and come at a time when you don't expect them. Yes he is coming as a thief in the night, coming at a time and in a way that nobody expects. John 14:19 tells us that the world would never "behold" Jesus again. He will not return in a way that will be visible to people in the world. His return is invisible just like a thief is invisible when he comes.

Answer 4

Yes (doesn't 1 Thessalonians 5:2 answer your question?).

I can't follow your argument. Yes, Jesus Christ will return like "a thief in the night" - the day and the hour is unknown - it will be unexpected. And yes, we should be watchful for Christ in us, not in the world. Are you implying that Christians will know of the return of Christ by their own faith and in their knowledge of the breadth of the kingdom of God? Not I. I don't know when He'll return, but I pray that my faith will be ready for His return.

You've put a lot of thought into this, it seems. I'm sorry that it appears wasted on me. May God bless you.

Answer 5

When it says "theif in the night" its not directly refering the time of the day or anything literally meaning with darkness of any type. What it means is when Jesus does return many will be caught unaware, as if a theif came into a house where the people inside were asleep. But continuing further it warns fallin asleep so you are not the one of the ones asleep at the time. And asleep again is not a literal term referring to the opposite of awake. It refers in this context to be ignorant to the 2nd coming. IF tonight a theif broke into your home and left with your stuff youd find yourself in a whole mess of paperwork at the police station come the morning. But you were awake and the same burglar came in would they be able to leave without your knowledge....no.

Answer 6

Yes, He plainly says that, but your information from last yahoo is a little flawed: It does not come on judgment day. The Great White Throne judgment is more than a thousand years after that. Christ has more than one coming, the rapture is the next one but His second coming is later. People study the Bible for years and still not everything is clear, so don't try to put it all in a little nutshell, it won't fit.

Answer 7

I'm thinking the "thief in the night" statement refers to the suddenness of the Lord's return. We must also consider Jesus words about the lightning flashing in the east, and shining even to the west. It looks like Jesus' return will happen very suddenly, but also with a tremendous display of bright light. Laugh if you will, but my interpretation of this is that Jesus and the angels will be coming back to earth in thousands of bright glowing spaceships (UFOs).

Answer 8

He is not coming back as a thief in the night. It is only meant to let you know the nature of his second coming. It will be just as surprising as a thief breaking in to your home in the middle of the night. We do not know when it will be so we must always be in a state of preparedness. Awake and watching.

Answer 9

Read what Peter says about that metaphor.

“Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, ‘Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath it tares?’ He said unto them, ‘An enemy hath done this.’ The servants said unto him, ‘Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.’’” (Matthew 13:24 – 29 KJV)

Now that is an interesting story, and it can be a little confusing; fortunately, because the disciples found this story a little confusing they also and asked Jesus to explain if further. Because our God is not a God of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), Jesus explained what this parable meant.

“Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, ‘Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.’ He answered and said unto them, ‘He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.’” (Matthew 13:36 – 42 KJV)

A closer study of this parable would seem to completely disprove the theory of a secret rapture of the church. Let’s take a look at what Jesus had to say about the time of the end through this parable. There are two groups on the earth represented by the wheat (the good or the church) and the tares (the evil). The workers of the field (probably representing angels) are troubled by the tares that the evil one (the devil) has planted. They ask the farmer (Jesus) if they should gather the weeds now and purify the field (the world). The farmer (Jesus) said that it should not happen that way because some of the wheat may come up with the tares. He then declares, “Let both grow together until the harvest (the end of the world): and in the time of harvest (the end of the world) I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” I find it hard to be a proponent of a secret rapture for the church when Jesus said that both the good and the evil will grow together until the harvest (the end of the world). How can the church be raptured, leaving the evil on the earth, when Jesus said they will be together until the very end?

There is another issue raised by this parable. Many well intentioned Christians use the story in Matthew 24:40 & 41 and Luke 17:34 – 36 as key proof of a secret rapture for the church, but if we examine this story about the end times with the earlier story Jesus told about the end times in Matthew 13, we get a completely different picture from what most Christians interpret this story to mean. Let’s look at what Jesus said in these verses.

“Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” (Matthew 24:40 – 42 KJV)

“I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” (Luke 17:34 – 36 KJV)

Now I do not think that I am wrong in thinking that most Christians interpret these stories to mean that the man taken from the field, the woman that is taken while grinding, and the man taken in his sleep are the ones that belong to the group that is the church and are ruptured. This does not seem to be a plausible explanation however. Jesus gives an order for things to happen back in Matthew 13. “Gather ye together first the tares (the evil), and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat (the good or the church) into my barn.” Jesus clearly says that the evil will be gathered first. If we take this understanding and apply it to Matthew 24 and Luke 17, we get a very different understanding. The ones that are taken are not in the group we want to be in. The ones who are taken are the tares (the evil) that are being gathered to be burned, but the ones that are left are the wheat (the good) that are saved.

There is another metaphor that many well intentioned Christians use to support a secret rapture for the church; I feel that this too is an invalid interpretation of a story.

“But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matthew 24:43 & 44 KJV)

“And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” (Luke 12:39 & 40 KJV)

“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2 KJV)

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:10 KJV)

“Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” (Revelation 16:15 KJV)

Here again, most Christians would attempt to say that this metaphor of a thief in the night is depicting a secret rapture for the church. I believe that most Christians have misinterpreted this too. First, Jesus explains what this metaphor means. He says that the meaning is not that the second coming is a secret but we do not know when it will occur. If we knew what day the Lord was to come, we would get ready the day before it, but since we do not know the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36), we must be ever ready! Just examine what Peter had to say of this metaphor in 2 Peter 3:10; he says that when the Lord comes as a thief,” the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therine shall be burned up.” Now I am not sure how all that could be kept a secret from anyone or how people would be able to live on the earth when it has passed away, burned up, and all the elements in it have melted.

Answer 10

Being watchful doesn't mean that He won't come like a thief in the night.
"let us not sleep" Is that to be taken literally? Of course not, it just means be ready for Him to come at any moment.