50 Days to Understanding the End-Times More Accurately - Day 16 - Overtake You as a Thief

DAY 16 - Overtake You as a Thief

We know thus far that believers are not appointed to wrath and that the “Day of the Lord” is a time of God’s wrath.

Therefore, believers will not be overtaken by the “Day of the Lord” at all.

Why then do we read the following?

“But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” (1 Thessalonians 5:4)

I believe that there is significance in this added phrase “as a thief”.

A thief tries to sneak in and catch people unaware or off guard.

An event that believers will not be here for cannot catch them off guard, overtaking them “as a thief”.

However, if the Bible teaches that the same day that the righteous are delivered (the rapture), is the same day that the “Day of the Lord” begins (and I believe that the Bible does), then this added phrase would make sense.

When we evaluate how the “Day of the Lord” is said to come, we can then draw some interesting conclusions.

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

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night:” (2 Peter 3:10a)

We are clearly and repeatedly told that the “Day of the Lord” will come as a thief in the night.

This does not mean that it will be able to sneak in and catch everyone by surprise, after all, “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” (Matthew 24:43).

I had one pretribulational pastor actually write to me and claim that the “Day of the Lord” could not “come as a thief” if it had to be preceded by other events.

Based on the following, I dismissed his claim as inaccurate.

“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come.” (Joel 2:31)

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.” (Malachi 4:5)

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;” (2 Thessalonians 2:3)

Based on these verses alone, I would conclude that multiple events would have to occur prior to the “Day of the Lord” if the Bible is to remain accurate.

Point #1: The “Day of the Lord” will not overtake us as a thief.

Point #2: Technically, this period of God’s end-time wrath (the “Day of the Lord”) will not overtake believers at all; they are not appointed to wrath.

Point #3: The “goodman of the house” may be able to know “in what watch the thief” will come.

Point #4: The “Day of the Lord” is preceded by specific events.

Point #5: “Coming as a thief” does not necessitate “no warning” or signal events occurring prior.

2+2=4

Thanks, @narrowminded

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In case you missed them,

Introduction
Back Cover
1 : The Foundation
2 : The Tribulation
BONUS : A Biblical, New Testament Understanding of Tribulation
3 : The Seventieth Week of Daniel
4 : Not Appointed to Wrath
5 : Wrath vs. Tribulation
6 : The Day of the Lord
7 : The Lord Alone
8 : The Exaltation of the Antichrist
9 : Promises
10 : The Presupposition
11 : 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4
12 : The Revealing of the Antichrist
13 : Same Day - 1
14 : Same Day -2
15 : Hand in Hand