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Like a Thief in the Night

by David A. DePra

     Jesus said He would come back. And if there is one thing He
told us to do regarding His return, it was "Be ready." Why?
"Because," He said, "You don't know when My return will be. I'm
coming like a thief in the night."
     Now, we must ask: How does a "thief in the night" come?
Does he give the owner of the house he intends to visit advance
warning of his coming -- advance warning of any kind
whatsoever? No. Does he write the home owner a letter giving
him hints and clues, perhaps not to the precise day of his arrival,
but of the approximate time? No. Does he tell the home owner,
"I am coming to your house. You cannot know when. But here a
bunch of events and circumstances which will happen
immediately before my arrival. Pay attention to them, and you'll
be able to figure out about when I'm coming." No, he doesn't.
A "thief in the night" doesn't tell the home owner any of those
things.
     The point should be obvious. A thief in the night doesn't give
advance warning at all. Indeed, if there is one thing a thief in
the night DOESN'T do, it's give information about when he's
going to arrive. Jesus said that HIS second coming would be as
"a thief in the night." So what does that tell us about the chances
that we could figure out when that will be?
     Today, many are predicting when Jesus will come. Almost to
a person, those who venture into this arena will admit they don't
know the day or hour -- for Jesus said we could not know that.
But many of them say that we can know the approximate date.
And to verify this, they point to the Bible. They claim that Jesus,
and the apostles, said that certain world events, and other things,
must happen before Jesus returns. And then they add, "See. All
of these things have happened. Therefore we can know that the
return of Christ is imminent."
     Let's look at just one such commonly quoted verse:
For many shall come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ,"
and deceive many. And you shall hear of wars and rumors
of wars....for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom. And there shall be famines and pestilences
and earthquakes in divers places. (Matt. 24:5-7)
     This verse has been continually quoted as proof that the
return of Christ is near. Afterall, there are many false prophets
today. There are wars and rumors of wars. Famines and
earthquakes are increasing in different places. But notice the
part of the passage that ISN'T quoted:
"See that you be not troubled. For all these things must come to
pass. BUT THE END IS NOT YET."
     So in other words, rather than use these events as indications
that His return is near, Jesus is using them as examples of things
which mean NOTHING as far as indicating when He will return.
The question is, will the Body of Christ LISTEN to what He is
saying?
     Jesus said His coming could be likened to the coming of a
"thief in the night." As a result, He told us that there was only
ONE thing we could do. What was that? Figure out the time
from so-called clues and hidden messages in the Bible? No.
He said, "BE READY." Why? For you KNOW NOT the day nor
hour in which the Son of Man comes." *

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