There is a lot that seems to be neglected. First, allow me to outline my premise:
The Lord comes like a thief in the night, not to the church, but to the unbelieving world. Religious people always misquote the Lord's statement and truncate other things that go along with the statement.
See here:
1 Thess 5:4 But you are not in darkness, brethren, for that day to surprise you like a thief.
1 Thess 5:5 For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.
So now, the full context so that nobody think I'm taking things out of context:
1 Thess 5:1 But as to the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need to have anything written to you.
1 Thess 5:2 For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
1 Thess 5:3 When people say, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as travail comes upon a woman with child, and there will be no escape.
1 Thess 5:4 But you are not in darkness, brethren, for that day to surprise you like a thief.
1 Thess 5:5 For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.
See, the Lord's return can easily be identified to the year, and to those who are very alert, His return could probably be told to within a few months.
True, nobody will know the day, (or even smaller unit) the hour, but those who are awake will certainly know within a few months, or even weeks?, as to the time of HIs return.
And the reason is simple. Be sober and stay alert. The Lord told us of many things that will transpire before His return -- they are recorded in the prophets, His own speaking, and the writings of the apostles, and in the Revelation. Plenty to be watching for. So when certain markers happen, you know how far along we are.
Matthew 16:3 And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times."
The Lord rebuked those religious people because they should have known. It had been foretold them when their Messiah would come, right down to the day, and coming on a mule, along with many other signs.
Same thing for us in these end days.
The Lord comes like a thief in the night, not to the church, but to the unbelieving world. Religious people always misquote the Lord's statement and truncate other things that go along with the statement.
See here:
1 Thess 5:4 But you are not in darkness, brethren, for that day to surprise you like a thief.
1 Thess 5:5 For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.
So now, the full context so that nobody think I'm taking things out of context:
1 Thess 5:1 But as to the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need to have anything written to you.
1 Thess 5:2 For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
1 Thess 5:3 When people say, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as travail comes upon a woman with child, and there will be no escape.
1 Thess 5:4 But you are not in darkness, brethren, for that day to surprise you like a thief.
1 Thess 5:5 For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.
See, the Lord's return can easily be identified to the year, and to those who are very alert, His return could probably be told to within a few months.
True, nobody will know the day, (or even smaller unit) the hour, but those who are awake will certainly know within a few months, or even weeks?, as to the time of HIs return.
And the reason is simple. Be sober and stay alert. The Lord told us of many things that will transpire before His return -- they are recorded in the prophets, His own speaking, and the writings of the apostles, and in the Revelation. Plenty to be watching for. So when certain markers happen, you know how far along we are.
Matthew 16:3 And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times."
The Lord rebuked those religious people because they should have known. It had been foretold them when their Messiah would come, right down to the day, and coming on a mule, along with many other signs.
Same thing for us in these end days.
