Does a thief in the night announce his plans ahead of time?
"Hey is this 123 ABC St.?"
- Yes. May I ask who's calling?
"I am thief. I'm just calling to tell you that tonight at about 3:00 am, I am going to break in through the back door and rob you of all your valuables. I will be wearing all black and a ski mask. I will be extremely quiet and promise not to wake you!"
That pretty much sums up the logic of Mr. Camping
I used to think this, but after some study I think that what we think of a "thief in the night" being is not what it was back in that day.
I know its not a new way of viewing, but I believe that people back then were well aware of thief's that came in the night. Its not like here where they come and are gone, without anyone knowing. Back then, I believe, thief's announced their presence as they came down the street. It struck fear and anxiety into the hearts of their victims.
Why do I believe this? Because it is much like what Christ tells us it will be. People back then might not know what day, or what hour, the thief would come. But when you heard a lot of screaming and yelling down the road, you were pretty sure that something bad was coming your way. So in that regard, I believe we can see things unfolding and determine with some accuracy when His coming will be.
All through the Bible people may not have known exactly what moment an event would happen, but those who were watching and waiting
could understand with precision when it was happening. God would give a prophecy. The prophecy would be interpreted. Then when the prophecy started taking place, some would see it for what it is, while others stood in disbelief of why it was taking place.
Christ gives indication that it will happen suddenly, but not without ample warning. I mean seriously, when we look at the events in Revelation, they are not subtle. Of course, this is where the pre-trib theory comes into play. But its "mainstay" is the thief in the night thing, and I really believe we just do not understand it the way it was back then.
If we simply read Matthew 24, we find a host of things liken to Revelation. He does state there that no one knows the day or the hour, but what about the week? Interesting.
Mat 24:36-39 "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
We know that it WILL BE just like in the days of Noah. I know Elijah has already posted something to this effect, but it bears repeating. Noah did not know the day or the hour. But we have a clue buried in Genesis. Noah was commanded to build the ark and was told why. He had no clue when it would happen, but just before it happened God told him.
Gen 7:4 For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground."
So at the time of the prophecy, Noah had no clue. But when the time came to be, he did know. But guess what? The people around him had no clue, even up to the very minute he entered the ark and God shut the door. They denied it to the end. They were blind. We are not, Noah was not.
Mat 24:43-44 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
He tells us to be ready and watching for the signs. Not to be in the mindset that we will never know, so therefore just do not consider the matter. We know "what part" of the night the thief is coming. Right in the middle, during the darkest time. We are told to be ready, just like a man who
did know what part of the night the thief was coming. When it gets to that point, we need to stay away and not let the darkness around us consume us and fall asleep. I think that chapter 24 and chapter 25 go hand in hand and are a MUST for correct interpretation.