We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. You are all children of the light and children of the day. Jesus’ Second Coming should not surprise the faithful believer:īut you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. So, too, our High Priest is coming and expects to find His people working in faithful obedience. If not, the sleeping priest would wake up to his clothes on fire (see Revelation 16:15). He hoped to find the priest on duty, alert, aware, and carrying out his tasks. So, the captain of the guard or the High Priest himself would sometimes come in quietly to check on things – like a thief in the night. Thus, it is to the unbeliever that Jesus would come as a thief in the night. As long as you are of the day, that day cannot overtake you as a thief. To say that simply means that you are not a child of the light but a child of darkness and of the night. It was a temptation for the priest to fall asleep during the night. It is a high treason for you as a believer to say that Jesus is coming as a thief in the night. In the temple, the priest on duty was to make sure that the sacrifices were completely consumed at the end of the day, and ensure that the fire burned all night in order to be ready for the next day’s sacrifices. In Matthew 24 and 1 Thessalonians 5 (as well as others), a Hebrew idiom is being used. The same is true for this phrase in today’s devotional. But you, brethren are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. For when they say, ' Peace and safety' then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. In short, this saying means that Jesus will specifically return at a future Feast of Trumpets or on Rosh Hashanah. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.

We learned that this is actually a Hebrew idiom, a figure of speech. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him”.įor those of you who read my last devotional, The Search for Truth, you know that we studied Matthew 24:36, which stated that no one knows the day or hour of Christ’s return to earth. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. This verse as well as Matthew 24:42-44 (and other passages) are cited to defend the viewpoint that no one will know when He will return: Most of my extra-biblical resources interpret this saying at face value. I have to say that I had a difficult time finding the origin or meaning of this saying, the analogy that Jesus will return “ like a thief in the night”. Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,įor you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. Do we take this at face value or is it an idiom?

Like a thief in the night verse