BOTH are true and are interrelated!Ģ For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. Note carefully that while Jesus speaks of His coming as being unexpected like a thief Paul says the Day of the LORD comes as a thief in the night. But He also addresses His Day of the Lord Second Coming which has many observable signs pointing to it during the Tribulation Period. He addresses life “as normal” in which His coming at the Rapture comes as a surprise – like a thief in the night. In my view Christ in Matthew 24 addresses two distinct phases related to His Second Coming. The first phase (the rapture) happens BEFORE the Day of the Lord, the second phase (His return to the earth) happens within the Day of the Lord.
But now in addition to this we need to understand that just as there are two distinct comings there are also two distinct phases to the Second Coming. With further revelation we clearly see the reality of TWO advents. The Jews did not understand that the Christ was to have two separate comings and consequently they are still waiting for the Christ to come. So, Jesus here adds a new detail regarding HOW He comes which I think relates to the first aspect of His Second Coming – which is to say the RAPTURE. This language of coming like a “thief” is not used by any of the OT prophets in relation to the Second Coming. 16:15) I believe they got it from Jesus as introduced by Him in Matthew 24. Where did Paul, Peter, and John get the analogy that the Day of the Lord comes unexpected like a “thief”? (cf. I believe that Matthew 24 is the seed plot for further NT revelation related to last things related to BOTH aspects of Christ’s Second Coming – that is the Rapture and subsequently His return to the earth seven years later. It happens at a time when it is completely unexpected. We find it in Matthew 24.Ĥ2 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.Ĥ3 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.Ĥ4 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.Ĭhrist here speaks of His coming as being like a thief with no forewarning. What Jesus introduced is a very significant detail.
It is grounded in the Old Testament Scriptures but as we move into the New Testament we find that Jesus introduced additional truth in regard to the Day of the LORD that Paul then builds on in 1 Thess. THE DAY OF THE LORD is a major theme in the Bible. THE DAY OF THE LORD COMES AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT
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