But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-2
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2 Peter 3:10
Many people, especially those within the earthly churches, cling to the idea that Christ will come as a “thief in the night”, and that gives them license to not look within the Bible for any information about the end of the world. However, what the Bible is teaching is that Christ WILL COME as a thief - for those who are in the churches. Contrary to what they believe though, this is not a good thing. God tells us that those He comes upon as a thief will have sudden destruction come upon them:
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
1 Thessalonians 5:3
In many passages of the Bible we read that we are to watch or be watchmen. God commands the believers to watch so that He will not come upon us as a thief:
But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
Matthew 24:43
In Revelation 16:15, God shows us the shame of what is to come on Judgment Day, May 21, 2011:
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed [is] he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Revelation 16:15
Those who have watched are those who are clothed in Christ’s righteousness, while those whose shame is revealed on that day are those who did not watch.
Continuing on in 1 Thessalonians 5, God says that we are to be children of the Light, not of darkness. The thief comes upon those in darkness and overtakes them:
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
1 Thessalonians 5:4-5
God further shows us that He will come as a thief upon those in darkness who are not watching:
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Revelation 3:3
Sadly, God shows us that those associated with the churches, especially those who are held in spiritual authority, will be shown to be on the wrong side on Judgment Day, May 21, 2011. It will be revealed in that day that they had been fighting against the Lord’s Christ all this time:
Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?
Luke 22:52
How terrible it would be to arrive at that day and find that we have not been watching as our Lord commands:
And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
Mark 13:37
May it be that we are watching within God's Word and walking in the light as the day of the Lord draws near!