It Starts Small

² for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

1 Thessalonians 5:2

Several New Testament passages vividly compare Jesus’ return to a thief. The thief stealthily creeps into a home, shrouded in the cloak of nighttime. This image ignites a sense of urgency and anticipation that stirs the heart.

⁴³ 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.

Matthew 24:43

³⁹ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.

Luke 12:39

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare

2 Peter 3:10

³ Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

Revelation 3:3

This frightening image, meant to encourage watchfulness among Jesus’ followers, is perhaps most plain in 1 Thessalonians 5:2. Some have taken this beautiful promise and hope. They have used it as a scare tactic to frighten people into a false gospel. I experienced this as a child. The preacher stood at his pulpit. He beat it with his fist. He condemned the crowd to hell if they did not pray the sinners prayer of salvation.

The Thessalonian believers came to a profound realization: the day of the Lord would erupt upon the world unexpectedly, much like a thief breaching the stillness of night. Who eagerly anticipates a thief’s invasion? This comparison is not pointing toward the rapture, which is instead a glorious, eagerly awaited event! While the thief’s arrival brings dread and disruption, the rapture heralds a time of hope and divine gifting. Unlike a thief who takes away, Jesus comes at the rapture to bestow incredible blessings upon His followers. He offers Christians glorified bodies. There will be a cherished reunion. They will experience the unspeakable joy of beholding Him face to face.
(See 1 Corinthians 15:51–54; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17; 1 John 3:2).

We must not be mistaken. Paul’s reference to the day of the Lord’s coming “like a thief in the night” does not suggest that this momentous day will come during a literal, solar night. The analogy isn’t about the timing of the Lord’s arrival; it speaks profoundly to the very manner of His approaching. This era will burst upon the scene with breathtaking suddenness and shocking unpredictability. Divine judgment will seize unsuspecting unbelievers. They will be astonished and bewildered by the abrupt emergence of God’s fierce wrath.

---

© Kimberlee Smith 2025 http://www.itstartssmall.com All rights reserved.