“… the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:2b
A thief comes under cloak of darkness quietly and quickly to take that which is not his. Christ shall come just as a thief taking only that which belongs to Him. The world will not expect Christ’s return and therefore will not be watching for it; however, believers patiently wait for His coming in the clouds. As we are told, it will happen in “the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52). What a glorious day that will be.
The Greek word used for the ‘catching away’ that is referred to in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 is ‘parousia’ (pa-roo’zee-ah), which represents Christ’s Second Coming and literally means ‘being present’. This is because when Christ takes us unto Himself in the clouds we will forevermore ‘be present’ with Him.
Christ’s Second Coming is called ‘The Blessed Hope’ of the church (Titus 2:13). To know by faith that one day this life of pain and hardship will end is good news of the highest order. No one but the Father knows when Christ shall return (Matthew 24:36); therefore, live as if He were returning today. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!
