One of the things I find many brethren struggle with in Bible study, is the lack of attention given to parables and metaphors our Lord put in His Word that act as anchors for prophetic events.
The "as a thief in the night" is one such prophetic anchor our Lord and His Apostles gave. It is always tied with the time of Christ's coming and our gathering and the "day of the Lord" events.
The purpose for parables and metaphors in analogy within God's Word is to make events and their prophetic timing easier to understand, not more difficult. Understanding them immediately pulls many prophetic Scriptures together as a whole, so we can get the bigger picture. In that way, they act as anchors in God's Word, pivot points around which prophetic events are chained to.
Here's an example with our Lord's analogy for the goodman of the house to watch. See if you can pick up on the prophetic anchors He gave:
Matt 24:42-51
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 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.
Our Lord warns us to watch because we don't know the hour of His coming. Then He declares that if the goodman had known in "what watch" to be watching for the thief, he wouldn't allow his house to be broken into.
What is this "watch" our Lord Jesus gave? In the Old Testament different watch periods are given, the beginning watch, the middle watch, and the morning watch (Lam.2:19; Judges 7:19; Ex.14:24). By the time of the Roman's control of Judea, there were 4 separate watch periods, and our Lord Jesus named them:
Mark 13:35-36
35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
(KJV)
These watch periods began in the evening right after sunset and lasting into the next morning. In that example, our Lord says we don't know in which of those four watch periods He comes. Yet in Matt.24:43 He declared if you know in "what watch" the thief would come, you wouldn't let your house be broken up, pointing that we are given info about a certain 'watch' when our Lord comes.
Matt.24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Our Lord will come in an hour most will least expect.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Those who stay on watch, giving their household "meat in due season", will be blessed when The Lord comes to find them doing that. Do you think that "meat in due season" might be another Scripture anchor point here? Might want to check out what that "meat in due season" is, starting near the end of Hebrews 5.
Matt.24:47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
(KJV)
Our Lord gives a very big IF condition with that. If the goodman of the house does not stay on watch, The Lord will come in a day when he's not watching, and in an hour that he is not aware of. Wait a minute. Didn't our Lord just say no man knows the day or hour of His coming? So why would He say that if we don't watch, that His coming will be in a day and an hour we're not aware of? Did our Lord Jesus give that meaning elsewhere, like His faithful servants should know something about that day and hour? Yes...
Rev 3:3
3 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.
(KJV)
We still do not know what specific day or hour that is today, but when the time gets closer, we can know, and better know. I'm going to give it to you; it's up to you whether you believe it or not...
Rev 11:7-8
7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
(KJV)
Rev 11:11-15
11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, "Come up hither." And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever."
(KJV)
Once God's two witnesses are slain in Jerusalem, and their dead bodies left laying the street, they are resurrected after 3.5 days. And in that "same hour" a great earthquake happens there and the third woe sounds the last trump, or 7th Trumpet, signaling the time of Christ's coming. That's the 'day' and 'watch' and the 'hour' our Lord Jesus pointed to. That "great earthquake" is the earthquake of Zech.14 which will split the Mount of Olives in two, half to the north, and half to the south, forming a great valley running east to west.
Regardless if that 'watch' is the evening watch, or the midnight watch, or the cockcrow watch, or the morning watch, that is the specific 'watch' we are to stay sober watching for. That is the 'hour' which Christ will come "as a thief in the night". Who will that take by surprise "as a thief in the night"? It won't be a surprise for those on watch.
Matt.24:50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Notice the penalty our Lord Jesus gave for those who don't look for that watch and hour. They will be appointed a place with the hypocrites, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Do you think that weeping and gnashing of teeth might be an anchor point to other prophetic Scripture? Might want to check that out too.
The "as a thief in the night" is one such prophetic anchor our Lord and His Apostles gave. It is always tied with the time of Christ's coming and our gathering and the "day of the Lord" events.
The purpose for parables and metaphors in analogy within God's Word is to make events and their prophetic timing easier to understand, not more difficult. Understanding them immediately pulls many prophetic Scriptures together as a whole, so we can get the bigger picture. In that way, they act as anchors in God's Word, pivot points around which prophetic events are chained to.
Here's an example with our Lord's analogy for the goodman of the house to watch. See if you can pick up on the prophetic anchors He gave:
Matt 24:42-51
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 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.
Our Lord warns us to watch because we don't know the hour of His coming. Then He declares that if the goodman had known in "what watch" to be watching for the thief, he wouldn't allow his house to be broken into.
What is this "watch" our Lord Jesus gave? In the Old Testament different watch periods are given, the beginning watch, the middle watch, and the morning watch (Lam.2:19; Judges 7:19; Ex.14:24). By the time of the Roman's control of Judea, there were 4 separate watch periods, and our Lord Jesus named them:
Mark 13:35-36
35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
(KJV)
These watch periods began in the evening right after sunset and lasting into the next morning. In that example, our Lord says we don't know in which of those four watch periods He comes. Yet in Matt.24:43 He declared if you know in "what watch" the thief would come, you wouldn't let your house be broken up, pointing that we are given info about a certain 'watch' when our Lord comes.
Matt.24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Our Lord will come in an hour most will least expect.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Those who stay on watch, giving their household "meat in due season", will be blessed when The Lord comes to find them doing that. Do you think that "meat in due season" might be another Scripture anchor point here? Might want to check out what that "meat in due season" is, starting near the end of Hebrews 5.
Matt.24:47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
(KJV)
Our Lord gives a very big IF condition with that. If the goodman of the house does not stay on watch, The Lord will come in a day when he's not watching, and in an hour that he is not aware of. Wait a minute. Didn't our Lord just say no man knows the day or hour of His coming? So why would He say that if we don't watch, that His coming will be in a day and an hour we're not aware of? Did our Lord Jesus give that meaning elsewhere, like His faithful servants should know something about that day and hour? Yes...
Rev 3:3
3 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.
(KJV)
We still do not know what specific day or hour that is today, but when the time gets closer, we can know, and better know. I'm going to give it to you; it's up to you whether you believe it or not...
Rev 11:7-8
7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
(KJV)
Rev 11:11-15
11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, "Come up hither." And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever."
(KJV)
Once God's two witnesses are slain in Jerusalem, and their dead bodies left laying the street, they are resurrected after 3.5 days. And in that "same hour" a great earthquake happens there and the third woe sounds the last trump, or 7th Trumpet, signaling the time of Christ's coming. That's the 'day' and 'watch' and the 'hour' our Lord Jesus pointed to. That "great earthquake" is the earthquake of Zech.14 which will split the Mount of Olives in two, half to the north, and half to the south, forming a great valley running east to west.
Regardless if that 'watch' is the evening watch, or the midnight watch, or the cockcrow watch, or the morning watch, that is the specific 'watch' we are to stay sober watching for. That is the 'hour' which Christ will come "as a thief in the night". Who will that take by surprise "as a thief in the night"? It won't be a surprise for those on watch.
Matt.24:50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Notice the penalty our Lord Jesus gave for those who don't look for that watch and hour. They will be appointed a place with the hypocrites, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Do you think that weeping and gnashing of teeth might be an anchor point to other prophetic Scripture? Might want to check that out too.
