I have heard pre-trib teachers misquote the Scriptures by claiming the Lord will return like a thief in the night while conveniently leaving out the fact that the Bible says just the opposite.
They make this claim to support their false doctrine that the rapture could happen at any moment, which is false because it contradicts many Scriptures telling us specific events that must happen before the rapture. See my previous post, Ten Things that Must Happen Before the Rapture.
The Bible tells us his coming will only be like a thief in the night to those who are in darkness, but for those who are walking in the light that day will not overtake them like a thief.
Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “ Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-8)
The pre-trib teachers don’t like to talk about that, but there it is right in the Bible. Not only does it ruin the idea that the rapture could happen at any moment, but it also shows us the Lord is not trying to conceal the timing of his return. He wants his people to know the season of his return so we are not caught by surprise and so we can be filled with hope, knowing the time is drawing near.
We will not know the exact day or hour because no man knows that, but if we stay awake and keep watching we can know the season (Matthew 24:36). Those who are awake and watching now know the season has already arrived.
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Author: James Bailey
James Bailey is a blogger, business owner, husband and father of two grown children. In 1982, he surrendered his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. In 2012, he founded Z3news.com to broadcast the message of salvation by reporting end time news before it happens.
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To your point James above, Rick Wiles had some non pre trib folks on the other day saying they think the pre tribs will constitute the large portion of those falling away in the last days according to scripture. This because they have placed all their faith in the pre trib rapture taught them by their leaders and when bad comes they begin to doubt the whole message and leave the faith. Until I started investigating these truths for myself I followed the crowd and didn’t question the rapture message – it sounded like it made sense at the time. It makes your message and others like you most important to let them know what the truth is. Keep up the good work.
It really amazes me how so many of the pre-trib. rapture believers, when faced with such overwhelming evidence that Christians will go through at least a large part of the tribulation, have as their only backup plan the simplistic response, “oh, I’m going to get raptured up before any of that bad stuff happens.” They also say, “God always protects his church from tribulation.” Well, now let’s examine this closely. Did God protect the apostles from martyrdom? Yes, only one (John) of 12. Did God protect the early Christians from persecution from Nero and Caligula? Some yes, others, no. Did God protect the Albigenses and Waldenses from persecution from the Roman Catholic Church? At times, yes, on the whole, no. Did God protect over 1 million Armenian Orthodox Christians from a brutal genocide perpetuated by the Muslim Ottoman Turks in 1915? No. More recently, has God protected the Coptic Christians in Syria, Egypt, Iraq and other mideast country from being beheaded? No. So, what makes the pre-tribbers doggedly cling to this belief that they will be whisked up into the clouds just before the greatest revival in world history? Nothing more than tradition. And we all know how Jesus felt about the extra-scriptural traditions of the Pharisees.
Great points. Unfortunately the false pre-trib doctrine will cause the faith of many to crumble when trouble comes and they are not raptured. God will hold them and their teachers accountable.
A common cliche that I also have heard more than once by exasperated pre-tribbers ( who refuse to listen to what the Bible has to say) is ” Well, YOU can go through the tribulation if you want, but I will be gone (raptured)”. Proud? Haughty? May God help them before it’s too late!
If you believe that the Lord will come like a thief in the night then you are just admitting that you don’t know the signs of the second coming. Great post I couldn’t agree more.
James,
Timely…interestingly enough the Lord just gave me a four part “Letter to the Apostate Church”. I just posted the fourth tonight. It addresses just this topic of False Teachings. Will He come as a thief? Well, for those being misled it shall indeed take them by surprise. Before the Lord started opening my eyes to this misconception, I desperately tried to hang on to the idea I would not be here for any ugliness. I was sadly wrong about that. He started to show me how He has “protected” His children during horrific and impossible situations. Is there a rapture? Yes! Just not as early as everybody believes. It is during this time of great horror that God shall rise up in miraculous ways. Many blessings to you James. I recently came upon your ministry and have been richly blessed by it. Keep up the great work!
http://visionsfrommyshepherd.blogspot.com/2016/01/message-to-apostate-church-part-four.html
Thanks for the feedback! I will be checking out your message to the apostate church.
Well said thank you brother James.
Linda, it would be wonderful if you would post your rapture dreams. I for one would love to hear them!
Excellent James. Agree.
Jesus will return as a thief after the 6th bowl is poured out and right before the battle of Armageddon according to Rev 16:15-16.
“Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.” Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.”
This is at the end of the great tribulation period but pre-tribbers don’t like to focus on this little detail.
Scripture interprets scripture. I already posted the scripture from 1 Thessalonians 5:1-8 explaining what that means. He comes as a thief to those who are in darkness, but does not come as a thief to those who walk in the light. So we see both groups are still here when he comes. Otherwise there would be no need to explain how his coming is like a thief for the unrighteous, but not like a thief for the righteous.
Yes both groups are still here and since the thief reference takes place after the after the 6th bowl, the pretribulation teaching of imminency is questionable at best.
Hi James, I have been reading posts on your site for a while now. You have some very polite people who contribute to your site. Its refreshing. Some sites have very self centered, rude people visiting their sites. The rudeness gets old. Last year I read a post by someone on Steve Quayles website. If you click on the dreams and visions icon, and scroll down to the letter 15. It says, Awesome end time vision. Its by Sarah Hoffman. What she is describing in her vision is Rev.6.This vision that she had was in 1979. Of all of the visions that people have described, this one is very profound. I hope you get to read it and comment on it. God Bless, Rex
I have read it, but not sure whether or not to believe it. If you look into it she is a Mormon and talks about how God directed her to read the book of Mormon. She lost me at that point.
Thank you for pointing that out.
AMEN!! The season is now upon us. I have had numerous “rapture” dreams and ALL of them were “and suddenly”.