Jesus Himself...made the statement twice, that He... was ‘coming as a thief’. (Rev. 3:3 & 16:15). In both of those passages you will see where He underscores the importance of ‘watching’ or ‘staying awake to lookout’. This ties right in to the passage we looked at the past few days from Matt. 24:42-44 and the need to ‘remain awake’, which is interesting, given that text leads right in to Matt. 25 and the story of the ten virgins, a ‘type’ of the church and they all....fell asleep prior to the return of the bridegroom. (1-5).

Then, consider the fact that Jesus made it known what a ‘thief’ is known for doing: ‘he comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy’. (John 10:10). There are many word pictures and symbols that we have read, or heard used over the years to describe how Jesus did, and will... come to His people, terms like a ‘lamb’ and ‘lion’ and ‘deliverer’. We see Him referred to as the coming ‘King’ and ‘Prince of Peace’ and ‘Great Shepherd’. So throwing in this idea that He might be coming as a ‘thief’ into the mix, as one who is known to ‘steal, kill, and destroy’ ...can make us crinkle our nose and raise our eyebrows as we scratch our head and look puzzled. No wonder I was asked some time back if I was suggesting that Jesus was coming as the ‘devil’. So how about we look at some more scripture to see if we might better understand this line of thought.

You are probably familiar with the story of the first Passover found in Exodus 12. It’s where God makes it known that the final plague of judgement is coming on Egypt before He will deliver them from slavery and the power of Pharaoh who up till now, has refused to let God’s people to leave. The first 11 verses detail the preparations that need to be made in the eating of the lamb and applying its blood on the doorposts. Can you take a moment now and read vs. 12-13. 

 Who... is going to ‘pass through the land...and strike all the firstborn’, and who... is bridging the plague to destroy when they strike Egypt’? Does your Bible say it was the Lord, Himself, that would do this?

Now read verse 29, and please note who struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. Does your Bible say it was the ‘Lord’ who did this? We know who was spared from this deadly ‘plague’ of destruction that God was bringing on the land- those where God saw the ‘blood’ applied over the lintel and doorpost of the homes. So let’s scroll back and read, slowly, vs. 22-23. We will see there how the blood was to be applied to the homes and then once again, we read how the “Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians...but where He sees the blood on the lintel and two doorposts...the Lord will pass over the door and...”

Will you please underline the last phrase there in vs. 23. Who ...is God going to prevent, or ‘not allow’ to ‘come in to the house to strike’? Now, we are about to head to the back of our Bible, to the book of Revelation, chapter 9....but I need you to stop along the way and read Isaiah 54:16, first. Just make a note of what you read there and then continue to Rev. 9 and read the first 11 verses on your own. You will read of a sobering vision John has there where hoards of ‘locust’ emerge from the darkness of the ‘bottomless pit’. They are unleashed to bring destruction. Can I just tell you now there is no need to be looking for physical locust carrying out these judgements? You will see reference there where they are given power as ‘scorpions’ in three different places before we read in vs. 11 who their ‘king’ or leader is- Apollyon...the ‘destroyer’.

Now...who does Jesus lump in together there, in Luke 10:18-19 ? And who does Peter liken our enemy, the devil, to in 1 Pet. 5:8? Would you now please go read Jeremiah 4:5-7 and see if any more ‘pieces to the puzzle’ fall in place regarding how God brings ‘judgement’? Finally, please turn to 1 Cor. 10 and read vs. 6-11. Why is this recorded there as explained in vs. 6? What happened to those who were guilty of ‘complaining’ according to vs. 10? And one more time- why were these things written down according to vs. 11?

Oh...but you were told you need not be concerned about any of this because you ‘accepted Christ as Savior and will be long gone before any of this happens because of the ‘rapture’? Ok...that sounds convenient; but what if that does not play out the way you have always been taught and thought it would happen? Then what?

Rest assured....those who are 'IN...the ark, or are IN Christ'...need not worry' as they are covered by the blood of the Lamb (Jesus).  But the concern here...are the multitudes who have been told they are 'in Christ'...simply because they 'said a prayer'.  I hope you will join me tomorrow. )...Matt.7:21