We Can Know! Christ Returns on Judgment Day

Almost anyone who grew up in the church, myself included, remembers being told over and over that Christ's coming will be like a thief in the night. In other words, no one can know when His coming will occur. One place we read about this is in 1 Thessalonians 5:2-6 so let's examine this passage verse-by-verse, beginning with verses 2 and 3:

Teachers have always used these verses as proof that people will be caught off-guard by Christ's coming. It is true that these verses are teaching that, but verses 4 and 5 instruct us that there is more to the story:

Here we discover that there are some people who will not be caught off-guard by Christ's second coming. We have all been taught time and time again that Christ's coming will be like a thief in the night, but here we have a clear statement (at least, it's clear to us now) that it will not come as thief for the children of the light.

The light of the world is Christ (John 8:12). Therefore, the children of light are the believers. They are the ones God is addressing here. Verse 6 then reminds us to watch:

So we learn that those who will not be caught off-guard are those who are not "sleeping"; that is, those who are watching. This does not mean those who are watching will simply know that Christ's coming must be getting close. According to the 2008 World Almanac, about one-third of the world's population calls itself Christian¹. A recent study indicates that 85% of professing Christians believe the end of the world is near ². So there are about 2 billion people who think we are living in the end times. This large percentage of the world's population is not the group of people God is referring to when He says the end will not come as a thief in the night for the children of the light. In fact, in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 God is specifically addressing just the churches, just those who claim to be His people, and there He says that if they don't watch then He will come as a thief in the night to them:

"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."
 Revelation 3:3 (KJV)

We find another statement in Mark reminding us to watch and not sleep:

"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: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch."
 Mark 13:35-37 (KJV)

We will see that those who are "sleeping" are not those out in the world who want nothing to do with God, but they are those in the Christian community who continue to hold the belief that we can't know when the end will occur. God defines "sleeping" as not having spiritual eyes opened to understand the truth:

"What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day."
 Romans 11:7-8 (KJV)

When we study 2 Thessalonians 2 we realize that as a result of the churches' desire to cling to their doctrines without continually re-examining them, God sends them strong delusion to keep them in their lies:

"And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie"
 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11 (KJV)

We find another passage in Isaiah that reminds us that sometimes spiritual blindness ("sleeping") is a result of God's judgment:

"For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed"
 Isaiah 29:10-11 (KJV)

We are being taught here that we can know enough about the timing of the end that it will not come unexpectedly if we are watching. How do we watch? Do we go stand on a hilltop and look at the sky? No, of course not. We aren't going to find any information in the sky about when to expect Christ's return so that it does not come as a thief in the night. We watch by studying God's Word very carefully. That is the only way we can obtain any information about what to expect and when.

The Bible teaches that if we don't watch, then yes, it is true that the Rapture will come as a thief in the night:

"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."
 Revelation 3:3 (KJV)

In other words, Christ will come as a thief in the night unless we are watching. This is how we know that watching means to study the Bible and learn the timing of the end.

The Bible does actually teach that we are to be studying time:

"Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment."
 Ecclesiastes 8:5 (KJV)

God Reveals The Timing Of Judgment