- Brod Andy -
Is sudden destruction mentioned in the scripture (1Thes. 5:3) to explode soon before our astonished eyes? Will it usher the prophesied great tribulation (Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:21-22) that shall render all flesh dead if its days shall not be shortened? When will this event happen? When sudden destruction comes are you prepared for it? Or better still, will you be able to escape it?
Be Sure You’re Not One of Them and …
Make sure you get the message behind apostle Paul’s prophetic words in his first letter to the Thessalonians where he wrote,
“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” (1Th 5:1-4)
Will the day of the Lord overtake you as a thief? Who are the “they” that “shall not escape” sudden destruction? We will answer these questions as we proceed. But be sure that you’re not one of them and make sure you understand because failing that might lead you to suffer so terribly, for five months that you would rather die than live (Rev. 9:5-6).
“And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.” (Rev 9:5-6)
“And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.” (Rev 9:4)
Worst, you could end up disqualified from God’s kingdom for falling away and losing the seal of God (2Thess. 2:3; Rev. 3:11). Let us be careful that we don’t fall away as others already have because there is no second chance for those that God called out of this world and were enlightened with His words (Heb. 6:4-6). Be sure you are not one of them.
Heb 6:4-6 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, (5) And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, (6) If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
That part of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians quoted earlier is a warning message for the end time and it is addressed to us more than to the disciples of Paul’s time. This is easily understood by looking at the messages addressed to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3. Some members of the last two eras of God’s church are going to suffer the great tribulation (Rev. 3:10, 18) for failing to: 1) hold fast to the truth or 2) repent of certain lukewarmness from it. Hence, it is important that we get clearly the warning message.
The Day of the Lord Has Come, But Many Don’t Get It
What do times and seasons mean? How do they relate to the day of the Lord? Has the day of the Lord come already or still coming? When will sudden destruction come? Who are the “they” that “shall not escape”? And how will the day of the Lord overtake “as a thief” those in darkness? These are questions that must be answered correctly to escape sudden destruction and avoid being overtaken by the day of the Lord.
In his letter, the apostle Paul was pretty sure that the disciples would know if and when the day of the Lord has already come, such that he said, he didn’t have to write to them about it. What about us?
It is high time we understand. There is now standing in the holy place (God’s church, 7th candlestick PCG) an abomination of desolation and we are told that “whoso readeth, let him understand” (Matt. 24:15). Why? Because the next event that will happen is the great tribulation (verse 21). Previously we saw the man of sin that sat at the temple of God (2Thess. 2:1-4) which was the 6th candlestick of God’s church (WCG) not knowing that it fulfilled the rider, with a bow, upon the white horse of Revelation 6. This horse rider had taken away not a few crowns from those that failed to hold fast to the truth that they once had (Rev. 3:11; 6:2). Many of God’s people have this belief that the man of sin is a future head of this world’s great religion (Rev. 13:11-18; 17:3-6. 18) that promotes false Christianity. But they failed to consider that the holy place in Matthew 24:15 and the temple of God in 2Thessalonians 2 refer to God’s church and there is no place holy on earth today until the return of Christ but God’s church (Ezek. 36:17-18; Rev. 11:7-8). This church had already fallen away at the instance of the man who succeeded HWA at the helm. They also believe that the day of the Lord is still a future event and a well-kept secret that is being hidden even from Jesus Christ until now. They should better think again and consider what is written here. Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 are often cited to support this claim and ignore God’s word that he “will do nothing, but … revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). In response to the query about the signs of his coming and the end of the world, Jesus Christ said indeed that only the Father knew of that day. But to assert that the day of the Lord is a secret which only the Father knows until now only shows lack of growth in the knowledge of our great teacher and revealer Jesus Christ (Rev.1:1). Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 are time-bounded and remained true only while he was here on earth in the flesh. But not long after his resurrection and return to heaven, God revealed to Christ all things pertaining to the day of the Lord and the coming kingdom. This was made clear and evident when John wrote the book of Revelation.
Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 1:10-11 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, (11) Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
When the disciples asked Jesus for the signs of his coming (Matt. 24:3), he was not yet apprised of the matter even as the Father had yet to decide on it.
Act 1:6-7 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? (7) And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
But it is obvious that when John wrote the Revelation, God had already determined this thing and was subsequently revealed to Christ. Read again verses 1 and 10 of the 1st chapter of Revelation and understand what is plainly conveyed. Also read Revelation 5:3-9 and understand that by then Christ already prevailed to open all secrets from God. Even the apostle John knew already when that day (Rev. 1:10) would be. There should be no doubt therefore that prior to the day of the Lord, our Lord Jesus Christ knew ahead when that day would be. However, no man knew it in advance because as the scriptures say this day was to come as a thief in the night. What day and hour that day began, no man knew for sure. It might be day of the Lord already as early as 1989 when the church had fallen away and the man of sin revealed as indicated by scriptures (2Thess. 2:1-4). But there are sufficient bases to believe that this day began in the evening of October 1, 1997 as revealed to Robert G. Ardis that very same evening. This day could be known only after the 7th and last era church of God (Rev. 1:11; 3:14) had completed its work. That work ended when it became lukewarm to the truth, departed from its original commission of warning the 6th candlestick church (WCG) and its splinters to hold fast to the truth they had and when its leader became the spiritual abomination of desolation (Matt. 24:15) for claiming he is “That prophet” a title that belongs exclusively to Christ. The booklet titled “WHOSO READS, Let Him Understand!” written by Robert Ardis explains this vital fact. And this led to the fulfillment of Revelation 10:7.
“But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.” (Rev 10:7)
God’s mystery written about and declared by the prophets of old is the day of the Lord. In the declarations of the prophets, they often linked this day with darkness and gloominess and much destruction and wrath from God (Isa. 13:6-11; Joel 2:1-3; Amos 5:18-20; Zep. 1:14-18). This is the reason why the church found it difficult to determine whether or not this day has already come. The generally accepted idea that the day of the Lord is the same as the day of the Lord’s wrath that will bring about judgment upon the whole earth (Rev. 6:15-17) has prevented God’s servants to understand that the day of the Lord is now a reality. But a close examination of the scriptures such as 2Peter 3:10 will show that the day of the Lord’s wrath is just an event within the day of the Lord. In the evening of feast of trumpets, October 1, 1997, this knowledge was clearly established in the mind of Mr. Ardis, and then Jesus Christ revealed to him that the day of the Lord has already come (p. 15-16 The Day of the Lord –6000 Years Have Ended, 3rd edition). Recalling and recounting this event he wrote:
[I have “counted days” for years. Most of us who study the prophesies of the Bible know that God tells us He will REVEAL His truths to those who reverence, honor and fear Him. “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he reveals his secrets to his servants the prophets” (Amos3:7). Psalm 25:14 gives additional assurance: “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant.” And John 16:13 states: “Howbeit when it, the Spirit of Truth, is come, it will guide you into all truth: for it shall not speak of itself; but whatsoever it shall hear, that shall it speak: and it will show you things to come.” One of the TRUTHS of the “things to come” that we have always sought to understand is, WHEN will Christ and the Day of the Lord COME?
On the evening of the Feast of Trumpets, October 1, 1997, as I began preparing the sermon for the Holy Day, I knew that 6000 years were supposed to be ending. However, the GREAT TRIBULATION had not yet occurred, nor had the Heavenly Signs been seen that were to usher in “the GREAT DAY OF HIS WRATH. The Day of the Lord’s Wrath was to occur after these awesome events. Are we just foolish to think that man can accurately determine the time of the creation of Adam? Or had the time finally come for us to understand this truth, hidden from us by God until this very DAY? Had God held back a vital TRUTH from the Church until this very specific TIME, and then suddenly REVEALED it? With the REVEALING of this astounding TRUTH, other vitally important prophecies can be brought to light, one at a time! God does everything perfectly and right on time!
There are quite a few prophecies in the Bible that give a specific number of days that will occur within certain plainly stated events. For example: “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days” (Daniel 12:11). In Mark’s gospel he has written in chapter 13, verse 14: “But when you shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing where it ought not, let him that reads understand, then let him that be in Judea flee to the mountains.” Here the Word of God exhorts us to UNDERSTAND the meaning of these prophesies which refer to a number of DAYS. Verses 12-13 of Daniel 12 give more meaning to the time spoken of here. “Blessed is hethat waits and comes to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. But go you your way till the end be: for you shall rest, and stand in your lot at the end of the days.”This clearly reveals that Daniel would die but “stand” in the RESURRECTION at the end of the DAYS—when CHRIST returns at the SECOND COMING. Revelation 12:14 adds more: “And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, times and half a time, from the face of the serpent.” These scriptures plainly inform those who will read that an IMPORTANT event is soon to occur for which TRUE Christians had better be watching and waiting. When this event does occur the Faithful (Rev.17:14) will understand and flee. They will be taken to THE place of safety for a time, times, and half a time (Rev.12:14). A short time prior to the flight of the Church, the “Two Witnesses” shall begin their 1260-day ministry (3½ years) and at the completion of their “work” they shall be killed. “And they of the people and kindred and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies…”(see Rev 11: 4-13). But then, after 3½ days they will be resurrected and ascend into the heavens along with the other righteous dead (like Daniel) at the return of Christ. At that time true Christians who are “alive and remain,” in the place of safety, will be instantly changed from flesh to spirit and will also rise to meet Christ in the clouds. Compare Revelation 11:4-12 with I Thessalonians 4:15-17 and I Corinthians 15:52-57. (Write for our free booklets: Petra; Place of Safety or Place of Slaughter? and, The Feast of Trumpets or Pentecost…Which? These booklets reveal from the Word of God the TRUTH of the events leading up to, during, and after, the 3½ years.) Doesn’t it make sense, that any one who is a true Christian—a) who sees these mighty events beginning to occur, b) who flees as God instructs him to do,c) who enters into the “place of safety,” d) who knows the “two witnesses” are fulfilling their ministry, would BEGIN COUNTING these specified number of days and actually KNOW when Christ would return—AT THE END OF THE DAYS? WHY COULDN’T WE KNOW THE “DAY OR THE HOUR?” — or at least, the week, month or year!
“…The Time Is At Hand”
That is where my thoughts were on the evening of the Feast of Trumpets, October 1, 1997 as I asked God to inspire me in my sermon preparation. I began reading in the first chapter of the book of Revelation. “Blessed is he that reads and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand” (verse 3). AND THE TIME REALLY WAS AT HAND! As I read verses 9-10, I was utterly amazed at the thought that hit me like a bolt of lightening! “I, John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on THE LORD’S DAY.” This was AMAZING and STARTLING! HOW MANY times had I read those verses, but now they SHOUTED out the TRUTH which God had kept HIDDEN—it remained a mystery, a secret—until the very TIME this fantastic event HAPPENED! What would you consider to be the greatest, most safeguarded SECRET in the entire Bible? What MYSTERY would be tucked away in the Word of God that could NOT be understood by anyone until certain events should be finished? Revelation 10:7 states: “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, THE MYSTERY OF GOD should be finished…” (my emphasis). What is the MYSTERY of GOD, the GREATEST MYSTERY of all time, known ONLY by the Father, God Almighty? The statement concerning this secret is recorded in Mark 13:32: “But of that day and that hour knows NO MAN, NO, NOT THE ANGELS which are in heaven, NEITHER THE SON, but THE FATHER [ONLY].” This is indeed a GREAT MYSTERY! Matthew 24:36 adds the word “ONLY”. But WHICH “day and hour” is being discussed that ONLY THE FATHER KNOWS! Continue reading Matthew’s account beginning verse 37: “But as in the days of Noah were, so shall also the COMING of the SON of man be.” The Greatest MYSTERY of ALL TIME, known ONLY by the Father, is the TIME, the day and hour, of the COMING of JESUS CHRIST! Proceed now to Matthew 24: 38-44:
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came and took them all away, so shall also the COMING of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken and the other left. Watch therefore: for you know not what hour your Lord does come. But know this, that if the good man 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. Therefore be you also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man COMES.
Revelation 1:7 proclaims: “BEHOLD, HE COMES WITH CLOUDS AND EVERY EYE SHALL SEE HIM…” This time His COMING will NOT be “as a thief”, UNEXPECTED and SUDDEN, but PROCLAIMED to the ENTIRE EARTH IN ADVANCE! The VISIBLE RETURN OF CHRIST will be accompanied with mighty and fantastic SIGHTS and SOUNDS that the ENTIRE EARTH will experience! Revelation 11:15 plainly informs us that these GREAT EVENTS happen as the LAST TRUMPET is blown! All of the inhabitants of the earth who are still alive at that time will have been WARNED. Even as they rejoice over the Two Witnesses’ death, you can be sure they will be counting the days, hours, and minutes and will be fearfully EXPECTING that which SHALL OCCUR at the end of 3½ DAYS! The WORLD will have been WARNED! The resurrection of the Two Witnesses and the VISIBLE APPEARANCE of CHRIST will not be as a “thief in the night.” NO! IT WILL BE EXPECTED!
The GREAT SECRET, the MYSTERY of GOD, the WONDERFUL NEW TRUTH REVEALED to the Church of God’s Faithful is that CHRIST HAS ALREADY RETURNED! THE DAY OF THE LORD HAS COME “AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT.” HE HAS SUDDENLY COME TO HIS TEMPLE! Revelation 1:10 plainly states John was projected into the TIME of THE LORD’S DAY. Everything John has recorded in the Book of Revelation is from that which is taking place during the LORD’S DAY. The simple fact we had not realized before, the very reason we could not know the day or the hour, the Father’s Great Secret, was NOW REVEALED. At the precise TIME after 6000 years God made the scripture very plain to me—He opened my mind to the biblical fact that the DAY OF THE LORD and the DAY OF THE LORD’S WRATH are NOT the SAME OCCURRENCE. The Day of the Lord’s Wrath is only a one-year period and is the seventh of the SEVEN SEALS, of which ALL SEVEN SEALS are opened DURING the DAY of the LORD! ]
There are sufficient bases to believe that Jesus Christ indeed came on the night of October 1, 1997 and revealed the day of the Lord. But it must be pointed out that Jesus Christ already knew of this day even before it occurred and that he did not come to stay and tarry in the church on this day but only to inspire a man to perform two (2) things, namely: 1) to knock on the door of individual members of a church gone lukewarm (Rev. 3:19-20) so that they could reunite with Christ and understand new truth; and 2) to prophesy again (Rev. 10:11). Sadly, only a handful recognized the knock to this very day.
You might ask. What is the proof that Jesus Christ did already come as a thief in the night? If you are looking for physical evidence, you’ll be disappointed. Like on the day when Christ came as a thief (Rev. 3:3) to the Sardis era church of God, he did not leave any physical evidence. He only opened the understanding of HWA to the lost truth that needed to be restored. Truth was the evidence. When Jesus Christ came quickly (Rev. 3:11) to the Philadelphia era church of God to warn them to hold fast, he didn’t leave any physical evidence as well. He only revealed the truth about the man of sin and the falling away that was happening then. He opened the mind of Gerald Flurry to understand that the man who succeeded HWA was the man of sin who sat at the temple of God (God’s church). Likewise, when Christ came as a thief and revealed that it was already day of the Lord, he didn’t leave any physical evidence but only the revealed truth that the day of the Lord and the day of the Lord’s wrath are two different events and that one is just a part of the other. But thereafter many new truths have been revealed to his faithful servants in the church. One such truth is the knowledge that the resurrection of the firstfruits will be on a future Pentecost day, feast of firstfruits and not on feast of trumpets as previously speculated. Another such truth is the knowledge that Satan and the unfaithful angels are going to die (Heb. 2:14; Ezek. 28:18-19).
A few former members of the PCG who once believed that the day of the Lord did come already on October 1, 1997 later made a turn around asserting that everybody else in the church should have known about it that same day. This assertion though is not consistent with scriptures. The flow of revelation clearly shows that it originated from God (the Father) then to Christ, then to an angel, then to (an end-time) John (John 21:20-23; Rev. 10:8-11; 11:1-2) and lastly to his servants. This is expressly stated in Revelation 1:1.
Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
To consider oneself on equal standing with an end-time John smacks of too much self-importance. It also disregards plain scripture that describes how God reveals it. Most, if not all of the time, God uses one man in revealing to His people important matters such as the day of the Lord.
But the primary reason for their turning around is anchored on sudden destruction as supposed evidence for the coming of that day.
A Confused “Day of the Lord” Idea
Some of God’s people have this confused idea that the day of the Lord shall begin on a certain night when Jesus Christ comes as a thief accompanied with sudden destruction. They argued that because sudden destruction has not yet come therefore the day of the Lord hasn’t come yet either. Is it?
Here is an excerpt of that confusing idea or belief (underline supplied).
“Until 1997, the Church had totally misunderstood the meaning of the Day of the Lord coming ‘as a thief’ and Christ coming ‘as a thief’. It was only when God gave deeper understanding on this subject that this Truth was clarified to those in God’s Church who would listen to His Voice. We will see that both the Day of the Lord ‘coming as a thief’ and Christ ‘coming as a thief’ are one and the same event which will occur just before the Great Tribulation begins.” (p. 6 “The Day of the Lord Cometh” booklet)
“The fact that the Day of the Lord and the Day of the Lord’s Wrath are two separate events is pivotal, deeper understanding which has opened up so many urgent Bible prophecies pertaining to the time which we live in today and the days immediately ahead! However, some dangerously claim that we are already in the Day of the Lord.”
… “Take a look at what God states about those who claim Christ is already here:
“Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not (Mat 24:23-26).” (pp. 12-13)
“The separation (or ‘taking’) spoken of in Luke 17:34-36 (and Matt. 24:40-41) takes place ‘in that night’: “In that night….one shall be taken, the other left”. Which ‘in that night’ is this referring to? Isn’t it talking about the night in which Christ comes ‘as a thief in the night’, marking the beginning of the Day of the Lord (1 Thess. 5:2)? Doesn’t the separation take place ‘in that (one) night’?” (p. 15)
“We must be watching Jerusalem! The cue for Christ coming ‘as a thief’ marking the Day of the Lord is when they say ‘peace and safety’! Once that happens, sudden destruction will come as the first four seals are opened marking the commencement of the Day of the Lord (Rev. 6). The ride of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse will bring about the ‘sudden destruction’ spoken of in 1 Thess. 5:3 and other scriptures.” (p. 17-18)
Let us examine the confusion and error of the above extracted ideas in that booklet.
1. According to the writer, the day of the Lord and Christ’s coming as a thief will occur just before the great tribulation. It will commence with sudden destruction that will be brought about by the opening of the first four (4) seals of Revelation 6 on the night when Christ comes as thief. Accordingly, the cue to all of these is when people in Jerusalem will say “peace and safety”. Sounds possible and believable! But is it true? A closer examination will show that this idea is problematic and erroneous. Consider the following: 1) If the day of the Lord is accompanied with sudden destruction, then it wouldn’t be as a thief in the night. A thief never comes destroying the door or any part of the house that he has planned to enter. Unlike a robber, a thief does not employ force or violence but always acts very secretly and silently such that he could accomplish his mission and leave the house unnoticed. The entry of a thief would be known only after a few hours with the discovery of lost items and other evidences left; 2) The opening of the four (4) seals, or any seal, does not bring about the occurrence of the events themselves. What it does is just to unlock or reveal the understanding of the otherwise hidden or sealed meaning behind the visions (that John saw) and the actual events that happened which could be in recent past (thou hast seen), presently happening (things which are), or still to happen (shall be hereafter) from the standpoint of the day of the Lord (Rev. 1:19); and 3) There are four (4) distinct events associated with the 1st four seals. If we go by the logic of the booklet writer, all of these four (4) events will have to occur simultaneously in one (1) night, the night just before the great tribulation which is the 5th seal. This is very problematic, this is impossible. Four (4) major events in one (1) night is just not the way it will happen.
2. The writer opposes the belief that the day of the Lord has already come, as being a dangerous claim. He cited Matthew 24:23-26 to prove that those who claim that Christ has already come as a thief are false Christs and false prophets. Obviously, this writer does not understand what he has written because he is confused with prophetic timeline and relationship of events. There is chronology in the way the events in Matthew 24 was presented and there is no way to err on the sequence and relationship of events if one studies the scriptures diligently. The applicable timing for Matthew 24:23-26 will be during the great tribulation when all people on earth will be anxiously seeking for a visible Christ as their savior. The application of this warning is not for now, before the great tribulation, because Christ is not about to appear visibly yet. The first word in Matthew 24:23 is “Then”. Clearly, this refers to and relates to the previous event which is the great tribulation (Matt. 24:21-22). Jesus Christ was saying here that during the great tribulation we should not believe those who would say that he (Christ) is in the desert or in secret chamber because like lightning he can be seen by everyone (Matt. 24:27; Rev. 1:7) when he comes. Verse 28 indicates that in the place where the dead bodies of the two witnesses lie, there he will gather the firstfruits who will be resurrected and/or transformed (Luke 17:37; Rev. 11:8-15; 1Thess. 4:16-17; Matt. 24:29-31). Take note also that the word “then” in verse 21 is in relation to the previous event mentioned in verse 15 pertaining to the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place (which is God’s church). This abomination of desolation is now a present reality in the church (the 7th candlestick, PCG) which happened following the man of sin (2Thess. 2:1-4) that sat on the temple of God (6th candlestick, WCG) a few years after the death of HWA.
This confusion and error about the day of the Lord could have been avoided if certain keys to its correct understanding have been understood. You can pick up some of these keys from the article titled “Simplifying the Day of the Lord Puzzle” published in this website. In this article we will present just two (2) keys of which one is a new addition.
Meaning of “Night”: A Key to Understanding
One of the keys to correctly understand the day of the Lord enigma is the meaning of the word “night” in the phrase “thief in the night”.
In his letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul presented the day of the Lord in the context of “times and seasons” and not as a week-day nor as a weather condition that is very much transitory. From this perspective, it can be deduced that the day of Lord is a long period of time in contrast to a transitory weather condition or a week-day. In essence, the day of the Lord consists of many days, even years, before it will be completed after which the day of God will follow (2Pet. 3:12). Of course considering that Paul was concerned about spiritual matters he was certainly writing about spiritual times and seasons. Like the disciples in the temple mount of Olives (Matt. 24:1-3), the Thessalonian brethren must be anxious too about end-time events and the day of Christ’s return to establish God’s kingdom. But instead of giving them specific dates and events, Paul at that point, merely assured them that their knowledge of the day of the Lord being “as a thief in the night” was all that they needed for them to understand the “times and the seasons”. But Paul did not stop there. He went on to explain what he meant by “night” in the phrase “thief in the night” .
“But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.” (1Th 5:4-8)
Certainly, Paul was discussing here about a future spiritual night, a prolonged spiritual darkness, to fall upon God’s church in the end-time during which the day of the Lord would come “as a thief in the night”. This must be the reason why the prophets described the day of the Lord as day of darkness and gloominess. As we look back at recent church history there is no doubt that this spiritual night did come after the death of HWA. And it can’t be denied that the impact of its darkness has lingered to the present time. Just consider how many of the brethren have returned to the false Christianity of this world and how divided the church of God has become. A rough estimate of about half of the former WCG members have now returned to false Christianity while the other half have dispersed into more than 300 splits and splinters bearing God’s name. This does not include groups that are not duly organized that don’t want to be affiliated with any of the established groups. Members of these churches knew that as God’s church they should speak the same thing, has the same love, be of one accord of one mind as they have the same spirit from God. And yet, what do we have? A divided, disagreeing and competing churches of God. It looks like we are no better than the so-called Christian churches of this world. It’s no wonder that Jesus Christ chided and called these divided churches of God as “synagogue of Satan” (Rev. 3:9). Christ’s parable about the ten virgins indicated that under this condition of spiritual darkness (or night) majority, if not all, of the called out ones of this world have fallen asleep and half of them do not have enough oil for their spiritual lamps (Matt. 25:1-8). Are you going to wait until sudden destruction comes before waking up? Don’t you think it would be too late by then? But still most if not all of these churches of God believe that the falling away has not occurred yet neither the man of sin revealed and therefore the day of the Lord is still a future event. Members of these churches are lulled into a pleasant but dangerous sleep believing that they are spiritually ready not knowing that they are about to be overtaken by the day of the Lord.
“In the Days of the Son of Man”: Another Key to Understanding
In Luke 17:20-21 we have an interesting interaction of Jesus Christ with the Pharisees who were publicly skeptical of him as the Messiah and messenger from God. Like his disciples, these unbelieving men must have asked of him for signs about the coming kingdom. But instead of giving them signs, he chided them saying that they can’t know it by (physical) observation.
Luk 17:20-21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: (21) Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
These Pharisee obviously failed to discern and recognize that the king of the kingdom they inquired about was in their midst. This must be the reason for the kind of response they got from Christ. Similarly today, most of God’s called out ones are skeptical and couldn’t quite discern that Jesus Christ already came as a thief. They couldn’t grasp that the day of the Lord is now a reality. In their skepticism, they would even ridicule the believer by asking, “where is Christ if he has already come?” They couldn’t quite grasp that after instantly coming in Spirit, as a thief, Jesus Christ could also easily return to heaven just as instantly. But others would need to see signs and wonders first before believing that the day of the Lord has already come. This is contrary, however, to what Jesus Christ told his disciples. He said:
“… The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it” (Luke 17:22).
And then he continued to describe what to expect ”… in the days of the Son of man”.
“And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” (Luk 17:26-30)
Let’s analyze and understand the message that Christ conveyed in these scriptures. What did Jesus Christ mean by “… one of the days of the Son of man”? Why would the disciples desire to see it and why can’t they see it? When will be “the day when the Son of man is revealed”? What does “in the days of the Son of man” mean?
To properly understand what Christ said to his disciples it is necessary to get the context. Jesus said, “the days will come” when the disciples “shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man”. Clearly, the context Christ gave refers to a future time when world events will create a desire from his disciples to see him once again just like in the days of old (past) when he was in the flesh preaching the kingdom of God. A typical day (one of the days) during those days could include such activities as giving sight to the blind, healing the sick and even raising the dead back to life, driving out demons, feeding thousands with few bread and fish, and revoking the skeptics. Most of these were signs and wonders which were so amazing that anyone would have a desire to witness. Of course, we know the account at the wedding in Cana where he turned water into fine wine. If previous disciples didn’t see again one of those days, it was not only because “the days” (future) when there is anxious desire to see Christ perform signs and wonders again did not come in their time. Itis just that even if the days did come, still Jesus Christ won’t do these miracles again. In other words there will be no day of signs and wonders coming from Christ until his visible and glorious return. That is to say, “one of the days of the Son of man” when he did signs and wonders won’t happen again. Therefore this is Christ’s message for us today: In the great tribulation, when there will be anxious desire for signs and woners, don’t believe anyone who will perform these things because there will be none from him now or in the days ahead. If there will be signs and wonders, trying to replicate what Christ did before, these will come from false Christs and false prophets to try to seduce and deceive the very elect (Matt. 24:24).
“And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.” (Mat 24:22-26)
But when will the great tribulation occur?
Great Tribulation “in the days of the Son of Man”
Without being too scholarly or overly technical in our approach to this question, let it be stated simply that the great tribulation will begin at the moment sudden destruction explodes before our amazed eyes. This will happen in the days of the Son of man, according to the scriptures we have quoted earlier, when the world is still in an atmosphere of relative peace and safety: eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, buying, selling, planting, and building. To better understand the point we are making let us go back to chapter 5 of Paul’s 1st letter to the Thessalonians.
“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape”. (1Th 5:1-3)
Here in the above scriptures, sudden destruction is described “as travail upon a woman with a child”. This will take place in an environment of relative peace and safety because it is now evident that the world we live today is no longer peaceful and safe as it used to be 20 years ago. Peace and safety have been taken from the earth, in fulfillment of prophecy (Rev. 6:3-4), since September 11, 2001, when the Al Qaeda terrorists attacked the USA, the world’s only superpower at that time. And today the Covid-19 pandemic has made this world’s peace and safety situation even worst. Now certainly, those of us who are poetically inclined could see in the above verse the metaphor about the woman and her travail. In the whole life of a typical woman there is no greater pain and terrible suffering than during a period of her labor for a new child to be delivered. That is her great travail, her “great tribulation”. But what a joy after that, when a newborn is delivered and placed at her bosom! Thus shall it be days before the Son of man shall be revealed and God’s Kingdom brought forth. It shall not come except the church (woman) first suffers its own travail – that is its great tribulation. Actually, God’s church is already in its period of travail spiritually with its many splits and splinters that have virtually become strangers and indifferent to each other. This day, the day when the Son of man is revealed, will be introduced by a sudden destruction that will occur “in the days of the Son of man”, that is to say, during or “in the day of the Lord”. We emphasize the phrase “will be introduced” because the Son of man will not instantly come at the moment of sudden destruction but days later at the blowing of the last trumpet. Christ’s own words in Luke 17 states plainly that “the day the Son of man is revealed” will be “in the days of the Son of man.
“And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man”. (Luk 17:26)
“Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” (Luk 17:28-30)
It is self evident and abundantly clear from the above scriptures that the day of sudden destruction will occur “in the days of the Son of man” or “in (during) the day of the Lord which is already a reality today but of which God’s people continue to be skeptical. This skepticism could be the result of an imperfect knowledge or faulty understanding, or of a preconceived idea, that the events of the first four (4) seals of Revelation 6 shall bring about sudden destruction worldwide and usher Christ’s coming as a thief in the night. This is not true. The days of the Son of man is now upon us. It is the day of the Lord and it came as a thief in the night. Consequently, if at this point those that God called out of this world still don’t believe that this day is now a reality, it only means that they have fallen asleep and/or their ministers are so drunk that they can’t discern the times and the seasons (1Thess. 5:1-7). They are at risk of being overtaken by this day like a thief and will not escape the day of sudden destruction. When one falls asleep at night or anytime of the day, knowledge acquisition stops and no new knowledge is added. That is the condition of most of God’s people today. No new knowledge has been added to them because they continue to reject the new understanding about the day of the Lord that it has already come.
Wickedness “in the Days of the Son of Man”
Apart from a condition of relative peace and normalcy in the world, eating and drinking, etc.,
when sudden destruction will explode, there is another similarity between “in the days of Noah” and “in the days of Lot” on one hand and “in the days of the Son of man” or “day of the Lord” on the other. This similarity is the state of wickedness on earth that is made worst by: 1) the falling away from the truth of many of God’s own people; and 2) the spiritual sleep and/or drunkenness of the others. Widespread wickedness, lawlessness and violence compelled God to destroy the entire population of Noah’s days. Lawlessness and violence all over the cities was also the cause of the total destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in the days of Lot. Likewise, sudden destruction will happen anytime soon upon the whole world because of widespread wickedness, lawlessness and violence which characterized the days of the Son of man which is now a present reality. Ask yourself. How many righteous men and women do you suppose there are among the many divided, competing and bickering churches of God today? How many are they compared to the population of this world? Before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah Abraham tried to make a bargain for a few righteous men hoping that there would be enough to prevent the impending destruction from God (Gen. 18:20-33). But there was none except Lot. In the days of Noah, he alone found grace in the eyes of God and was considered righteous. If the true church is in awful spiritual shape today, how much more the rest of the world? Is this not proof that this world is now in the days of the Son of man? The Lord God destroyed the Old World in the days of Noah, and Sodom and Gomorrah in the days of Lot for lack of righteous men. Do you think it’s any different today? Noah and Lot were righteous men but their days were characterized with unrighteousness or wickedness. Jesus Christ, the Son of man, is coming as a righteous king, but the days of the Son of man during which sudden destruction will explode is likewise characterized by widespread unrighteousness or wickedness on earth. If not for a few faithful elect of God, the coming destruction will be total such that there will be no flesh to be spared alive (Matt. 24:21-22)..
Know Perfectly and Escape Sudden Destruction!
Many sermons have been given and articles written about Christ’s instruction for his followers to watch and pray always and be ready for his coming. But how should we watch and how are we watching today? According to most of these sermons and articles, considering that Christ’s return is not and could not be known until it happened, all we must do is to watch our own spiritual condition and worry not about how far or near Christ’s coming is and God’s kingdom established. This kind of thinking, advice or belief must be scrutinized because it encourages complacency apart from being contrary to Christ’s other reasons for the need to watch. Christ certainly admonished his disciples to watch their personal spiritual condition knowing the wrong influence of this present world to our lives. The pleasures and cares of this world could very much distract us and its pleasures allure if we are not careful. Thus this advice in Luke 21.
Luk 21:34-36 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. (35) For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. (36) Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
This is of course a very sound advice coming no less from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. However, this is not all of the watching we are instructed to do. For example if one is a minister he should watch all things having to do with the faith.
2Ti 4:1-5 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; (2) Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. (3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; (4) And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (5) But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
There is also the instruction to watch the times and the seasons (1Thess.5:1-3) in order to avoid being overtaken by the day of the Lord and escape sudden destruction. In fact the ministers in the church who are able to give meat in due season will be blessed and for doing so.
Mat 24:44-46 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. (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.
It is worrisome that the day of the Lord season has already come but most of the churches of God are not receiving meat appropriate for this season. Instead what they continue to receive are mostly past-season messages such as “no man knows, not the angels, not even Christ. Somehow, there is a failure in watching and its cause is the inability to know (or understand) perfectly the day of the Lord being a thief in the night. It is easy to claim that one’s spiritual condition is fine but if you don’t understand perfectly the day of the Lord, it will soon overtake you without your knowing. And you can’t escape sudden destruction and with it the great tribulation. But as you read this article you are presented with the opportunity to determine whether the day of the Lord is now a reality or not.
Jesus Christ instructed his disciples to watch and be ready for the kingdom. This definitely includes watching the events leading up to his visible return in the days of the Son of man or during the day of the Lord. This he emphasized to be understood correctly when he gave the parable about the fig tree.
Mat 24:32-33 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: (33) So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
When all the events he enumerated as signs for his return are fulfilled, citing the parable, he said that “ it is near, even at the doors”. In the list of events he gave the last to occur before his visible return is the great tribulation which, we already understand, will begin with sudden destruction mentioned in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonian brethren. Of course there will be false Christs and false prophets during the great tribulation performing miracle signs and wonders meant to deceive the elect. However, no matter how many signs are going to be fulfilled, if there is no perfect understanding of the day of the Lord being a thief in the night, no amount of watching will lead one to escape sudden destruction. The key to escape sudden destruction is to know perfectly that the day of the Lord is now a reality and is about to overtake many of God’s people who are sleeping or drunken in the (spiritual) night. If as an elect of God you want to understand perfectly the day of the Lord, now is the time. Pray and ask God to open your spiritual eyes, study and see and take hold of this thief before it overtakes you. You can’t remain skeptic and expect to escape sudden destruction. The great tribulation is looming in the horizon. Now is the time to understand and believe. May God help you and give you the faith to believe!
