Those for whom God is coming to snatch away have been told to be ever ready to leave because there are no prophetic markers which will herald His command to ‘come up hither’. The Great and Terrible Day of The Lord, on the other hand, is hallmarked by several signs of it arriving.
“Those for whom God is coming to snatch away have been told to be ever ready to leave because there are no prophetic markers which will herald His command to ‘come up hither’. The Great and Terrible Day of The Lord, on the other hand, is hallmarked by several signs of it arriving.”
As I already said, we are commanded to watchful readiness AND patient waiting.
2 Thessalonians 3:5
Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
James 5:7a
Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.
All of the indicators for watchfulness pertain to the coming of the Day of the Lord as well as the coming of Christ for the church because they occur simultaneously. Those who watch and are ready will not be taken by surprise because they do see the signs. Those who are not looking will not see them and will not be ready.
Christ said this AFTER listing the signs of His coming (as His disciples asked Him):
Matthew 24:36-44
But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Keep in mind that His coming in this passage is specifically after the Great Tribulation. See verse 29. Watching for Christ’s return means watching for the signs of His return.
Hebrews 10:25
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
What Day is this? It is the Day of the coming of the Lord, i.e. the Day of the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
How can the “Day of the Lord” come like a thief in the night (same language Christ used for His return in numerous places) if it is preceded by signs, as you have said? It is because readiness does not preclude watchfulness and knowing the signs of His coming which He plainly gave us.
2 Peter 3:10-14
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;
Again Peter directs us to watch (i.e. be looking) AND be ready (i.e. be found by Him in peace). And how do we look for something that will come like a thief? By being ready and watching for the signs.
And I will point out again that the Day of the Lord does not start off with “the beginning of birth pains” as Daniel’s seventieth week does. Revelation 6 describes peace being taken from the earth during the second seal. How can it be taken unless there is peace during the first seal? But the Day of the Lord does NOT begin with calm before the storm. It is the storm. It is “sudden destruction.” It is a “the earth... being burned up.” It is Christ returning with rest for us and fire for the wicked. (See 2 Thessalonians 1.)
Failing to distinguish between Daniel’s seventieth week and the Day of the Lord is lulling the western church to sleep, making many unprepared for what must come to pass prior to Christ’s return, namely facing the antichrist who makes war against the saints.
Christ taught that in this world we will have tribulation. He prayed for us, not to be taken out the world, but to be delivered from the Evil One. The church will be delivered through, rather than out of, the Great Tribulation. She will be removed from the world before God pours out His fiery wrath.