Read Revelation 16:15-21

“Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”(Revelation 16:15)

Seven! That’s how many times the New Testament announces the Coming of Christ to be like a thief in the night. But why is that significant?

The number “seven” is used no less than 54 times in the Book of Revelation alone, which is more than the rest of the New Testament combined. There are seven churches, which are the seven lampstands that Christ walks in the midst of. There are seven seals which Christ breaks open in the throne room of God. There are seven trumpet and bowl judgments, each with seven angels initiating the final plagues. Christ, the Lamb, is seen with seven eyes and seven horns, which represent the seven Spirits of God (see Isaiah 11:2). The tribulation which comes upon the face of the whole earth is seven years long. And even Satan is depicted like a dragon with seven blasphemous heads, which represent seven mountains and seven worldly kings from which the antichrist sits in authority. And it is the seventh and final judgement of God which ends the reign of the antichrist, and ushers in the reign of the true King of Kings, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

It’s hard to ignore the significance that this number plays in the Book of Revelation, is it not? But the intrigue deepens further! If we go back to the beginning, in the Book of Genesis, we see the number seven show itself exactly 54 times again, just like the Book of Revelation!

All of creation was established and blessed by God in seven days, marking the completion of all that God said is good. Noah’s father, Lamech, passed away at the age of 777, marking the final generation before the Great Flood. God commanded Noah to gather seven of each clean animal with him in the ark, and alerted Noah exactly seven days before the flood waters came upon the earth. Abraham made a critical covenant with seven ewe lambs to Abimelech, and Jacob worked for the right to marry Rachel in two seven-year contracts. God gave Pharaoh a prophetic dream of the coming drought by revealing to him seven healthy cows followed by seven ill cows (along with seven heads of good and bad grain), which represented seven years of plenty and seven years of famine on the ancient earth. The Book of Genesis closes with Joseph mourning for seven days for his father, Jacob, marking the end of the patriarchs, and the beginning of the Israelite nation.

Now, while there are many theories which interpret the number seven beyond what is reasonable, we cannot deny that from beginning to end, the number seven commonly highlights the completion of something old into the birth of something new. The number seven works like God’s neon highlighter, trying to grab our attention and tell us to listen up! And in the case of our selected verse about the Coming of Christ, which again is mentioned seven times in the New Testament, we would be foolish not to pay attention to what it implies.

Interestingly enough, this seventh and final time that the Coming of Christ is declared to be like a thief in the night, happens just as God is about to pour out His final bowl of wrath upon the earth and just before Christ returns to make war against the armies of the antichrist. In other words, it is not the rapture, but the Second Coming of Christ which is described this way.

“But wait? I thought the verses about Christ coming like a thief in the night were about the rapture of the church.” This is a common mistake which has been popularized in recent years, but if you look closely at each of the seven times this phrase is used, by Christ and His apostles, you’ll discover that each time is a reference to Christ’s Second Coming at the end of this age, not to the rapture of the church into heaven.

So why does our Lord and His apostles stress the Second Coming of Christ in this way? More importantly, if not for us, who is this warning for?

The phrase originates from Christ Himself as He preached the Olivet Discourse to His disciples (see Matthew 24:40-44). But, the audience Christ has in mind were not His direct disciples, but the Israelites who would experience the Great Tribulation in the future (see Matthew 24:13-15). Likewise, Christ speaks of His Second Coming in this way through the Parable of the Expectant Steward (see Luke 12:35-40).

Later, the Apostle Paul exposits the words of Christ to the Thessalonian Church, showing the church that the Day of the Lord (referring to the Tribulation leading into the Second Coming of Christ) would come like a thief in the night to those who are not saved, but this Day would not surprise or overtake true believers, namely, the Church (see 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4). Why? Because the Church will already be raptured (see 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18).

Likewise, the Apostle Peter, in expositing the words of Christ, speaks of this Day in the same way, marking the completion of the current heavens and earth, and the birth of the new heavens and earth.

“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... Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:10, 13)

In the Book of Revelation, Christ admonishes the church of Sardis that unless they repent, He would “come upon them as a thief in the night.” Do not be fooled. This admonition was not for true believers, but for a church full of unregenerate people, since they only had “a few... [who would walk with Christ.]” (see Revelation 3:2-4).

And finally, here in our selected verse in Revelation 16:15, this is the last time it is declared, no less, by Christ Himself to the inhabitants of the earth before His Second Coming.

“Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”(Revelation 16:15)

Thus, we see that these seven declarations all serve as a warning of judgment to the unrepentant generation at Christ’s Second Coming, who have ignored Christ and are not ready for Him. Contextually, it never serves to alert true believers.

“For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.” (1 Thessalonians 5:9–10)

Beloved, you have no need to fear His Coming, for you will already be with Him at His Coming! (see Jude 14) For by having placed your trust in Jesus, you will be raptured prior to this event! Your garments are washed white in the precious blood of Christ, and you have been clothed in Christ’s own righteousness! The Holy Spirit has made you ready as a pure and spotless bride to receive Christ on the appointed day that He zaps us into the air. Our Husbandman may even snatch you up into His glory before you finish reading my words.

Thus, remember, Christ is not a thief in the night for you and I. He is our Groom in Glory whom we anxiously wait to see face to face! Yes, be watchful, but watchful in hope, not in fear as others. Indeed, this is our expectation!

“When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:4)

“[We are] looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…” (Titus 2:13)

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:2–3)

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