Above All Else, Get Oil: Chapter 8 - Thief in the Night

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

If Jesus shared this parable to today’s audience, the comparison might go something like this: imagine a group of ambassadors, each having ONE flashlight in the middle of the dessert in the middle of the night. They are waiting for their King to arrive somewhere nearby. But their dignitary is severely delayed in his coming; it is taking much longer for him to come than expected. However, the wise ambassadors brought extra batteries with them on their journey. The foolish ones brought none. One is prepared for the long night. The other will be lost in darkness. Any good Boy Scout would hear this account and emphatically recite their well-known motto to the foolish: “Always be prepared.” And in a lot of ways, this is exactly what this parable teaches! This parable stresses the importance of having oil and therefore stresses the importance of readiness – a word that is used quite often by Jesus in this section and end-time context. In this portion alone, Jesus says:

·       Matthew 22:4 - Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’

·       Matthew 22:8 - Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.

·       Matthew 24:44 – Therefore, you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

·       Matthew 25:10 - And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

But for what exactly do these parables tell us to be ready? As we discussed in our last chapter, the first thing is clear: Be ready for Jesus’ return. Jesus will come again and His people must be a people living in that hope. But I think it is important to ask this question: why is Jesus returning at all? Although there is more than one reason (such as to save Israel and to resurrect and glorify the saints), one of the most emphasized reasons in scripture is this: Jesus is coming to judge the living and the dead (1 Pet. 4:5). When we speak of His return and of ‘the Day of the Lord’, we are speaking of the Day of Judgment, and this judgement is not merely a cleansing of the earth’s ecosystem or a wiping out the anti-christ’s armies – it is a judgment of each individual’s life as they stand alone before Him. We will discuss this important truth in the next chapter, but an understanding of the Judgement Day is vital when we consider the context of “being prepared.” We are not encouraged to simply be ready for His coming because the hour will be difficult – we are encouraged to be ready because we must each give account of the deeds we have done in our life (Rom. 14:12, Heb. 4:13, 1 Peter 4:5). As we move forward, Reader, let this truth rest on your heart.

The passages regarding Jesus’ return, frankly, bring us into a seeming juxtaposition. On one hand, Jesus stresses that His coming will come sooner than expected:

·       Matthew 24:44 – Therefore, you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

·       Luke 21:34 - But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.

On the other hand, he teaches his return will be delayd longer than expected:

·       Matthew 25:14, 19 - For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them…19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  

·       Matthew 25:5 - But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

So, which is it? Is this a contradiction or is there more to the story? To those who will open their heart to the pure word of God, you will see exactly what Jesus was teaching and it is this: to those who are not expecting and longing for Jesus’ return, his appearing will come sooner than expected. The bible tells us plainly in many passages that Jesus’ coming will be like a thief.  Merriam-Webster’s dictionary says a thief is “one that steals especially stealthily or secretly.” But why did Jesus choose to use this unpleasant imagery to describe his coming? And to whom will his coming be like a thief? Everyone on the planet? Believers alone? Unbelievers alone? To find the answers to these questions, let us look to the word of God. Let’s first compare what Jesus taught us in Matthew 24 & 25 with what Paul teaches in 1 Thessalonians:

“But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 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.

4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of lightand sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let uswatch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let uswho are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. 1 Thess 5:1-10

Did you notice all the us/them language? There are two types of people Paul is describing in this passage. When viewed side by side, it is easy to spot the differences:

Us - Sons of Light (vs 5)	Them - Sons of Darkness
Sons of the Day (vs 5)	Sons of the Night
Watching (vs 6)	Sleeping (vs 6-7)
Sober (vs 6)	Drunk (vs 7)
Dressed in Armor, ready for battle (vs 8)	Unprepared & overcome by destruction (vs 3 & 9)
Receiving salvation (vs 9)	Receiving wrath (vs 9)

Sons of Light are those who are alert and thinking clearly (sober), watching for the Day of the Lord as a solider dressed for battle. These are the people who bring their sin and struggles into the light in order that nothing is hidden that could trip them up in their pursuit of God’s ways. Sons of Darkness, however, live completely contrary to this. They are flippant and unconcerned about God’s ways. They think about the temporal pleasures far more than they ever do the eternal. Like drunk revelers on a battlefield, they will be completely overcome by the war ragging around them and by the reality of the Judgement Seat of Christ. Because of the major lifestyle differences in those who watch for Christ’s return (the us/we/you in these verses) and those who don’t (they/them/those/others), there is another major difference in these two camps of people, and it is summed up in the simple phrase that is repeated in end time passages: Jesus will come to the unwatching, Sons of Darkness  as a thief in the night.  This phrase, “Thief in the Night” has been taught by many Pre-tribulation teachers to refer to the rapture of the church suddenly snatching Believers away in the twinkling of an eye. But is this what this phrase refers to? It seems in 1 Thessalonians, that to the watching ones, the day of Christ’s coming and the events that lead up to the Day of Judgement will not come upon them unexpectantly. As Paul said, “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake YOU as a thief “ (I Thess. 5:4).

Because so many North Americans have been taught that the “thief in the night” idea speaks of a sudden snatching away, it is good to look at more than just 1 Thessalonians and Matthew 24 references to get a broader idea of context. There are many other passages in scripture that deal with the Day of the Lord coming as a thief in the night. Let us look and see if they speak of a secret, unexpected snatching and ask, “what is the point in this passage of saying ‘Thief in the night’? Why would Jesus and Paul use such unpleasant language to describe Christ’s coming?” We need only meditate on the passages to fully understand the context and reasoning of such language. Read the passages and look at the summation below:

Matt 24:36-44 - "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.  37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  38 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, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.  41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.  42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  43 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.  44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

• ·      In Matthew 24:36-44, Jesus tells us that those who are not watching for Him but are simply living their life as if Jesus’ will not come to judge OR isn’t coming back soon to judge, will be going about their routine lives (eating/drinking) and planning their tomorrows (we see this in that they were marrying, giving in marriage, etc. just like the lost in Noah’s day).

• ·      Who was “taken” in the above passage? The unwatching ones. Just as the flood of Noah’s day, the flood of the Day of the Lord and of His judgement will come upon people unexpectedly although all the signs of the season should have had them watching.

• ·      Jesus says that if someone knew a thief was going to disrupt their safety, they would have watched and been prepared to not be overtaken. In other words, if you know a thief is coming to steal, prepare! Don’t let anything be taken from you!

Luke 12:37-40, “Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.  38 And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so (watching), blessed are those servants.  39 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.  40 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

• ·      Jesus says that the watching servants are blessed even if they must keep watching for His return in the delay.

• ·      He tells us to be ready like someone who knows a stealthy thief is coming. And as Jesus stated before, if you know a thief is coming, don’t let anything be stolen from you.

2 Peter 3:8-18, 8- Scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 saying, "Where is the promise of His coming?”... 8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack (slow) concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 10 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. 

11 Therefore, since all these things (the world and all it holds) will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 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? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation — as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

• ·      Peter warns that in the last day, people in the church will mock the doctrine of Christ’s return. Why do I believe this is people in the church and not simply unbelievers mocking? Because, naturally, the lost would mock this – the world has no thought of Judgment Day in their heart. Mockers in the world will rarely cause a true believer to fall away. But if a brother or sister is teaching that Jesus is not returning to judge? That is a lot more destructive. Such a teaching deserves a warning, just as Peter does in this passage.

  
  

• ·      Peter urges believers multiple times in this passage to “look.” In other words, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and keep His coming and your account to Him in your sight. Peter urges the church to diligently be on guard to live in holiness in our conduct. Why? Because Judgement Day is coming and we must give account! We don’t want to be swept away in the error of the wicked who do not live in light of the Day of Judgment. Hold fast! Don’t be moved away from steadfast pursuit of righteousness.

Revelation 3:1b-4, “These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, (sons of the light) but you are dead (sons of the night).  2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.  3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, (THEN) I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.”

• ·      I don’t know if there is any clearer passage than verse 3: if you do not watch, Jesus will come on you like a thief. And look at the context: Jesus is encouraging them to have their “works”…aka, their actions, deeds, lifestyle…perfect as can be before God.

  
  

• ·      For those who slip away from guarding their works, and begin to live as if their works do not matter in the Day of Judgment, Jesus will come upon them like a thief.

  
  

All of these passages point to an important truth: the day of Christ’s coming and our judgment before Him will come like a thief invading the normalcy of life upon those who do not live in continued righteousness and expectation of that Day. Not one of the above passages say that the righteous will be “stolen” away as the property of the Jesus thief. Please reread the passages above, Beloved. Although there is one passage that specifically says the saints will be “caught up in the air with Jesus” (1 Thess. 4:15-18), none of the above passages use any such language. We must not use the above passages to form a doctrine that they do not teach. These passages are clear in their communication: Jesus comes as a thief upon the unprepared. Jesus chose to use the analogy as a thief to show us the seriousness of that day. Even still, we must ask the question: if Jesus’ coming is like a thief and a thief is someone who takes things, what exactly is Jesus taking? Revelation 16:15 answers this important question for us:

Rev 16:15, "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, LEST he walk nakedand they see his shame."

Jesus warns us here to watch and keep our garments. Revelation 19:8 tells us that the fine linen garments the saints wear symbolize “the righteous actions of the saints.” So, putting that idea in this passage above, Jesus is saying, “Watch for my return and keep your righteous actions going in your life until I come.” But He doesn’t stop there. In this passage He says, like a thief, He will take something from the unprepared. What does it say He will take? Their garments.

This may seem strange at first thought: why would Jesus take from us the good works we previously had done? But when we read multiple other passages, we see a theme unmistakably woven in Christ’s teachings. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus taught us: “For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” (Matthew 13:12).  He goes on in the Olivet Discourse, right after He teaches about eh Wise & Foolish Virgins, to expound on this teaching. In Matthew 25,:14-30 Jesus warned:

14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

This parable communicates vividly to us, church. Jesus expects us to do something with the life He has given us. He made an investment into us at Calvary. We are not saved by our actions but make no mistake: we will each give an account before God for what we have done with our actions after we have come to know Him. For those who have received the free gift of salvation but slowly drift away from righteousness, the warning is sounding: keep your garments clean or Jesus will take them away from you in the Day of Judgment and you will stand before Him naked and ashamed (Rev.16:15).

If I knew a thief was coming to steal my garment, I would do everything I could to guard it, keep it on my body, and not let anyone take it from me. So is the salvation I am clothed in. I did not buy it. Jesus did with His blood. But now that I have clothed myself in it, I will guard it, protect it, cherish it, and not take it for granted. How? I will choose obedience to His word. I will guard the meditations of my heart. I will carefully select what goes into my eyes, my ears, my mind. I will pay close attention to what I allow myself to be taught, especially as false doctrines increase in the last days. Jesus warns us:

24 Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25 For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” (Mark 4:24-26)

And again in Luke:

17 For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light (in the Day of Judgment). 18 Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.”

In Luke’s account of the parable of the talents, he ends the teaching with these words from Jesus:

26 ‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 27 But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’ ” (Luke 19:26-27)

 Beloved ones, Jesus says the prepared and the unprepared’s lives come down to this: His Lordship over their hearts. Do you want Him to reign over you now or do you want Him to only reign over you then? It really is this simple. Those who are watching will not be caught off guard because their very lives watch their Lord. “Watching” implies more than looking for Jesus to return. It involves having a spirit, or attitude, of prayerful obedient devotion to Jesus’ ways. Bible study, meditation, fasting, intercession, making sure all attitudes, speech, and thought life line up with the word of God - all of these make up the lifestyle of the ‘watching’ ones.

To those who long for Him to come, it will seem like an eternal delay, but a delay worth waiting for. This feeling of ‘delay’ is one familiar to anybody who has ever waited in expectation for a joyful event to take place: the birth of a baby, the wedding day, the dream vacation, or even Christmas morning, are all examples of moments that seem to never arrive even though they are clearly marked on the calendar with joyful expectation. Those who expectantly look for His return, will be rewarded when He comes. 2 Timothy 4:8 says in the TLB version:

 “8 In heaven a crown is waiting for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return. And not just to me but to all those whose lives show that they are eagerly looking forward to his coming back again.”

 The NKJV puts it this way: he will come and reward “all those who love His appearing”. With that said, we can say Matthew 25 is a call to love his appearing and a call to be prepared for that Day. Let us each watch and keep our garments that we may be rewarded on the day of His appearing. Even so, Lord, come!