Let us now consider the significance of another crucial prophecy: Our Lord’s declaration that He will come “as a thief.” The concept of our Lord’s spiritual return from spiritual spheres, rather than His bodily return coming from the actual sky, is further confirmed by this prophecy.
The Spiritual Eye
Jesus advises Christians in the Book of Revelation, which is largely about the second Advent:
I Advise you to buy from me…ointment for your eyes so that you can see.
-Revelation 3:18
Why did our Lord advise us in this manner? He understood that most Christians would not be able to perceive Him because they lacked “spiritual eyes.” He anticipated that the majority of them would have little faith in Him. As you’ll see later, Jesus offered us countless signals warning us that His Second Advent will be a repeat of His first. He even used Noah as an example of how mankind will react to Him. Wasn’t this prophecy made by our Lord?
When the Son of Man comes will He find faith on earth?
-Luke 18:8
What is the response to His query? In a single word, hardly! Is it possible for any believer to be assured that he is an exception to Jesus’ prophecy? What can we expect from believers who don’t believe in our Lord? Will they be able to recognize Him if they see Him?
Why did our Lord tell us to go out and get the required ointment? Where can we get it and how do we get it? This is how: We must analyze His identity, review the predictions He has fulfilled, and assess His divine authority and differentiation in His actions and words. There is no distinction between how we can know Jesus in His first Advent and how we might know Him in His second Advent. The rules remain constant.
We don’t need spectacles made of glass to see our Lord; we need clean hearts and souls, free of erroneous expectations like hoping to see Him riding on earthly clouds. We can only become worthy of seeing and knowing Him if we obey Him and use the ointment He prescribes and gives. We can only recognize the One who appears as a masked thief in the darkness of unbelief if we are spiritually prepared. His unassuming demeanor is his façade.
Jesus instructs us to pray continuously in the parable of the Persistent Widow in order to become spiritually prepared and worthy of recognizing Him. The ointment’s objective is to sharpen our understanding by removing impurities from our hearts and minds, the same impurities or illusions that stopped the Jews from seeing and recognizing Him during His first Advent. That “ointment” is so potent that it will aid our inner sight in penetrating numerous layers of veils of illusions that surround His homecoming, just as it did during His first Advent. We may only observe His great might and grandeur descending from the heavenly worlds if our minds and emotions are free of erroneous expectations. In the dead of night, only the eyes of a detective can see a robber.
The literal key is the same one used by Jewish leaders to decipher the meaning of “a king like David.” They’ve been trying to utilize that key for 2,000 years with no success. What a conundrum! They aren’t going down without a fight! What distinguishes Christian prophecy interpreters from Jewish interpreters? Are you able to come up with a reason? Let’s take a look at prophesy interpreters for a moment. You probably don’t know them well.
What Does “Coming Like a Thief” Mean?
Why did Jesus say:
I Shall come upon you like a thief.
-Revelation 16:15
Have you ever thought about the meaning of this prophecy? What is the only concern of a thief? What is the only secret of his success? There are numerous ways of stealing. Here are a few: breaking into a store or a house, shoplifting, stealing a car, embezzling, cheating in one’s income tax, stealing from a company, overcharging, not revealing the defects in a used car, or problems in a house for sale. There is also counterfeiting, money laundering, not revealing the number of ingredients in a capsule, or the dangers of a drug. Doctors can also steal by doing unnecessary surgeries, or dental work. The ways people steal are countless. What is the only concern of all of them? To do their work secretly. If a thief could do his work secretly, he could steal anything, any time.
So, what does Jesus intend by this potent analogy? Please finish this problem before moving on. Could you think of any more options other than the ones listed below? Jesus appears to be just like any other person. You look at Him, but you don’t see Him at all. His true self—the Spirit of God—is concealed inside Him. Jesus’ body is like a cloud, and His Spirit is like the sun. If the Spirit were to appear without the cloud, we would be able to see Him as easily as the sun.
You might wonder why a Redeemer would hide His Spirit. For the same reason that God, as well as the Spirits of all the Messengers He has ever sent, remain unseen. Who could have guessed that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit? Only those who were able to rise above the clouds were chosen. Only those with spiritual vision would be able to succeed. Others would be completely blind.
Do you remember how Jesus compared the Kingdom of Heaven to a buried treasure in a field? The spiritual Kingdom’s treasures are kept secret for the same reason that the worldly kingdom’s treasures are kept hidden. The same question can be asked about God. Why does He keep His face hidden? We read in the Hebrew Scriptures:
He hideth His face. Who can behold Him?
-Job 34:29
Thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
-Deuteronomy 4:29
The act of looking is a universal law. It’s not going to change.
Would anyone dare to deny Noah, Moses, or Abraham if the Spirit of God was clearly apparent in them?
What would our lives be like if we didn’t have the thrill of seeking for and discovering hidden riches and mysteries? Why would God change His mind, disobey the laws He established, and make Himself known by sending His promised Redeemer from the sky? Is there any reason you can think of?
Is it difficult to discern God’s Spirit, which is vastly greater than our own? Is it possible for a non-believer to identify Jesus without seeking information, looking for Him, or opening his spiritual eye?
The Metaphor of Clouds
Consider this comparison to understand the importance of preparation in recognizing our Lord: Why does a patch of cloud obscure the sun’s radiance, the most luminous light in heaven? In the spiritual realm, the same rule applies: One misunderstanding regarding how our Lord will return, like a patch of cloud, might entirely obscure the glory of the One who calls Himself “the light of the world.”
The cloud as an example is not implausible. It is, in fact, the one Jesus used to warn all those who expect to meet Him when He returns. Why did He say He would ride through the clouds? He’d have to choose a bright day with no impediments in order to be seen by everyone. Isn’t it true that clouds and fog obscure our vision? What were the clouds that obscured the Jews’ view of Jesus’ glory? It was the literal intellect that was at fault. That same thinking hides our Lord’s glory in His second coming once more.
Even a cursory examination of the Bible indicates that God frequently talks in spiritual terms. Hundreds of examples of this terminology can be found throughout the Bible. You may even read a full book on the subject. For several examples of this language, check In the Clouds of Glory, 232 pages.
The metaphor of clouds was employed by Jesus to warn Christians about the importance of preparation. He cautioned them that if they aren’t prepared, they will miss out on God’s glory. Most Christians are unable to discern His divine distinctions because of the countless illusions prophecy interpreters have constructed in their literal imaginations about the way He would come. They can only perceive Him if they can rise above their delusions.
Why could the Jews not recognize God’s Glory in a homeless man? Why would a few more words, such as “sky” and “every eye,” not act as a cloud for Christians if just two crucial phrases, such as King David, served as a cloud for Jews? What makes you think it’ll be different the second time? All of Jesus’ cautions and instructions to prepare us for His coming point to one conclusion: The second Advent will resemble the first in practically every way. People will treat Him the same way they treated Noah:
Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man.
-Luke 17:26