‘For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night» (l Thessalonians 5:2).
BOTH JESUS, John in Revelation, and Paul here use the figure of a thief to illustrate the unexpected and suddenness of the Lord’s coming. Since we do not know when God’s great day will come for His people, we must live waiting and watching while we are busy working and testifying.
We have already commented on the very tragic story of the flight that crashed into the hillside just four kilometers from José Maria Cordova Airport (Colombia) and which meant the deaths of 71 people (including the players of the Brazilian football team Chapecoense).
The LaMia flight was four minutes away from landing. They were almost safe. But to be «almost safe» is to be totally lost. There’s no greater doom than «almost.»
A crew member who followed security protocol and saved his life was among the survivors. God has given us through His Word a security protocol to face evil and sin and survive.
According to the investigations, the lack of fuel was the cause of the tragedy. It is impossible to get to the destination without fuel. Everyone’s dream is to get to their destination safely. It is impossible without the proper provision of the necessary fuel. The big difference between the virgins who took part in the big wedding party from those who didn’t was that they didn’t have enough oil for their lamps. It is impossible to move and get to the desired destination without fuel. And Jesus, in His own experience, assured us that man not only lives «by bread alone but every word that comes from the mouth of God» (Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4).
The aircraft could have declared itself in a state of emergency and the tragedy would have been avoided, but it only expressed a priority request for landing. This world of sin is clearly a world in a state of emergency. The image of God in man in its original state has been totally distorted.
«A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. To seek this should be our first work» (The Signs of the Times, May 17, 1883).
It is no longer enough for us to face the things of God as a priority.
We also need to do it urgently. There’s no more time.
We are an «instant» away from ultimate destruction or a forever life. We need to act with urgency in the emergency.