Rapture Debate.

[keras]

1 Thess 4:17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up (harpazo) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

That prophecy is paralleled by Matthew 24:31 where the angels gather the Lord's people from all around the world, to meet Him, then to where Jesus will be; in Jerusalem.
That 1 Thess scripture undeniably states; we will be with the Lord forever. Where will He be forever? ON EARTH !! Revelation 19:11, Revelation 20:6b, Revelation 21:4
The whole idea of a rapture to heaven is impossible and contradicts all the prophesies about our future.

 

[skyangel]

My Friend: The rapture teaching is one of the signs of the Antichrist coming

Me: do you know how unpopular the rapture teaching is? Do you know any pastors teaching it because I don't. So if all of us that believe in the rapture fall away, it will hardly be the great falling away or apostasy because no one will notice. But the big issue is thinking that we are believers in the rapture above believing in Christ to save us from our sins. We cling on to Him because we can't live without Him, not because of the rapture. Rapture or no rapture, we love Him.

My friend: The rapture isn't in the Bible and was an idea started by an Irish monk in the 1800's...


Me: I have a question for you. If there is no rapture then we must love and pray for our enemies and forgive those who abuse us. We don't call down fire from heaven on them or we would get the rebuke Jesus gave James and John. We repay good for evil and so overcome it. If this is the true teaching of Jesus then when the angel is talking with John about the great multitude, how come when they ask Jesus for His wrath on those who took their lives, how come Jesus didn't tell them to love them and pray for them and forgive them? If there was no rapture then they were still in the age of grace and Jesus must rebuke them just as He did James and John. How come instead Jesus responds that this is indeed the time of wrath? You can't have wrath and grace on the wicked at the same time.

The rapture teaching is a false doctrine and a religious fantasy and fiction. You say yourself that it is unpopular and you claim to not know anyone teaching it. If that is true, who taught it to you? Is is something you made up in your own head or are you suggesting maybe the "Holy Ghost" revealed it to you?
Then you make this very foolish statement.... IF there is no rapture then we must love and pray for our enemies...etc.
That is ridiculous because it implies that IF there IS a rapture there is no need to love and pray for your enemies.
The bible teaches to love and pray for your enemies regardless of what else happens or doesn't happen. Any rapture or lack of it is quite irrelevant to the process of loving your enemies.
Now do those "enemies" include loving praying for and forgiving the "devil" or not?
You seem to think that "the time of wrath" is something that is coming in the future. Is that what you believe?
Are you not aware that the judgement of "God" happens daily and will always happen daily for all eternity?
Psalm 7:11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
In God there are no time zones. Just eternity. Time is an illusion which fools people.
You will always be living in a time called NOW. That time called NOW has no beginning or end unless foolish humans assign beginnings and ends to it in their foolish imaginations.

NOW is the judgment of God. It is always NOW every single day for all eternity because it is all the same day to God.
John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

Who is the "prince of the world" in your belief?

 

[Heb 13:8]

That prophecy is paralleled by Matthew 24:31 where the angels gather the Lord's people from all around the world, to meet Him, then to where Jesus will be; in Jerusalem.

But if the harpazo was at the end of the 70th week, the red dragon would devour the church the moment he was born. Are you forgetting that teknon is in both verse 4 and 5? Virgo is giving birth to Jupiter in three months keras, not 7 years later, ;)

Rev 12:1-5 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman (Israel) clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She (Israel) was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon (Satan) with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon (Satan) stood in front of the woman (Israel) who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child (teknon the church) the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son (huios Jesus Christ himself), a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child (teknon the church) was snatched up (harpazo) to God and to his throne.

 

[skyangel]

Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. - Matthew 24:44
Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. - Luke 12:40


If I had to pick a timeline I would tie it to Isaac Newton's prediction, understanding that it may happen this very hour....

I find it amusing that believers keep attempting to figure out when the "Lord" will return to Earth. It just shows how blind they really are since the "Lord" never actually left the Earth.
The hour of judgement is always NOW because the word of God is eternal and applies in the same way to all generations for all eternity.
Those generations are innumerable. That means there is no end to them. If there was an end to them, it would be possible to number them or count them.
John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

 

[Heb 13:8]

The rapture teaching is a false doctrine and a religious fantasy and fiction.

That's actually not true. Paul and John both teach rapture.

The Greek word from this term “rapture” is derived appears in 1 Thess 4:17, Rev 12:5, translated “caught up.” The Latin translation of this verse used the word rapturo. The Greek word it translates is harpazo, which means to snatch or take away.

Elsewhere it is used to describe how the Spirit caught up Philip near Gaza and brought him to Caesarea, Acts 8:39 and to describe Paul’s experience of being caught up into the third heaven, 2 Cor 12:2-4. Thus there can be no doubt that the word is used in 1 Thess 4:17, Rev 12:5 to indicate the actual removal of people from earth to heaven.

1 Thess 4:13-17 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up (harpazo) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Rev 12:1-5 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman (Israel) clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She (Israel) was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon (Satan) with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon (Satan) stood in front of the woman (Israel) who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child (teknon the church) the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son (huios Jesus Christ himself), a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child (teknon the church) was snatched up (harpazo) to God and to his throne.

 

[skyangel]

The entire ‘Left Behind’ series has become an icon within the walls of evangelical Christianity, and I fear that many who do not study their Bibles carefully enough have taken the authors’ word for all that is written, and presume that all is Biblically based and almost prophetic in itself, despite the authors’ own admission that it is a work of fiction.


The Left Behind series of books and movies are based on the premise that it would be a terrible thing to be left behind; that to be left behind was to be avoided at all costs. If we are to believe the words of Jesus however it would appear to me that to be left behind, alive and kicking, would be a far better alternative.

The left behind series is indeed a work of RELIGIOUS FICTION. Sadly it tickles the ears of many people who love their religious fiction and false doctrines and they are led astray by it and convince themselves it is the TRUTH rather than admitting it is FICTION.

 

[Heb 13:8]

I find it amusing that believers keep attempting to figure out when the "Lord" will return to Earth.

Rev 3:3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

It just shows how blind they really are since the "Lord" never actually left the Earth.

Acts 1:11

 

[Heb 13:8]

The left behind series is indeed a work of RELIGIOUS FICTION. Sadly it tickles the ears of many people who love their religious fiction and false doctrines and they are led astray by it and convince themselves it is the TRUTH rather than admitting it is FICTION.

1 Cor 15:50-54

 

[skyangel]

First of all, "taken" in the Greek is the same word as is used when someone "receives" Christ!
Didn't know that?

The word is paralambano. From my writing:

Another Rapture verb that Matthew uses is paralambano to describe Jesus’ message to the Church’s deliverance. An interesting word, it is rendered here as simply “taken,” it means to take over, to receive, to inherit. It is used in the Greek world to describe how instruction is received from a teacher. Also in context of the Greek world it would mean to inherit secrets, especially by oral means. The ‘taking over’ refers then to a position of idea, rather than a physical carriage from place to place.

Matt 24:40, 41
Luke 17:34-36
The above scriptures talk about two people, one is taken and the other left.
Most believers seem to interpret that as two literal different people but consider it in this light...
The "carnal man" and the "spiritual man" are not two different people but merely two different aspects of one person. There is the spiritual aspect and the carnal aspect. Or the "light" and the "darkness". When the light or inner "spiritual man" overcomes the darkness or inner "carnal man", the darkness is CHANGED into Light. The carnal fleshly nature dies or is overcome by the Spirit and it is the spiritual man who is raised in newness of life.
It is not about leaving the physical body and getting a new spiritual body. It is not about being carried away into a different location from Earth called heaven, Heaven or the "Kingdom of God" is not some location outside of Earth.
The kingdom of God is WITHIN YOU.
Luke 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Where is CHRIST? Is he within you? Is he in heaven? Is he in the kingdom of God?
If so, and that Kingdom of God is WITHIN YOU and YOU are on Earth, the Kingdom of God is already on Earth WITHIN YOU.
Therefore anyone waiting for any kingdom of God to arrive on Earth is waiting in vain and anyone waiting for some rapture is also waiting in vain.

 

[skyangel]

Rev 3:3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.


Acts 1:11

A thief steals things.
What do you think will be stolen from people?
Maybe the things they treasure the most? What is it you treasure the most? Your false Christ?

Jesus Christ was character in a story who represents the Spirit of LOVE and TRUTH in a human body.
In the story he was crucified and died because people thought he was a sinner etc.
If scripture is true his physical body turned to dust and if you study scripture thoroughly you might notice that after the resurrection story of Jesus, noone except the disciples actually saw him in a physical form.
Jesus had previously told them that the world would not see him again but they, the disciples would see him. (John 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.)
Therefore logically the disciples were seeing with spiritual eyes not with physical eyes because if they were able to see him with physical eyes, so would the rest of the world.
You need to have spiritual sight to actually see Jesus in the flesh on Earth at any time. He never left the Earth. The physical body of Christ is still on Earth and always will be.
Matt 28:20...... lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

The true disciples of Jesus Christ will always be able to see Christ in the flesh on Earth. He IS COME ( Present tense ) in the FLESH Yesterday TODAY and Forever. (1 John 4:2)

Those who are waiting for him to come back to Earth because they don't believe he is here due to not being able to see him are blind, carnally minded and of the world. They are "world" who will never see him again in spite of him standing in front of them every day. They have been led astray by false doctrines and are worshipping a fictional concept of Christ which is a false Christ.

 

[skyangel]

1 Cor 15:50-54

So has your corruption put on incorruption yet and are you living in the Spirit like Jesus did while you are still in your physical body or are you still living in the flesh waiting for the fleshly you including your carnal mind to be changed into something incorruptible?
Don't you think its about time you were crucified with Christ and rose again with Him so where HE IS, there you are also? Maybe you are waiting till you end up in the physical grave first before you live and walk in the Spirit?
I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me. I am where Christ is.. Inside a physical body on Earth. We are ONE.

If you are waiting for Christ to return to Earth and take you to heaven, then you are obviously NOT where He is.

 

[skyangel]

That's actually not true. Paul and John both teach rapture.

The Greek word from this term “rapture” is derived appears in 1 Thess 4:17, Rev 12:5, translated “caught up.” The Latin translation of this verse used the word rapturo. The Greek word it translates is harpazo, which means to snatch or take away.

Elsewhere it is used to describe how the Spirit caught up Philip near Gaza and brought him to Caesarea, Acts 8:39 and to describe Paul’s experience of being caught up into the third heaven, 2 Cor 12:2-4. Thus there can be no doubt that the word is used in 1 Thess 4:17, Rev 12:5 to indicate the actual removal of people from earth to heaven.

1 Thess 4:13-17 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up (harpazo) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Rev 12:1-5 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman (Israel) clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She (Israel) was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon (Satan) with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon (Satan) stood in front of the woman (Israel) who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child (teknon the church) the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son (huios Jesus Christ himself), a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child (teknon the church) was snatched up (harpazo) to God and to his throne.

When your eyes are opened and you realise that the Kingdom of heaven or the Kingdom of God is not some mysterious location where believers go after they physically die, you will see and understand that the WORD (WAY, TRUTH and LIFE) always has been and always will be on this Earth in the flesh and is the same YESTERDAY TODAY and FOREVER.
Those who live and walk in the Spirit are already in heaven, already resurrected from their spiritually dead state, and at perfect peace within themselves. They already are where Jesus is and they have no need to wait till their physical body dies. They are NOT of this world. They are ONE with the TRUTH just like Jesus prayed they would be.
John 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

I AM that I AM.

 

[eldios]

When your eyes are opened and you realise that the Kingdom of heaven or the Kingdom of God is not some mysterious location where believers go after they physically die, you will see and understand that the WORD (WAY, TRUTH and LIFE) always has been and always will be on this Earth in the flesh and is the same YESTERDAY TODAY and FOREVER.
Those who live and walk in the Spirit are already in heaven, already resurrected from their spiritually dead state, and at perfect peace within themselves. They already are where Jesus is and they have no need to wait till their physical body dies. They are NOT of this world. They are ONE with the TRUTH just like Jesus prayed they would be.
John 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

I AM that I AM.

You have deceived many with your doctrine but I know that you have no love of God in you because you do not understand the knowledge that flows from the words that are formed in my mind from the mind of Christ. You do not understand what the beast is and why it was created. You do not understand how we were created or that this temporary generation will end on the day of the Lord. You do not have any knowledge of how we'll experience life in the next generation where all created men will enjoy new images and a new language to share their experiences with each other.

Without any of this knowledge that us servants testify to, you will continue on with your false doctrine until your body perishes. Then you ( the flesh and the thoughts from Satan and the beast ) will be long forgotten when the source of life gives you new bodies and new worlds to explore in the next generation.

 

[eldios]

Rev 3:3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.



Acts 1:11

Only the chosen ones' ( elect ) will hear the voice of God during this temporary generation. Then after the day of the Lord, all created men will hear His voice.

Mark 13:
20: And if the Lord had not shortened the days, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.

Revelation 3:
20: Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Romans 11:
3: "Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have demolished thy altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life."
4: But what is God's reply to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Ba'al."
5: So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.
6: But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
7: What then? Israel failed to obtain what it sought. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,
8: as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that should not see and ears that should not hear, down to this very day."

John 18:
37: Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice."

Exodus 19:
5: Now therefore, if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my own possession among all peoples; for all the earth is mine,

John 15
16: You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

So if you do not believe that I am the voice of God, then you were not chosen as one of the elect during this shortened generation. You will have to wait until you experience the death of your flesh before you hear my voice of God.

John 5:
25: "Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
26: For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself,
27: and has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man.
28: Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice.

This doesn't mean your flesh is going to hear his voice. Your created consciousness is where you experience all visible images and God's voice so that's where you will hear His voice. You don't need a visible body to hear His voice speaking into your consciousness. Ask some of those people who have experienced an NDE ( near death experience ) and listen to them tell their stories about how they were able to observe doctors working on their bodies and hearing their voices. It's all happening within the invisible consciousness. That's where you observe your visible body, too.

 

[ScottA]

1 Thess 4:17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up (harpazo) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Yes...and yet, this is the misunderstanding: That because it says "together", it is presumed together from this worldly side of the equation, cancelling out (contradicting) what Paul said about "each coming in his own order." How can both statements be true? Because both are indeed true, the only way that both can be true, is if you consider the other non-worldly part of the equation. We do indeed exit the world individually, but by the nature of the eternal (timeless) kingdom of God to which we are going - we arrive [together]. To understand this is not in our fleshly nature, but to receive it is our spiritual nature, and to deny it is to deny the spiritual nature of God and the kingdom of heaven...and it would make Paul a liar on one account or the other.

 

[Heb 13:8]

A thief steals things. What do you think will be stolen from people

Hi skyangel,

Jesus actually comes like a thief to nonbelievers, read Matt 24:38-39. Believers on the other hand will know, 1 Thess 5:4-11.

So has your corruption put on incorruption yet

Not yet, this occurs at first resurrection and rapture when the church is birthed in September.

1. John uses the words "huios" and "teknon" in Rev 12:5, head and body Col 1:18
2. The head (Jesus Christ) was birthed 2,000 years ago when He ascended to heaven
3. The body was conceived 2,000 years ago at Pentecost, not birthed Acts 2:1-4
4. Life begins at conception, not birth Matt 1:20, Acts 2:1-4
5. The body has been in gestation for 2,000 years up until now Acts 2:24 (agony of death/childbirth), Rom 8:22-23
6. Each time a person gets saved, they get put into the body of Christ Eph 1:13-14, Eph 4:30
7. The birth of the body is next, through rapture event 1 Cor 15:50-54, 1 Thess 4:17, Rev 2:5
8. John uses "teknon" (the church) once in Rev 12:4 and once in Rev 12:5
9. The body of Christ is raptured before the dragon devours us, Rev 12:4-5

When your eyes are opened and you realise that the Kingdom of heaven or the Kingdom of God is not some mysterious location where believers go after they physically die,

Rev 12:5 She gave birth to a son (huios Jesus Christ himself), a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child (teknon the church) was snatched up (harpazo) to God and to his throne.

You have deceived many with your doctrine but I know that you have no love of God in you because you do not understand the knowledge that flows from the words that are formed in my mind from the mind of Christ.

The rapture isn't deception, it's a blessing to be changed into incorruptable seed and live with Jesus Christ forever.

 

[eldios]

The rapture isn't deception, it's a blessing to be changed into incorruptable seed and live with Jesus Christ forever.

All men were created in the image of God so as their flesh perishes, created men remain in the image of God known as the Word of God. So salvation means that created men are saved from their flesh and the world born of Satan and the beast which will be destroyed on the day of the Lord.

 

[Heb 13:8]

All men were created in the image of God so as their flesh perishes, created men remain in the image of God known as the Word of God. So salvation means that created men are saved from their flesh and the world born of Satan and the beast which will be destroyed on the day of the Lord.

No, not really. You must be born again to go to heaven. Sorry eldios..

John 3:3-7 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” 4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Rom 10:9-10 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

 

[skyangel]

Yes...and yet, this is the misunderstanding: That because it says "together", it is presumed together from this worldly side of the equation, cancelling out (contradicting) what Paul said about "each coming in his own order." How can both statements be true? Because both are indeed true, the only way that both can be true, is if you consider the other non-worldly part of the equation. We do indeed exit the world individually, but by the nature of the eternal (timeless) kingdom of God to which we are going - we arrive [together]. To understand this is not in our fleshly nature, but to receive it is our spiritual nature, and to deny it is to deny the spiritual nature of God and the kingdom of heaven...and it would make Paul a liar on one account or the other.

"Together" can be interpreted in a couple of ways.
It can be perceived as a group of something all doing the same thing at the same time (together) or it could also be perceived as each individual doing something in their own time and in the end they end up in the same place together regardless of them getting there at different times. Eg. Everyone dies but not all at the same time. When you and I die at different times we will still be together with all our ancestors in the grave. It's not like the dead go any other place while they are waiting for the rest of the living to die with them.
The same principle applies to the eternally living. They exist in a timeless zone. All of us on Earth are always together with the dead as well as with the living who are all around us.
As for being caught up in any clouds. It is foolish to believe anyone will be caught up in literal clouds.
The "cloud" is the "cloud of witnesses" ( Heb 12:1) not a literal cloud made of raindrops.

 

[skyangel]

Hi skyangel,

Jesus actually comes like a thief to nonbelievers, read Matt 24:38-39. Believers on the other hand will know, 1 Thess 5:4-11.

Matt 24:1-3 is Jesus speaking to his disciples
verse 4- end is also still talking to the disciples about aspects relating to the "coming"
verses 38-39 simply explain that it will be like the flood in the days of Noah. The flood came to Noah the same as it came to the rest of the world. The "thief" is the same as the LIGHT. It comes to ALL DARKNESS and takes it away.

It does not happen just once in some mysterious future time. It happens daily. People eat and drink and carry on with their lives and they have no clue exactly when the LIGHT ( revelation) will shine on them and steal away their darkness.

Consider the water of the flood to represent the water of the WORD or the TRUTH.
Truth takes away lies and deceptions and people never know when that will happen to them and they will end up enlightened by Truth as their deceptions and lies die in the flood and get carried away.
People who are not in darkness are already in the light. Their darkness has already been carried away.
Those people have no need to be waiting for the return of the LIGHT or some special "day of the Lord" in the future. They know the LIGHT is always on Earth whether they see it or not. Enlightened people know "the day of the Lord" is eternal and includes every single day on Earth of the past present and future, Yesterday Today and Tomorrow for all eternity.
So if you are still waiting for "the day" to come. Wake up and understand the LIGHT which comes from the east to the west comes daily not once in a blue moon.