Jesus Returns As A Thief

Jesus will return like a thief. You ever hear this preached when someone is talking about a pre-tribulation rapture? They say that Jesus will sneak in and take His Bride. The question is this true? Does Jesus return quietly as a thief and then take His Bride away and the world continue on?

For you yourselves know perfectly well that the day of the [return of the] Lord will come [as unexpectedly and suddenly] as a thief in the night. When people are saying, All is well and secure, and, There is peace and safety, then in a moment unforeseen destruction (ruin and death) will come upon them as suddenly as labor pains come upon a woman with child; and they shall by no means escape, for there will be no escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will vanish (pass away) with a thunderous crash, and the [material] elements [of the universe] will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up. 2 Peter 3:10

The lie of a pre-tribulation rapture goes like this. Jesus will return as a thief, snatch His Bride away and the world will go on for another seven years. The lie tells us that for the first three and a half years after we are gone there will be peace. We are told that there will be peace until the anti-christ is revealed and then for three and a half years there will be great tribulation. 

As you can see in these verses, Jesus will return and when He does the world does not go on peacefully. Just imagine if only 1% of the worlds population, all Holy Ghost filled, were taken away in a single moment. Do you think that there would be peace if 70 million people would be gone instantly? In 2013 the population of the world is estimated to be 7.1 billion people, now imagine 50% of them being taken away. Why do I ask you to think of 50%?

Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish (thoughtless, without forethought) and five were wise (sensible, intelligent, and prudent). Matthew 25:1-2

Jesus tells us in His parable of the Ten Virgins that when the Bride Groom returns, half, five of the ten virgins, will be filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not say one, or two of them, He tells us five, which is half. So imagine 3.5 billion Holy Ghost filled people, from every tribe, tongue, and nation, being taken off the earth in a single moment. There is no way that there would be peace for three and a half years. The world and society would crumble, just as we are told that they will in 1 Thessalonians 5 and 2 Peter 3. The Truth is that the Bride will be caught up to be with Jesus and it will be at the end of the Great Tribulation not at its beginning. Then when we are, Jesus instantly returns and takes over the rule and reign of the earth.