Revelation 16:12-16: a reflection

12The sixth poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates. Its water was dried up, that the way might be prepared for the kings that come from the sunrise. 13I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, something like frogs; 14for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole inhabited earth, to gather them together for the war of that great day of God the Almighty. 15“Behold, I come like a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his clothes, so that he doesn’t walk naked, and they see his shame.” 16He gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew, “Harmagedon”.

In the midst of a vision of the final conflict, when the forces of evil gather for battle, there breaks in a sudden word from Christ himself: Behold, I come like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his clothes, so that he does not go naked and be seen exposed. Amid the gathering darkness, Christ interjects a call to watchfulness: his coming will be sudden and unexpected, like a thief; blessed is the one who is ready and awake.

Notice the call that breaks into the vision: stay awake, be ready. Christ's coming will be sudden, unexpected, like a thief in the night, at an hour no one anticipates. And so he calls his people to watchfulness, to stay awake, to keep themselves ready, so that they are not caught off guard and found unprepared when he comes. Blessed, he says, is the one who watches; the one who is ready will not be ashamed at his coming.

That call to watchfulness is for us. It is easy to grow spiritually drowsy, to live as though the Lord's coming were far off or unreal, to become careless and unprepared. But Christ comes like a thief, at an hour we do not expect; and blessed is the one who stays awake and ready. Do not let yourself grow spiritually drowsy and unprepared. Stay awake, keep yourself ready, live as one who expects the Lord's coming at any time, so that you are not caught off guard. Blessed is the one who watches; be that one, alert and ready, keeping your garments, so that whenever the Lord comes, sudden as a thief, you are found awake and prepared, not drowsy and caught unaware.

Lord, into the vision of the final conflict breaks a sudden word from you: behold, I come like a thief; blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his clothes, so that he is not found exposed. Let that call to watchfulness reach me. Your coming will be sudden, unexpected, like a thief in the night, at an hour no one anticipates; and so you call your people to stay awake, to keep ready, so that we are not caught off guard and found unprepared when you come. It is easy for me to grow spiritually drowsy, to live as though your coming were far off or unreal, to become careless and unprepared. But you come like a thief, at an hour I do not expect; and blessed is the one who stays awake and ready. Keep me from growing spiritually drowsy and unprepared. Help me stay awake, keep myself ready, and live as one who expects your coming at any time, so that I am not caught off guard. Blessed is the one who watches; help me be that one, alert and ready, so that whenever you come, sudden as a thief, I am found awake and prepared. Keep me watchful, Lord.