Limitless Word

Revelation 16:15

“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.”
Revelation 16:15 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
  • BSB “Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.”
  • NKJV “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”
  • NASB (“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and people will not see his shame.”)
  • NLT “Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Christ interjects a promise to come like a thief and a blessing on the watchful. Believers are called to constant readiness amid the gathering crisis.

Overview

Amid the gathering for battle, the Lord himself speaks: 'Behold, I come like a thief,' urging vigilance. The blessing on the one who stays awake and keeps his garments calls believers to persevering faithfulness and readiness, not to be caught spiritually exposed. It is a pastoral word of hope and exhortation set within the scene of judgment.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 20

  • 1 Th 5:2–3For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night.
  • Matt 24:42–43Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes.
  • 2 Pet 3:10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
  • Rev 3:18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.
  • Rev 3:3–4Remember therefore how you have received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If therefore you won’t watch, I will come as a thief, and you won’t know what hour I will come upon you.
  • Luke 12:37–43Blessed are those servants, whom the lord will find watching when he comes. Most certainly I tell you, that he will dress himself, and make them recline, and will come and serve them.
  • Matt 25:13Watch therefore, for you don’t know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
  • Mark 13:33–37Watch, keep alert, and pray; for you don’t know when the time is.
  • 2 Cor 5:3if so be that being clothed we will not be found naked.
  • Luke 21:36Therefore be watchful all the time, praying that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
  • Mark 14:38Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
  • 1 Pet 4:7But the end of all things is near. Therefore be of sound mind, self-controlled, and sober in prayer.
  • 1 Th 5:6so then let’s not sleep, as the rest do, but let’s watch and be sober.
  • Matt 26:41Watch and pray, that you don’t enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
  • Isa 47:3Your nakedness will be uncovered. Yes, your shame will be seen. I will take vengeance, and will spare no one.”
  • Acts 20:31Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn’t cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears.
  • Ezek 16:37therefore see, I will gather all your lovers, with whom you have taken pleasure, and all those who you have loved, with all those who you have hated; I will even gather them against you on every side, and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness.
  • Hab 2:15“Woe to him who gives his neighbor drink, pouring your inflaming wine until they are drunk, so that you may gaze at their naked bodies!
  • Hos 2:3Lest I strip her naked, and make her bare as in the day that she was born, and make her like a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and kill her with thirst.
  • Exod 32:25When Moses saw that the people had broken loose, (for Aaron had let them loose for a derision among their enemies),

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Revelation videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Revelation 16:15YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on RevelationMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Revelation ends the story with the slain-yet-standing Lamb who is worthy, the Lion of Judah, the Alpha and Omega, the returning King who makes all things new and dwells with his people forever.

How Revelation 16:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.