Good day Melach,
This is a good question and one that I have pondered myself.
From the time that Jesus ascended into heaven, His return has always been imminent. Unlike the second coming, there are no signs leading up to give believers any idea of when He will return for us. All that we do have that gives us any kind of a clue that this event is getting close, is because we can see the stage being set for the events which are to take place during the time of God's wrath and the coming antichrist. Since we know that the church will not to suffer God's wrath, then we can know that the time is near, because we must be removed prior to that time of wrath.
However, the second coming, i.e. when Jesus returns to the earth to end the age, is marked by all of signs, listed both in Matt.24 and in Revelation chapters 6 thru 18, via the seals, trumpets and bowl judgments. If I was on the earth during that time, I would be able to follow the seals, trumpets and bowl judgments like a map, so that once I saw the events of the 7th bowl taking place, then I would know that Jesus is about to return to the earth, fulfilling Matt.24:29-31, Rev.1:7 and Rev.19:11-21. Let's look at the scriptures that refer to Jesus coming like a thief:
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"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." (Matt.24:42-44)
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First it is important to understand that the end of the age is not referring to only the day that Jesus returns, but includes the gathering of the church, the wrath of God which follows, the beasts kingdom and the literal return of the Lord to the earth. Case in point, Matt.24 describes all of the characteristics and events leading up to and includes the actual day that the Lord returns, which combined, is consider as part of the process of the end of the age.
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"Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. (I Thess.5:1-3)
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Prior to the scripture above, Paul gave an detailed account of resurrection of the dead in Christ and the living being changed and caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Then immediately following that he says, "Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." The times and dates would then have to refer back to the timing of when the resurrection and the catching away was going to take place, which Paul says "the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." The resurrection and the day of the Lord are closely linked in that, following the gathering of the church, the day of the Lord, the time of God's wrath, follows. Once the Lord's bride is off the earth, then He can begin to deal with Israel in fulfillment of that last seven years of the decree and a Christ rejecting world.
The day of Lord is the time of God's wrath which follows the resurrection and catching away and in fact appears to initiate it, i.e. the church is gathered, then God's wrath ensues.
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"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare." (2 Pet.3:10)
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In the scripture above, Peter refers to the day of the Lord coming like a thief and includes the destruction of these present heavens and earth. So, from this we can understand that the phrase "the day of the Lord" is not restricted to the time of God's wrath, but covers a period of time. Above, Peter referred to the day of the Lord as the time of this heaven and earths destruction. However, since we know from other scriptures that there must be a millennial kingdom which follows after the Lord returns to the earth, then this current heaven and earth cannot be destroyed by fire until the thousand year reign of Chirst is completed. In support of this, in Rev.20:11, which is after the millennium, it states that as the great white throne judgment is about to take place, this current heaven and earth pass away. Also in Rev.21:1 after the great white throne judgment, John sees the new heaven and new earth, stating that the first heaven and first earth had passed away. Therefore, Peter would have to be speaking in general terms opposed to chronologically. For there is no other mention of this heaven and earth being burned up at the time Jesus returns to the earth to end age.
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"Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know the hour when I will come upon you. (Rev.3:3)
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The scripture above is a warning from the Lord to the church of Sardis and any believer who is guilty of the same. Though this was written to the church of Sardis and since they have long died and the Lord has yet to return like a thief, then the warnings are to believers throughout the entire church period who are guilty of Sardis' sins and specifically to those who would be existing when the Lord appears to gather His church.
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"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.”
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The scripture above which you quoted in your post, is inserted by the Lord after the 6th bowl is poured out. I always wondered about why the Lord uses the same phrase "I am coming like a thief" as He used for His appearing to gather the church, especially when there are so many signs that must take place leading up to His return to the earth to end the age, opposed to there be no signs leading up to His appearing to gather the church. My concern was whether that information was inserted as a warning to those who are reading His word to be watching and ready, or is it directed at those on the earth during the time when the 6th bowl is poured out?
In any case and to give you give some kind of answer, even though the Lord's return to the earth to end the age is marked by many signs, giving those on the earth during that time a better understanding of its nearness, it is still true that no one can know the day or the hour. We just know that it will be sometime after the 7th bowl is poured out. It could be immediately after, or a day, or a week, or a month. No one even then would know when He will return. Personally, I wish that this phrase was only used to describe the Lord's coming for His church for confusion's sake.
Though the phrase "like a thief is not used" the parable of the ten virgins is also in reference to the Lord's return for His church, where the Lord says "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."
I hope that in some way this was beneficial.