WATCHMAN, WHAT OF THE NIGHT?
New Zealand
We are all called to be ‘watchmen’; not just prophets or apostles, but anybody whom God calls to warn his people of impending danger and disaster through failing to follow His laws, thereby utterly unable to be His witnesses proving to the nations the blessings of good health, peace and prosperity.
Isaiah in verse 11 of chapter 21 heard a voice from Dumah, a place or district in Seir, calling “watchman, what of the night?” Because of the prophecy that Assyria would waste Egypt and Ethiopia, Isaiah was told to “set a watchman “. Israel was, at that time, very dependent on Egypt and Ethiopia for support from their enemies. Isaiah was in anguish, mentally and physically, at the vision the Lord God had given him. He tells of this extreme anguish in chapter 22.
The watchman , in Isaiah, was continually on watch because of the gravity of the situation in that Babylon was soon to be overthrown. The vigil was essential to foresee the coming disaster, which it would be to those who refuse to heed the warnings of the  watchman.
Ezekiel, was told by God in chapter 3 and verse 17, “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from me.” If Ezekiel fails to warn His people he will get the blame, but if he warns and the people refuse to listen then they reap the punishment accordingly.This is affirmed again Ezekiel 33.7.
Psalm 127:1 says “Except the Lord build the city they labour in vain that build it; except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” This delightful verse tells us plainly that no matter how good the watchman may be, unless the watchman is in tune with the Lord God no good will come of his watchfulness. It is the “Lord who keepeth Israel, He neither slumbers nor sleeps,” Psalm 121:3-4. Watchmen must know what they are watching for. They must be fully informed of what God expects of His people and to be on alert at all times in watching political events and understanding the hidden agendas behind the actions of not only Israel leaders but also foreigners as well.
Nehemiah was one such watchman. He returned to Jerusalem to rebuild its dilapidated walls. Israel’s enemies were the Horonites, Ammonites and Arabians, through Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem, who despised Nehemiah and the work he had organised, laughing them to scorn. Nehemiah was well aware of their treachery and informed them “the God of heaven will prosper us … …but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.” In other words, although they lived there they did not belong in the Israel race, so had no right, and had not achieved anything advantageous for the people worthy of recognition. These enemies tried several times to inhibit the work of rebuilding the wall but Nehemiah organised the people to keep watch. He reinstated the laws so that merchants were discouraged from waiting outside the gates on the Sabbath day. Thus Israel prospered for a while.
Since our Lord’s death on Calvary there have been many who have been good watchmen over the nation of Israel. Queen Elizabeth I was one who had no time for Roman Catholicism and wrote to Pope Gregory in no uncertain terms that she was not prepared to accept his wolfish doctrines which devoured the flock more than fed them and that, in any case, they had always had the truth of God’s word from the earliest of times through Joseph of Arimathea. Thereby Queen Elizabeth I honoured the martyrs who had suffered at the hands of Roman Catholicism defending the Protestant faith.
Archbishop Thomas Cranmer was another who was careful to keep the true faith who, after having revised the Book of Common Prayer, which removed all traces of any reference to Roman Catholic doctrines, announced to the House of Commons that “these are the prayers which have been said within this realm for the past fifteen hundred years.” Thus Thomas Cranmer was a watchman that our knowledge of the word of God has been preserved .
More recently, Wm Pitt the younger also stood before the House of Commons in 1793 and declared that “unless we want to stand by and see State after State subverted then we must firmly declare our intention effectually to oppose those principles of aggrandisement and ambition which have for their object the destruction of England, of Europe, and the world.” Although Wm Pitt was ahead of his time, we can see 220 years later the reality of his prophetic words coming into force.
Following the parable of the ten virgins we are told “watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” Matthew 25.13.
We are further warned to “take heed to yourselves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye, therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things, that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Luke 21:34-36.
