What Does It Mean To Be A Watchman?
Mar 5, 2023 22:03:17 GMT -5
Post by PrisonerOfHope on Mar 5, 2023 22:03:17 GMT -5
We see lots of people on YouTube and on (questionable) Christian boards who claim to be "watchmen." Unfortunately, the majority of them interpret being a watchman as trying to figure out when the rapture is, often spending countless hours in complex and convoluted (yet meaningless) calculations, or interpreting random events, words, or numbers as a "sign" that the rapture is about to take place or that they're a 3 day, 5 day, one week, 21 day, one month, one year, two year, etc. etc. "warning." Of course, none of them stop to think that a warning is something that's clear and unambiguous; to say that something "may" be a warning isn't a warning at all!
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Watchmen in the Bible were guards who were responsible for protecting towns and military installations from surprise enemy attacks and other potential dangers, but the Bible also refers to watchmen in a spiritual sense, which is the meaning that is more apropos today when speaking of the things of God. Prophets were appointed by God as spiritual watchmen over the souls of His people: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me” (Ezekiel 33:7, Hosea 9:8).
The prophets’ job as watchmen was to urge God’s people to live faithfully and warn them of the perils involved in falling away from the faith and doing evil. As watchmen, the prophets were also called to warn wicked people of the judgment and destruction that would come their way unless they turned from their evil ways - warnings which are frequently repeated throughout the Bible.
Yes, we're told, "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36), but in no way can that be interpreted as "Try and figure out the date of the rapture so you can warn everyone when it is!" Sadly, despite the fact that there have been literally hundreds of failed rapture dates over the years, people who are obsessed with the rapture (I called them "The Rapture Cult") continue to follow false teachers and prophets who, after an "almost certain" rapture date comes and goes, never refer to it again - they just go on to set yet another date! Only God knows how many have fallen away from the faith after repeated disappointments caused by failed rapture dates, because their hope is in a day, not in the Lord Jesus; it's all about what He can do for them, not what they can do to serve and honor Him.
To be a watchman in a true biblical sense is to warn people of the danger to their souls if they fail to obey God. Yes, we're clearly in the season of the rapture, but what about those who won't live to see it? After all, people die and are killed every day! If one wants to be about the Lord's business, as we're commanded to do, and be a genuine watchman, the emphasis needs to be on repentance and salvation - not a date that the Bible clearly tells us is unknowable.
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Watchmen in the Bible were guards who were responsible for protecting towns and military installations from surprise enemy attacks and other potential dangers, but the Bible also refers to watchmen in a spiritual sense, which is the meaning that is more apropos today when speaking of the things of God. Prophets were appointed by God as spiritual watchmen over the souls of His people: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me” (Ezekiel 33:7, Hosea 9:8).
The prophets’ job as watchmen was to urge God’s people to live faithfully and warn them of the perils involved in falling away from the faith and doing evil. As watchmen, the prophets were also called to warn wicked people of the judgment and destruction that would come their way unless they turned from their evil ways - warnings which are frequently repeated throughout the Bible.
Yes, we're told, "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36), but in no way can that be interpreted as "Try and figure out the date of the rapture so you can warn everyone when it is!" Sadly, despite the fact that there have been literally hundreds of failed rapture dates over the years, people who are obsessed with the rapture (I called them "The Rapture Cult") continue to follow false teachers and prophets who, after an "almost certain" rapture date comes and goes, never refer to it again - they just go on to set yet another date! Only God knows how many have fallen away from the faith after repeated disappointments caused by failed rapture dates, because their hope is in a day, not in the Lord Jesus; it's all about what He can do for them, not what they can do to serve and honor Him.
To be a watchman in a true biblical sense is to warn people of the danger to their souls if they fail to obey God. Yes, we're clearly in the season of the rapture, but what about those who won't live to see it? After all, people die and are killed every day! If one wants to be about the Lord's business, as we're commanded to do, and be a genuine watchman, the emphasis needs to be on repentance and salvation - not a date that the Bible clearly tells us is unknowable.
