God’s Word came to Ezekiel and informed him that he was appointed a watchman unto the house of Israel (Ezek 33). A watchman’s duty is to warn of imminent danger or else be guilty of the blood of those he failed to warn. Ezekiel was then given the task of warning the children of Israel by saying whatever he received from God in hopes that they would hear, repent, and thereby live. Once the people were warned, failure to turn from sin meant death to the wicked, which God takes no pleasure in (Ezek 33:11).
Though this message was to Ezekiel and Israel, this same principle could be applied to all who see the sword coming upon the land. Perhaps this is why, everywhere you look, watchmen are warning of the coming Day of the Lord. In which, once the rapture takes place, those left on earth will enter into the darkest period ever to come upon mankind. Those who watch are warning because this period will be extremely difficult to live through.
Obviously, the best way to live through this time, referred to as the Tribulation, is to repent right now and be absent from the earth during this awful time. Fortunately, God has already indicated a lack of pleasure in judging the wicked, as demonstrated by the fact that He provided a way for the Israelites to escape death by heeding His Word through the prophet Ezekiel.
Likewise, He has made a way for those who now inhabit the earth to repent after hearing His Word from the body of Christ, which has been commissioned to preach the gospel to people of all nations until the end of the age (Matt 28). Therefore, as the warnings of the watchmen increase, the gospel message should also increase as the bad news of coming judgment is best followed by the good news of salvation.
The Bad News
Those who watch are keenly aware that the signs of the Tribulation are in view. Each day another piece of the end-time puzzle is assembled, and soon, like a thief in the night (1 Thess 5:2; 2 Pet 3:10), Jesus will retrieve His bride, and the Day of the Lord, otherwise known as the Tribulation, will commence. Many great works have demonstrated that the Day of the Lord is a period of time rather than a single day. With this in mind, this article will assume the position that the Day of the Lord is synonymous with the seven-year Tribulation period.
In regard to the nearness of this very consequential time, my wife, who is also keenly aware of the imminency of the Tribulation, has often said, “The Tribulation is so near that the rapture is pressing up against it and bending it backward.” [1] Her evaluation is based upon the fulfillment of many prophetic signs including the spiritual condition of mankind. Indeed, this generation is perhaps the most selfish to ever live. Paul spoke of this selfishness as a sign of the perilous times of the last days (2 Tim 3).
Once the Day of the Lord arrives, knowing what to do will become very difficult. Think about this for a second: because of the rapture, all righteous people (those made righteous by faith in Christ) will be gone, leaving only those who reject God. This means the people often turned to in difficult times — because they are the only ones who seem to always have their life in order, a side effect of loving Jesus — are nowhere to be found. Oh my, the sheer panic of it all.
This is perhaps akin to what happened when Enoch was taken. He walked with God, which means he would have been wise beyond belief, and one day, no one could find him (Gen 5:24; Heb 11:5). Ironically, Enoch was taken before the flood, which came as a result of God’s seeing that “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Gen 6:5).” [2] Enoch’s departure from earth, when men were becoming very wicked, is surely a typification of the rapture. Therefore, the destruction that followed, by way of the flood, is also meant to foreshadow the coming judgment, which is also global in scale. The devastation of this time period will be so complete that it should be avoided at all costs.
Indeed, seven short years will be so full of havoc that men’s hearts will fail simply for what is coming upon the earth (Luke 21:26). Matthew chapter 24 and Luke chapter 21 are filled with information about the enormity of the coming, cataclysmic Day of the Lord. However, the book of Revelation tops the proverbial cake by relaying specific details of the coming judgments that God will impose on the unrepentant.
Keep in mind, God is still holding out hope that some will repent as the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments ravish the earth and all its inhabitants. This is made clear by the following passage:
Revelation 9:20-21
“And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” (emphasis mine)
If things weren’t bad enough, in the midst of the Tribulation, Satan will lose the war in heaven and be cast down to the earth where, in great wrath, he will empower the antichrist to do his evil bidding. During this time, the slaughter of the dark ages will blush at the severity of the persecution on earth. [3] The false prophet will make sure of that as he directs those who reject Christ to mishandle those who come to know Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). [4] Oh, by the way, this is all followed by eternal separation from God while suffering in the lake of fire (2 Thess 1:8-9; Rev 20:15).
With all of this in mind, it is crucial to understand that this period is meant to end the reign of man on earth and usher in the reign of Christ. Therefore, trusting in anything other than Jesus is futile. Said another way, during this time, every known system, including the religious, will be vanquished and started anew under the leadership of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. He will come to the earth at the very end of the Tribulation period to begin His millennial reign. This is where the good news comes in.
The Good News
Since this article is written before the rapture, the good news represents the gospel of Jesus Christ, which proclaims that Jesus paid the price for the salvation of any who believe in Him (Eph 1:7; Rom 8:1). The resultant loss of condemnation is the ice cream on top of the cake of salvation since the new believer instantly becomes part of the bride of Christ who awaits the bridegroom. [5]
Sharing this good news is the job of the watchmen. You might be saying, at this very moment, that sharing the gospel is the job of every Christian. You are correct. The idea being presented here is that every Christian is called to the task of the watchman. Since every Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, every Christian is part of the same body of Christ here on earth. Therefore, God has developed the greatest early warning system to ever exist. He has placed members of the body, as salt and light, throughout the entire world and in every facet of society.
Over the last two millennia, God has utilized the body of Christ as the heralds of the spiritual kingdom of God, which is entered into by belief in the Son, Jesus Christ. As stated before, this great commission will not end for the church until the rapture. Now consider this.
Because the church/bride is in tune with God through the Holy Spirit, she has a keen sense of where she is in terms of the end of her time on earth, for Scripture says:
1 Thessalonians 5:4
“But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.”
Therefore, the entire bride is awakening to the fact that Jesus is coming very soon to take her to the Father’s house. Accordingly, in addition to sharing the gospel, she is now warning of the coming sword like never before. You see, for the bride, the coming sword means departure from the earth in the rapture. At the same time, it means the beginning of the Day of the Lord/Tribulation for those who refuse the gospel.
The purpose of the Great Commission has always been the same as indicated by Jesus when He said He was sending the Apostle Paul in order to:
Acts 26:18
“Open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”
The mission assigned to the church/watchmen has never been more crucial, as it is no longer just the approaching death of an individual that prohibits future hearing of the Word of God; it is now also the rapture that is increasingly imminent. Once this takes place, the watchman’s task of sharing the gospel while warning of the impending judgment of the coming Tribulation will cease, and those who rejected the truth will, over time, realize just what they missed. If you happen upon this article after the rapture, read the article “Open Letter to Those Who Miss the Rapture.” [6]
If you have missed the rapture, you have now become the watchman and witness of your day, and the good news shifts to the fact that Jesus is coming again, to the earth, at the end of the Tribulation:
Revelation 19:11-16
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
“And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
As previously stated, the time until Crist’s return will be most difficult to navigate. You will not be alone, as the two witnesses will be present in the first half of the Tribulation, and many will come to know Jesus during this time. The Bible will be your greatest physical resource. Finding one will be much easier in the very beginning stages of this time; just go to the home of the raptured; they will have left behind Bibles and study materials. While these physical resources are invaluable, there is one thing that is even more crucial, and that is listening to the Holy Spirit. He will lead you into all truth and tell you what is to come (John 16:13).
Some would argue this last point because they equate the removal of the restrainer with the removal of the Holy Spirit at the very beginning of the Tribulation. However, the simplest way to understand this is to realize that while the Holy Spirit will stop restraining evil, He will not leave the earth, else none would be saved during the Tribulation, and Scripture clearly indicates that many will be saved during this period:
Revelation 7:9
“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.”
Revelation 7:13-14
“And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
Revelation 15:2
“And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.”
Watch and Warn Until Departure
Long ago, the Army used the following proclamation during bayonet training: “Stay Alert – Stay Alive.” This ensured the soldier remained on high alert when the battle was close. This same attitude is most appropriate for this moment in history. Soon the Son of Man will come for His bride, and we want to be very sure we are ready. In fact, the Lord said when we see the things we are seeing begin to happen, we are to look up, for our redemption is drawing nigh (Luke 21:28).
Meanwhile, we also want to make sure we are sharing the gospel with as many as possible and warning those within our spheres of influence about the coming sword of the Day of the Lord. Their only hope stems from our doing what the Lord has commissioned us to do, and that is to share Him. After all, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of the Lord (Rom 10:17).
Conclusion
Watchmen are watching and warning like never before. This is good because it means the church is awakening to the fact that Jesus is about to snatch her away. This is causing the church to assume an alert posture, which means greater attentiveness, which invariably means more warning. The best part about this is the most faithful are also, like God, the most concerned about those who have not accepted Him as of yet. Therefore, the watchmen are not only warning; they are sharing Christ in hopes that some will repent.
As you live out the remainder of your days on earth, assume the role of a watchman, and warn while sharing the gospel for the purpose of winning souls. You never know; the next person you encounter may be the last one God is waiting for before sending the Son for His bride. With this in mind, follow the admonition of the Apostle Paul to the Colossians:
Col 4:5-6
“Walk in wisdom toward those outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always in grace, having been seasoned with salt, to know how it behooves you to answer each one.”
Website: In His Commission
April 23rd, 2022
[1] For greater understanding, see the blog written by Rapsodie Adams, “Our Time is Short.”
[2] “Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the King James Version.”
[3] Free online, Foxe’s book of Martyrs, “https://www.biblestudytools.com/history/foxs-book-of-martyrs/.”
[4] For greater understanding, see the article, “Only the Ready are Raptured.”
[5] For greater understanding, see the articles, “While we Wait” and “The Five W’s of the Rapture.”
[6] For greater understanding, see the article, “Open Letter to Those Who Miss the Rapture.“