The Bible uses the role of a watchman to describe the work of God’s prophets and the Church, who are to deliver messages of warning and instruction.
In Ezekiel 3:17 God tells Ezekiel to warn Israel of its sins and their impending punishment: “I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me.” Ezekiel’s prophecies and warning messages from God also have future connotations that apply to modern nations today, especially the modern descendants of ancient Israel and Judah (Be sure to request our free booklet The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy, or read it online.)
God goes on to tell Ezekiel: “When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning… that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness …he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul” (Ezekiel 3:18-19).
The prophet Jeremiah also spent more than 40 years as a watchman to Judah, warning people to return to God: “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it’” (Jeremiah 6:16).
Similarly Amos boldly told the king and city leaders of Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, to repent or face Assyrian captivity. He pointed out they were no better than the neighboring pagan nations that had already been conquered, and rebuked those who trusted in their affluence, looking only to their comfort and ease (Amos chapter 6).
Part of a prophet’s message, and that of the New Testament Church, is not just focused on pointing out problems, but also emphasizes the better way of life God desires for His people. Isaiah proclaimed the good news that God will bring the Kingdom of God to earth and offer salvation to all nations. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who …proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings…who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’ Your watchmen shall lift up their voices…For the Lord has comforted His people…and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God” (Isaiah 52:7-10).
Committed Christians are to shoulder these responsibilities in these last days, before Christ’s return. We are to stand vigil like watchmen of old, teaching the way forward through the suffering and evil of our world, and warning those who will listen. Do we sigh and cry for the moral condition of our society, seeing the world through God’s eyes and understanding how far people have strayed from His righteous commandments? We have a duty to help others understand and teach them that God warns us through His prophets that there will be a day of reckoning.
In a vision Ezekiel saw God instruct an angel “ ‘Go through the midst…of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it'” (Ezekiel 9:3-4). Those who prayed about and grieved over the state of society were granted a mark that protected them from God’s judgment. Their distinguishing feature was their active concern for the moral and ethical condition of the society, and God honored that attitude.
The role of a watchman requires courage, perseverance and a love for the people addressed. Examining the concept of watching in the New Testament helps to complete the picture of this role. The Greek word gregoreo, translated as “watch,” means to keep awake, to watch and to take heed. Jesus urges His disciples three times to “watch” leading up to His second coming (Mark 13:32-37), emphasizing prayer and being aware of the times in which we are living to avoid being tossed around with every shifting ideology.
This close relationship with God helps us to be alert to religious deception. Revelation 16 describes a massive end-time deception perpetrated by Satan and his demons that work through human instruments called “the Beast” and “the False Prophet” (Revelation 16:13). Christ tells us “Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame” (Revelation 16:15).
The Scriptures are clear that the Church must, until Christ returns, continue to preach the Gospel—the good news of the coming Kingdom of God—accompanied by a watchman-type warning message and call to repentance, while nurturing and nourishing its members so they can achieve maximum spiritual growth and effectiveness in helping to carry out this mission.
