HOW ARE WE TO WATCH?

Our watching consists not in looking up into the sky, – “stargazing;” for those who study the Lord’s Word to any purpose soon learn that “the day of the Lord so cometh as [like] a thief in the night,” and that its dawning cannot be discerned with the natural eye.

If the Lord’s people could discern anything by watching the sky with their natural eyes, could not the world discern the same thing?

If the second advent of our Lord were to be an open, outward manifestation, would not the world know of it just as soon as the saints, the watchers?

In such event it could not be true that the day of the Lord should come as a thief, as a snare, unawares, upon the world, while the Church would have foreknowledge thereof – not be left in darkness. – 1 Thess 5:2-4.

We are to watch the signs of the times, in the light of the Lord’s Word, our lamp; as the apostle declares, “We have a more-sure Word of prophecy…as a light shining in a dark place, – until the Day dawn.” The Gospel age has been a night-time (a dark place); and the Lord’s people have been waiting for the dawn of the Millennial morning, with the promise ringing in their ears, “God will help her [the Church], and that right early [in the morning].” (Psa 46:5.) The Word of the Lord, through the prophets, has been the lamplight all through this Gospel age, upon the Church’s pathway; as the Lord expressed it through the Prophet David, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, a lantern unto my footsteps.” (Psa 119:105.) The lamp of the truth of revelation has guided all the faithful, watchful pilgrims in their journey toward the Celestial City – the Heavenly Kingdom. Oh, what a comfort it has been, and how dreary would have been our pilgrimage without it!

“Looking back, we praise the way

God has led us, day by day!”

Those who have taken heed to the landmarks, (prophecies) pointed out by the Lord through Daniel and Isaiah and Jeremiah and all the holy prophets, realize that we have come already a much longer journey than was expected by the Church when first she started out; but we realize also from these landmarks, that we have approached very close to the end of the journey; very near to the time when the great blessing, for which God’s people have so long waited and prayed, is at hand. For instance, the Watchers have noted the Lord’s testimony through the Prophet Daniel that “the time of the end” would be a period of time (more than a century), and that in this “time of the end” there would be a great increase of travel, running to and fro throughout the earth, and a great increase of general intelligence, increased knowledge, as it is written, “in the time of the end many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” – Dan 12:4.

Watching carefully respecting our whereabouts (on the stream of time), hopeful and solicitous respecting the gracious things which God has promised, none of the Watchers is indifferent to these fulfilments of prophecy, which are to be seen on every hand today. All men discern these things, but not all alike: the faithful, the Watchers, discern them not only as facts, but also as fulfilments of prophecy; as proofs that we are already in the period termed “the time of the end.” Further investigations and applications of the prophetic measurements prove to the watchers that we have been in “the time of the end” since 1799, and that it is also termed “the day of his [Jehovah’s] preparation.”

Looking about them, they see the preparation that Jehovah God is making for the Kingdom of his dear Son. They see the lifting of the curtain of ignorance, and the letting in of the light, and that thus God is using mankind at the present time to make ready, in a natural way, the mechanical and other arrangements and conveniences which ultimately shall be so great blessings to the world; – when the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in his beams, and the Millennial Day shall be ushered in, with all its multiplied blessings and mercies and opportunities; – “the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” – Acts 3:21.

Watching intently, earnestly, interestedly, because they know of the good things God hath in reservation (1 Cor 2:9-13; 1 Pet 1:4), the Watchers note that Daniel’s prophecy further points out that, as the increase of travel brings the increase of knowledge, so the increase of knowledge will bring an increase of discontent to the world of mankind in general; and the result will be, as prophetically stated, that “there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation.”

The Watchers, seeking to note whether these things have yet had a fulfilment or not, look about them and behold on every hand discontent, unhappiness; much more than when the world enjoyed far fewer of the mercies and blessings of heaven. These latter-day gifts of Providence (preparations for the Millennial age), instead of provoking thankfulness, gratitude and love to God, and generosity to man, produce in unregenerate hearts ambition, greater avarice, selfishness, envy, hatred, strife, and other works of the flesh and of the devil. Yes; the Watchers can clearly discern the approach of the great climax of human trouble, in which the Scriptures distinctly declare that all the present human institutions shall go down in anarchy, in confusion, in chaos. But the Watchers do not lose sight of God and his providence. They see that the approaching social and ecclesiastical catastrophe will be the natural result of the operation of selfishness under highly favored conditions; nevertheless, they remember that God is at the helm, and that he is able to cause the wrath of man to praise him, and the remainder of man’s wrath (which would not praise him) he will restrain. – Psa 76:10.

The Watchers look not merely at the outward signs, as seen in the world. They scrutinize carefully and repeatedly their “chart,” the Bible’s prophetic outline of the world’s history furnished by the King himself. It is because they see the time of trouble outlined in the prophetic chart that they know that it is sure to come, and are able in advance of others to “discern the signs of the times,” and not to be in darkness respecting the “things to come.”

It was in respect to this that the Lord promised the Watchers that the holy spirit should guide them into all truth, as each feature became due, and would show them things to come – future things – in advance of the world’s knowledge, and in advance of the facts themselves. (John 16:13) But the same chart which shows the downfall of all earthly institutions, political, social and ecclesiastical, shows also that their fall is so timed in the great plan of Jehovah that it shall be the very hour in which he will establish his kingdom in the hands of the elect Church (who then shall be a royal priesthood glorified, – priests upon their thrones, – the religious as well as the civil rulers of the world), whose exaltation shall be to the glory of God and to the blessing of every creature.

The Watchers remember well that the King gave them *an outline of the history of the Gospel age at the very time that he told them to watch; intimating to them that they were to watch for the things which he therein noted. The Watchers are those who are in harmony with the King, and who have respect to his promise, and they, therefore, do not neglect the words which he spoke. And as they note this very prophecy in connection with which he tells them to watch, they see in it clearly that the day of the Lord will be ushered in at the close of this Gospel age, secretly, quietly, unobtrusively, “as a thief in the night,” – unawares to the world, and known only to the Watchers.

*This outline can be seen here under the blog post entitled, “Stumbling in the Way (The History of the Gospel age Church)”

We continue with our next post.