REFLECTION: “Watchman, what of the night?”

A timely question

from Isaiah 21…..

 

 

Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?

The morning cometh, and also the night.

Isaiah 21:11-12

 

Hidden away in the Old Testament prophecy of Isaiah are two interesting verses concerning “the burden of Dumah,” or the oracle concerning Dumah. The name Dumah (a tribe and region of Ishmael’s territory in Arabia) relates to silence.

 

Someone called to Isaiah “out of Seir” or Edom, which bordered Israel and was antagonistic to God’s people. The call to the prophet, who occupied the role of a watchman, was expressed as a question and was repeated, “Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?” Evidently the individual raising the question was anxious, for the repetition of the question indicates concern. The watchman was responsible for the safety of the city’s inhabitants and did not sleep at night. He was acutely aware of the latest situation, so what could he see?    

 

The question asked by the individual is worth pondering: “Watchman, what of the night?” Pacing around the walls of the ancient city, he – more than any other – would know what was going on. What was likely to happen next? It was night-time, but would the night be long or short? How many hours had passed, and how many lay ahead before the dawning of a new day? It must have been a time of uncertainty, but how did the watchman interpret events?

 

His response to the enquirer is significant. “The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come” (Isa.21:12). Although the morning was approaching, it would soon be followed by another night. In other words some could anticipate deliverance as a fresh day dawned, but others would experience defeat in the darkness of the next night.

 

We, in the twenty-first century, are at a similar juncture. Like those people of old we find ourselves living in a period of darkness. The shadow of war haunts the planet, and the agenda facing humanity is grim. Man could annihilate himself with nuclear weapons, while the spectre of food shortages and famine hang over us. The climate narrative threatens the freedom which we have enjoyed, and the tentacles of digital ID are enclosing us ever more tightly. Well might we ask someone with insight and understanding, “What of the night?” How long will the darkness continue, and will conditions worsen?

 

 

A SIMILAR SITUATION

 

The answer for us is similar: some will face deliverance while others can only anticipate defeat. When Jesus Christ returns from heaven, those who belong to Him will be caught up to meet Him in the air, to be “with the Lord” for ever (1 Th.4:17). They will be delivered “from the wrath to come” (1 Th.1:10). However, after they have been taken to heaven a period of tribulation will begin upon earth, culminating in judgment when Christ returns to the Mount of Olives, “in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Th.1:8). For such there is a worse night to face than the one we are currently experiencing. 

 

We must not miss the final words of the watchman recorded in Isaiah 21:12, “If ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.” Making enquiry is sensible and is to be encouraged. By all means carry on asking about the night we are going through, for this at least indicates concern. However, let it result in action. We must “return” to the Lord in our need and “come” to Him.

 

Our only hope for the future is in Jesus Christ. He is the Saviour whom God has appointed – and there is no other, as Acts 4:12 indicates. We deserve to face the righteous judgment of a holy God on account of our sin, but on the cross Jesus Christ took our place and experienced that awful judgment in His own Person. If we humbly acknowledge our sin, believing that Christ took our place and bore the judgment which we deserved, we can be saved. A work of grace will begin, and the Holy Spirit will impart new life to all who receive Christ as their personal Saviour. Unless we receive the Lord Jesus Christ and surrender our lives to Him, we have no hope for eternity.

 

The question addressed to the watchman remains pertinent: “Watchman, what of the night?” There can be no doubt that we are passing through the final hours of this dark night. For believers in Christ the morning of His return is coming, but for those who are unprepared an even darker night awaits. In that Tribulation period, culminating in the Battle of Armageddon, the world will experience troubles of a kind which have never been known before. Christ is the only hope for humanity. We urge all who are reading this to come to Him and to trust Him now.