As we witness and experience what is happening in the world lately, followers of Yahusha can sense that spiritual darkness is increasingly overtaking our nation rapidly and it appears that we are entering into the final events that are prophesied in the Book of Revelation.  As we watch the news headlines of one horrific act after another and the insanity of our leaders, we ask: How much longer can the earth withstand all these crimes against humanity, all the violence, and the “bondage of corruption” that is increasingly engulfing it? As Yahuah’s people, we sigh and cry over the evil things that are being done in our nation and throughout the world! (Romans 8:19-23, Ezekiel 9:4) And we pray as David and Habakkuk did in their day: “How long, O Yahuah?”

Psalm 13:1 How long wilt thou forget me, O Yahuah? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?

Habakkuk 1:1 The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see. 2 O Yahuah, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!3 Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. 4 Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.

How many of us are feeling the burden of seeing the wickedness and despair of this present world?

As Yahuah’s people, most of us are constantly looking for clues in the events reported by the News that may give us some indication that we are getting closer and closer to the return of Yahusha. As we see what appears to be certain end-time prophecies beginning to materialize, we become hopeful that, just maybe, the Kingdom of Elohim is right around the corner and that the madness we see in this world will finally come to an end. We want the Kingdom to come because we have a burning desire that the earth will become filled with the righteousness and the knowledge of Yahuah, as promised in the pages of the Bible. We long for the garden of Eden conditions to return to this earth.

As we see and experience the pain and suffering that is increasing everywhere around the world as a result of hatred, oppression, greed, violence and war;  we yearn for a world that could be so much better if only the people would stop sinning, and instead seek after righteousness and peace. We “sigh and cry” over the inhumane atrocities that are taking place throughout the nations.  Everyday, we watch events in the news as they continue to become ever more insane and  horrific. We are able to see “through a glass darkly”, that the end-time events do appear to be coming together. But we do not see many key prophecies being fulfilled yet…and we wonder…how much longer?

Look at what Yahusha taught His disciples in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke about end time watching and waiting:

Matthew 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:  4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Master, Master open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Luke 12:37 Blessed are those servants, whom the Master when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. 38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. 40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

Several Scriptures in the Bible admonish us to take heed and to “watch” because the Day of Yahshua’s return will come like “a thief in the night” to those who are NOT awake, alert, and eagerly watching.

Matthew 24:43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

1 Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of Yahuah so cometh as a thief in the night.

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of Yahuah will come as a thief in the night;

When Yahusha told His disciples to “watch”; what did it mean, and how is it linked with His return to this earth? What is so important about watching?  What is Yahshua, along with Paul and Peter in their epistles, trying to get across to the followers of the Way? What does “watching” have to do with Yahusha returning as “a thief in the night”?

In the Gospel of Luke, Yahusha gives a stern directive to those who follow Him: “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:36)

This verse is sometimes quoted and interpreted to mean that Yahusha is urging us to stay abreast of all the latest news events so we can calculate about how close we are to His return and to be ready for it. This is very much a part of it, but there is so much more to this than just “watching the news” so we will be ready for Yahusha HaMashiah’s return.

In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul tells us that those who are called and faithful are the children of light (those who are called and faithfully obeying the commandments of Yahuah, staying close to Him and who are walking in the light of His truth); it is they who will be able to discern the “signs of the times” when they begin to happen. They will be able to see certain end-time trends, because first, they are keeping Yahuah’s commandments; and second, they are diligently seeking to stay close to Father and Son by daily prayer, studying the Scriptures, and meditating on Yahuah’s laws and precepts. They will know what Yahuah’s Word says about certain signs/prophecies and will be able to recognize them when they begin to unfold. (Please read the whole 24th chapter of Matthew)

1 Thessalonians 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

These verses tell us that if we are not of the darkness, but rather are walking in the light of the Word of Elohim, that we will be fully awake and not sleeping as others! Paul, here, warns us that we are not to sleep as others do; and further, that we are to watch and to remain sober. To WATCH and be SOBER…what exactly does that mean in the context of this passage?

To be sober means that one abstains from being drunken or intoxicated; but it can also mean being free from the spiritual drunkenness of sinfulness which includes pride, greed, and deceit which lead to all kinds of sins. Look what Strong’s has to say about staying sober:

The Greek word for “sober” is nḗphō (Strong’s #3525) and means: To be sober, calm and collected in spirit; to be temperate, dispassionate, circumspect, vigilant, to be not intoxicated; (figuratively) free from illusion, i.e. from the intoxicating influences of sin (like the impact of selfish passion, greed, pride, etc.). Refers to having presence of mind (clear judgment), enabling someone to be temperate (self-controlled); to be “uninfluenced by intoxicants” means, to have “one’s wits (faculties) about them”, which is the opposite of being irrational. (HELPS Word-Studies and Strong’s Concordance)

Paul states further, after exhorting us that we are to “stay awake spiritually”, to “be sober and put on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation”: all of which are similar to his exhortations in his letter to the Ephesians. (See Ephesians 6:10-18)

1 Thessalonians 5:7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

And when it comes “to watch” just what is it that we are to be watching? Are we to assume that it means to watch for the end time events to begin to happen so that we can be ready for them? Or is there something else that is much more important, that we are to be watching?

Back to Luke 21; when Yahusha tells us to “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:36). Does this mean that our watching the current world news and how it relates to prophecy, combined with prayer, is what will account us worthy to escape and to stand before Him when He returns?

The Greek word translated “watch” is agrypnéō (Strong’s #69) and means: to be sleepless, wakeful properly, no sleeping; (figuratively) staying vigilant (alert, attentive), i.e. without any unnecessary “time off.” (HELPS Word Study)

The Bible implies that “to watch” really does not exclusively mean to be looking at events, or closely observing what is going on in the world; there is something much more important that we should be “watching” or staying alert to.

The previous verses of this passage provides the context for what Yahusha is telling us to “watch”.

Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting , and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35 For as a snare [To catch unawares all the ungodly] shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

Therefore we are to: “watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Another way of putting it in more modern terms is: We are to be careful to be ON GUARD that we do not let our hearts be weighed down with self-indulgences and addictions and/or becoming overly concerned and anxious with the worldly cares that pertain to this life. If we are addicted to the things of this world, and distracted by those things, we will not see that day coming! We will not be prepared, and it will hit us suddenly like a trap hidden in the grass that suddenly springs and catches us, because we are off-guard or not watching!

Mark 4:18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

From the context of Luke 22:34-35, we are able to see that the message is not a command to watch world events so that we will know when Yahusha will return, and we will know when we are to be ready. Rather, His instruction is to watch, be alert, be continually on guard as to how we are living; which is what “take heed to yourselves” is warning. In essence, He is warning His Followers to to ALWAYS be ready!

Yahusha’s message is instructing us to be vigilant about our own spiritual state, as well as being circumspect and spiritually AWAKE as to how we live our lives, making sure that we are staying on the strait and narrow path and not allowing ourselves to become weighed down with the pursuit of material things and sins of this world.

In this passage, Yahusha is warning us to the danger that, if we do not “watch” ourselves and keep “alert” to our spiritual condition, we could start to allow ourselves to become lackadaisical or (lukewarm), or lose Yahuah’s Spirit altogether. If we are not diligently seeking the things and the ways of Yahuah; then self-indulgence, selfishness, and material concerns (obsessive cares of this world) will creep up on us to distract us, and possibly divert us from our spiritual responsibilities, and even our calling. If we begin to put our focus on the things of this world, that will put us in a position of being spiritually unprepared when the end comes for us personally, or if we are still alive when Yahusha returns to set up His Kingdom. (See also Revelation 3:14-22)

We all know that the “end” for any one of us is just a heart beat or a breath away. We just do not know when “our end” as an individual will come. Therefore, Yahusha is admonishing us to not only be ready when the end of this age comes upon us, but to always be ready no matter when that will be; for the end for us personally could be today, tonight, or tomorrow.

The danger of not watching and staying alert to our own spiritual condition could lull us back into becoming sleepy, and letting the things of the world entrap us (regardless of what generation we live and die in), and we would miss out on all the things that the Father and Son had planned for us. If we let the world and all its enticements cause us to stray, then we will forfeit our calling of the opportunity to be part of the Bride, and to rule forever in the Kingdom of Elohim.

Paul teaches us in Titus, that we are to look for, and hope for His appearing, but at the same time rejecting the worldly lusts and ungodliness that surrounds us; instead we are to use the time we have left, seeking the righteousness of Yahuah, always zealous to do “good works” (obeying Yahuah and living according to all His Word).

Titus 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great Eohim and our HaMashiach Yahusha; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

If we were to die tonight (or for all believers who have already died) all the end time events, with all the specific details, would mean nothing to us! What really matters for every called out child of the Father, is that we had stayed watchful over our own spiritual condition, had a walk (life) that was worthy of our high calling, and lived a life that was pleasing to Yahuah; so that He can say “well done, thou good and faithful servant”, when all is said and done and we stand before our Master. (Matthew 25:21)

Luke 21:36 is not about becoming so obsessed with the current events to the detriment of our spiritual duties to grow in grace and knowledge of spiritual truth and character.

As Yahuah’s faithful people, we do need to be balanced and keep abreast of the current trends and conditions; I am not saying that we shouldn’t do that, for it is important to be able to prepare our minds for what is coming, and to know the days we are living in; but it is much more important to be watching and guarding our spiritual condition. Yahusha wants us to be sure to prepare spiritually, to keep growing, keep proving the things that we have learned and are being taught; and when we see that we have been wrong on some things, then apply the proper course corrections to our belief system, and  put those corrections into action (start live according to what we have been shown).

So to watch, means that we are to spend our time in protecting the precious truth that we have been given through our calling to partake of Yahuah’s grace, and the privilege of being one of His children. We are to be ready for when Yahusha returns, but if our end (the end of our life) should come for us before that time comes, we will be prepared and ready for that time as well.

Clearly, the Bible speaks of Yahusha coming at a time when most do not expect Him; even now we can see that most people do not have a clue as to why increasingly bizarre and erratic things are happening!  As Followers of Yahusha, we can discern the times we are living in, but nevertheless we are to be about our Father’s business; which is working out our own salvation, using our gifts to serve our brethren, growing in the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), all the while, growing in grace and in spiritual knowledge, conforming to our Father’s likeness, as we live each day waiting for Yahusha’s return.

Yes, watch world news and keep abreast of what is happening, for we are living in the most exciting times of all of man’s history. The evils we hear about motivate us to cry and sigh over what is happening to our earth and to the people who live on it, and it makes us want to pray even more fervently for the Kingdom to come. Along with all of that, seeing the things prophesied in the Bible actually coming to pass before our very eyes, will increase our Faith that the Bible is true, and that we can trust Yahuah to fulfill all His promises that are written in His Word.

Also, what we are experiencing in our lifetime will be object lessons for us, in teaching the people in the Millennium about the events we lived through and why they happened. All the things that took place, and even the most evil things that took place, in mankind’s history are for a valuable purpose; and the more knowledgeable we are of our present day situation, the more we can teach about it and the lessons we drew from having lived it.  We will be able to relate to the history lessons we are teaching, because we lived through it, specifically the end times part of that history. So it behooves us to know what all took place in our times, just as our ancestors who lived in ancient times will be able to relate to the times they lived in, and teach about it. But it is so very important that our first priority is to watch our spiritual condition so that we do not stray and neglect so great a salvation. We do not want to miss out on the marvelous future Yahuah has in store for those who are faithful and endure this present evil world until the end.

So watch and pray always (for help to endure and to stay faithful in these perilous times) and never neglect what Yahusha tells His disciples: to be ready always, that we may be accounted worthy to be a part of His Glorious Kingdom, which will be here very soon!

Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of Yahuah, and the faith of Yahusha.

BelleAnge