We’ve been looking at the attitudes, both positive and negative, of the Lord’s servants during the watches of Israel’s night. Now, let’s consider just what constitutes a "watch" and where those watches are located on the prophetic Clock of the Ages.

Israel was very familiar with the watchmen placed on the city walls to watch for the enemy and with the four divisions of the night in which they were to watch. The four watches were as follows:

• *the first or "even watch" from sunset (6 p. m.) to 9 p. m.;

• the second watch from 9 p. m. to midnight, known as the "midnight watch";

• the third watch from midnight to 3 a. m. referred to as "the cockcrowing"; and

• the fourth or "morning watch" which was from 3 a. m. to 6 a. m.

There are special times in the life of Israel under the fig tree of prophecy that have been assigned to these four watches. Like Daniel’s seventy weeks, there are certain conditions that must be met before the watches are in effect; and like Daniel's seventy weeks, there are two long intervals in between the watches. For Israel to be in her watches, she must be back in her home land as a nation; she must be struggling to function under the law of Moses; she is to be watching for the hand of God at work in her midst fulfilling prophecy; and, most especially, she is to be watching for her Messiah. As to the two long intervals, we’ll be able to identify them when we pinpoint the times of the four watches.

The first or evening (even) watch was at the time of Israel’s visitation. Sadly, during the three years that Christ walked in Israel in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, most of the Jews rejected Him and the ministry given Him of God. This rejection was the beginning of their night. It was this watch that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:43:

(Matthew 24:43)
"But know this, that if the goodman of the house [Israel] had known in what watch [the visitation] the thief [Satan] would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up [the dispersion]."

Israel's second watch will not begin until near the end of their dispersion among the Gentiles (we'll go into the specifics later). At the time of the second watch, Israel will again be a nation striving to function under the Law of Moses. Near the end of the "times" or the rule of the Gentiles (See booklet 4, The Ends.), God will once again begin moving on the scene for Israel. He’ll do so first incognito; but then, at the end of the second watch, at the midnight hour, the cry will be made: "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him!" From this time forward, as in the days of old, Israel and the world will again see the hand of God at work for the descendants of Abraham.

The third watch will begin after the midnight hour. This watch is referred to as the "cockcrowing." The term brings to mind Peter’s lapse into the flesh at the time of the crucifixion. Let’s read from the account in Matthew 26:31-34.

(Matthew 26:31-34)
Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.
Peter answered and said unto him, though all men shall be offended because of thee, Yet will I never be offended.
Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, that this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

Here, as many times before, Jesus is talking to end-time Israel through the experiences of the disciples; and certainly Israel, like Peter, will have denied its Lord three times before the time of the cockcrowing—before their third watch. The three times that the Hebrew children will have rejected their God are:

1. the Age of Promise that came to an end with Israel being in bondage to Pharaoh and loving the fleshpots of Egypt,

2. the Age of the Law brought to a close with Israel hating and crucifying its Messiah, and

3. the Age of Grace wherein Israel has been subjected to the cruelty of the Gentiles while it steadfastly refuses its Deliverer.

Israel’s third watch will follow these three times of denial; and it will take place during the first half of Daniel’s seventieth week which, as we’ve said, will begin with the Rapture of the Church, and end when the Lord returns to set up His kingdom.

The fourth watch, then, will come just before the dawning of the glorious day of eternity for the redeemed. It will come at the end of the Kingdom Age during the time that God will be finishing up His short work on the planet; it will be the last half of Daniel’s seventieth week. As can be seen in illustration 8, the two long intervals between the watches fall in the long valleys of the Grace Age and the Kingdom Age.

The Four Night Watches of Israel (The Fig Tree).

Illustration #8

As we said earlier, the four watches are times when the Jews should especially be watching for their Messiah. In chapter twelve of Luke, Jesus gives us more insight into these times. At the beginning of the chapter, Jesus is seen teaching a multitude of the Jews during the time of the first watch. He warns them to beware of the doctrines of their Pharisaical leaders. Then in verses 29-34, He counsels them not to become obsessed with their earthly needs, saying that if they would seek the kingdom of God first, their needs would be met; and that it was the Father’s good pleasure to give them the kingdom. (The kingdom was to be given first in a mystery [Mk. 4:11, Col. 1:26], then openly [Mt. 24:45-46; Rev. 20:6].) In Luke 12, verses 35-37, Jesus began discussing Israel's watches: more specifically, He spoke of those who would keep the third watch, setting them forth as an example for those of all watches to emulate. "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;" He said, "and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord 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" [Shades of Joseph and his brothers in Pharaoh's Egypt!](Luke 12:35-37).

It doesn’t take much speculation to figure out why Jesus made reference to the Jews at the end of the third watch when He commanded those around Him to watch. After all, in so doing, He was referring to a generation that will have gone through the great tribulation, that will have seen their numbers dwindle during the great atrocities of that period, that will have heard the trump associated with the Rapture, and that will have seen the hand of God at work in the wilderness, keeping a remnant alive as His day of wrath unloads its fury on the remaining inhabitants of the earth. Truly, He was speaking of a grateful expectant generation that will be prepared to receive their Messiah when He returns from the wedding!

Then In verse 38 of Luke 12, Jesus returns to the chronological order of the watches saying: "And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants." The questions here is not will He come in these two watches; but when He comes, will He find Israel watching? Again, Jesus is referring to His two returnings at the end of our age; i.e., His coming in the clouds for His Church at the end of the great tribulation and His returning from the marriage ceremony to set up His kingdom at the end of the first 3 1/2 year period of God’s wrath.

That Israel should also be watching for their Lord’s return during their fourth watch at the end of the millennium can be deduced from the prophecies for that time. We’re told in Revelation that Satan will be unlocked from his chains and released from hell at the end of the thousand years of peace so that he might deceive mankind into attempting another armed rebellion against their Maker. If this event follows the pattern for similar earlier events, then Christ will withdraw Himself from view so that those who want to be deceived might be deceived. This prophetic event seems to be couched in our Lord’s walking on the water to the disciples during the fourth watch of the night as recorded in Mark 6:45-52. As we said earlier, much prophecy recorded for those at the end of the millennium will probably remain a mystery to man until that time. However, we can reason that if Christ does withdraw Himself from His planet for a season to let Lucifer do his thing, then Christ must return to do those things written of Him. After all, just as Christ was instrumental in creating the world, so will He be the Father's right-hand man in bringing it to an end in preparation for the installation of His new heaven and the new earth, which will abide forever.

The second watch, the midnight watch, is the next watch of prophecy. And because it and the tribulation period seem to have much in common—let’s give it a closer scrutiny. This would be one of those times that tends to speculation, so let’s speculate. The first watch, the time of our Lord’s ministry (the Visitation), covered a period of three years. The third and fourth watches are in the two 3 1/2 year periods that make up Daniel’s seventieth week. In actuality, the time of the third watch won’t be the full 3 1/2 years; for as soon as the Lord returns to the earth, the conditions for the watch are nullified—shortening the time span towards the 3 year mark. The fourth watch, though sort of hazy at this time, still tends to be a repeat in many ways of the third; therefore, perhaps the time period of this watch may be closer to 3 years than 3 1/2. In addition, the actual four watches to which the Scriptures compare these prophetic watches are in four equal increments of three each. Further, because the next watch and the tribulation period will both end at the midnight hour, and because the time of tribulation has apparently been assigned a length of time (Jesus said that if it were not shortened, no flesh would be saved), could it be that the second watch and the tribulation period are one and the same? If so, could it be that the time span for the period of tribulation was originally set to cover a three year period like the other three watches?

THE INTENSITY OF THE WATCHES

Also, before we leave the four prophetic watches assigned to Israel, we should probably make note of the intensity of the watches. At the time of His visitation, Jesus was referring to this aspect of the watches when He asked the Jews how it was that they could look at the sky and predict the weather; yet they could not discern the signs of the time (Luke 12:56; Matthew 16:1-3).

Perhaps an illustration would serve us at this point. I’ll never forget one particular day as a lad in the strawberry fields with my family. Many times we had worked in the fields and picked the berries—hardly aware of the sky unless it happened to rain which brought a double bonus: the berries got some much needed water and we got a day off. But on this one afternoon, I’ll never forget the sky and my Dad’s concern. In the distance was a rumbling, and huge, strangely-colored clouds started rolling in—soon filling the sky. An eerie quiet, so heavy you could feel it, filled the air, and my Dad started moving all of us towards the storm cellar. It wasn’t long until the lightning was blazing across the sky, almost endlessly. The thunder and the rain were deafening, and the wind began playing havoc with all that wasn’t secured.

As anyone knows who has lived in the Midwest and experienced its vicious storms and tornadoes, on some occasions the sky is studied more intently than it is at other times. In fact, on some days it is studied as though one's very life depends upon it—which is often the case!

So it will be in the spiritual realm in the last days. Indeed, so it is already. The foreboding signs of the time are looming on the horizon in a fearful manner. Nature can be seen going on a rampage. Sin is coming in like a flood. Irreverence and ungodliness are increasing in satanic proportions. Scoffers and doubters have become the rule instead of the exception, and the church is in disarray and disunion—seemingly just looking on in dismay with the rest of the world.

Neighbor, as we see the dark, apocalyptic clouds moving in, it’s time to run to the Rock of our salvation and trust Him to lead us through the storm to the place of safety. It’s time to avail ourselves of the salvation that our Creator has provided for us in Christ Jesus, time to receive by faith the one who stands victorious on the other side of the grave and to walk in the Spirit of His resurrection. Neighbor, it’s time for all to "watch" and pray!