THE "HOURS" OF PROPHECY

In its prophetic sense, the word "hour" is used when speaking of the four prophetic watches of Israel’s day and night. To understand Israel’s day and night, we must first understand her watches. (Israel’s day and night were divided into 4 watches of 3 hours each.) We also need to keep in mind that words like year, day, time, times, hour, etc., purposely have different meanings which will vary with how they are used in their context. This is part of the mysterious covering of prophecy. A case in point is the parable of the laborers in Matthew 20:1-16.

1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning [i.e., the first age of Israel’s existence: i.e., the Age of Promise] to hire labourers into his vineyard.

2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3 And he went out about the third hour [i.e., in the last one third of the first watch/the Age of Promise. In actuality, at the end of the first age, as with all ages, God called people to prepare the way for the next age and for the next attempt to work a work with Israel.], and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

5 Again he went out about the sixth [i.e., in the last one third of the second watch/the Age of the Law] and ninth hour [i.e., the last one third of the third watch/the Age of Grace], and did likewise.

6 And about the eleventh hour [i.e., the last one third of the fourth watch at the end of the Kingdom Age] he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.

8 So when even was come [i.e., the end of the day—in this case, the end of the world, the time for the final judgments and rewards], the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.

9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny [A penny was the daily wage of a Roman soldier in New Testament times].

10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,

12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. [Doesn’t this sound like the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son? (Luke 15:11-32)]
13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?

14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. ["…many be called but few chosen."—this can apply only to the offspring of Abraham, all of which are "called" by virtue of God’s promise to Abraham, but are "chosen" when and if they decide to walk by the faith of faithful Abraham. (For more on the called and chosen of Israel, go to our book MARK THEM-. ]

When we read this parable prophetically, we see how Christ was referring to the four ages of Israel’s existence; i.e., The Age of Promise, The Age of the Law, The Age of Grace, and The Kingdom Age. Consequently, when we consider the "hours" mentioned by Jesus, we can discern that He is talking about the tail end of those ages. However, the times of Israel’s "night watches" are not the same. (To refresh your memories on the four watches of Israel’s night, click here and go to booklet seven, chapter 28 of The CLOCK OF THE AGES.) There are two basic differences between Israel's day watches and their night watches. First, spiritually speaking, the Bible speaks of those with a living faith in God as being "of the day ," while it refers to the self righteous of the nation as being "of the night."

(I Thes. 5:5-8)
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.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

Second, their day watches cover the whole of the nations existences over the span of four ages while their night watches are limited to the four times that Christ will visit the earth but be rejected by this nation that sprang from Abraham’s loins. (Some might argue that during their dispersion, because the nation steadfastly rejects Christ, there can be no Jews "of the day." However, though we hear little about them, I'm satisfied that every generation of Jews since Christ has had those who have embraced Christ, even though it has often mean banishment from their families.) Further, as we explained in chapter 28 of THE CLOCK OF THE AGES, the times of their four night watches are limited to four periods of approximately 3 years each. The four watches are:

Their visitation when Christ came to the earth to seek and to save the lost sheep of Israel and to die on the cross for the sin of the world.
The Tribulation Period which will end when Jesus comes in the clouds to take His Church up to be with Him.
The 1^st ½ of Daniel’s 70^th Week (this is the same as the 1^st ½ of the Day of the Lord, or the 1^st ½ of the Day of God’s Wrath) which will be brought to a close by the Lord’s return from heaven to set up His Kingdom for the Kingdom Age--also known as the 1,000 Years of Peace.
The last ½ of Daniel’s 70^th Week at the end of the Kingdom Age.

Let's read from the fifteenth chapter of Mark with Israel's night watches in mind.

Mark 15:25-34
25 And it was the third hour [i.e., the last part of His Visitation—the first watch of Israel’s night], and they crucified him.
26 And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
27 And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.
28 And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
29 And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,
30 Save thyself, and come down from the cross.
31 Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.
32 Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
33 And when the sixth hour [i.e., the last part of the Tribulation Period—the second watch of Israel’s night] was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour [i.e., the last part of 1^st ½ of Daniel’s 70^th Week—the third watch of Israel’s night immediately following the Age of Grace].
34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (cf. Mt.27:46-47 & Luke 23:44)