Command to Watch

To understand WATCHING, Lord willing, is to also understand that, today, Christ has already COME. He’s been revealed through the scriptures to gather the elect. Coming <as a thief> would relate to allowing the locusts (false prophets) to devastate the church. The DAY and HOUR therefore would relate to the great tribulation (judgment) and the revelation of Christ (salvation). If we see it as the very last day, we would NOT be on the same page and WATCHING is likely to be misunderstood.

Let’s also keep the following verses in mind as we allow the Bible to interpret its own:

Ps 78:2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

Eze 17:2 Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;

Mt 13:34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

Mt 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

Mt 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Is the Command to Watch one NOT to enter into TEMPTATION?

Mt 24:42 Watch <1127> therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come <2064>.

Mt 25:13 Watch <1127> therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh <2064>.

Mt 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch <1127> with me.

Mt 26:41 Watch <1127> and pray, that ye enter NOT into temptation <3986>: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Lu 22:46 And said unto them, Why sleep ye <2518>? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation <3986>.

Re 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation <3986>, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation <3986> taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

2Pe 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations <3986>, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation <3986>: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Mr 13:34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch <1127>.

1Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep <2518>, as do others; but let us watch <1127> and be sober.

Mr 13:37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch <1127>.

Lu 12:37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh <2064> shall find watching <1127>: 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.

Mt 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming <2064> in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Mt 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant <1127>; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Re 3:2 Be watchful <1127>, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

Re 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch <1127>, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

Re 16:15 Behold, I come AS a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth <1127>, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

The Corporate Body did NOT watch, but Fell Asleep (thus the need for a resurrection)

Mt 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept <2518>.

Mt 26:40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep <2518>, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch <1127> with me one hour?

Mt 26:43 And he came and found them asleep <2518> again: for their eyes were heavy <916>.

Mr 14:40 And when he returned, he found them asleep <2518> again, (for their eyes were heavy <916>,) neither wist they what to answer him.

2Co 1:8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out <916> of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

2Co 5:4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened <916>: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

Mt 24:43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house <3617> had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched <1127>, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

Mt 13:25 But while men slept <2518>, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

Mt 13:52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder <3617>, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

The Transfiguration

Lu 9:28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.

Lu 9:29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

Lu 9:30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:

Lu 9:31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

Lu 9:32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy <916> with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.

Pr 6:9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

Pr 19:15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.

Jer 51:39 In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD.

Jer 51:57 And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.

The Wake up Call (Was Christ watching on behalf of the Elect?)

Mt 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh <2064>; go ye out to meet him.

Mt 25:7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

Eph 5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest <2518>, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

1Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep <2518>, as do others; but let us watch <1127> and be sober.

1Th 5:7 For they that sleep <2518> sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

1Th 5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep <2518>, we should live together with him.

Jer 31:28 And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD.

Ps 121:4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

Summary Conclusion:

The Bible appears to be giving us conclusive evidence that Watching is a watch NOT to enter into temptation or tribulation. The picture is that of a house (corporate body) where two people (wheat and tare) are sleeping when the thief (Satan) comes at midnight (great tribulation) to rob, kill and destroy. The wheat were commanded to watch, but they fell asleep along with the tares. However because their sins are covered in Christ, nothing can separate them from the love of God. God was the only one watching on their behalf and was able to wake them up so they could leave the house (separation). The tares, however fell into a deep and perpetual sleep and are taken in judgment. God it seems is NOT waking them up.