Understanding the New Testament Watchman
As a watchman what do I do? In a nutshell: Facilitate Spiritual awareness. Like in military intelligence we have cutting edge research and technology being developed that most of the public does not know about. The same thing is happening with biblical/Spiritual knowledge. It is rapidly increasing as the end time scrolls are being opened. "But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase." Daniel 12:4
When I was first told (prophetically) that I was a watchman, I didn't know what that really meant. But over time and after a series of prophetic experiences the Spirit began to show me what a "new testament" watchman was.
I have heard many say a watchman is a prophet and that's true but not everyone with prophetic gifts today are necessarily watchmen. And a watchman does not necessarily have the manifestation gift of prophesying. What's important about a new testament watchman is what it is they are actually watching for (it's not an approaching army or raiders), and what we are watching with, (it's not our natural eyes) Old testament watchmen warned more of coming physical danger whereas new testament watchmen warn more of spiritual danger.
New testament scriptures about watching;
Matthew 24:4 Watch out that no one deceives you
1 Timothy 4:16 Watch your life and your doctrine closely
Mark 8:15 "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod."
2 John 1:8 Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for.
Romans 16:17 "Watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way.
Galatians 5:15 "Watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
Mark 13:33 Watch out because you don't know when the time will come.
Matthew 7:15 Watch out for false prophets...
Luke 12:54-56 Watch and be aware of this present time... And much more...
Other things we are watching for;
-What the Spirit is saying to the churches Rev 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:29, 3:6, 3:13, 3:22
In other words what is the Spirit doing in my time of history, my generation, in my city, my life etc.
-Identity and function of the believer
Who is my God, who does God say I am, what is my purpose, how do I fulfill it.
-The potential danger of sin and spiritual blindness
What are my battles, what is the playing field, what are the weapons of our warfare, how do I overcome.
-God's wisdom, knowledge and understanding
How do I acquire God's Wisdom, how do I process the knowledge of God
-God's eternal purposes, opportunities, rewards and penalties
How to have a right view of life in light of the promises, opportunities and eternity
-Understands the signs and the times (fulfillment of scripture)
Understanding what it is I need to do according to the time I am living in.
-New things God is doing (Isaiah 48:6 & 43:19)
Understanding reformation, the new wineskins and and the spiritual upgrades the Lord wants for us.
I believe my duties as a Watchman are;
Spiritual reconnaissance, analysis, reporting
Distribution of life saving information
"Connecting the Unconnected" to the kingdom of God
The following are some commentaries on the "watchman" calling by several authors.
The place of watchmen is on the wall Looking out into the direction that he is pointing. This can be lonely, discouraging work. Jesus is pleading with his watchmen to stay on the walls, where he needs them to be. Many watchmen are down in the city chatting with friends, because they got lonely. Others are on the conference circuit, where the money is better. Some are busy trolling the internet, but that is not the same as listening to the Lord. Others grew tired and have gone to sleep. Others have given up, because they are weary of their warnings being rejected. The watchman should not be in the city eating and drinking with the town's folk. He should be out on the watchtower looking into the night. Jesus urgently needs his watchmen to get back up on the watchtower where he has appointed them.
The watchmen were not the elders in the gates, nor did they have the authority to open or close the gates of a city. Neither did they have the authority to mobilize the militia against the enemy. (old testament) Their job was to communicate what they saw to those who did have the authority. Presently, many pastors and elders are trying to do this job for their congregations, which only distracts them from their true calling. We must begin to recognise, train, and position those who have this calling, and establish effective lines of communication with them. It may actually be very good that he is often away from the flock, because few really understand him. He is interested not so much in people and what they think of him, but in God's voice for the situation.
(Rick Joyner - The Ministry of a Watchman).
Being on the walls of the city would place one in a position of elevated perspective to see both a distance outside and inside of the city. These were trained to recognise both the enemy and their brethren from a great distance. However, they had no authority to confront either. They simply gave their information to the elders who sat in the gates. Only the elders had the authority to either command that the gates be opened or to sound the alarm.
(Rick Joyner - The Ministry of a Watchman).
The seer represents the prophetic dimension by means of his ability to observe, by his inclination towards watchfulness. He is the watchman, the protector. He walks the narrow paths of the border areas of the Kingdom, drawing strength for this isolated work of defence from the vivid visions and experiences of the heartlands of God's domains. The prophet's home is a Mizpah, a watchtower, a place for proper judgement and discernment, 1 Sam 7:6 (Lars Widerberg - The Seer)
The Church has often lacked in having watchmen. She has had a type of watchman that has watched almost from a position on the floor of the church and not from the wall. The watchman is a prophet and as such is a seer and needs to be up high to see beyond the heights that even the king would see, since the king is not up the wall (Steve Snow - Eagle Watchman Resources).
Though the prophet is one with the church he yet always stands a little apart. The Old Testament prophet would have gone ahead to do all the speaking, or the healing, or whatever was needed. The New Testament prophet bows his spirit to prayer, unbeknownst to the rest of the body, and others find themselves healing or teaching or speaking (John and Paula Sanford - The Elijah Task p. 18,19,20).
Christians are often embarrassed by God's watchmen, as they can be intense, opinionated or scruffy. Watchmen maybe the eyes of the body, but they are also the bowels that get rid of the "crap". If God's watchmen are not functioning effectively in a church, it will fill up with garbage and become contaminated. So while the watchmen has an unseemly task, they are important for the functioning of the body and deserve equal concern and respect.
I have heard many say a watchman is a prophet and that's true but not everyone with prophetic gifts today are necessarily watchmen. And a watchman does not necessarily have the manifestation gift of prophesying. What's important about a new testament watchman is what it is they are actually watching for (it's not an approaching army or raiders), and what we are watching with, (it's not our natural eyes) Old testament watchmen warned more of coming physical danger whereas new testament watchmen warn more of spiritual danger.
New testament scriptures about watching;
Matthew 24:4 Watch out that no one deceives you
1 Timothy 4:16 Watch your life and your doctrine closely
Mark 8:15 "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod."
2 John 1:8 Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for.
Romans 16:17 "Watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way.
Galatians 5:15 "Watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
Mark 13:33 Watch out because you don't know when the time will come.
Matthew 7:15 Watch out for false prophets...
Luke 12:54-56 Watch and be aware of this present time... And much more...
Other things we are watching for;
-What the Spirit is saying to the churches Rev 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:29, 3:6, 3:13, 3:22
In other words what is the Spirit doing in my time of history, my generation, in my city, my life etc.
-Identity and function of the believer
Who is my God, who does God say I am, what is my purpose, how do I fulfill it.
-The potential danger of sin and spiritual blindness
What are my battles, what is the playing field, what are the weapons of our warfare, how do I overcome.
-God's wisdom, knowledge and understanding
How do I acquire God's Wisdom, how do I process the knowledge of God
-God's eternal purposes, opportunities, rewards and penalties
How to have a right view of life in light of the promises, opportunities and eternity
-Understands the signs and the times (fulfillment of scripture)
Understanding what it is I need to do according to the time I am living in.
-New things God is doing (Isaiah 48:6 & 43:19)
Understanding reformation, the new wineskins and and the spiritual upgrades the Lord wants for us.
I believe my duties as a Watchman are;
Spiritual reconnaissance, analysis, reporting
Distribution of life saving information
"Connecting the Unconnected" to the kingdom of God
The following are some commentaries on the "watchman" calling by several authors.
The place of watchmen is on the wall Looking out into the direction that he is pointing. This can be lonely, discouraging work. Jesus is pleading with his watchmen to stay on the walls, where he needs them to be. Many watchmen are down in the city chatting with friends, because they got lonely. Others are on the conference circuit, where the money is better. Some are busy trolling the internet, but that is not the same as listening to the Lord. Others grew tired and have gone to sleep. Others have given up, because they are weary of their warnings being rejected. The watchman should not be in the city eating and drinking with the town's folk. He should be out on the watchtower looking into the night. Jesus urgently needs his watchmen to get back up on the watchtower where he has appointed them.
The watchmen were not the elders in the gates, nor did they have the authority to open or close the gates of a city. Neither did they have the authority to mobilize the militia against the enemy. (old testament) Their job was to communicate what they saw to those who did have the authority. Presently, many pastors and elders are trying to do this job for their congregations, which only distracts them from their true calling. We must begin to recognise, train, and position those who have this calling, and establish effective lines of communication with them. It may actually be very good that he is often away from the flock, because few really understand him. He is interested not so much in people and what they think of him, but in God's voice for the situation.
(Rick Joyner - The Ministry of a Watchman).
Being on the walls of the city would place one in a position of elevated perspective to see both a distance outside and inside of the city. These were trained to recognise both the enemy and their brethren from a great distance. However, they had no authority to confront either. They simply gave their information to the elders who sat in the gates. Only the elders had the authority to either command that the gates be opened or to sound the alarm.
(Rick Joyner - The Ministry of a Watchman).
The seer represents the prophetic dimension by means of his ability to observe, by his inclination towards watchfulness. He is the watchman, the protector. He walks the narrow paths of the border areas of the Kingdom, drawing strength for this isolated work of defence from the vivid visions and experiences of the heartlands of God's domains. The prophet's home is a Mizpah, a watchtower, a place for proper judgement and discernment, 1 Sam 7:6 (Lars Widerberg - The Seer)
The Church has often lacked in having watchmen. She has had a type of watchman that has watched almost from a position on the floor of the church and not from the wall. The watchman is a prophet and as such is a seer and needs to be up high to see beyond the heights that even the king would see, since the king is not up the wall (Steve Snow - Eagle Watchman Resources).
Though the prophet is one with the church he yet always stands a little apart. The Old Testament prophet would have gone ahead to do all the speaking, or the healing, or whatever was needed. The New Testament prophet bows his spirit to prayer, unbeknownst to the rest of the body, and others find themselves healing or teaching or speaking (John and Paula Sanford - The Elijah Task p. 18,19,20).
Christians are often embarrassed by God's watchmen, as they can be intense, opinionated or scruffy. Watchmen maybe the eyes of the body, but they are also the bowels that get rid of the "crap". If God's watchmen are not functioning effectively in a church, it will fill up with garbage and become contaminated. So while the watchmen has an unseemly task, they are important for the functioning of the body and deserve equal concern and respect.
What is the Spirit is saying to the Churches? Revelation 2:7
Now more than ever the true gospel of the Kingdom needs to be preached in its fullness,
"all the more as we see the day approaching" Hebrews 10:24-25. The times are reaching their fulfillment when all things will be summed up in Christ.
The slumbering lukewarm Church needs to be awakened and called forth to her elected place.
"To him who overcomes I will grant the right to sit with me on my throne..." Revelation 3:21
"Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awaken, some to everlasting life others to everlasting shame and contempt" Daniel 12:2 Which will it be for you?
In the last days the Lord says He will send "Elijah" Malachi 4:5 (intensely prophetic ministers both Charismatic and evangelical) to restore hearts to the right ways of the Lord and to fight against Laodicean lukewarmness.
We need fervent preaching of the word with an emphasis on understanding the times. We are at the culmination of the ages where the greatest harvest of souls is about to take place but there are too few workers to get the job done. Thus we have the two great battle fronts the Church is to be engaged in, the prayer movement and the missions movement. Jesus said it like this; “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38
God needs His end time army to be built up, therefore He is sending His prophets (Elijah ministries) to sound the trumpet call to action. There is a slumbering army out there waiting to be awakened equipped and deployed into action! Jesus said Go! Matthew 28:19 Luke 10:2-3 Matthew 9:37-38
If the Watchman does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? 1 Corinthians 14:8
I feel a sense of responsibility and urgency to share the knowledge and gifts that I have been given lest they be taken from me and given to another, (parable of the talents). Our days in this life are numbered and you only get one chance at it. If you know you have been given special insight and understanding about the only truth that can set humanity free, and eternal destinies are at stake, well... it's no small thing. We each have a part to become, a race to run and a destination to aim for.
In 2012 the Lord re-awakened me to the calling He first revealed to me in 1987. He began to speak about a series of themes that are related to the time we are living in, which I believe is the end of the age. There are a variety of signs and various trends emerging that indicate we are entering the period of time spoken of in scripture of which there is 150 chapters as the main theme. This is a time that the Lord vehemently exhorts his followers to be aware of and prepared for. The stakes for reward will be at their highest for those who are obedient, as well as the consequences for the unredeemed. We are fast approaching the apex of human history as we speed along towards the great and terrible, "Day of the Lord". The temptations of evil influence coupled with knowledge of God filling the earth will result in the earth's contractions that will give birth to the new man!
I believe we are the generation, ...upon whom the end of the ages has come. 1 Corinthians 10:11
Jesus warned us in the Olivet discourse Luke 21:34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
I don't mean to preach a fear based message but just to impart a holy reverence for God's word. It's the Truth that sets people free. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" Proverbs 1:7
Therefore submit to God resist the devil and he will flee. James 4:7 Be anxious for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
These and many other passages in scripture were meant to be understood by the people living in the generation that they were speaking of;
...but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.” Daniel 8:26
In days to come you will understand it (the vision) clearly. Jeremiah 23:20
“You do not realize what I am now doing, but later you will understand.” John 13:7
Which of you will pay close attention in time to come? Isaiah 42:23
...I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you... Isaiah 48:5
Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this. 2 Timothy 2:7
See the former things have taken place and new things I declare; before they spring up I announce them to you. Isaiah 42:9
"From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you. They are created now, and not long ago; you have not heard of them before today. Isaiah 48:6-7