In preparing this blog, I asked MetaAI the following question: “What is a Watchman on the Wall? Where is this spoken about in the Bible? Who are today’s watchman? Are Christian believers call to be watchmen? What does this entail?”

MetaAI came back with a helpful response (it often does):

“A Watchman on the Wall refers to an individual tasked with guarding and protecting a city or community, often stationed on walls or towers to detect and warn of impending threats. In the Bible, this concept is mentioned in various passages, including Isaiah 62:6, Ezekiel 3:17, and 2 Kings 9:17.

Biblical Context:

The watchman’s role was crucial in ancient times, responsible for sounding alarms and alerting inhabitants of potential dangers. This concept is often used metaphorically to describe spiritual leaders and prophets who guide and warn their communities.

Today’s Watchmen:

In a spiritual sense, watchmen can be considered as individuals who are vigilant and alert, watching for signs of danger or spiritual threats. This can include Christian leaders, pastors, and believers who are called to guide and warn others.

Christian Believers as Watchmen:

Yes, Christian believers are called to be watchmen, as emphasized in Matthew 24:42-51 and Ezekiel 33:7. This entails being spiritually alert, watching for signs of the times, and warning others of potential dangers. Believers are encouraged to be vigilant, pray continually, and share God’s Word with others.

Responsibilities of a Watchman:

– Vigilance: Staying spiritually awake and alert (Mark 13:33)

– Warning: Sounding the alarm about Christ’s return (Ezekiel 33:7-9)

– Waiting: Enduring with hope, looking for the Blessed Hope (Titus 2:13)

– Intercession: Praying continually and reminding God of His promises (Isaiah 62:6-7)

– Guidance: Guiding and warning others of spiritual threats

Some follow-up questions to consider:

1. How can Christian believers practically apply the concept of being watchmen in their daily lives?

2. What are some signs of the times that watchmen should be aware of, according to biblical prophecy?

3. How can believers balance their role as watchmen with other responsibilities and aspects of their faith?”

I was recently discussing with a friend some Bible verses (Luke 14:26-35), and he challenged me, mindful of my Facebook profile, where I declared: “I am a gospel preaching, community activist, watchman on the wall”, whether spending time, as I do, watching on the wall and, as a result, going down numerous rabbit holes, was the best use of my time given the needs of the hour, including the challenges from that passage, the two Great Commands and the need to share the Gospel. A Facebook friend described me as a self-appointed watchman, which is half true for, unlike Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel etc., I didn’t receive a revelation from heaven and, in the main, the Christians I associate with are not that into watching or revelation not specifically found in the scriptures. More dismissively, certain Christian leaders have portrayed me as a harmless (sometimes worse) crank who can be safely ignored, sometimes resulting in fall outs. I am now old in the tooth, unable to crack on at the coal face as I once did, and having been humbled enough as a result of God’s chastening to care too much what others think, now recognise what matters is what God requires of me.

There is so much I have learned and continue to learn as I enter my dotage, and as with many an often ignored old dodderer I can helpfully pass on. Given how brief life is and how long eternity is, it is far better to focus on pleasing God than man. Then there is the need for balance – while delving deep as a watchman is good so is doing all sorts of mundane acts of kindness to our fellow man, even if going unrecognised. Then what is going on around us can rarely be described in either/or terms and often not only do we not know all the facts but those who claim they do either deliberately lie or do so based on prejudice, lack of sufficient evidence, etc. But back to watching on the wall – as I told my friend, the need to warn others is imperative (for the Bible tells me so) and if we are to love our neighbour, as the good book reminds us that we must, it would be unloving if we failed to warn them. True, there will always be stuff that appears important yet we don’t know the full facts/story and, even if we did, there maybe little we can do about it and instead we must just get on with life and make the best of what is before us.

But as I undertake the potentially daunting exercise of reflecting on my watching on my wall career (these days, often at my computer terminal linked to the world wide web), I reckon I do more watching than most, helped by being retired and therefore having the time and inclination to do so. While I would like to think that I am more knowledgeable, tenacious, thoughtful and independent thinking than most, such that often I see things different from others, including those who share my Christian world view, I recognise that sometimes I am wrong, especially if I have insufficient data to go on. I recognise too that, while I have been watching ever since my youth, in the past, especially, I have not always seen things clearly, especially if blinded by ignorance, prejudice and deception. I have also found myself prey to those who are dismissed by the so called good and the great as conspiracy theorists. Such folk can be wrong, but sometimes/often they are onto something, given gatekeepers to truth and information are often controlled by the baddies.

My own watching upped a notch during the time of the Covid Plandemic. At the start of the Plandemic, I had already been going down all sorts of rabbit holes and was beginning to link my own theological understanding of the battle between God and the Devil, with the notion that lots of bad stuff going on in the world was orchestrated by a tiny, evil, often hidden, cabal, who were intent on humanity’s destruction or enslavement. I smelt a rat! I shared my qualms that were often quashed or ignored. It was the one time I could have left my church (I have been a member now over twelve years and appreciate the faithfulness, godliness and kindness of others in my church). Like most, many were sucked in by the dictates and suggestions of them in power, when these should have been questioned and opposed. We have moved on of course but it was a trial run of the playing out of the Hegelian Dialectic (problem, reaction, solution) and we are still not out of the woods, e.g. plans to bring in digital IDs. Even as I did today’s watching, I saw more evidence that it was a Plan rather than a Pan “demic”, e.g. the net harm caused by lockdowns and the “Jab” we were persuaded to take.  

To answer the question we began with – “Do we need Watchmen on the Wall today?”, my response is an emphatic yes. I often reflect that one my heroes, or rather set of, were the Children of Issachar, “who were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do”. While those reading this, and are stirred to follow in like manner, can’t do much about Israel, they can serve the Church as watchmen (here I have in mind the true, not the fake one) and fellow humans, along with sharing the Gospel. I pray that God will raise up more watchmen in these perilous times, for we need them.