All Church Leaders are called to Teach , warn and Uplift their Members . These days the Only function of Church Leaders is Upliftment into the World , Proper Bible Teaching and Biblical warnings are not part of their Job discription these days . Today I am going to consentrate on WARNING – All Churchs leaders need to give WARNING , not only against Sin and inmorality but to the Signs of the Times. Being Watchmen that Warns on the Minutes to Midnight what we are currently expeirancing in this Time.
Watchmen in the Bible were guards responsible for protecting towns and military installations from surprise enemy attacks and other potential dangers. Ancient Israelite cities often stationed watchmen on high walls or in watchtowers. Their job was to keep watch and warn the townspeople of impending threats.
The Hebrew word translated “watchman” means “one who looks out,” “one who spies,” or “one who watches.” Sometimes watchmen were scouts who looked out for approaching friends as well as enemies.
There are many references to watchmen who kept an eye out for physical threats in the Bible: “Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he saw the company of Jehu as he came and said, ‘I see a company.’ And Joram said, ‘Take a horseman and send to meet them, and let him say, “Is it peace?”’” (2 Kings 9:17, ESV).
Watchmen safeguarded fields and vineyards during harvest time (Isaiah 5:1–2; Matthew 21:33; Mark 12:1) and acted as sentinels who announced the start of a new day (Psalm 130:6; Isaiah 21:11–12).
The Bible also refers to watchmen in a spiritual sense. God appointed prophets as spiritual watchmen over the souls of His people: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me” (Ezekiel 33:7; also Hosea 9:8).
The prophets’ job as watchmen was to urge God’s people to live faithfully and warn them of the perils involved in falling away from the Lord and doing evil. As watchmen, the prophets were also called to warn wicked people of the judgment and destruction that would come their way unless they turned from their evil ways.
Israel’s spiritual watchmen bore a heavy responsibility before the Lord. If a prophet failed to warn others as God had appointed him to do, his own life was in danger, and he would be held accountable for the people’s sin: “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood’” (Ezekiel 33:2–6).
A watchman who was blind or disobedient to the Lord’s Word left the people he was called to protect open to danger and suffering (Isaiah 56:10). Obedience is the only course of action for a true watchman: “But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved” (Ezekiel 33:9).
The role of spiritual watchman continues in the New Testament in the form of church leaders: “Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit” (Hebrews 13:17, NLT).
In another sense, God calls not just leaders, but all Christians to be watchmen. Jesus told His disciples to “watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38). We should all be ready and waiting for the Lord’s return: “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him”
END OF ENGLISH ARTICLE
Article in Afrikaans
Alle Kerkleiers word geroep om hulle Lede te onderrig, te waarsku en op te hef. Deesdae is die enigste funksie van kerkleiers opheffing in die wêreld, behoorlike Bybelonderrig en Bybelse waarskuwings is nie deesdae deel van hul werkbeskrywing nie. Vandag gaan ek konsentreer op WAARSKUWING – Alle kerkleiers moet WAARSKUWING gee, nie net teen sonde en onsedelikheid nie, maar teen die tekens van die tye. Om wagters te wees wat op die minute tot middernag waarsku wat ons tans in hierdie tyd ervaar.
Wagters in die Bybel was wagte wat verantwoordelik was vir die beskerming van dorpe en militêre installasies teen verrassende vyandelike aanvalle en ander potensiële gevare. Ou Israelitiese stede het dikwels wagte op hoë mure of in wagtorings gestasioneer. Hulle werk was om wag te hou en die dorpsmense te waarsku teen dreigende dreigemente.
Die Hebreeuse woord wat met “wagter” vertaal word, beteken “een wat uitkyk”, “een wat spioeneer” of “een wat waak”. Soms was wagte verkenners wat uitgekyk het vir naderende vriende sowel as vyande.
Daar is baie verwysings na wagte wat uitkyk vir fisiese dreigemente in die Bybel: “En die wag het op die toring in Jisreël gestaan, en hy het die geselskap van Jehu gesien terwyl hy kom en sê: ‘Ek sien ‘n skare.’ En Joram sê: Neem ‘n ruiter en stuur hulle tegemoet, en laat hom sê: Is dit vrede?’” (2 Konings 9:17).
Wagters het lande en wingerde tydens oestyd beveilig (Jesaja 5:1–2; Matteus 21:33; Markus 12:1) en as wagte opgetree wat die begin van ’n nuwe dag aangekondig het (Psalm 130:6; Jesaja 21:11–12) ).
Die Bybel verwys ook na wagters in geestelike sin. God het profete as geestelike wagte oor die siele van Sy volk aangestel: “Mensekind, Ek het jou ‘n wag vir die volk Israel aangestel; hoor dus die woord wat Ek spreek en waarsku hulle van My af” (Esegiël 33:7; ook Hosea 9:8).
Die profete se taak as wagte was om God se volk aan te spoor om getrou te lewe en hulle te waarsku teen die gevare verbonde daaraan om van die Here af te val en kwaad te doen. As wagte is die profete ook geroep om goddelose mense te waarsku teen die oordeel en vernietiging wat oor hulle pad sou kom, tensy hulle hulle van hul bose weë bekeer.
Israel se geestelike wagte het ‘n swaar verantwoordelikheid voor die Here gedra. As ‘n profeet versuim om ander te waarsku soos God hom aangewys het om te doen, was sy eie lewe in gevaar, en sou hy verantwoordelik gehou word vir die volk se sonde: “Mensekind, praat met u volk en sê vir hulle: ‘Wanneer ek bring die swaard teen ‘n land, en die volk van die land kies een van hul manne en maak hom hul wag, en hy sien die swaard teen die land kom en blaas die basuin om die volk te waarsku, as iemand dan die basuin hoor maar dit doen luister nie na die waarskuwing nie en die swaard kom en neem hulle lewe, hulle bloed sal op hulle eie kop wees. Aangesien hulle die geluid van die basuin gehoor het, maar nie op die waarskuwing ag geslaan het nie, sal hulle bloed op hulle eie kop wees. As hulle op die waarskuwing ag geslaan het, sou hulle hulself gered het. Maar as die wag die swaard sien kom en nie op die basuin blaas om die mense te waarsku nie en die swaard kom en neem iemand se lewe, dan sal daardie persoon se lewe geneem word weens hulle sonde, maar Ek sal die wag vir hulle bloed aanspreeklik hou.” (Esegiël 33:2–6).
’n Wagter wat blind of ongehoorsaam was aan die Here se Woord het die mense wat hy geroep is om te beskerm, oopgelaat vir gevaar en lyding (Jesaja 56:10). Gehoorsaamheid is die enigste manier van aksie vir ‘n ware wagter: “Maar as jy die goddelose persoon waarsku om van sy weë af te draai en hulle doen dit nie, sal hulle vir hul sonde sterf, al sal jy self gered word” (Esegiël 33) :9).
Die rol van geestelike wagter gaan voort in die Nuwe Testament in die vorm van kerkleiers: “Gehoorsaam julle geestelike leiers, en doen wat hulle sê. Hulle werk is om oor julle siele te waak, en hulle is verantwoordbaar aan God. Gee hulle rede om dit met vreugde te doen en nie met hartseer nie. Dit sal beslis nie tot jou voordeel wees nie” (Hebreërs 13:17, NLV).
In ‘n ander sin roep God nie net leiers nie, maar alle Christene om wagte te wees. Jesus het vir Sy dissipels gesê om “waak en bid sodat julle nie in versoeking kom nie. Die gees is gewillig, maar die vlees is swak” (Mark 14:38). Ons moet almal gereed wees en wag vir die Here se wederkoms: “Wees gereed geklee vir diens en hou julle lampe aan die brand, soos diensknegte wat wag dat hulle heer van ‘n bruilofsmaal terugkom, sodat wanneer hy kom en klop hulle dadelik die deur kan oopmaak. vir hom. Dit sal goed wees vir daardie diensknegte wie se heer hulle sien kyk wanneer hy kom. Voorwaar Ek sê vir julle, hy sal homself aantrek om te dien, sal hulle aan tafel laat aansit en op hulle kom wag. Dit sal goed wees vir daardie diensknegte wie se heer hulle gereed vind, al kom hy in die middel van die nag of teen dagbreek. Maar verstaan dit: As die eienaar van die huis geweet het in watter uur die dief sou kom, sou hy nie by sy huis laat inbreek het nie. Julle moet ook gereed wees, want die Seun van die mens sal kom op ‘n uur dat julle Hom nie verwag nie.”