Dear John and all Doves,
      When I read the words of the Master, "What I say to you I say to all, Watch," I ask what he means by the word watch. He means to look for Him at the appropriate time the Groom arrives and more. He speaks of the first, second, and third watches of the night and the need to be on watch for the hour of testing that will come upon everyone on earth.. He speaks of the somewhat prepared yet sleeping bride and her ten bridesmaids. He also tells us about the goodman/strongman who loses his valuables. He is not watching when he should be watching.
      What ties these together are the ideas of watching, hour, and watches of the night.The concept of the watches of the night is rather unusual for us. The first watch is from 9-midnight, the second watch is from midnight to 3, and the third from 3 to 6. Can events transpire so that all three are affected in one night? Yes. Technically, the midnight hour is part of the extended midnight watch. Watch one from 9 to 11:59 has passed without anything happening. At midnight, at 12 or 24:00 or 444 nothing happens. Let us suppose something happens at the end of the midnight watch at 2:59 with the midnight cry of awakening. Then, after a period of confusion, the bride and the bridal party leave at 4:44 in the third watch. This is all theory yet it is possible.
      There is therefore a possible need to watch for hours longer than expected. However, there is still another complication. Did the Christ/Messiah live with a daylight savings time? No. That means there is a misunderstanding of when the midnight hour and watch actually occur in Israel. When we think it is the midnight hour, to Abba Father and Messiah , it may be only 11 to them. If the bride expects the groom to come at midnight, when it is only 11, she and her bridesmaids will go back to sleep. They would be sound asleep for 3 or 4 hours before they are startled awake. What merchant in their times would sell olive oil for lamps at 3 or 4 in the morning? None. When the 5 bridesmaids rush off too late to the wedding they still have no more oil for their lamps.
      The bride may need to watch for hours on end her special night of awakening, transformation, and departure. The concept of watch may have these invaluable additional implications for each of us. What is the time of watching? It extends from when the first watch starts, in Israel, at 9 until the third watch ends at 6. In these precious days before us, may we in spirit, be watching. We may be near the year, the season, the month, the day, the watch, the hour, the minute, and the second. Come quickly...

With Love and Shalom,
Jean Stepnoski