Luke 12:35-40 KJV
Let us first consider " what is A Watch?"
In military terms, A Watch begins after super ( the evening meal)
Special Forces training
First Watch 7:00pm
Second Watch 9:00pm
Third Watch 11:00 pm
Fourth Watch 1:00 am
Fifth Watch 3:00 am
Then the 4:00 Am First call: ( there is no second call)
After
training.... the watches while in active duty, could increase from 2
hour watches to 3 or4 hour watches, depending on how many men there
were.
The next question:
When does God's Day begin?
A. Sunset
When does God's Day end?
A. Sunset
So we begin with the DAY being God's Day count, and [not our count,] which is sunup to sundown or sunup to sunup.
Next question
When would a Thief come ?
A. Between the hours of 2:00am and 4:00am.
According to our WATCH schedule above this is during the FOURTH and FIFTH Watch.
Next question
What hour does the cock crow?
A. At dawn, about 6:00 am.
Let us look at "The Morning" in respect to "The Rapture", as [a time ye think not.]
Are there examples in scriptures of such an event?
Yes
Genesis 19:15 KJV
And when the morning arose, THEN the angels
hastened Lot, saying [Arise] take thy wife, and thy two daughters,
[which are here(;)] LEST THOU BE CONSUMED IN THE INIQUITY OF THE CITY.
22)
Haste thee, escape thither; for [ I' cannot do any thing] TILL thou
come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
Genesis 19:27 KJV
And Abraham gat up [early] in the morning to the
place where he stood before the Lord(:) And he looked toward Sodom and
Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the
smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.
Exodus 14:27 KJV
And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and
the sea returned to his strength WHEN THE MORNING APPEARED(;) and the
Egyptians fled against it(;) and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the
[midst] of the sea,
Exodus 16:7 KJV
And in the morning ye shall see the glory of the Lord(;)
Exodus 34:2 KJV
And
[be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning] unto mount Sinai,
and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.
2 Samuel 23:4 KJV
The last words of David:
And he shall be as the
[light of the morning,] when the sun riseth, even a morning without
clouds(;) as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear
shinning after rain(.)
Psalms 130:6 KJV
My soul waiteth for the Lord more THAN THEY THAT WATCH FOR THE MORNING(:) I say, MORE than they that WATCH for the morning.
Let your loins be girded about, and your [lights] burning(;)
( this signifies it is dark enough to burn lights)
And
ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their (l)ord, when he will
return from [the wedding] (;) that when he cometh and knocketh, they may
open unto him
[immediately.]
(these words would give the impression that the servants of the house
would come immediately and open the door, being awake and [could]
respond immediately. Perhaps because the lord of the house celebrated at
the wedding well into the night.)
Blessed are [those] servants, whom the (l)ord when he cometh shall find watching(:)
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.
(meat was the evening meal)
38) And if he shall come in the [second] watch, or come in the [third] watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
(
this tells us these servants waited even after the evening meal, even
unto about the midnight hour, which is well into the THIRD watch.)
39) And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour
the [thief] would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his
house to be broken through.
(The head servant of the household would
have stayed up watching even into the FIFTH watch, because a thief,
knowing that the master of the house was away, [might] come to break in
upon those servants.
The goodman of the house would have stayed up all night if needed,
his garment still upon him, to prevent such an happening.)
40) Be ye therefore ready also(:) for the Son of man cometh [at an hour ye think not.]
(
we as watchers of the times and seasons, well know that our LORD is
very near to return, and we are ON THE WATCH, that we WILL NOT be caught
off guard should he come even into the THIRD watch, should come in the
night.
BUT know this; He does [not] come to us as a thief. He comes as a thief
to those who are not watching. [ the unfaithful servants]
The THIEF comes to break in and rob, to [destroy.] That day will not overtake us as a thief.
In Revelation 16:15 KJV
Jesus said:
Behold, I come as a thief(.)
Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments,
lest he walk naked, and they see his shame(.)
(THEY being the spirits of devils, in verse 14)
If we are watching and are praying always, then we have our garments kept on an ready.
The word (Midnight) is mentioned 14/14 times in the King James Bible.
MIDNIGHT is in the midst of the THIRD watch.
Exodus 11:4 KJV
Thus saith the LORD, (About midnight) will I' go out into the midst of Eqypt.
Exodus 12:29 KJV
And it came to pass, (at midnight) the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. (DEATH)
Judges 16:3 KJV
Samson arose (at midnight) and [took] the doors of
the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar
and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top
of an hill that is before Hebron.
(TOOK them AWAY and UP at midnight during the THIRD watch)
Ruth 3:8 KJV
(at midnight) the man was [afraid,] and turned himself(:) and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.
1 Kings 3:20 KJV
And
she arose (at midnight) and [took my son] from beside me, while thine
handmaid slept, and laid [it] in her bosom, and laid [her dead child in
MY bosom.]
Job 34:20 KJV
IN A MOMMENT shall [they] die, and the people shall be
troubled (at midnight,) and pass away(:) and the mighty shall be taken
away without hand.
Psalms 119:62 KJV
(At midnight I will rise) to give [thanks] to thee because of [thy righteous judgments.]
Matthew 25:26 KJV
And (at midnight) there was a cry made, Behold, [the bridegroom cometh](;)
GO YE OUT TO MEET HIM.
( the THIRD watch the bridegroom comes)
Mark 13:35 KJV
Watch
ye therefore(:) for ye know [not] when the master of the house cometh,
AT EVEN, or (at midnight,) or at the cock crowing, or in the morning.
( Therefore be ye [also] ready(:) for in such an hour as [ye think not] the Son of man cometh(.) Matt 24:44
Be ye therefore ready also(:) for the Son of man cometh [at an hour ye think not](.)Luke12:40 )
Luke 11:5-8 KJV
And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a
friend, and shall go unto him (at midnight,) and say unto him, Friend,
lend me three [loaves](;)
For a friend of mine [in his journey] is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
And he [from within] shall answer and say, [Trouble me not(:) [the door
is now shut,] and my children are with me in bed(;) I cannot rise and
give thee(.)
And I' say unto you, Though he will not rise and give
him, because he is his friend, YET BECAUSE OF HIS IMPORTUNITY HE [WILL
RISE] AND GIVE HIM AS MANY AS HE NEEDETH(.)
Acts 16:25 KJV
And (at midnight) Paul and Silas [prayed,] and [sang praises] unto God(:) and the prisoners heard them.
Acts 20:7 KJV
And
upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together [to
break bread] Paul preached unto them , [ready to depart] on the
morrow(;) and continued his speech (until midnight.)
Acts 27:27 KJV
But when the [fourteenth] night was come, we were
driven up and down in Adria, (about midnight) the shipman deemed that
they drew near some country.
Isn't it interesting that the 14th mention of the word midnight, also contains the word FOURTEENTH ?
There is no First Watch, mentioned in the Bible.
Second Watch only appears in Luke 12:38 KJV
Third Watch also is only mentioned in Luke 12:38 KJV
Fourth watch is mentioned TWO times in the Bible. Matthew 14:25, Mark 6:48
In Mark 6:46-52 we read
And when he had sent them away, [he departed] into a mountain to pray.
47) And when [even] was come, the ship was in the [midst] of the sea, and he alone on the land.
48)
And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto
them(:) and about the FOURTH watch of the night( from 1:00am-3:00am) [he
cometh unto them,] walking upon the sea, [and would have passed by
them.]
49) BUT when [they saw him] walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out(:)
50)
For [they all saw him,] and were troubled. And [immediately] he talked
with them, and saith unto them, [Be of good cheer](:) it is I(;) [be not
afraid.]
51) And he [went up] unto them into the ship(;) and the wind ceased(:)
and they were sore amazed in themselves [beyond] measure, and wondered.
52) For they considered [not] the miracle of [the loaves](:) for their heart was hardened.
( A beautiful story which could also be a picture of the rapture)
NO Fifth Watch mentioned in the Bible.
Let us look at the RESURRECTION story as it pertains to our present subject and also the current Holiday celebration.
Mark 16:2 KJV
And VERY EARLY in the morning the FIRST day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher AT THE RISING OF THE SUN.
4) And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away(:) for it was very great.
9)
Now when Jesus was risen EARLY the FIRST day of the week, he appeared
first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
Zephaniah1:7 KJV
Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord
God(:) for the day of the Lord is at hand(:) FOR THE LORD (HATH)
PREPARED A SACRIFICE, HE (HATH) BID HIS GUESTS.
A post Rapture event. " the day of the Lord " is a day of wrath.
! Thessalonians 5:9 KJV
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Israel; the fig tree nation, is nearing her 66th birthday.
The hour draws closer and closer.
God Bless You
KML