Read Time 10 Minutes
What Is A Rapture Watcher? A Rapture Watcher studies all the Signs on the Earth and In the Sky while listening to Holy Spirit, ready to warn the people of God to be prepared for the Imminent Arrival of Jesus Christ for His Church. This event is most commonly called The Rapture!
THE CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
We are commanded in Scripture to Watch for Jesus’ return. This does not relieve us of the responsibility to occupy until He comes and spread the gospel. There is a Crown of Righteousness, a reward, for those who “love His appearing.”
2 Timothy 4:8 KJV – (Bold Emphasis Mine)
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Let us pray we are found worthy to receive the Crown of Righteousness given to all those who long for His Coming and Welcome His appearing.
AUTHORITY OF THE WATCHMEN
What is a Watchmen? The Watchmen is the sentry, the soldier standing guard to warn of impending events and danger from either the physical or supernatural worlds.
The Watchmen of ancient times were posted on the walls of the city to alert the inhabitants of anything approaching. Their job was to sound the alarm, not to determine what the approach signaled. The same cloud of dust on the horizon might announce an approaching caravan with its welcome goods or a menacing Army’s advance. The roiling cloud could just as easily be a dust storm. The responsibility of the Watchmen was to alert the camp of unusual activity. The penalty for failure to fulfill their responsibility was loss of their own life. The Watchmen could neither hasten the caravan, slow the enemy or stop the dust storm – their responsibility was to sound the alert . . . so the camp could make itself ready!
Not all Watchmen see the same horizon – their strategic placement on the Wall affords each sentry a different vantage point. Only when all reports are viewed together, prayed through and discerned does a clearer picture emerge of what the camp might be facing. Yet with all the strategy and knowledge combined, what the camp is facing remains shrouded in mystery until the event occurs. The position of the Watchmen, both then and now, comes with great responsibility.
Ezekiel 33:6 ESV – (Bold and Underline Emphasis Mine)
But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.
Isaiah 62:6 ESV – (Bold and Underline Emphasis Mine)
On your walls, O Jerusalem,I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent.
Watchmen must be aware of both realms, the Visual (physical) and the Supernatural (spiritual or the unseen). Oftentimes, the duties combine in one individual, but not always. One sees physical signs on the earth & in the skies, while another sees the face and heart of God for His warning – the supernatural. Some Watchmen, hear the Word of the Lord by the Spirit and alert the people of warnings and admonitions from Father God. Other Watchmen are called to observe the human realm, the tactics of the enemy and the physical signs manifesting in the natural world. Their personal life and training has fitted them perfectly for the job assignment they have been given by Father God. “Before they were formed in their Mother’s womb He knew” . . . they were gifted by the Creator . . . for such a time as this!
Ezekiel 3:17-19 ESV – (Bold and Underline Emphasis Mine)
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.
Every Believer is commanded in Scripture to Watch for the Return of Christ to “Catch Away” His Body, the Church. Some Believers are given the specific job assignment and burden as a Watchman by Holy Spirit. Some Watchmen have been given the gift of Prophecy, others the ability to discern the signs, while still others the gift of intercession to seek the face of the Lord in prayer for counsel to His people.
Amos 3:7 ESV – (Bold and Underline Emphasis Mine)
“For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.
Paul was entrusted with the Mystery of The Rapture, the Harpazo, the Catching Away of the Church and many others. He instructed us, by the power of Holy Spirit, to Watch! Jesus Himself instructed Paul . . . and all Believers by extension . . . to Watch!
1 Thessalonians 5:4-6 KJV – (Bold and Underline Emphasis Mine)
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
Luke details Jesus’ instructions to Watch and Pray to Escape the things which will come to pass! Pretribulation Believers have been rightly charged with desiring to escape the hard times of the Day of the Lord. Yes, we plead guilty and are commanded to do so. We want to escape the things which are coming on this world, the Day of the Lord – The Tribulation – the Wrath of God and the Lamb known as Jacob’s Trouble. This is not the period of the Body of Christ’ Trouble, but Jacob’s (Israel’s) Trouble.
Make no mistake I do not want to be here for the most horrific time in recorded history and neither do you. Jesus warned His Body to Watch and Pray for this escape, He doesn’t want us here either! How are we accounted worthy? In Christ . . . our Overcomer . . . the Head of the Body of Christ!
Luke 21:34-36 KJV – (Bold and Underline Emphasis Mine)
34And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.35For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
CHRISTIANS TOO OFTEN ATTACK THEIR OWN
Watchmen have been given a scriptural mandate. God calls them to do what they do. The worldly Church of Laodicea will denigrate their efforts, challenge their authority and seek to silence them. Many do not want to look at the truth of the soon return of Christ, for they are very comfortable living in Satan’s world. Comfortable in Satan’s world is a very dangerous place to be spiritually!
2 PETER 3:3-6 ESV – (Bold and Underline Emphasis Mine)
3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
Do not place yourself in position to fulfill prophecy by being a Scoffer and Mocker. Jesus will return for the Church, just as He promised, despite every protest being made to the contrary. When Watchers, who have dared to step out in faith at the risk of personal ridicule, warn . . . they free themselves from the blood guilt of those who fail to listen. The Watchmen’s hands will be clean as they stand before the BEMA. Can you say the same? Look Up . . . Warn . . . Show others the Way to Christ . . . His return is Nigh!
STUDY TO SHOW THYSELF APPROVED
I have not made videos, charts or taught prophecy seminars about any of the ever-increasing signs of the soon return of Jesus. I, like many of you, have been privileged to sit in the “cheap seats” and benefit from the work of others. I did not stake my personal and professional reputation on a heart-felt belief the revelation given was from God. However, many honorable men and women did. Did they get everything right? Absolutely not. HOWEVER, their admonitions and efforts caused me to seek the face of God, to study and learn more about scripture than ever before and I will be forever indebted to them for their courage and their work.
I have diligently studied Scripture for years and was forced to dig deeper, look harder and question the dogma of man I had been taught my entire life. I am a better person, a better Christian and more prepared to stand before Jesus by the Watchmen’s efforts. We have never seen this time in the Plan of God before with Signs screaming from the Land, Sea, Air above us and the Heavens!
Many who chastised the Watchmen were deeply involved in comments sections on the watchmen videos and blogs – encouraging and agreeing – while they looked forward excitedly to what they, too, believed could occur at any moment. Yet, when the Event did not occur as they had hoped, prayed and believed, they turned viciously on those with whom they had only moments before collaborated and been in agreement. This is shameful behavior which I pray will never be repeated again.
Good men and women, with a heart for their Savior may reach different conclusions, but all should be lauded for seeking to understand more clearly the Signs of the Times.
1 Corinthians 13:12-13 ESV – (Bold and Underline Emphasis Mine)
12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
We live and Watch in the NOW, where we see in a mirror dimly. Only in Hindsight, after the event has occurred, will we know fully as we are known and there will be no need to Watch! Let your heart, prayers and admonitions to those who are watching be anchored in generosity, forbearance and LOVE! Do we disagree if we see error? Certainly. How do we do it? Privately – with Love!
Thank you to the Watchmen who woke many to the Lord’s soon return. I am honored to stand with you as you seek to assemble the puzzle pieces of prophecy, realizing we all have feet made of clay. I pray we all learn from our mistakes, seek the Lord more diligently and attempt even more carefully to Rightly Divide the Scriptures.
2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – (Bold Emphasis Mine)
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
THE WATCHMEN OF THE CHURCH AGE
Those of us who have been watching with eager anticipation for the past 6-7 years and longer have seen the ever-increasing number of signs pointing to the imminent return of Christ. As exhilarating and soul nourishing as the signs have been, there is also a tendency, if one’s focus is only on The Rapture, to become weary, disenchanted and frustrated.
Holy Spirit has led me to an approach which has given me great Inner Peace . . . what the Scripture describes in Hebrew as Shalom. This Peace I now experience confirms the source is Holy Spirit. I watch as eagerly as before, yet with the realization, the upcoming “high watch” date may be either a Sign or the Event. It is unnecessary for me to know or speculate which it might be. Paul did not say to decide, he said we are to “Watch” and “Alert” others who may be unaware.
IN THE MEANTIME
The Word in my Spirit is to focus on spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. The signs point only to Christ and His soon return. Be Ready and tell others . . . receive the Blood of Christ as payment for your sins by Believing in His Birth, Death, Burial and Resurrection!
There is no time remaining to bring strife and “argue for your pet doctrine or theory“. Everything is important . . . but none more so than Jesus and Salvation.
If you see those whom you believe are in error, state your points succinctly, with love. If you are led by Holy Spirit to confront the person directly, do so privately – go to them and attempt to understand what they are seeing and explain your viewpoint. If they do not heed your warning, pray for them, do not seek to harm or disparage. If the issue does not directly affect Salvation or could cause unbelievers to become confused or run from the strife – let it go! You’ve spoken or written your disagreement in love, now Walk Away . . . Praying!
Scripture tells us to be Salt to flavor the Body of Christ and Light to shine forth the Truth to the World . . . devastation and destruction is coming and it is our mandate to warn and point the way for our Brothers and Sisters . . . to one person only – Christ!
Matthew 5:13-14 ESV – (Bold and Underline Emphasis Mine)
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Pick up your Sword, the Scriptures, and join with us to alert the world of the soon return of Jesus Christ for His Body, the Church.
We are in The End Times . . . Christ’ Return for His Body is Near . . . Read . . . Pass It Along . . . Watch . . . Spread the Word!
Thanks for taking time for me . . .
BLESSINGS,
Sherry Driskell Griffin
P. S. If this was a Blessing to you . . . be a Blessing and pass it along!
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CHRISTIAN SITE . . . ON THE INTERNET
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