And which is repeated, Watchman, what of the night
II. The question put to the watchman, Watchman, what of the night
And which is repeated, Watchman, what of the night
This is usually done when persons are in a panic, or they fear the watchman did not hear them the first time; or it may denote one coming after another in a fright asking the same question. The sense is either what from the night? as the words may be rendered; what has happened since it was night? hast thou observed nothing? is the enemy near, or danger at hand? or what sayst thou concerning the night ? the night of darkness and affliction in which we are, when will it be over or what time of night is it? what o’clock is it? how much of the night is there gone? and what is there that remains to come?
Now let it he observed, that there was a night both in the Jewish and Gentile world, preceding the first coming of Christ: the former dispensation was a night of darkness with the Jews themselves, in comparison of the Gospel-day, or that famous day, so much and so often spoken of in this prophecy of Isaiah; which was made by the rising of the Sun of righteousness with healing in his wings; and which reaches from the first coming of Christ unto his second coming; and of which it may be said, during that time, now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2): but before this it was night; and it may be, that in reference to this, as well as to the darkness which overspread the Gentile world, and which was in a great measure removed by the preaching of the Gospel, the apostle says, the night is far spent, the day is at hand (Romans 13:12): it is certain, however, that there was a great obscurity in the Mosaic dispensation; the law was given amidst blackness, darkness, and tempest; there was a veil over the face of Moses when he spoke unto the people; and there is another on their hearts, in reading the Old Testament, Moses and the prophets; and which remains untaken away from them to this day, but will be removed when they shall be turned to the Lord; the doctrines of grace though then delivered, yet very obscurely in types and figures; the way of salvation by Christ, and unto eternal happiness, was pointed out, but not so clearly as now; the way into the holiest of all, was not so manifest, as now the veil of the temple is rent in twain. The shadows of the ceremonial law were stretched out at that time; the law was only a shadow of good things to come, and was not so much as the very image of them which shadows were done away, when Christ, the body and substance, was come to which the church refers, when she says, until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh., and to the hill of frankincense (Song of Solomon 4:6). There were indeed, in this dispensation, the stars of light, the prophets, and ministers of the word to instruct the people: but then the appearance of these shows it was a night season; they had the word, which was a light unto their feet, and a lamp unto their paths; they had the scriptures, which were profitable for doctrine and instruction in righteousness, and able to make men wise unto salvation; they had the moon of the ceremonial law to lead them to Christ; this perhaps is meant by the moon under the church’s feet, (Revelation 12:1) one part of it lay in the observation of new moons, and its solemn festivals were governed and regulated by them; it had its spots and imperfections as the moon, and was changeable as that is; and is now done away because of the weakness and unprofitableness of it: it is true, it reflected and gave light to the saints under that dispensation; but then as the moon is the lesser light, and which rules by night, this shows it was as yet a night-season, and the day was not come; as yet the bright and morning-star had not appeared; the day-spring from on high had not visited man; and the Sun of righteousness as yet had not risen, and made the glorious Gospel-day. It may be to this gradual progress of light, through the various dispensations of the church, Christ may have respect, when he says, who is she that looks forth as the morning, in the patriarchal state; fair as the moon, under the ceremonial law; clear as the sun, under the Gospel-dispensation; and terrible as an army with banners, in the latter day, when she will enjoy purity of doctrine, discipline and ordinances, as well as have honor and authority? Thus it was with the Jewish church before the coming of Christ; and as to the Gentile world, it was a time of gross ignorance with them, which God winked at, overlooked, and took no notice of, or used any methods to remove; they knew not God, the one only living and true God, and much less God in Christ; they were without him, and without the Messiah, and any knowledge of him; were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise; they sat in darkness, and in the region of the shadow of death, till Christ came a light to lighten the Gentiles, as well as to be the glory of his people Israel.
Now the question may be with respect to this night of Jewish and Gentile darkness, what of this night it was? how near it was to an end? when that would be, and the day break? There were some general rules with respect to this matter, or several prophecies which pointed to the time of Christ’s coming, and served as a direction to it, and furnished with an answer to this question: the tribe of Judah was not to cease to be a tribe, nor rule and government to cease from it; it was to be the seat of it, until the Messiah came, according to Jacob’s prophecy; the scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come (Genesis 49:10): and by other prophecies it appears, that the second temple would not be destroyed until he came, for he was to come into it as the Lord, the owner and proprietor of it; which coming of his into it would give it a greater glory than the first temple had (Malachi 3:1; Haggai 2:7, 9). There were frequently hints given out by the watchmen, the prophets, with relation to the coming of Christ, and to his speedy coming; when the faith of the Lord’s people was almost worn out, because his coming was so long deferred; one of these watchmen is bid to say to them that are of a fearful heart, be strong, fear not, behold your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence, and will save you (Isaiah 35:4); and another when on his watch-tower, says, the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie; though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry (Habakkuk 2:1, 3); and another of these watchmen brings good tidings, and calls upon Zion to rejoice, saying, behold thy King cometh; he is just ready to appear, and will be here quickly, and describes him and the creature he was to ride upon (Zechariah 9:9); and the last of them declares, that the Lord, and messenger of the covenant, would suddenly come to his temple (Malachi 3:1): Daniel, he fixes the very time of his coming, and says (Daniel 9:24), that seventy weeks were determined or cut out for it, even weeks of years, four hundred and ninety years from a date which he gives. By these hints of the watchmen, and especially by the last, the people knew what time of night it was, and how long it would be to the coming of the Messiah, and lived in expectation of it. R. Nehumiah, that lived about fifty years before the coming of Christ, gave out that the time of the Messiah signified by Daniel could not be protracted longer than those fifty years; [5406] and about the time that he did come, we find that there was among the people of the Jews a general expectation of him: good old Simeon was waiting for the consolation of Israel; and Anna the prophetess spoke of him to them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem; and when John the Baptist his forerunner appeared, all the people were in expectation; and mused in their hearts whether he was the Christ or no (Luke 2:25, 38; 3:15).
It might be further observed, that as there was a night of darkness preceding the first coming of Christ, when at certain times the watchmen were applied unto, to know what time it was; and who gave several hints which were directions in this matter, and served to keep up the saints faith and expectation of it; and by which they knew in some measure whereabout they were, and when that would be; so there will be a night of darkness which will go before both the spiritual and personal coming of Christ again, and to which this question may also relate but of this more hereafter; we shall find a more proper place for the consideration of it under the next head, to which I hasten.