We are not left to speculation or vague hope regarding the times in which we live. The Scriptures themselves testify that we are in the “Last Days.” This is not a matter of opinion or theological hobby—God has declared the end from the beginning, and the convergence of prophetic trends in our day is the unmistakable signature of His sovereignty. For those who love the Lord, this is not a cause for fear, but for anticipation: “Look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draws near!” (Luke 21:28).
The Supernatural Signature of Prophecy
It is a tragic loss that so few churches teach Bible prophecy today. The prevailing trend is pragmatic: sermons and teachings are reduced to practical advice for daily living, as if the only thing God cares about is our present comfort or usefulness. This is a subtle but deadly error. To treat prophecy as irrelevant is to strip the Bible of its supernatural authority. Prophecy is not a curiosity—it is God’s unique proof that He alone is God, the One who “declares the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:9-10). When we neglect prophecy, we forfeit the very evidence that sets our faith apart from every man-made religion.
Peter did not hesitate to say that the prophetic word is “more sure” than even the eyewitness testimony of those who saw Christ in the flesh (2 Peter 1:19). To disregard this is to undermine the foundation of our confidence in Scripture itself. If the Church abandons prophecy, it abandons the very light that shines in a dark place.
Watchfulness Is Not Optional
Jesus did not mince words: “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42). The command to watch is not a suggestion for the spiritually elite; it is a mandate for every believer. The Lord repeatedly warned that those who are found watching will be blessed, while those who are indifferent will suffer loss. To claim that “no one can know the time, so we should not bother watching” is to directly contradict the Lord’s own teaching.
Some argue, as modern pragmatists do, that focusing on Christ’s return is impractical or even irresponsible. But this is to invert the priorities of the apostles and of Christ Himself. Jesus rebuked those who could discern the weather but were blind to the “signs of the times” (Matthew 16:2-3). He gave detailed instruction—Matthew 24 and 25, Mark 13, Luke 21—so that we would not be ignorant or unprepared. To ignore these warnings is not humility; it is disobedience.
The Apostolic Pattern: Prophetic Mission and Holy Expectation
When the Lord ascended, He did not tell His disciples to abandon eschatological hope in favor of mere activism. Instead, He promised the power of the Holy Spirit, commissioning them as witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:7-8). The very first apostolic sermon, preached by Peter, was rooted in the prophetic word—Joel’s vision of the coming Day of the Lord and the urgent call to repentance in light of what is to come (Acts 2). The apostolic gospel was, from the beginning, a prophetic message: Christ is coming, and this hope defines our mission and our identity.
Every epistle echoes this call to watchfulness and hope. The expectation of the Lord’s return is not an add-on to Christian life; it is the context for everything we do:
“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord…” (James 5:7)
“Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (1 Corinthians 1:7)
“Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior…” (Philippians 3:20)
“To wait for His Son from heaven…” (1 Thessalonians 1:10)
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ…” (Titus 2:13)
“Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God…” (2 Peter 3:12)
Even the Lord’s Table is given eschatological meaning: we proclaim His death “until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). The entire Christian life is oriented toward His appearing.
What Is Lost When We Neglect Watchfulness
If we accept the error that prophecy is irrelevant, or that watchfulness is optional, we lose far more than a theological detail—we lose the very foundation of our assurance and motivation. Without the supernatural proof of prophecy, the Bible is reduced to mere moralism, and our faith is robbed of its divine authority. Without the blessed hope of Christ’s return, holiness becomes drudgery, perseverance becomes impossible, and our mission loses its urgency. The Church becomes earthbound, preoccupied with the present, and powerless to stand in the evil day.
This is not a secondary matter. To neglect the prophetic word is to disobey Christ, to undermine the apostolic gospel, and to rob believers of the very hope that purifies and sustains them. The loss is total: the light goes out, and the Church is left to stumble in the dark.
The Call to Watch
Eschatological watchfulness is not fearmongering or escapism—it is the posture of faith, the mark of those who know their inheritance and await their Redeemer. The Holy Spirit Himself empowers this vigilance, making the Church a prophetic witness in the world. To watch is to live as sons and heirs, confident in the finished work of Christ and eagerly awaiting the day when faith becomes sight.
Let us not be numbered among those who are asleep or distracted by the present age. Let us heed the Lord’s command, cherish the prophetic word, and fix our hope fully on the grace to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Anything less is not merely a loss of perspective—it is a departure from the very heart of the Christian faith.
