LESSON #1: THE PARABLE OF THE MASTER OF THE HOUSE AND THE DOORKEEPER



The Lord Jesus said that no one knew the day and the hour of His coming. The angels in heaven do not know it, the Lord Jesus Himself does not know it, only the Father knows it. He then gave a parable of a man who goes to a far country, leaving his house and giving authority and his work to his servants, and commanding the doorkeeper to watch. The doorkeeper must always watch because he does not know exactly when the man who is the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning. He must not fall asleep so that he can open the door as soon as the man comes.


LESSON #2: THE DAY OF THE LORD AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT



Even though no one knows the day and the hour when the Lord Jesus comes, we know that He is going to come when the world is in spiritual darkness. The doorkeeper in the parable must watch throughout the night—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— lest, coming suddenly, the master of the house finds him sleeping. Paul the apostle said that the day of the Lord was going to come as a thief in the night. He wrote, “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2)


LESSON #3: THE FOUR NIGHT WATCHES



There are four night watches in the parable: 9 pm, 12 am, 3 am, and 6 am. The evening starts at 6pm and ends at 9 pm, the night starts at 9 pm and ends at 12 am (midnight), the darkness starts at 12 am and ends at 3 am (the crowing of the rooster), and the dawn starts at 3 am and ends at 6 am (morning). The evening is the beginning of the night. It begins to be dark from 6 pm onward. From 9 pm to 12 am it is night and it is dark. From 12 am to 3 am it is past midnight and it is the time of thick darkness. From 3 am to 6 am it is still dark but it is also the time when light begins to appear.


LESSON #4: DARKENED UNDERSTANDING AND NUMBNESS IN HEART



The four night watches in the parable—the evening, the night, the darkness, and the dawn—each describe the spiritual darkness that is going to be in the world before the Lord Jesus comes. It starts with the evening when darkness begins to come. This is a picture of darkness coming into people’s understanding that they cannot see the truth. Paul the apostle wrote, “having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;” (Ephesians 4:18) The evening is followed by the night when it is dark. This is a picture of numbness in people’s heart that they are no longer sensitive to sin. They give themselves over to lewdness and lust without shame. Paul the apostle wrote, “who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” (Ephesians 4:19)


LESSON #5: SATAN WORSHIP AND THE ANTICHRIST



Before midnight it is dark, but after midnight it is really dark. Darkness is followed by deep darkness. Isaiah the prophet wrote, “For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people;” (Isaiah 60:2) In darkness people sin unashamedly and in deep darkness people worship Satan openly. The darkness is a picture of the time when people blatantly worship Satan and Satan completely controls them. This is the time when Satan will manifest himself physically in the person of the antichrist, the man of sin. Paul the apostle wrote, “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)


LESSON #6: THE GREAT TRIBULATION AND THE FALLING AWAY



Simon Peter denied the Lord Jesus three times before the rooster crowed twice (Mark 14:72). The crowing of the rooster is a picture of the time of the falling away. There will be great tribulation and persecution of the church by the antichrist. They will be forced to worship his image and to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, otherwise they will be killed (Revelation 13:15-16). At this time many believers will deny the Lord Jesus and depart from the faith. The Lord Jesus said, “For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.  And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.” (Mark 13:19-20)


LESSON #7: THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR



Before sunrise while it is still dark, planet Venus appears in the east. This planet is called the morning star. It is the picture of the coming of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus Himself said, “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” (Revelation 22:16) Immediately after the tribulation, the Lord Jesus will come and the church will be raptured. He said, “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.” (Mark 13:24-27)


LESSON #8: WATCHING AND PRAYING



We do not know exactly the day and the hour when the Lord Jesus comes. Nevertheless, the Lord Jesus expects us to know the signs of the time of His coming. He Himself said, “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So, you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near—at the doors!” (Matthew 24:32-33) And, we will only know the signs of the time of His coming if we watch and pray. Moreover, by constantly watching and praying, we will not fall asleep in the times of spiritual darkness that is now already in the world. Instead, we will be fully awake and we will know it when the Lord Jesus comes.