Chapter Thirty-Two -God's Anger Brought to a Finish

Continue with The Gathering to Armageddon

What, though, is implied by the warning that those found sleeping would be shamed by losing their "outer garments"?  In ancient Israel, any priest or Levite on guard duty at the temple had a heavy responsibility.  Jewish commentators  tell us that if anyone was caught sleeping on such duty, his garments could be stripped from him and burned, so that he was publicly shamed. 

Jesus here warns that something similar can happen today.  The priests and Levites foreshadowed Jesus' appointed brothers. (1 Peter 2:9)  But Jesus' warning applies by extension to the great crowd too.  The outer garments here referred to identify the wearer of a Christian witness of Jehovah.  (Compare Revelation 3;18; 7:14)  If any allow the pressures of Satan's world to lull them to sleep or into inactivity, they are likely to lose these outer garments-in other words, lose their clean identification as Christians. Such a situation would be shameful.  It would put one in danger of losing out completely. 

The need for Christians to stay awake becomes even more pressing as the next verse of Revelation comes closer to fulfillment:  "And they [the expressions inspired by demons] gathered them [the earthly kings, or rulers] together to the place that is called in Hebrew Har-Magedon."  (Revelation 16:16) This name,  more commonly rendered Armageddon, occurs only once in the Bible. but it has fired mankind's imagination. World leaders have warned of a possible nuclear Armageddon. Armageddon has been linked also  with the ancient city of Megiddo, the site of many decisive battles in Bible times, and some religious leaders  have therefore speculated that the final war on earth will take place in that limited area. In this, the are far wide of the truth. 

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Two -God's Anger Brought to a Finish -Conclusion of  The Gathering to Armageddon

From the book of Revelation