WATCHER-WATCHMAN-SHEPHERD

  A “watcher” is an angel. In his dream, a watcher presented information to King Nebuchadnezzar; “A watcher and an holy one came down from heaven” (Dan 4:17,23). “Watchers” are angels – both good and evil. In the case of Nebuchadnezzar, “watchers” were guardian angels. They revealed to the king his purpose in life. I believe that when Daniel considered the dream, he made it about Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon. However, I believe it had double-meaning; it was about Nebuchadnezzar’s role in cutting the “Great Tree” of Israel. Appreciate it or not, but Nebuchadnezzar was God’s useful tool in reducing Israel from a lively tree to a stump! In the case of Nebuchadnezzar, the angel he saw seems to be the angel of death – perhaps the “destroying angel” of the Exodus.
  In the case of the Exodus, God destroyed the first born of the Egyptians and the Hebrews whose homes were not protected by the blood of a lamb. Did Nebuchadnezzar see Jesus twice? Once in his dream and the next in the fiery furnace? Was it not Jesus who came down in the dream, and Jesus who was in the furnace saving the remnant of Israel. Jesus is not only Savior, but the Administrator of justice as well. It seems that Nebuchadnezzar was the antitype of Moses. The latter’s role was to save the iniquitous Hebrews, and the former, to destroy the iniquitous Jews! In both cases – to save and to destroy – was implementation of the Abrahamic Covenant.
  “The Angel of the Lord” throughout scripture means THE “Messenger of the Lord.” That manifestation of God is pre-incarnate Jesus. Although guardian angels were watchers, THE Guardian Angel was THE Watcher who saves. We look at Nebuchadnezzar as the power that cut Israel’s “tree” and neglect that he was the power who saved Israel’s “Stump.” Only the Jews taken to Babylon were righteous enough to be saved. Those who remained in Israel or fled to other places, were cut off. The Watcher came not to destroy, but save the remnant. That’s what Jesus does!
  In the case of Ezekiel (Ezek 33), he was a “watchman.” His role was to save the Jews (house of Israel; Judah and Samaria alike) from themselves. His assignment was to warn the people of their fate. He was sort of a Nebuchadnezzar. He was God’s tool for saving the Jews, but to the Jews, he was more of a messenger of destruction. You see, it depends on how one looks at it!
  Like Nebuchadnezzar, he was to be a tool of God. Rather than destroying the people, he was to be the messenger – watchman – to save the remnant. His fate would be the fate of those who heard the message. What was God’s message that watchman Ezekiel was to present: “Say unto them, ‘As I live, saith the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel’” (Ezek 33:11).
  What was Nebuchadnezzar to do at the behest of the Watcher? Cause the death of the wicked Jews, although God took no pleasure in their destruction!
  A lesson can be learned from Ezekiel. His “job” as prophet was to present the truth to the Jews. If he did not, although he was “hired” to be watchman, he would suffer the same fate of those who he failed to reach. Ezekiel, as such, was an apostle, as their assignment was the same. One apostle by the name of Judas failed to present the gospel. If Ezekiel had failed, then he would have been a Judas!
  Furthermore, as royal priests, all Christians are called to be apostles: “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Mat 24:14). That is our obligation in the Abrahamic Covenant: “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, ‘In thee shall all nations be blessed’” (Gal 3:8). Ezekiel’s calling was the same as ours because of the perpetuity of the God’s Covenant with Abraham. Like Ezekiel, Christians are “watchman” and Jesus is the “Watcher.” What does Jesus watch? Whether his watchman actually watch over his flock. In that sense, Ezekiel and Christians are “shepherds” who watch over The Lamb’s flock. God is “the true shepherd” (Ezek 34:11-31). God identifies himself as the Good Shepherd:

KEY VERSE: For thus saith the Lord God; “Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.” (Ezek 34:11-12)

  Not by coincidence, as God is the “True Shepherd,” Jesus is the “Good Shepherd,” as is written, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Likewise, as watchman, Christians are to be as good of shepherds as Jesus. We are held accountable for the Good Shepherd’s “sheep.” Watchmen are the Good Shepherd’s “hirelings” just as Ezekiel was God’s hireling, speaking His Words. Likewise, Christians are hirelings:

But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. (John 10:12-13)

  The responsibility of Christians as hirelings as shepherds is to be good watchmen over God’s flock. Just as Ezekiel was given the consequences of not doing his job as God’s “hireling” to watch over the flock, Christians must watch over the Good Shepherd’s flock.
  As such, the Great Commission – to tell the world about the evil one and salvation – is the same as Ezekiel’s “commission.” The penalty and rewards are the same as for the watchman Ezekiel! Ezekiel was to suffer the same fate as those he watched or failed to watch over. He was to warn the people of the forthcoming destruction. Christians are to do the same, or silent Christians will suffer the same consequences as Ezekiel would have. Our job assignments, or commissions, are the same! If we remain silent, perhaps we are poor watchmen and apathetic “Christians.”
  As such, there cannot be “silent Christians.” If Christians are true to their calling, they will watch over the lost sheep to bring them to the flock. How we are good watchmen is up to us. Ezekiel was to say to the Israelites, “O wicked man, you shall surely die” (Ezek 33:8), and to tell them the truth about what hinders them or saves them from death. Ezekiel warned that they should accept the safety of Babylon. Of course, Nebuchadnezzar was humbled by his vision of Jesus. He no longer thought of himself as a god (the Great Tall Tree), but as God’s watchman. He did only what the Boss intended for him to do!
  Note that Ezekiel was to tell the wicked of their impending death for their deeds. That was the same warning that God gave to Adam when he said, “Ye shall surely die!” Ezekiel was to speak the Word of Jesus (Jesus; John 1). He was to be a “true shepherd,” as God,  to Jesus’s “Good Shepherd.” We are to be the same! We can speak the Word or write the Word, but it must be shared with the wicked. Of course, a pre-requisite for sharing the Word is living it! We are to do as well as speak our commission.
  I write commentary because that is my obligation. For me to not perish requires that I want that “none should perish,” just as God wants that (John 3:16). Wanting that I not perish without caring that others perish is not a good watchman, and is poor shepherding.
Preachers make a big deal about being “called to preach.” Preachers can’t perform our commission for us. Sharing the gospel and the consequences of sin is the responsibility of all Christians. Watchman cannot remain silent, and true shepherds take care of all the sheep, especially the lost sheep. It’s not solely the preacher’s job to be watchman and shepherd, but all of the Christian priests. We are all called to preach, and if we’re not doing it, we will suffer the same consequences as the lost tribes of Israel who no longer exist!
  Read Ezekiel 33; are you Christians good watchman or are you merely watching the sheep go to their death?