The Nature of Watchmen
“A Watchman is called to warn off intruders and alert the owner.”
Watchmen are shepherds who care for the flock like their master, the Good Shepherd
For this reason, they are carriers of profound truths, secrets, or mysteries. As they look into Christ, every secret of men’s hearts are laid bare or disclosed to them. In fact, the more a Watchman steadfastly continues in prayer and the ministry of the word; the more they are burdened with the thoughts of many hearts that God reveals to them (Luke 2:35).
As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” — Luke 9:57–62
It is true, Seers read the thoughts in people's hearts. It is not new nor is it extra-biblical as one might think. In the Bible, Jesus would often read the hearts of those who encountered him. The best example of Jesus reading the hearts of men is found in Luke 9:57–62. If nowadays, people are surprised at the ability of Seers to reveal what is in their hearts. Now, imagine, how the disciples in those days marveled at the ability of Jesus to read their hearts.
You see this special ability was indispensable to Jesus. It allowed him to know how people were reacting to his teachings and to tailor a reply that would cut to their hearts quickly. Truly I tell you revealing God’s word is dangerous. It either softens or hardens the heart of the hearer. This is why Jesus told the twelve, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables”(Mark 4:11). According to the Bible, the parable of the sower academically identifies four basic kinds of hearers [or in our case, hearts]. With this in mind, these are the four kinds of hearts Seers discern in the spirit: Path people, Rock people, Thorn people, and Good soil people.
A watchman's effectiveness in discerning people’s hearts — which God reveals to them — makes it easier for them to minister(1 Samuel 9:19). Their ministrations not only nourish the soul but as well as transform the minds. Transformational deliverance is the goal because according to Scripture, by a prophet, we are brought up from captivity, and by a prophet, we are cared for by Jesus (Hosea 12:13). Way too often church-goers become worse people, rather than better, as they sit under preaching for decades. If they continually ignore it, they only grow harder and further from God.
Watchmen are intercessors who possess territorial dominion through devoted intercessions.
God is a King who is territorial by nature. He deals with people territorially. As intercessors, many watchmen are called to watch upon the spiritual walls to discern impending danger and sound an alarm when needed. The walls a watchman is assigned to are likened to the territory over which they have dominion. Their spiritual authority is tied to their relentlessness to stand in the gap to plead for God’s intervention and to fight against the invasion of the enemy.
“I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none” — Ezekiel 22:30 NIV).
In Ezekiel’s time, the Lord used the illustration of broken walls to describe Israel’s spiritual rebellion, sin, and corruption. The nation’s spiritual walls had huge gaps that resulted in the invasion of unholy philosophies and practices. Israel needed someone to stand in the gap, plead for mercy, and rebuild her spiritual walls. In essence, watchmen of today are the intercessors called to protect the spiritual walls God has given them. They have absolute dominion over these walls.
This is how dominion happens: Prophets who are intercessors have the authority to release prophetic decrees that change the paradigms and perceptions that come under their sphere of influence. Some of the watchmen’s areas of influence would include keys of the Kingdom; the House of the Lord, the church; cities; lands; regions/territories; states; nations; continents; business; one or more of the seven mountains; heavens; universe; multiverse; galaxies; or anything that is on God’s heart. Really, the best way to gauge a watchman’s dominion is to observe the frequency of the fulfillment of prophetic utterances; or sudden changes in a geographical area, a nation, a state, a city, a denomination, a church, a group of people assigned to that prophet.
“Lift up a signal against the walls of Babylon; Post a strong guard, Station sentries, Place men in ambush! For the Lord has both purposed and performed
What He spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.” — Jeremiah 51:12 NIV
A lot of people presume being an intercessor is the same as being a watchman. But, nothing could be further from the truth. The nature of how watchmen operate in the watchtower or walls [that is, time spent in isolation], makes it very easy to discriminate against them or assume their ministry is not effective. However, according to the Bible, the role of watchmen is integral in the fulfillment of God's word. In fact, the performance of God's word over individuals, nations, and organizations depends on the persistent petitions of watchmen. Watchmen understand the mysteries of the altar, especially when it concerns the exercise of territorial dominion.
Watchmen are Seers who are deeply rooted in Christ
Seers who are also intercessors are prophets with very unique graces which makes them very sensitive to the presence of God and the realm of the spirit. Because watchmen have a duty to watch and pray both day and night(Isaiah 62:6), it is very rare to find them among men or in public places. These are the kinds of seers that are confined to the watchtower. Essentially, tarrying in the watchtower looks like an inclination to be indoors or frequently hiding in solitary places (Habakkuk 2:1).
“So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized;” — Acts 9:17–18 ESV
Here is the thing when comes to understanding a Seer's rootedness in Christ: for Seers to have clear perception, they must have an uncovered head or an unveiled face to behold the glory of the Lord to talk with Him face-to-face. In the book of Acts chapter nine verses seventeen and eighteen, we see an interesting encounter of scales falling off Saul's eyes after being prayed to by Ananias. In fact, the Bible frequently uses the analogy of being blind to being spiritually ignorant. Therefore, Saul was not only physically blind, but we can infer from the encounter that he was spiritually blind to the Truth. I believe, He not only received healing to see but the eyes of his heart [the very center and core of his being or spirit-man] received sight through enlightenment [Saul’s vessel being flooded with light by the Holy Spirit] to perceive in the spiritual realm (Ephesians 1:18).
To have clarity of perception is purely dependent on the Holy Spirit. But, when it comes to beholding the glory — there is no place for compromise in the life of a believer. The clarity comes with a set of demands. It requires the believer's diligence in living out a consecrated [full devotion to Christ] lifestyle(2 Corinthians 6:17). Jesus modeled the consecrated life. Right from childhood he valued time spent in the temple learning the Word of God. In the Bible, it is frequently mentioned how he would seek time away from others to be alone with the Father. Therefore to be rooted in Christ is to follow the example of Jesus — to immerse ourselves in the things of God.
Watchmen who are inclined towards a consecrated lifestyle are said to be attuned to the presence of God. Really, for anyone who is concentrated, the Holy Spirit quickens them to the awareness of the ever-present presence of God, so that they walk in the spirit. According to the Bible, walking in the spirit is living with a ‘God-consciousness’. Thus, watchmen intentionally live out their lives with the continual awareness of the presence of the spirit of God.
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