The Watchman’s Duty – Insight to Prophetic Intercession

In this post I will talk about high level intercession for those called to be Watchmen.

In my opinion, we are ALL called to intercede on our brothers and sisters behalf (1 Timothy 2:1-3) which is the base level of intercession that is mandated for all Christians. The Holy Spirit also makes intercession for us as well, through inner groanings that cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26). I believe that although there is that base level of intercession that we are all called to be doing, there is also that level where there are those called to high level intercession which I deem to be prophetic in nature. I believe that these prophetic intercessors are Watchmen.

Jesus was the Greatest WATCHMAN that ever lived because His level of intercession didn’t just save a few people but saved and still saves ALL who come to believe in Him. Jesus still intercedes for us to this day and that is why I consider Him to be the Lead Intercessor of intercession (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25). Jesus interceded for Peter when he was about to betray Him three times before He was crucified (Luke 22: 30-32), and also interceded for all mankind by what He did at Calvary. These are some of the reasons as to why Jesus is often referred to as the High Priest (Hebrews 6:20; Hebrews 8:1; Hebrews 9:11; Hebrews 10:21) and a Prophet in the Bible (Luke 24:19; John 6:14). Knowing these things will help you understand what it means to be a Watchman at the Gates.

You must be asking yourself, Who are the Watchmen?

They are those that operate in the prophetic anointing by calling. This calling is not a joke either. It’s a serious level that I discovered after reading the book of Ezekiel 33. Not every intercessor is prophetic by calling but I do believe that intercessors at some levels can receive some level of the prophetic gifting from God as He also reveals to them the spiritual hindrances that they must battle; and identify or reveal those things that need to be taken down in the spirit for effective Spiritual Warfare on behalf of individuals and people in general. This is why God wants us to seek to prophesy out of all the giftings provided by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:10; 1 Corinthians 14:1). 

As intercessors, there are different types of giftings an Intercessor may have according to the measure of their FAITH (Romans 12:6).

1 Corinthians 12: 4-11 (NKJV):

⁴ There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. ⁶ And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. ⁷ But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: ⁸ for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same^[b] Spirit, ¹⁰ to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

Some may only have one of these spiritual gifts while others may have more than one; however, the point here is that as intercessors that we are all called to be, we should aim to be operating in at least one of these giftings provided by the Holy Spirit in order to be effective in our prayer life and in the Body of Christ. Ideally, I think we should be pursuing to operate in more than one gifting as we are all meant to increase in our Faith levels from strength to strength.

All the giftings of the Holy Spirit must be in operation in EVERY CHURCH working in UNITY.  I think that this is a very important point which I will explain, but for now I will list the types of giftings for a better understanding of what they are.

The Unity in Diversity of Spiritual Gifts:

1. Word of Wisdom – (1 Corinthians 2:12-14) – this type of wisdom is higher than the human base level  of understanding and is one required for spiritual warfare in terms of sharpened discernment that is provided through the workings of the Holy Spirit.

2. Word of Knowledge – definitely required in providing instruction and correction and can be a source of encouragement (Proverbs 19:27; Proverbs 22:12; Proverbs 23:12).

3. Faith – belief is a very powerful gift. Having faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain (Matthew 17:20). Without it, it is impossible to please God.

4. Gifts of Healings – there will be those that will be able to heal people (Luke 22:51; Acts 9:32; Acts 8:7).

5. Workings of Miracles –  Ananias heals the blindness of Saul of Tarsus the persecutor of the Christians who ended up being one of the greatest evangelists for the Lord after receiving a second chance to change his evil ways and became a servant of the Most High God (Acts 9:17-18),

6. Gift of Prophecy – The future is revealed by the Lord and the Lord gives understanding of the present circumstances for early response to action. This gifting is highly emphasized as something Christians should pursue diligently out of all the gifts of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:1
[ Prophecy and Tongues ] Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

7. Discerning of spirits – definitely required in the healing & deliverance ministry and on a daily basis as well in regards to spiritual discernment.

8. Different kinds of tongues – these tongues are a language different from common speech because it is the Heavenly language spoken only through and by the Holy Spirit (Mark 16:17; Acts 2:3-4).

9. Interpretation of tongues –  (1 Corinthians 14:5) I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for^[a] he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification [Emphasis added].

There is a need for those to interpret the heavenly language of tongues so that if there are those prophesying in the gift of tongues from the Lord, then there are those available who are able to hear it and translate it to the Body of Christ in a common language that the congregation can understand which helps to edify the Body provided that they agree with what has been uttered.

I believe that a Church operating at its OPTIMUM Level is one that encourages the usage of ALL  these giftings of the Holy Spirit. Each person is given a measure according to their level of faith so it stands to reason that the higher the faith level the greater the gift and to much that is given, much is required (Luke 12:48).

The only reasons I can think of as to why some giftings of the Holy Spirit are not in full operation in churches to this day are because of:

1. Disobedience – There are believers who refuse to use their gifts in the Body of Christ for selfish reasons and also because of Fear. Look at the prophet Jonah and think of his price of Disobedience. He was swallowed by a great big fish (Jonah 1:17). In the same way…those that have the gifting but refuse to use it for the benefit of the Body…I fear to contemplate what reward they shall receive.

2. Jealousy –  There are those in the Body who envy those operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and work hard at suppressing, frustrating and even prevent them that have a great gifting/anointing on their lives to fully realize their potential. People who do this don’t realize that they are actually hurting themselves by doing this since the purpose of people operating in the gifts is for the benefit of ALL (1 Corinthians 12:7). Those that frustrate the people operating under the anointing have to answer to God about that because that is a form of persecution. Those that are persecuted must forgive those who persecute them since this isn’t anything new but expected since the times of old (Matthew 5:11-12; Matthew 5:44; Matthew 23:34; Luke 11:49; Luke 21:12) .

3. Unbelief – There are those in the Body that do not believe in the workings of the Holy Spirit despite Jesus telling us that He would send us a HELPER (John 14:26; John 16:7). This level of Faithlessness denies who and what God is all about. Without Faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).

Intercessors can reach the prophetic level of intercession based on their cultivated relationship with God.

Romans 12:6
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; [emphasis added]

2 Peter 1:21
for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. [emphasis added]

I read something that made me freak out in the Book of Ezekiel 33 which is a chapter that I have read before but never really thought deeply about it even though I have read books on intercession. I feel like as if I’m revisiting my prayer book library since I’ve personally discovered that I don’t think I really know how to pray effectively as of yet after receiving revelation concerning prayer and fasting in my earlier posts but hey…I’m still a work in progress.

So I go back to the original question “Who are the Watchmen? “

The Watchmen are specifically the Prophets by calling and high level intercessors who operate with a measure of the prophetic gifting.  The Prophet Ezekiel is an example of a Watchman and to understand what is required of them read Chapter 33.

Ezekiel 33:1 -11 (NKJV)

The Watchman and His Message

 ¹ Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ² “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, ³ when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, ⁴ then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. ⁵ He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. ⁶ But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’ ⁷ “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. ⁸ When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. ⁹ Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. ¹⁰ “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?”’ ¹¹ Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’ [Emphasis added]

The Watchman’s Duty:

1.) They are responsible for warning  Gods people of any impending disaster or calamity that is to strike them and prepare for it (Ezekiel 33:3).

2.) They sound the Trumpet and the Alarm (Ezekiel 33:4): That is the warning signal from the Watchman to bring to the attention to the people of God of the signs of trouble that they bare witness. Only God can reveal these events to the Watchman through revelation, signs, visions, or dreams (Ezekiel 33: 7).

A literal Watchman in the Old Testament would be posted by the wall of the gates of a city in a high place looking afar to watch out for any signs of enemies invading their territory or any signs of trouble in order to warn the people to prepare to fight.

Isaiah 21:6 (NKJV) –
For thus has the Lord said to me: “ Go, set a watchman, Let him declare what he sees.”

In the same way, Prophets and Prophetic intercessors are Watchmen who operate in moreorless the same way in that they warn Gods people of impending danger from the enemy and also they warn those that operate in wickedness of Gods judgment against them as a consequence of  their wickedness (Ezekiel 33:8).

3.) Those that heed the warning will be safe and those that ignore the warning of the Watchman will perish (Ezekiel 33:9).

4.) The Watchman that does not warn the people of impending attack from the enemy and/or judgment from the Lord will be held accountable to the Lord for their inaction (Ezekiel 33:6). That definitely sobered me up and scared the Hell out of me.

It is NOT God’s will for the wicked to perish without fair warning and a probationary grace period to change  their evil ways. It is not God’s will for a sinner to perish without that probationary grace period. It is not God’s will for people to succumb to the unprecedented attacks of the evil one without a fair warning to prepare against it, so the Watchman’s Duty is to inform the sinner of impending judgment (Ezekiel 33:11) and to warn the People of God to prepare against an attack from the Evil one.

Understand that the Lord sets up these Watchmen to intercede on your behalf as mediators and they have the responsibility to plead your case before God so that you do not incur His Righteous Judgment. They must convince the Lord to change the Verdict from GUILTY to a stay of proceeding by providing a grant of MERCY. At the same time, much like in the courts of Law, God is a Just Judge and will give the reward of the wicked due to them for those that do not reform or change their ways. When people are sentenced to probation, that is a grace period to change their ways, but if they fail in that grace period…God in as much the same way as our worldly court system will pronounce and deliver His sentence by the time the verdict is in.

Watchmen are like Defense Lawyers and they watch over the souls of those awaiting sentencing and final verdicts pronounced in the court before a Judge. That is their intercessory role on behalf of the People of God and of people who do not know God. So take heed and listen to the Watchmen, for they play a very important role in the Body of Christ. Can you imagine going to court and having no Defense lawyer represent your case? You will be left to defend your actions against the Prosecutor (the Devil; The accuser of the brethren Rev 12:10) and present your case in front of the Judge (God)….

In the same way, the Church needs to have people operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit; specifically those who are Prophets by calling and Prophetic Intercessors operating with a measure of the Holy Spirit gifting of Prophecy since they play a major role of edifying and strengthening the Church. This is not to say that Prophets are the most important members of a Church body because…I think every gift is required for the Body of Christ to thrive. That’s why Prophets are placed second to Apostles because they must submit by the order of things in terms of the Five-Fold ministry.

1 Corinthians 12:28

And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.

Let me emphasize that everyone is important to the Body of Christ and everyone should seek to prophesy out of all the giftings of the Holy Spirit since ALL of us are called to INTERCEDE. It is not God’s will that any should perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16; John 3:36).

Well, these are my current thoughts regarding the Watchman. I obviously need to read a bit more regarding them, but this is what I will share concerning them for now. I don’t mind if people have thoughts regarding this topic. Feel free to comment below. I like gathering people’s input and remember I’m not a pro on this subject either…a lot of this is based on what I’ve read in my Bible and my opinions are on a basis of what I’m currently thinking right now.