The Bible says, "The day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction comes." 1 Thess 5:2,3. Christ affirmed, "If the goodman ...had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up." Matthew 24:43. Christians are like the goodman today, not watching, because they don't know when to watch. Christ warns, "If you don't watch, I will come to you as a thief." Revelation 3:3. This description looks at when to watch.
"Watch" is translated from the Greek word, gregoreo, meaning be awake. We can't be awake every night, but there is only one night in the year that believers were commanded to watch. It was Passover, Exodus 12:10,42. Christ understood this and asked His disciples to watch (Matt 26:38-41) but we think it was only because He knew what was coming that night.
Earthquake & Tsunami In Japan
But Christ's use of "watch" in association with His signs for "the end of the world" (Matthew 24:3) and Paul's use of watch and maintain for the following theme. Evangelical Christians who do not watch because watching is not taught in their church may be unprepared for what is coming. In short, Israel was protected at Passover by blood on the doorpost and by watching, Exodus 12:10,43. Christ died as the lamb so that we do not need to cut animals, but the command to watch on the eve of Passover was maintained.
The apostle Paul said those holy days were "a shadow of things to come," Colossian 2:16. He kept them, (Acts 20:6,16; 27:9) and urged us to effect his example, 1Cor 11:1; 5:8. Some scholars say the types that report to the second coming will be fulfilled at the time of the symbolic service. This was so last fall when the Us Senate met on Rosh Hashanah to approve a bailout and the markets crashed for 10 days till Yom Kippur. This fit the timing for the trumpets in Leviticus 23:24-27. With the first trumpet in Revelation 8:7, "all green grass was burnt up," but grass represents riches in James 1:9-11 in Kjv, "As the flower of the grass, so shall the rich man fade." So we see a timely application of Jewish feast days may occur for the end-time, just as Christ died as the Passover lamb at Passover.
Christ gave the Lord's dinner in place of Passover, so why not celebrate it then and watch in prayer with the following modification? The disciples understood their patrimony that judgments fell at Passover. They were probably thinking Passover when Christ said,You don't know the day or hour. The Greek word, eido, meant be aware, consider, understand. Christ was saying, You don't understand, and each time He said it, He gave an example of a provision in the law for Passover a month later "as in the days of Noah" when the Flood came with Passover timing, but in the 2nd month, Gen 7:4,11; Exod 12:3.
Christ also said, "The kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling to a far country" Matt 25:14. Again His example fit the provision for 2nd Passover, Num 9:10,11. "Till heaven and earth pass, not one jot will pass from the law" Matt :18:15. This includes Numbers 9:10,11.. Christ took a journey to a far country; even His return in judgment will conform to law, pointing to 2nd Passover when "summer is nigh." Matt 24:32.
This is why Paul could say, "The times and seasons...you know perfectly," 1Thess 5:1-6. Many Christians recognize Easter as a paganized holiday. What do Easter eggs and bunny rabbits have to do with Christ's resurrection? This year, instead of Easter, why not celebrate communion on the eve of 2nd Passover, Sunday evening, May 10, and remember to "watch" in prayer, reflecting on the whipping and pain Christ took for us as we watch like He said, Matthew 26:38, Revelation3:3.
Bible Prophecy - Earthquake Initiates End Times Apocalypse - comprehension Revelation Means Survival