Understand, Watch, Pray, Act
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Understand, Watch, Pray, Act.
By H. A. St. John
IN order to be profited by the prophetic scriptures it is necessary to understand them, watch for their fulfillment, pray for heavenly guidance, and act in the light of developments. We have a forcible illustration of this in Matt. 24. Jesus foretold the overthrow of Jerusalem and the temple. Verse 2. The disciples inquire, "When shall these things be?" Verse 3. Jesus told them to read the prophecy of Daniel about it and— UNDERSTAND. Verse 15. Herein our Saviour enjoined a study and understanding of prophecy. Certainly our first duty with relation to prophecy is to understand it. After the disciples of Jesus understood the prophecy with relation to the overthrow of Jerusalem, it then became their duty, according to verse 15, to— WATCH, for the fulfillment. "When ye therefore shall see," says Jesus. They would not see the fulfillment unless they were watching, and they would not be watching unless they had understood. Then, after they should understand, and while watching for the fulfillment, the Saviour taught them, in verse 20, to— PRAY, that they might be guided and shielded in their obedience to God under distressing difficulties. Then when the prophecy was fulfilled which they understood, and for the fulfillment of which they had been watching, and with reference to which they had been praying, Jesus required them, in verses 16-18, to— ACT, or do what was not required of them before, or until then. So, as a general rule, the fulfillment of prophecy reveals present truth and present duties. The prophetic scriptures of both Old and New Testaments foretell the second coming of Christ and the end of the world. It is our duty to understand those prophecies. It is our duty also to watch for their fulfillment; furthermore, it is our duty to pray much that we may escape all those things that are coming on the earth; and lastly it is our duty to act as children of the light, who know the time. Let no one say, then, that no practical good is to be derived from a knowledge of prophecy. It was this kind of knowledge that saved Noah from the flood, and that moved John the Baptist to announce a coming Messiah; and many instances of like character are recorded in Holy Writ.