The Cry at Midnight
By James Sanderson
(McMinnville, Tennessee, USA)
Conditions in the earth point to the fact that the Coming of Christ is close at hand. Many are beginning to realize that it is time to remove the Bible from the shelf, dust it off, and find out what God has to say about the day in which we live.
The politician, the prognosticator, the media – none of these has the answer concerning the days that lie ahead. Only God himself can reveal what is in store for humanity in these Last Days. The Word of God has much to say about End Time events and the responsibilities facing those who expect to stand worthy before God.
The seriousness of the hour cannot be overestimated.
Our Lord Jesus Christ himself presents some vital instructions essential to those who expect weather the spiritual storms foretold in the Bible. One such portion of scripture is the verse commonly called “The Midnight Cry:” “At midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him” (Matt. 25:6).
No other portion of scripture bears so much urgency for God’s people at this present time as this one verse. The salvation of many will rest upon their response to this urgent call of the Spirit of God. The “signs of the times” (Matt. 16:3) point to the fact that the Midnight Hour is definitely upon us. The “day of the Lord” (Zeph. 1:7) foretold by the prophets of old is close at hand.
The word “midnight” refers not only to the lateness of the hour but also to the spiritual conditions prevalent in society. Midnight is thought of as the darkest hour of the night. The prophet Isaiah declared, “For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people” (Isa. 60:2). No other prophetic utterance so vividly describes the present condition of men’s hearts as this one verse of scripture.
Spiritual darkness results from the rejection of light. The ecclesiastical system of Christ’s day completely rejected his message and “crucified the Lord of glory” (I Corinth. 2:8). The apostle John wrote, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:11). The situation is no different today. Most of humanity has turned their backs on Jesus Christ and his moral law. Jesus himself declared, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).
The Church is Asleep
The urgent cry at midnight is set in the context of our Lord’s Parable of the Ten Virgins. The Bible uses the word “virgin” primarily to refer to the Church: God’s people. The apostle Paul wrote, “That I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (II Corinth. 11:2). And, in the Book of Revelation, we’re told, “These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth” (Rev. 14:4).
The Parable of the Ten Virgins states, “While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept” (Matt. 25:5). The Church is asleep and unaware of the urgency of the hour. The appearance of the Bridegroom, our Lord Jesus Christ, is close at hand; but the Church is not prepared. That is a concept that is apparently difficult for many Christians to grasp – being a Christian and being ready for Christ’s coming are not synonymous. All ten virgins in the parable had had an experience with the Lord; otherwise Christ would not have called them all virgins. And whether they were “wise” virgins or “foolish” virgins, they all “slumbered and slept.”
But, it should seem clear to anyone who looks at this parable that our Lord is not simply addressing a state or condition of physical sleep. Sleep is an inappropriate spiritual condition afflicting all of Christendom. It’s very easy for one to become so involved in mundane affairs of this life that they are totally oblivious to the urgency of the hour. Thos who are asleep spiritually are unable to “discern the signs of the times” (Matt. 16:3). Their spiritual senses have become dull.
Another reason many Christians are spiritually asleep is that they rest in a false sense of security concerning the approaching “day of the Lord” so clearly and vividly foretold by the prophets of God. That false hope is called the “Pre-tribulation Rapture.” According to this erroneous teaching, Christ will secretly remove all the born-again Christians from the earth before the wrath of God is poured out on the remaining humanity.
If one truly believes this doctrine, they can continue in their complacency knowing within themselves that Christ will one day whisk them away to heaven avoiding all the End Time calamities and difficulties that man will have to face. In this way, they can disregard much of what Jesus Christ taught about the need for preparation. If this scenario of a secret Rapture were true, there would be little need for a Midnight Cry – at least one addressed to Christians. But, it is clear that this cry at midnight is definitely addressed to and directed toward Christians: the virgins of the parable.
The Purpose of the Midnight Cry
The primary concern of our Lord Jesus Christ in these Last Days is that the Church be prepared for the events leading up to and culminating in his Second Coming. A sleeping Church is an unprepared Church. If God’s people expect to “endure unto the end” (Matt. 24:13), they need to be awake, be in tune with heaven, and be prepared to follow through on whatever instructions our Lord may give. The purpose of the cry at midnight is to awaken the Church to the critical hour in which we live – and to awaken the Church to the need for preparation.
God wants the full attention of all his people. The use of the word “cry” is quite significant. In days of old, watchmen sat on towers along the wall of the cities to be a lookout for any possible danger or peril – especially an enemy attack. With any sign of approaching danger, it was the watchman’s duty, especially during the night, to alert the citizenry with a loud cry or the sound of a trumpet.
The very safety of the people rested in the hands of the watchman. The Spirit of God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, declared, “I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night” (Isa 62:6). God called the prophet Ezekiel to be a watchman: “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me” (Ezek. 3:17).
A warning cry – that is, the Midnight Cry – is sounding forth at this present hour. The fact that the Spirit of God issues a cry at midnight indicates that the situation is grave. This warning cry from God himself is of the utmost urgency. Time is an extremely important factor. Immediate response is essential. Those who don’t awaken and prepare for the dangers that lie ahead won’t make it. The forces of darkness have arrayed themselves against the Church; and the judgments of God are close at hand. Only alert Christians will prevail.
“The Bridegroom Cometh”
The glorious message of the hour is “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh.” Jesus is coming again. One of the cardinal doctrines of the Church is the Second Coming of Christ. Jesus himself said, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself” (John 14:3). At the ascension of Jesus into heaven, two men (angels) in white clothing declared to the followers of Jesus, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).
The early Church maintained a longing and anticipation for the coming of Christ. You will find this anticipation spoken of throughout the New Testament of the bible: “Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). “Be ye also patient, stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5:8). “When he shall appear…” (I John 3:2). “At the appearing of Jesus Christ…” (I Pet. 1:7). This longing to see and to be with Jesus permeated the hearts of those early saints.
As the years passed, the Church maintained the doctrine of the Second Coming, but lost the sense of expectancy. Other things began to draw the attention of God’s people. The Church “slumbered and slept.” The word “slumber” means “to become drowsy.” The people became drowsy, losing their anticipation, and fell asleep.
God never intended for the church to lose that longing for Christ’s return. Christians are called “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Heb. 11:14), sojourning in a strange land, anticipating a life in heaven with our Lord. This world is only a temporary abode. Like Abraham of old, we look for a “city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb. 11:10). Unfortunately, upon losing that longing for the Return of Christ, the Church became more acclimated to the world and what it has to offer. The apostle Paul wrote, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God” (Col. 3:1).
Now, at this midnight hour, the Spirit of God is calling his people to turn their attention away from this world – and rekindle that longing and expectancy for Christ’s return. Our long-awaited Savior will soon return. The focus of attention must be his return as the Bridegroom prepared to receive his Bride.
“Go Ye Out to Meet Him”
While the first part of this Cry at Midnight is a divine alert that the coming of the Bridegroom is close at hand, the last part of this urgent message presents vital instructions to those who expect to stand in that evil day: “Go ye out to meet him.”
In other words, there is some preparatory work for those who expect to be in the company of saints who will go in with him to the wedding feast as described in the Parable of the Ten Virgins. The implication is that whoever does not “go out” will not meet the Bridegroom. In the parable, the word translated as “meet” is a special term used for important dignitaries and carries the idea of a face-to-face encounter – as in having an audience with a King or other royal person.
The command “Go ye out” offers a challenge to those who cling to the notion of a Pre-tribulation Rapture. There is nothing secret about the message at midnight. Furthermore, there is no real need for extra instructions since Christ will simply arrive without warning – and remove all the saints from the earth. Adherence to the idea of a secret Rapture blunts the true significance of the urgent message the Holy Spirit is attempting to convey; and will cause many to miss the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
In order to understand the significance of the command “Go ye out,” one must first remember that Christ loves his people and desires what is best for each of them. He alone can fully understand the perils that lie ahead for his people. The safety of his people in this evil day is his utmost concern. Every command from our Lord is meant for the spiritual well-being of his people.
Furthermore, to grasp the significance of this command, one must understand the forces at work in society today. Humanity is living on the threshold of the most dramatic social changes the world has ever experienced. Society’s moral fiber is disintegrating. Sexual immorality is at epidemic levels. At least nineteen countries around the world now recognize same-sex marriage. Terrorism is out of control. Amnesty International, February 25, 2015 says, “We are now seeing violence on a mass scale and an enormous refugee crisis caused by that violence.” Hostility to Evangelical Christianity, both in the U.S. and abroad, has grown in recent years.
No other part of the Bible so vividly describes social conditions prevalent in the earth in these Last Days as does the Book of Revelation: “And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies” (Rev. 18:2-3). The Spirit of God continues in verse 5 of the same chapter: “Her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.”
“Babylon” is nothing more than the whole world in rebellion against God. That rebellion will escalate in the days ahead until evil thoroughly saturates all of society.
What does this have to do with Christians? Christians will find it impossible to maintain their integrity in such a hostile ungodly environment without being tainted with its sins. It will even come to the time when they will no longer be able to buy or sell unless they are in league with the forces of darkness (See Rev. 13:17).
What is the remedy? “And I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Rev. 18:4). The only answer will be a complete departure of God’s people from the Babylonian system. The message at midnight, “Go ye out,” is in complete harmony with the call, “Come out of her, my people.” In fact, the same Greek verb is used in both commands. This message is the cry of the hour. “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (II Corinth. 6:17). “Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul” (Jer. 51:6).
Old Testament Examples
Perhaps one can better understand the coming crisis by reviewing conditions in the “days of Lot” (Luke 17:28-30). The similarity between Sodom and modern-day Babylon is quite striking. Christ even compared “the days of Lot” in Sodom to the time in which he (Christ) would be revealed.
Lot lived in the city of Sodom where hedonism reigned. The moral decadence of Sodom was so profound that it spilled over into the streets – and came to the very doors of Lot’s house. Peter wrote that Lot “vexed his righteous soul from day to day” with the “unlawful deeds” of those dwelling in Sodom (II Peter 2:7-8). It became intolerable for Lot to live in Sodom and still maintain his integrity before God. Only the supernatural intervention of the Spirit of God saved Lot and his family from the ensuing judgment of God. “The same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:29).
The story of the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt and their travels through the wilderness of Sinai also offers some valuable lessons to the people of God in these Last Days. The Bible relates that over 600,000 men left Egypt at the time of the Exodus (See Num. 1:46). This number does not include women, children and the elderly. Scholars estimate that it may have been as many as 2.5 million people that followed Moses out of Egypt.
That was a mass exodus miraculously accomplished by the Hand of God, unheard of in recorded history. And, God supernaturally sustained all those people in a barren wilderness as they travelled toward the Promised Land. They had manna from heaven, water from a rock – and their clothes and shoes did not wear out (See Deut. 29:5). In these Last Days, God will be quite capable of sustaining his people through the tumultuous times that lie ahead.
In Closing
The Midnight Cry is a wake-up call to all those who sincerely love the Lord Jesus Christ. That alarm is sounding forth even at this very hour. Its cry promised to become louder and louder as that day approaches.
On a number of occasions the Lord declared, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15). That statement is repeated many times – especially in the Book of Revelation. The Lord is not simply talking about the physical apparatus that collects sound. His concern is our spiritual hearing.
The Midnight Cry is given that we might focus our full attention on what the Spirit of God has to say in this final hour of earth’s history. Jesus also declared, “Take heed therefore how ye hear” (Luke 8:18).
The Lord is faithfully sounding the alarm. How each of us assimilates that alarm – and responds to it – is a choice we individually must make.
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