Watchers
Scripture Reading: Psalm 144; Daniel 4; Revelation 1
The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.
Daniel 4:17
Dare I go there? Where? To talking about these “watchers.”
There is a lot of stuff said and written about them. Not so much in mainstream theological journals, but out there on the fringes. Why? Well, whenever something is dropped on us without a great deal of detail, we tend to want to fill in the blanks and finish the page out. Often times that can become wildly conspiratorial and evolve into fantastical tales.
I hope I don’t disappoint you here by not going down that road. You can find other’s who will do that. I will stick to what we can know.
There are some persons designated as “watchers.” Daniel is the only place they are mentioned by that name. They are holy beings. Most likely angelic in nature and with a special responsibility as it relates to this earth and the governments herein. The roles seems to be one of observation but not a completely passive watching.
They have authority. We know because they are the ones who pass judgment on Nebuchadnezzar, cause his insanity, and set the time frame for it. They are something like a spiritual court that is connected to the realm of man.
It is important to note that their primary concern is the honor of God. They intervene to stop Nebuchadnezzar’s self-exaltation and his promotion of himself to the position that belongs only to God.
What we can deduce is that whatever authority they had was delegated and the ruled under the rule of God. That is clear from the very nature of the judgment they pass on Nebuchadnezzar and the reason for it. God is sovereign, He rules over the kingdoms of men, and He alone is the Most High. His delegation of power doesn’t change that in the least.
Which brings me to the point I want to make here. In the New Testament, Jesus talks several places about the people of His Church ruling and judging over nations and angels. At first, we might think that sounds odd. After all, He is King of kings and Lord of lords. Why would we have any role in that?
Christ intends to delegate His authority in His kingdom. Those who are faithful over little will be given much. We will not rule or judge independently of Christ, but under Him and for His glory and honor.
Think of it like this: My boss has given me a role as a manager in his company. He has delegated certain authority and responsibilities to me. In doing so, he trusts that whatever decisions I make will be for the good of the company and that I will not do things that bring reproach on him or the company name. The company doesn’t belong to me, but I have authority within it.
Such will it be in the Kingdom of God. Like the watchers of Daniel, we will be given authority and responsibilities in the Kingdom. We will use them to honor Christ. It is and always will be His Kingdom. But He will trust us with important work within in it.
Learning new things every day.