Consider the concluding words to Jesus’ great prophecy as recorded by Mark: “Keep on the watch, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether late in the day or at midnight or at cockcrowing or early in the morning;

Mark 13:35

¹⁷ Jesus’ exhortation is thought-provoking. He referred to four different watches of the night. The final watch would prove to be a challenging time to stay awake, for it lasted from about three in the morning until sunrise. War strategists consider this to be the most effective time to attack the enemy, affording the best opportunity to catch them “sleeping.” Likewise now, when in a spiritual sense the world is sound asleep, we might have our greatest struggle to stay awake.