Today there is a growing movement in prayer and intercession.  I often hear people refer to people who pray on a consistent basis as intercessors and watchmen.  Let's take a look at what the Bible has to say specifically about watchmen, their roles, their duties,  their stations,  and who they report to.  

Strongs Concordance defines a watchman as: 6822  tsaphah (tsaw-faw');  a primitive root; properly, to lean forward, i.e. to peer into the distance; by implication, to observe, await: KJV-- behold, espy, look up (well), wait for, (keep the) watch (-man).  

Brown Drivers & Briggs defines watchman as:  6822  tsaphah- to look out or about, to spy, to keep watch, to observe, to watch a) (Qal) to keep watch, to spy  b) (Piel) to watch, to watch closely.  

Let's look at how "watchman" was used in scripture.  

2 Samuel 18:24 -27          Now David was sitting between the two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof over the gate, to the wall, lifted his eyes and looked, and there was a man, running alone.  Then the watchman cried out and told the king. And the king said, "If he is alone, there is news in his mouth." And he came rapidly and drew near.  Then the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, "There is another man, running alone!" And the king said, "He also brings news."   So the watchman said, "I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." And the king said, "He is a good man, and comes with good news."(NKJ)  

II Kings 9:17-20  Now a watchman stood on the tower in Jezreel, and he saw the company of Jehu as he came, and said, "I see a company of men." And Joram said, "Get a horseman and send him to meet them, and let him say, 'Is it peace?'"  .....

Isaiah 21:6  For thus has the Lord said to me: "Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he sees."(NKJ)  

 Ezek 33:2-7   "Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: 'When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, 'when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 'then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head...........'But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand.'  "So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.  (NKJ)  

In looking through these portions of scripture we learn a number of things about watchmen.  First, the watchman can be stationed in a number of places but is often by a gate on a wall.   Second, the watchman simply reports what he sees and hears to the kings or elders who sit in the gates.  The authority in the gate makes the decisions as to what actions should be taken and gives orders.   Third, as long as the watchman is reporting all that he has seen and all that he has heard, he is fulfilling his responsibility.     

Now remember that in the context of CONECT, walls are a type of people and gates are a type of ministry.

Next, let's look at the "watch."    

Strongs Concordance translates watch as: 4929  mishmar (mish‑mawr');  from 8104; a guard (the man, the post, or the prison); (figuratively) a deposit; also (as observed) a usage (abstract), or an example (concrete):   KJV-- diligence, guard, office, prison, watch  

8104  shamar (shaw‑mar');  a primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.    KJV-- beware, be circumspect, take heed (toself), keep (‑erself,), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch (-man).

Neh 4:9  Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.   (NKJ)  

1 Chr 26:16  To Shuppim and Hosah the lot came out for the West Gate, with the Shallecheth Gate on the ascending highway-- watchman opposite watchman.  (NKJ)

Neh 12:24    And the heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers across from them, to praise and give thanks, group alternating with group, according to the command of David the man of God.  (NKJ)  

Neh 12:25    Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers keeping the watch at the storerooms of the gates.   

We see in the preceding scriptures that the watch is filled by someone performing the function of a watchman.  Their job is to watch over all that is in their view and to report what they see and hear.  They can be assigned on the wall, by a gate, during the day, during the night, by a storeroom, it can be a priestly function and they are under command.    

Hab 2:1-2    I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected.  Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.  (NKJ)  

In Psalm 5:3 the term "I will look up" is the term for watchman and in Habukuk 2:1-2 speaks of being a watchman before the Lord, reporting what you see or hear and writing it down.  In other words, there is a place to set watchmen before the Lord to see what He would say to us so we can get direction and strategy and we should record this information.   

In Nelson's Bible Dictionary we learn that a watch is a group of soldiers or others posted to keep guard.  It also refers to one of the units of time into which a night watch was divided (Ps. 63:6, Lam. 2:19, Luke 12:38).   In the Old Testament we learn that there must have been 3 such watches because of the term "middle watch" in Judges 7:19 (Ex. 14:24, 1 Sam. 11:11).  However, in the New Testament period the Roman system of 4 watches was adopted (Mark 6:48, Matt. 14:25). 

In CONECT we are encouraging the establishment of a watch.  A ministry can set up any kind of watch schedule they want.  The combinations are endless.  You might have a person stand watch for an hour, two hours, three hours, four hours or more.  It really depends upon the time, resources and leading of the Lord in their specific situation.  For forms, details and guidelines please refer to 4 Steps to Implement CONECT.

We also learn from Nelson's Bible Dictionary that a "watchtower" was an observation tower upon which a guard or lookout was stationed to keep watch.  This was an elevated platform (2 Kings 17:9, 18:8, Isa. 21:8).   We also learn from Nelson's about the purpose of a tower.  A tower was a tall building erected for defense.  Some landowners used towers to protect their crops (Isa. 5:2, Matt. 21:33, Mark 12:1).  In the wilderness, towers were used to watch for approaching marauders (2 Kin. 17:9, 2 Chr. 26:10).  In cities towers were part of the walls built for defensive purposes (2 Chr. 14:7, Neh. 3:1).  They were erected at the corners of the wall, beside the city gates, and at intervals along the walls (2 Chr. 26:9).   Watchmen secured the towers (2 Kin. 9:17) and arrow and stone throwing machines were mounted on the towers (2 Chr. 26:15).    

In Ezekiel 3:17 we see the prophet Ezekiel referred to as a watchman for the nation of Israel.  In Ezekiel 33:1-7 we learn of some of the responsibility of the watchmen.  They are warn the people when they see danger approaching.  As long as they report what they see and hear then they have fulfilled their responsibility.

So what can we learn from all of this information?  

1.  Watchmen simply report what they see and hear.  Watchmen report the approach of an enemy or the approach of the king.

2.  They report to the authorities who sit in the gates.

3.  They are usually stationed at every gate and along the walls at various points.  However, they can be stationed other places as well.

4.  They are under command.

5. Though a watchman is usually a soldier, they do not attack without specific orders.  Their primary function is to report what they see and hear.   

6.  Their post is often in a watchtower, an elevated structure specially fortified for that purpose.  The position is one of a defense.   Though siege weapons could be mounted and operated from the tower platform. 

7.  There is no place in the Bible that indicates a watchman went out and attacked an army.  They simply reported what they saw and heard and obeyed the commands of those in authority.  The king or commanding officer might send out an army to attack, but the watchman did not give such an order. (Note: the prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 3 was referred to as a watchman and in Jeremiah the prophet in Jeremiah 1:10 was to root out, pull down, destroy and throw down, build and plant.  Hence, it is possible for those with a prophetic gifting functioning as watchmen to at some point function as the prophet did in Jeremiah)

8.  The watchmen were usually soldiers and often carried weapons.  It was permissible to use these in extreme cases such as self defense.

9.  There was often a captain of the guard or watch whom the watchmen reported to and who prepared reports for the leaders.  (Nehemiah 7:2 - Hanani was leader of the citadel or captain of the guard)

With this information in mind we can begin to define the role of a watchman in CONECT.  The watchman fills the role of a servant.  They are to serve the leadership of a church or a city by being assigned a post (watching over a group of people or a ministry) for a specific time.  They report all that they see and hear in writing (Hab. 2:2).  In CONECT the Communication Center Coordinator CCC fills the role like the captain of the guard in a local church.  In a city a CONECTer fills that role.  Watchmen are to WATCH and PRAY and REPORT ALL THAT THEY SEE AND HEAR.  A watchman will not always understand all that he hears or sees, but that is OK.   Their job is just to report what they see and hear to a CCC or a CONECTer.

Who is best suited to be a watchman?  There are several types of people who can function well in this role in the church.  Listed below are a few of the possibilities.

If you would like to learn more about the prophetic ministry or the office of the prophet I'd recommend that you check out the books authored by Bill Hammond (see Books on Prayer) on "Prophets and Personal Prophecy, Prophets Pitfalls and Principles, and Prophets and the Prophetic Movement."  I would also recommend Mahesh Chavda's book on "Watch of the Lord", Barbara Wentroble's book on "Prophetic Intercession" and Jim Goll's book on "The Lost Art of Intercession."  You can access these books from the Books on Prayer link.

Intercessors in CONECT will also report what they see and hear but their primary role will be different.  The intercessors primary role in CONECT is to stand in the gap, repair the wall, and to fight as part of a team when directed (Nehemiah 4:20).

So intercessors stand in the gap and repair the breaches while watchmen stand their watch in prayer and report all that they see and hear. A Communication Center Coordinator will gather all these reports and provide a consolidated report to the leaders on a regular basis.

If you would like implement CONECT in your church or city then go to 4 Steps to Implement CONECT. 

Tim Taylor