TBC Notes

Being a Watchman…

Dave Hunt, my best friend in the Lord who is now home with Jesus, was called a prophet by a highly respected pastor when Dave spoke at his church. The man was honoring Dave for his exceptional insights in recognizing movements that were or would be troubling for the body of Christ. Among Dave’s many writings The Seduction of Christianity is a good example of how one might get the idea that “prophetic insight” was at work on Dave’s part.

Dave, however, never claimed to have a gift of prophecy and, having worked closely with him on Seduction and a few of his other writings, I can testify that his awareness of erroneous teachings and movements was not from a special gifting but was rather by God’s grace. That grace gave him diligence in studying the Scriptures and using God’s Word as a lens of discernment for observing what was happening in the world and then seeing its potential influence on the church. Dave was not a “prophet,” but he was in my mind a “watchman” (Ezekiel:3:17-21 [17] 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. [18] When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. [19] Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. [20] Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. [21] Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.
See All...; 33:7-11). His obedience as a watchman set the direction of his life, including going to India and seeing firsthand the practices of Eastern Mysticism. That led to his recognition of the teachings and practices of the New Age movement well before it became established here in the West.

So it was God’s grace and Dave’s love for and obedience to God’s Word that enabled him to be wonderfully fruitful and greatly helpful to the body of Christ as a watchman. Grace, a love of the Word, and obedience have been made available (and very needful!) to us to be watchmen as well. That is no minor instruction from the Lord, especially in our day of increasing apostasy. As we take heed to God’s exhortations in Ezekiel we will surely be of great benefit to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

T. A. McMahon

Executive Director