Isa 21:11 The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? Isa 21:12 The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.

Isaiah 21 contains 3 oracles dealing respectively with Babylon, here called “the desert of the sea,” (v.1-10), Dumah, also known as Edom (Seir is Edom, Genesis 36:8) (v.11-12), and Arabia (v.13-17). The prophecy concerning Edom is very short (v.11, 12). It came in the form of a question put by an Edomite to the watchman. Note: They termed the prophet as a watchman. And indeed, the prophet of God in those days were like watchmen who sounded warnings to the people they were sent to. The Edomite asked the watchman Isaiah: “Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?” (v.11) He was asking the state of the night. Night represents calamity. The Edomites as well as the Jews were subdued by the Babylonians. He enquired of the prophet how long their subjection was to last. Is there any appearance of its departure, and of the approach of the morning of deliverance? The prophet answered: “The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come” (v.12). The watchman’s answer could mean: 1. To the Jews there will be deliverance (morning), but to you Edomites will be desolation (night). He prophesied that the Jews should be delivered from their captivity; but not so the Edomites. 2. He is telling the Edomites their prosperity will come (morning) but their destruction (night) is also approaching. "Watchman, what of the night?" This is the question we should be asking. A judgment Day will come; what are we doing? Are we ready for it? A watchman watches and warns his people of coming danger. Every minister of God is a watchman. He is continually watching for the souls of men. He warns them of the Judgment Day in which they will have to meet their Creator and give an answer for the deeds they have done in their lifetime: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). It is the duty of the watchman to warn the impenitent, the backslider, the lukewarm, the faithless, and the ungodly of the Judgment Day. Among his hearers, some will be awakened and come to repentance. Others will mock and ask: “Watchman, what of the night?” Meaning, “What is this judgment you are talking about? I don’t see it coming.” The prophet Isaiah told the Edomites: “If ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come” (v.12b). He called on them to enquire further if they were really concerned about the night coming on them. He beckoned them to return to the Lord. If they wanted to know how to escape the judgment, enquire, for the watchman will tell them more. A good watchman has the answers ready: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15). You are God’s watchman. Have you sounded the warning? Are you ready for their questions?