Climb the Tower: A Covenant Call to the Watchmen

Climb the tower, you sons of the covenant!

Climb the tower at the third watch—when shadows stretch long and the world lies still. Stand upon its heights and proclaim the Word of the Kingdom, for the time is near and the dawn waits for no man. Sound the trumpet not in fear but in boldness. Let the watchmen speak, not sleep. Let those sealed by the covenant rise in unity—stand for the nation, the scattered and the faithful, the House of Judah and the House of Israel. Stand for all, for the blood of the Lamb has made one new man. Speak truth into the winds. Declare the name above every name. The hour is late. The light is rising. And the King is coming.

“I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of YHWH, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” — Isaiah 62:6–7

“The night is always darkest just before the dawn. And yet, it is at that hour the faithful rise, not to curse the dark—but to light the fire.” — Unknown

The call to climb the tower at the third watch is a summons not merely to vigilance, but to covenant identity. In the deep hours of the night—when the world slumbers and hope flickers—those who bear the covenant are awakened to intercede, to declare, and to watch. This is not a passive watching, but one charged with holy urgency: to proclaim the Word of the Kingdom, to stand in the gap for a nation still divided, still wounded, still waiting. The sons of the covenant—descendants not by flesh but by faith—are entrusted with a priestly calling, to lift their voices like trumpets and cry out for justice, mercy, and restoration. To climb the tower is to accept this burden with joy. It is to see the world as YHWH sees it: broken but beloved, scattered but redeemable, dark but not forsaken. When we speak His Word over the valleys, when we cry out for the return of righteousness, when we refuse to be silent, we participate in the covenant work of restoration. Jerusalem shall be a praise in the earth—not because of our strength, but because faithful watchmen refused to slumber. This hour calls for clarity, courage, and covenant conviction.

O Righteous Father, You who dwell above all and yet see every trembling soul below, awaken Your sons and daughters at the third watch. Stir in us the holy resolve to climb the tower, to speak Your covenant truth into the silence of this age. Make us faithful watchmen who do not sleep when others slumber, who do not falter when the burden is heavy. Strengthen our knees and anoint our lips to proclaim the Word of the Kingdom without fear or compromise. Cause us to stand not only for ourselves, but for the scattered tribes, for the broken cities, for the prodigals yet to return. Let the fire of intercession burn bright upon the walls of Jerusalem. May we give You no rest, Father, until Zion is restored, until the covenant is fulfilled in every heart, until Your Name is exalted in all the earth. In Your mercy and majesty, we stand.

The Third Watch and the Prophetic Pattern

The night was divided in ancient Israel into four watches—each marking a time of spiritual posture and appointed purpose. The third watch, from midnight to just before dawn, is uniquely symbolic. It is the hour when shadows cling tightly to the earth and silence reigns over cities and souls. It is also the hour when the final preparations for the new day are made. The priests of old would rise to cleanse the altar and prepare the fire for the coming sacrifice (Exodus 29:39). In this same hour, the Messiah walked upon the waters (Matthew 14:25), displaying His dominion over chaos and fear. Spiritually, the third watch is the moment of hidden readiness, of secret intercession, of rising before the dawn to meet the King.

But this rising is not merely for intercession—it is a summons to covenant identity. The call to "climb the tower" is not only about vigilance against external threats; it is about reclaiming who we are as a priestly people, called to stand between heaven and earth on behalf of the covenant nation. The watchman is more than a sentry. He is a prophet, a herald, and a priest. He is one who sees, speaks, and stands.

Watchmen and Covenant Responsibility

Isaiah 62:6–7 declares, “I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night… give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” These are not merely military guards but spiritual intercessors—a remnant that refuses to be silent until YHWH fulfills every covenant word. Watchmen in Scripture are always positioned by divine appointment. Ezekiel was called a watchman for the House of Israel (Ezekiel 3:17) and warned that failure to speak the truth placed the blood of the people upon his hands.

Such a role demands not only vigilance, but identity. These watchmen are sons of the covenant—not simply observers, but participants in the covenant story. They do not stand aloof from the people for whom they intercede; they are bound to them by oath, by history, and by the shared inheritance of promise. They carry the nation in their heart and the word of YHWH on their lips. To climb the tower is to ascend the place of intercessory authority granted by covenant fidelity.

The Tower as a Place of Authority

A tower in biblical language represents elevation, perspective, and dominion. It is the place where the watchman sees beyond what others see and speaks what others cannot yet perceive. In Habakkuk 2:1, the prophet says, “I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me…” This is not passive waiting; it is intentional positioning. The watchman sets himself to listen, to see, and to speak in alignment with YHWH’s will.

From the tower, the covenant Word is declared—not man’s opinion, not doctrinal tradition, but the pure Word of the Kingdom. The tower is not a place of retreat but of engagement. It is the visible platform from which the sons of the covenant cry out, “Return! Restore! Remember the promises!” This is not a call to war against flesh and blood but to wield the sword of the Spirit, the rod of righteousness, and the trumpet of proclamation.

In climbing the tower, the sons of the covenant exercise their priestly function under the Melchizedek order. Like David, a king-priest, they cry aloud in the night watches, mediating between the brokenness of the people and the mercy of the covenant-keeping God.

Standing for the Nation

To “stand for the nation” is more than patriotic sentiment—it is covenant intercession for the full restoration of YHWH’s people. The nation in view is not defined by modern borders or political powers. It is the prophetic nation of twelve tribes—both houses, Judah and Israel—together with the sojourners who join themselves to the covenant. It is the whole olive tree, scattered but remembered, bruised but beloved.

Ezekiel 37 reveals that YHWH will make them “one in His hand.” But until that day, there must be those who stand. Stand against compromise. Stand against forgetfulness. Stand against the erosion of covenant identity. Stand as intercessors who know that the scattered bones will live again. The watchmen carry the burden of those who have forgotten their name and identity. They speak over dry bones, not in judgment, but in hope—“Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain!”

This standing is not merely symbolic. It is active, authoritative, and faithful. It requires the heart of Moses, who stood between judgment and mercy and cried out, “If You will not go with us, do not bring us up from here” (Exodus 33:15). It demands the spirit of Daniel, who set his face toward the promise even in Babylon. It is the posture of Esther, who stood in the gap “for such a time as this.” The tower is filled not with spectators, but with intercessors.

Proclaiming the Word of the Kingdom

The Word of the Kingdom is not simply a message of salvation; it is the royal decree of a coming reign. It is the proclamation of the rule of the Son of David, seated on the throne of YHWH, executing justice and mercy. To declare this Word is to speak with alignment to Yeshua’s first words in His ministry: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).

The watchmen do not invent this Word; they carry it. They proclaim what the King has already decreed. Their message is not clouded by denominational bias, cultural accommodation, or theological compromise. They speak the “mystery of the Kingdom” as revealed in the Messiah—the restoration of all things, the reconciliation of both houses, the return to the covenant of promise.

To proclaim the Kingdom is also to proclaim the covenant that undergirds it. It is to call people back to the Word written not only on tablets but now on hearts. It is to awaken covenant memory in a forgetful generation. It is to shout with trumpet voice, “Return to the covenant! Return to the King!”

And yet, the message is not only one of warning but of hope. The Kingdom is not a threat to the faithful; it is their inheritance. The watchmen proclaim that the King is not only coming—but that He is already at work restoring hearts, healing divisions, and gathering the scattered into one fold under one Shepherd.

Giving Him No Rest

Isaiah’s charge to the watchmen ends with a daring phrase: “Give Him no rest…” This is not irreverence—it is bold faith. It is covenant-based intercession that takes YHWH at His Word. The watchmen remind God of His own promises—not because He forgets, but because we stand on legal ground when we pray from covenant.

This kind of intercession is not casual. It is persistent, even agonizing. It is patterned after the Messiah who, in the garden, sweat great drops of blood as He interceded for the covenant fulfillment. It is like the widow in Luke 18 who wore down the judge with her appeals—not because he was righteous, but because she was relentless. How much more will our Father respond to the cries of His covenant people?

To “give Him no rest” is to take the prophetic promises seriously. It is to pray, not vague blessings, but bold alignment: “Establish Jerusalem! Make her a praise in the earth!” It is to declare, night after night, that the covenant is not forgotten, the people are not forsaken, and the promises are still alive.

Sons of the Covenant, Rise

The tower is not vacant. The call has gone forth. The third watch approaches, and the Spirit is stirring the sons and daughters of covenant to rise. They are not called because of their lineage or accomplishments. They are called because they have agreed with the covenant, applied the blood of the Lamb, and received the name of the King upon their lives.

These sons of the covenant do not wear priestly robes in the natural—they wear righteousness. They carry oil in their lamps, not just for themselves but to light the path for others. They do not fear the darkness—they pierce it with the fire of prophetic truth. They do not run from the walls—they ascend them.

Their voices are not silenced by culture or censorship. They do not shout to be heard, but because they must speak. Like Jeremiah, the Word is fire in their bones. Like Ezekiel, they have eaten the scroll. Like John the Baptist, they point not to themselves but to the Lamb.

Let the sons of the covenant climb. Let them speak. Let them stand for all—for the House of Judah, for the House of Israel, for the sojourners who cling to the covenant promise. For the nations still in darkness, for the prodigals still wandering. Let the trumpet sound.

The dawn is near. The King is coming. And the watchmen will not be silent.

-Selah

Pause here, and let the weight of the call settle deep. The tower still stands. The third watch still waits. The covenant still speaks. And the Spirit still whispers, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”

Let the sons of the covenant say, “Here am I—set me on the wall.”