KJV - But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
NLT - The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.
Watch Unto Prayer
This is one of those verses that cuts to the chase, and simply lays it all out there with no room for misinterpretation...and we Christians in the modern world tend to shy away from speaking about end times with those who are not like-minded; mainly I think, because we don't want to be grouped with the whackadoodle on the corner holding the homemade sign and shouting as we pass by. Let's meet this verse head-on and try to understand what God is saying to us today.
The 'end of all things' or the 'end of the world' is now. Everything after Christ's Resurrection and before His Second Coming is considered the end times. If you were born after Christ died and subsequently arose from the dead, you are living in the last days. The last days are nothing to fear, though we must prepare for His return. That's what this verse is telling us.
The 'end of all things' or the 'end of the world' is now. Everything after Christ's Resurrection and before His Second Coming is considered the end times. If you were born after Christ died and subsequently arose from the dead, you are living in the last days. The last days are nothing to fear, though we must prepare for His return. That's what this verse is telling us.
σώφρων
The word 'sober' is from the Greek sōphrōn which translates to curbing one's desires and impulses, self-controlled. If we search the roots of this word, we'll find the original context is to save or keep safe and sound, the mind.
νήφω
The word 'watch' is from the Greek nēphō which translates to be calm and collected in spirit. There are no other roots found for this word.
Now that we understand the original context, let's wrap our heads around this verse. To me, I interpret its meaning as : While we are living in the end times, awaiting Jesus' return, we are to curb our worldly impulses and maintain self-control, so we can have a calm and collected spirit in order to commune with God through prayer.
What does this verse speak to you?
