WILL THE CHURCH RETIRE AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT?

"I must work the works of him that has sent me while it is day. The night is coming when NO MAN CAN WORK" (Jn 9:4).

What did Jesus mean when He said, "The night is coming when no man can work?" Is the "night" in the above passage symbolic of the "midnight hour" or Great Tribulation described in Matthew 24-25? Was Jesus speaking about a cessation of physical work, or was He alluding to spiritual labor—specifically evangelism and ministry to unbelievers?

Many of us recognize the connection between the "night" in John 9:4 and the "midnight hour" in Matthew 25. As such, we realize that "the night when no man can work" refers to the Great Tribulation—the end of all spiritual labor on behalf of the lost. Yet, most Christians have not paused to fully consider the implications of this. In essence, once we enter the Great Tribulation, evangelism and ministry to unbelievers will cease.

To further solidify this point, we turn to the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25. Half of the virgins were wise, and half were foolish. These virgins represent the Church, composed of both wise and foolish Christians. The wise had enough oil in their lamps, while the foolish did not. When the cry rang out at the "midnight hour," all ten virgins prepared for the Bridegroom's return: "And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him" (Mat 25:6). The Bridegroom, of course, is Jesus, and this parable speaks of His return for His Church.

However, once the age of grace ends and God's judgment begins, the foolish virgins could no longer remedy their spiritual condition, symbolized by their lack of oil (representing God's presence through His Spirit). Had they prepared before the midnight hour, they would have been ready, but they had not. As a result, they were shut out: "Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh" (Mat 25:11-13).

This parable mirrors the days leading up to Noah’s flood. Noah and his family warned their contemporaries about the coming flood, but their warnings went unheeded. The rain began only after the door of the ark was shut. Once the rains came, it was too late to enter, and those who ignored Noah’s warnings were barred from the ark. Jesus warns in Matthew 24 that this scenario will repeat before His return:

"But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Mat 24:37-39).

NONE OF THE WICKED WILL REPENT

Both Daniel and Revelation indicate that NONE of the wicked will repent once the Tribulation commences:

"Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand" (Daniel 12:10).

"And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts" (Rev 9:20-21).

"And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds" (Rev 16:9-11).

SATAN WILL PREVAIL AGAINST THE SAINTS FOR A SHORT SEASON

According to both Daniel and Revelation, the Great Tribulation will be a time in which satan will successfully extinguish the Church's influence over society. While the Church's influence grew and spread universally throughout the past 2,000 years (as prophesied in Matthew 13:33), the Great Tribulation is a period in which that influence ceases and the antichrist prevails. Notice:

"I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them" (Dan. 7:21).

"...it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. ...Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end" (Daniel 12:7).

"And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations" (Rev. 13:7).

"SEEK YE THE LORD WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND"

"Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near" (Is. 55:6).

This verse implies that a time is coming when sinners will no longer have the opportunity to make peace with God. That time, it seems, is rapidly approaching.

THE "RESTRAINER" WILL BE REMOVED

"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [Christ's return] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition... For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now restraineth be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming" (2 Thes 2:3-8).

Notice that a specific "restrainer" must first be removed before certain events can unfold. But who is this "restrainer"? The answer is found in the Bible’s depiction of the Holy Spirit. While the Holy Spirit serves many functions for the Believer—empowering (Luk 24:49; Act 1:8), comforting (Jn 14:16), teaching (Jn 14:26), and guiding (Jn 16:13)—He also has a universal role. The Holy Spirit acts as the conscience of mankind, convicting men of sin, righteousness, and judgment (Jn 16:8). His presence in the world keeps sin in check and restrains the powers of darkness. But once the Tribulation begins, His role as the restrainer will no longer be necessary, as God’s grace and salvation will no longer be available to unbelievers.

The Tribulation period is known as the "midnight hour" because, like midnight, it represents the darkest time of night. Imagine the unimaginable darkness the world will experience once the restraining presence of the Holy Spirit is removed and Satan’s influence is allowed to dominate unchecked (Dan 7:21; Rev 13:7).

A TIME TO HIDE

"Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain" (Isa 26:19-21).

Once the Great Tribulation begins, several things will be true:

1. The Holy Spirit will no longer serve as the restrainer.

   
   

2. Humanity will descend into profound spiritual darkness, as sin will go unchecked.

   
   

3. God’s grace and salvation will no longer be accessible to unbelievers, effectively ending all evangelistic efforts and ministry outreach.

   
   

So, what is the Church to do during this dark time? The answer is simple: prepare to "hide," as the scriptures above instruct.

CONCLUSION

Many of us have been taught to believe that the Great Tribulation will usher in an era marked by dynamic evangelism and revival. We have been led to expect that the Holy Spirit’s work of bringing conviction and repentance will continue until Christ’s return. However, as we have seen throughout this study, that will not be the case. Instead, a time is coming when the Church will need to cease its evangelistic efforts and retreat, entering a period of hiding. This reality will become glaringly obvious once the antichrist rises to global power.

This teaching should compel us to act now. Let us make every effort to complete the work of evangelism and ministry while the Holy Spirit is still present to help us. Remember, the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few (Mat 9:37). Now is the time to get to work for Christ, or to repent if we have not been faithful to His call.