Midnight in the Bible: a Metaphor for Judgment Day
Introduction
The word “Midnight” occurs 14 times in 13 verses in the King James Version of the Bible, but those verses are not usually discussed or explained, particularly regarding the significant spiritual implications that they hold when viewed together. This post is a short review of these important verses for the purpose of considering how they relate to one another, and more particularly how they relate to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Midnight?
“Midnight” is literally the middle of the night, mid-way between sunset and sunrise, which we in our modern day refer to as 12:00 AM. From what this teacher can perceive, by comparing scripture with scripture (“spiritual things with spiritual” according to 1 Corinthians 2:13), each time that “midnight” appears, it provides us some reference to, and is a spiritual preview of, Jesus’ return with his Saints in the clouds of glory on Judgment Day.
On Judgment Day, at the end of the world, every human being who has ever lived will be resurrected from the dead to come before the Great White Throne of God’s Judgment, exactly as is so clearly described in Revelation 20:11-15, “¶And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.“
To be “written in the book of life” is synonymous with being a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and knowing Him as God and Savior for His Atoning Sacrifice for his or her sins. And that salvation is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8&9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” For more on this please see: The Election of God.
The following verses show us how God has used “midnight” in the Bible to point us to Judgment Day.
1&2) The Destroyer Came at Midnight in Egypt
The first two verses that mention “midnight” are directly related to each other in the book of Exodus:
Exodus 11:4-6, “And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that [is] behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.” and…
Exodus 12:29, “And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that [was] in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.“
Midnight marked the arrival of the tenth and final plague against Pharaoh and the land of Egypt. Midnight heralded what in effect was “Judgment Day” brought by God against the people of Egypt, which paved the way for Israel to come out of Egypt (leaving the “house of bondage”). However, because the Israelites had been instructed to place sacrificial lamb’s blood on their doorposts of their homes, the LORD would “pass over” the door and the Destroyer (the angel of death) would not be allowed to kill anyone in each of those homes. As a result the plague of death had no effect on the Israelites. Exodus 12:23, “For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite [you].”
3) Samson Arose at Midnight and Removed the Doors to the Gate of the City
Judges 16:3, “And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put [them] upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that [is] before Hebron.“
Samson can be shown to be a “Type” of the Lord Jesus Christ, and from this verse we see, from a spiritual standpoint, Jesus waiting until Midnight to Arise, and to open the world (typified by “the city”) up to Judgment. (Note this is the only verse in the Bible where the word “midnight” appears twice.)
Job 5:3&4, “I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation. His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither [is there] any to deliver [them].
It should also be noted what we read in Lamentations 4:11&12, “The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof. The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.” While Judgment Day will mark the condemnation of the World, it will also mark the condemnation of the corporate church for its apostasy as typified by the condemnation of national Israel in Lamentations chapter 4 (having been made vulnerable by the taking away of the gates).
4) Boaz Was Stirred Up at Midnight When Ruth Came Under His Protection at the Threshing Floor
Ruth 3:8, “And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. And he said, Who [art] thou? And she answered, I [am] Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt (כָּנָף (kānāp̄; H3671) over thine handmaid; for thou [art] a near kinsman(גָּאַל (gā’al)H1350).” Ruth was clearly answering to Boaz that she was Ruth, the “Moabitess”, the daughter-in-law to Naomi, the widow of Elimelech, and the mother of Mahlon (Ruth’s dead husband, who left no progeny). She made it clear, by her appearance and her obeisance, that she was offering herself to be Boaz’s wife, and therefore to bear children up in the name of the dead kin folk of Boaz, Mahlon and Elimelech.
But what about the spreading of the skirt of Boaz over Ruth?, what does that signify? God tells us in Ezekiel 16:8, “Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time [was] the time of love; and I spread my skirt (כָּנָף (kānāp̄;H3671) over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.” A complete study of the spiritual implications of the overspreading of Boaz’s skirt can be found here.
However, we must take particular note here that the original Hebrew word used for “skirt” (כָּנָף (kānāp̄;H3671) is most commonly translated as “wings” exactly as it reads back in Ruth 2:12 where Boaz specifically said to Ruth: “The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings (כָּנָף (kānāp̄; H3671) thou art come to trust.”
Boaz, as another “Type” or “Prefigurement” of the Lord Jesus Christ, awoke at Midnight, only to find Ruth (typifying All believers) had sought to come under the shelter of his “skirt”, which typified her having put her trust in Boaz. And it is important to also note that this event occurred at the “Threshing Floor“, which is another element that God uses as an indicator that Judgment Day is in view as is explained fully in this post: The Threshing Floor of God.
5) An Aggrieved Mother Petitioned King Solomon Concerning a Wicked Mother’s Arising at Midnight
1 Kings 3:20, “And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.“
The wicked will also arise at Midnight, but only to Judgment! John 5:28&29, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
6) Death Comes at Midnight for the Unsaved
Job 34:20, “In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.”
This verse unequivocally shows that Midnight is intended by God to be synonymous with Judgment Day. Three other posts that provide additional insights on what to expect on Judgment Day can be found here, here, and here.
7) All Believers will Arise at Midnight to Give Thanks for Their Salvation
Psalm 119:62, “At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.“
This verse brings to mind what we find in Revelation 4:9, “¶And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
8) The Bridegroom (Jesus) Will Come at Midnight!
Matthew 25:6, “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.“
This verse forms part of Jesus’ Parable of the Ten Virgins in which Jesus makes clear the division between the five wise virgins and the five foolish virgins. It prefigures Jesus’ returning as the Bridegroom at His second coming on Judgment Day to take His Bride (the eternal Church, see Revelation 18:23 and 21:9). The wise virgins had their lamps burning because they had oil in their lamps (typifying The Holy Spirit) and thus were able to enter into the wedding feast, but the foolish virgins (who did not have the oil) could not enter in because the door was shut (they were not true believers).
Jesus Is The Bridegroom Who will be coming at midnight, hence Judgment Day!
For more on the division between the true believers and the non-believers please also see: Jesus’ Parables of The Great Division on Judgment Day.
9) The Master of the House (Jesus) Could Come at Any Time, But Midnight Is Named as a Possibility
Mark 13:35, “Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:“
Given that there are 24 time zones on earth, regardless of when Jesus returns heralding Judgment Day, it will be evening, midnight, and morning simultaneously everywhere on earth. We just don’t know specifically when that will be in literal earthly time reference terms.
10) The Petitioning of a Friend (Jesus) for Bread (Life) at Midnight
Luke 11:5, “And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;“
Jesus is the Friend that the believers have for eternity. Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (φίλος (philos)) G5384.” For more on the meaning of “Friend”, as is translated from the original Greek word φίλος (philos)G5384, please see this post on God’s Equity.
11) At Midnight the Prisoners Were Loosed from the Prison House
Acts 16:25, “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.“
Jesus sets the captives free as we read in Ephesians 4:7, “¶But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.“
Also Isaiah 42:6&7 tells us, “I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, [and] them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.“
12) The Preaching Continued Until Midnight and Then a Resurrection
Acts 20:7, “And upon the first [day] of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.“
This is perhaps the most telling of the verses, in that the first day of the week is synonymous with the Resurrection of The Lord Jesus Christ. And note also that Paul was ready to “depart” on the morrow but he continued his speech until Midnight. And what do we see in the next few verses. A young man named name Eutychus (whose name means “Fortunate”) was raised by Paul from the dead. Another resurrection pointing to the end of the world that comes at Midnight when the believers will be raised from the dead!
13) It was at Midnight that Paul was Shipwrecked, but All Aboard Arrived Safely to Melita (Heaven)
Acts 27:27, “But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;“
“About Midnight“, the shipmen had “deemed” that they were drawing to some country. From a spiritual standpoint this appears to be saying that they knew that the end of their journey was near. And given that it can be shown that the country was the island of Melita, and that Melita is an allegorical reference to Heaven, then we can see that Heaven was in view at “about Midnight“. Subsequent verses explain that the ship was wrecked but all “276 souls” on board the ship made it to the shore of Melita (Heaven) alive!
It was also when the 14th night had come. Creation until now has been ~13,000 years, and given that according to 2 Peter 3:8, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.“, we can say that the coming of the 14th night could be another presage for the end of time, and hence Judgment Day.
Conclusion
In this post we have reviewed the thirteen verses (and fourteen times) where we can find specific reference to “Midnight” in the Bible, and each time, in one way or another, brings Judgment Day to mind. Judgment Day will be the last event in history when the Lord Jesus Christ will come back in the clouds of Glory to destroy all wickedness, and send all of the unsaved of the world to an eternity in Hell, and put an end to this entire creation, which is under the curse of sin and death. It will mark the end of time and the beginning of eternity wherein righteousness will dwell in new heavens and a new earth forever. In 2 Peter 3:10 we read, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”
And we should also be mindful that while it has been shown that Midnight is a metaphor for Judgment Day, it is ONLY that, and Midnight is NOT a literal temporal time reference! Jesus made this clear in Matthew 24:36, “¶But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.“
Nonetheless, Jesus gave us a number of hints concerning what we should expect in “the season” just prior to Judgment Day by way of example with His referencing the days just prior to Noah’s Flood and leading up to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (for more on these hints, please see: Is Time Almost Up? and Judgment Day is Coming Soon!).
Moreover, in Matthew 24:42-44, Jesus also said to, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Thus, everyone has been warned to be ready against that day, but only the believers will truly be ready.
Isaiah 42:9, tells us, “Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.” and Amos 3:7, “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret (סוֹד (sôḏ))H5475 unto his servants the prophets.” Note that the word translated as “secret” the King James translators interpreted it to mean variously either: secret (9x), counsel (6x), assembly (5x), or inward (1x). as for example: Psalm 89:7, “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly (סוֹד (sôḏ))H5475 of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all [them that are] about him.“
1 Thessalonians 4:13– 18, “¶But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (the believers who are physically dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. ¶For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (go before) them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.“
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