The Watchman of Krakatoa

In the spring of 1883, Captain Wilhelm Lindemann of the Dutch merchant vessel Elisabeth noticed something peculiar as he sailed through the Sunda Strait near Java. The volcanic island of Krakatoa, long considered dormant, had begun rumbling. Small plumes of ash drifted skyward. The sea churned with unusual warmth.

Lindemann recorded every detail in his logbook. He warned harbor officials. He adjusted his shipping routes. Most captains dismissed the signs — Krakatoa had grumbled before and nothing had come of it. Business continued. Ships passed through the strait without hesitation.

On August 27, 1883, Krakatoa erupted with a force heard nearly three thousand miles away. The explosion generated tsunamis that killed over thirty-six thousand people. The skies darkened across the globe for months. Those who had ignored the warning signs were caught utterly unprepared.

When Jesus told His disciples to watch the fig tree — to read the signs of tender branches and sprouting leaves — He was not inviting idle speculation about dates and timelines. He was calling His followers to a posture of attentiveness, the same vigilance Captain Lindemann practiced while others grew complacent. The sun will darken, the stars will fall, and the Son of Man will come in power. No one knows the hour — not the angels, not even the Son, but the Father alone.

The question is not when. The question is whether we are watchful. "What I say to you," Jesus declared, "I say to everyone: Watch!"