During the time of Christ the Temple was a very busy place. There was a constant flow of people coming and going. Many were there to sacrifice or pay tithes. Others came to observe what went on. Others came to socialize. When evening came the Temple became a much quieter place. However, there was still work that went on. The Temple area needed to be cleaned. Priests and Levites spent the night doing just that. There were also guards posted around the Temple to assure that no thief entered in. There were priests and Levites who spent the early morning hours preparing the sacrifices for the next day.

The priest whose duty it was to superintend (or oversee) the sacrificial arrangements might knock at the door for entrance at any time. When he knocked he was demanding admittance. He came unexpectedly and suddenly when no one would know. He did this to make sure that the priests under him would always be properly prepared to begin the preparations upon his arrival. (It is interesting that each priest was required to have completely immersed himself in a special ceremonial bath to make himself properly "clean". This was required even if the priest was clean on the outside by all appearances. This immersion was required before the superintendent arrived.)

The Rabbis in the Mishnah use very interesting wording to describe he unexpected coming of the Master, the superintendent. "Sometimes he came at the cock-crowing, sometimes a little earlier, sometimes a little later. He came and knocked, and they opened to him. Then said he unto them, All ye who have washed, come and cast lots." Any priest found to be sleeping or not ready suffered severe consequences.

In Mark 13: 35-37, we read, "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: lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." This passage is in reference to the coming of our Lord at the Judgment Day. It is interesting that Jesus used words very much like those used in the Mishnah in reference to the night Superintendent of the priests. Jesus is our Superintendent. His coming will be suddenly and when no man expects it. Thus, we should live every moment as if Jesus will come that moment. If we are not prepared for his knocking, then we will suffer severe consequences.