Commentators emphasize that the "cry at midnight" is a sudden, dramatic, and unavoidable summons. Scholars note the Greek tense highlights a startling outcry that shatters the silence. John Calvin sees it as a metaphor for the world-shaking event of Christ's return itself. The key point is that the call to meet the Lord will be unmistakable and demand an immediate response from everyone, both the prepared and the unprepared.