What is to be prophesied by these two witnesses? What happens after the two witnesses are killed?
Revelation 11:11-13… And after the three and a half days spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell upon those beholding them. And they heard a loud voice out of heaven say to them: “Come on up here.” And they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies beheld them. And in that hour a great earthquake occurred, and a tenth of the city fell; and seven thousand persons were killed by the earthquake, and the rest became frightened and gave glory to the God of heaven.
God is righteous and he is faithful, if you love him with your whole heart and mind even if you should lose your life, he can cause you to stand up again. He is the God of the living. Knowing and having the proper godly fear can save us as we give glory to God in life or at our death.
Back to your reading of Revelation 11:
Revelation 11:14… The second woe is past… Look! The third woe is coming quickly.
Revelation 11:14 acts as a timestamp for us. The first woe was the releasing of the locus that plagued mankind. The removing of these two witnesses from the earth is the second woe. This marks the beginning of the last or third woe for the earth as the devil has been hurled to the earth. Soon the seven bowls of God’s wrath is poured out upon the earth.
Now back to our reading:
Revelation 11:15-19… And the seventh angel blew his trumpet. And loud voices occurred in heaven, saying: “The kingdom of the world did become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will rule as king forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders who were seated before God upon their thrones fell upon their faces and worshiped God, saying: “We thank you, Jehovah God, the Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and begun ruling as king. But the nations became wrathful, and your own wrath came, and the appointed time for the dead to be judged, and to give [their] reward to your slaves the prophets and to the holy ones and to those fearing your name, the small and the great, and to bring to ruin those ruining the earth.” And the temple [sanctuary] of God that is in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen in his temple [sanctuary]. And there occurred lightnings and voices and thunders and an earthquake and a great hail.
At the blowing of the last trumpet the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ begins to exercise authority upon the earth. The good news about our Lord Jesus Christ has now become a reality and is no longer something that is foretold or witnessed about.
What is going to happen next?
- The time for the dead to be judged.
- The time to give a reward those who have feared God’s name.
- The time to bring to an end to those ruining the earth.
- A great shaking happens for all to see and feel in heaven and upon earth.
Yes, we say let your Kingdom come Lord. Let your righteousness become known in the whole earth Sovereign of the universe. To those found bowing down upon their knee and giving praise and honor to you the only true God, may they be blessed even forever, Amen.
The Lampstands
What is the direct tie in from Zechariah chapter 4 to Revelation chapter 11? How are the two accounts the same, but yet deferent?
The olive trees and the lampstand are the tie into to these passages of scripture. They are a little different because in Revelation 11 it speaks of two olive trees and two lampstands. Whereas in Zechariah chapter 4 it mentions two olive trees and one lampstand.
The two olive trees spoken of in Zechariah chapter 4 have proved to be two men who represented the authority of God before the people as they stood near or before the Lord of the whole earth.
The lampstand proved to be the congregation of God in Israel at that time. The message was the oil that was put into the lampstand and the igniting of it by the Holy Spirit from God allowed it to become the illumination by which caused the people to respond to the knowledge of what God wanted. It allowed them to work to accomplish God’s will.
Revelation speaks of two lampstands, who or what would be represented by that today? If one lampstand was the people of Israel in Jerusalem, who would be represented by the other lampstand today?
Let us look at what the apostle John received about the lampstands.
Revelation 1:9-10… I John, YOUR brother and a sharer with YOU in the tribulation and kingdom and endurance in company with Jesus, came to be in the isle that is called Patmos for speaking about God and bearing witness to Jesus. By inspiration I came to be in The Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a strong voice like that of a trumpet,
The apostle John received a vision, and he tells us where he was when he got the vision. Did you notice why he was in the isle of Patmos? That is right, for bearing witness about Jesus. What deeper truth is John getting ready to reveal to us?
Revelation 1:11-13… saying: “What you see write in a scroll and send it to the seven congregations, in Ephesus and in Smyrna and in Pergamum and in Thyatira and in Sardis and in Philadelphia and in Laodicea.” And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me, and having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands someone like a son of man, clothed with a garment that reached down to the feet, and girded at the breasts with a golden girdle.
The apostle John saw 7 lampstands and in the midst of the lampstands was our Lord Jesus Christ.
We also have some key descriptions about our Lord Jesus Christ. That ties into other scriptures in Revelation.
Revelation 1:14-16… Moreover, his head and his hair were white as white wool, as snow, and his eyes as a fiery flame; and his feet were like fine copper when glowing in a furnace; and his voice was as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars, and out of his mouth a sharp, long two-edged sword was protruding, and his countenance was as the sun when it shines in its power.
Did you see the tie end? It is the sword protruding from his mouth. That means he has the power in the words that he speaks.
Back to our reading:
Revelation 1:17-20… And when I saw him, I fell as dead at his feet. And he laid his right hand upon me and said: “Do not be fearful. I am the First and the Last, and the living one; and I became dead but look! I am living forever and ever, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Therefore, write down the things you saw, and the things that are and the things that will take place after these. 20 As for the sacred secret of the seven stars that you saw upon my right hand, and [of] the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars mean [the] angels of the seven congregations, and the seven lampstands mean seven congregations.
So, a disclosure was made to the apostle John that the seven congregations are represented by the seven lampstands. If we go ahead and read Revelation chapter 2 & 3 we can see the message that the Lord Jesus gave to the 7 angels over the 7 congregations. Which congregation do you find yourself in today and what can you do about it?
After reading chapter 2 and chapter 3 of Revelation it is easy to see that three of the congregations were told to repent. If we were to number them from the worst to the best, with 7 being the worst, then that would have to be Laodicea.
Next would-be 6- Ephesus, 5- Pergamum, 4- Sardis, and then 3- Thyatira. 2- Smyrna and it was told to endure the hardships that were still to come. Whereas 1- Philadelphia was encouraged because they were the overcomers. No matter what congregation you find yourself in, what matters is our love and our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Keep holding on to the teaching and our love for our king and our Father in heaven.
What is to be Prophesied
What message is to be prophesied?
In Revelation 11:10 it uses the word torment which according to the Greek as found in Strong’s Concordance #G928 is basanizo, and it means to be examined under torture, like a trial by torture. The message that the two witnesses speak puts people under a trial by torture as it were.
What the two witnesses speak about requires an action of faith to the one hearing it or it will become a torture by trial for error to the one not believing. It would be as if someone would say “do this or else”. Was that not so with Pharaoh of Egypt when Moses called out the seven plagues by God’s direction? God made himself known in those days by the words of his two witnesses Moses and Aaron. Those who were obedient to the words from God were blessed.
The next clue that we have to the message of the two witnesses comes from what the apostle John received from the angel who had the rainbow above his head.
Revelation 10:8-11… And the voice that I heard out of heaven is speaking again with me and saying: “Go, take the opened scroll that is in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the earth.” And I went away to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me: “Take it and eat it up, and it will make your belly bitter, but in your mouth, it will be sweet as honey.” And I took the little scroll out of the hand of the angel and ate it up, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; but when I had eaten it up, my belly was made bitter. And they say to me: “You must prophesy again with regard to peoples and nations and tongues and many kings.”
The message that the two witnesses give has to do with life and death, obedience, and the consequences of rebellion for all. Because it was written in the scroll, we can surmise that the message has to do with the next set of events that befalls mankind and to those who govern it. How will you view the message from the two witnesses? What chain of events that are found in the bible that are still left to be fulfilled?
Chain of Events
The following chain of events are not in a particular set of order. My thought is that we have not seen these following events fulfilled as of now.
The Revealing of the sons of God. Romans 8:9
The Sign of the Son of man, Trumpet sound and the Chosen Gathered. Matthew 24:31
The Son of man arrives in Glory, and all will see him, then he judges sheep and goats. Matthew 25:31
The Man of Lawlessness of Iniquity is revealed and is done away with by Jesus Christ manifestation. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-9
The hour of judgement by God. Revelation 14:7
The Revealing of the Two Witnesses and 1260 days of prophesying. Revelation 11:3
The fall of Babylon the Great. Revelation 14:8
The worshiping of the wild beast or receiving its mark. Revelation 14:9-14
The pouring out of the seven bowls of plagues so that the anger of God is brought to a finish. Revelation 15:1
God’s execution of judgment upon the Great Harlot. Revelation 19:1
The righteous war against the wild beast and the kings of the earth. Revelation 19:19
The abyssing of Satan for the thousand years. Revelation 20:3
If you think I missed an event or if you think you have seen the fulfilment of one of these events, please let me know. Which event along with your proof.
Knowing the Times
What is the significance of knowing the times we live in and how will that help us now?
We know that there is a time limit for the two witnesses to show signs and give testimony about the things that are coming. Whether you believe it’s 3 ½ years or not we have shown you mathematically that they all tie together. If you are an avid reader of the Bible, you also recognize the tie into other Bible prophecies regarding the times.
Have you ever been woken up in the middle the night and thought what time is it? Then you think, what difference does it make about the time, either you are going to go back to sleep, or you are going to get up.
The same is true for knowing the times God has set upon mankind and those who rule over them. You are either going to wake up and work in harmony with God or you are not. There is a required action upon our part. If we are going to understand our awakening, we have work that we need to do. We should not just be sleeping on as the rest do.
1 Thessalonians 5:6-9… So, then, let us not sleep on as the rest do, but let us stay awake and keep our senses. 7 For those who sleep are accustomed to sleep at night, and those who get drunk are usually drunk at night. 8 But as for us who belong to the day, let us keep our senses and have on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet the hope of salvation; 9 because God assigned us, not to wrath, but to the acquiring of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
How do we acquire salvation?
Acquire Your Salvation
What is the definition or meaning for the word salvation? It means deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss. We can see this definition if we look back at Strong’s Concordance #G4991 soteria. It can be translated as deliverance or preservation, to save and rescue. Salvation is a deliverance by God as he rescues his believers from destruction and into his arms of safety.
What are some of the things that you and I can do that help facilitate our deliverance?
We should comfort one another, and we should help build one another up in our faith. We should pray for one another and give thanks in all that we do. We should work at sanctifying ourselves. What does it mean to sanctify ourselves and how do we do so? 2 Peter 3:14
The word sanctify means to set apart as something holy, to purify. Brothers we need to make sure that in all that we do we keep ourselves clean from this world by setting ourselves apart in holiness. Get ready to be used by God as something holy. Become steadfast and be ready with every good work as we wait for our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jude 1:20-25… But YOU, beloved ones, by building up yourselves on YOUR most holy faith, and praying with holy spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love, while YOU are waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ with everlasting life in view. Also, continue showing mercy to some that have doubts; save [them] by snatching [them] out of the fire. But continue showing mercy to others, doing so with fear, while YOU hate even the inner garment that has been stained by the flesh. Now to the one who is able to guard YOU from stumbling and to set YOU unblemished in the sight of his glory with great joy, to [the] only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, might and authority for all past eternity and now and into all eternity. Amen.
So, who are the two witnesses of God?
Who are the Two Witnesses?
Psalms 89:36-37 calls out the Sun and Moon as faithful witnesses. So, how could they prophesy? They cannot prophesy so they are not the two witnesses of Revelation.
Some have said that the two witnesses would be the congregation of God, the lampstands themselves. But as we pointed out before the lampstands are the congregations and not the two witnesses. In Zechariah chapter 4 it clearly points out there are two individuals who stand before the Lord of the whole earth. They are the two olive trees that drip oil into the lampstands. You have to have something or someone putting oil into the lampstand. The olive tree and the lampstand could not be one entity because there are two lampstands and two trees. Remember in Zechariah there are two trees feeding one lampstand. God has always had two witnesses to direct his people even as Moses and Aaron were used, and so was Joshua and Zerubbabel were used.
At the transfiguration found at Luke 9:27-33 Peter, John, and James saw two men standing with Jesus talking about his destined departure from Jerusalem. Could these men Moses and Elijah be the two witnesses?
Could the two witnesses be the ones that God has picked that will sit at the right and left hand of Jesus Christ in heaven? I am not so sure about that. Mark 10:35-40
Other people have claimed that the two witnesses could be two angels who have always assisted the Lord of the whole earth like Michael and Uriel. When we read Revelation chapter 1 through chapter 3 we can see that this could gain some traction. Where we can see there is an angel over each of the congregations of the Lord.
How about the spirit of truth and the spirit of wisdom could they be the Two Witnesses? I not sure as of now about that but I have found a passage of Scripture from the Apocrypha of Peter were Christ Jesus tells his disciples that Enoch and Elijha will come and reveal the deceiver who is destined to come into the world.
Enoch could be the words that have been hidden till the end times then revealed. Elijha could represent the holy spirit that helps those who are found living the words of God.
There is definitely one thing that we know is true. That these two witnesses will be giving the signs to show that they speak the words from God. Will you be listening to them when they start to prophesy?
Review Questions
Who are the Two witnesses of God? We do not know as of now, but time will tell us who they are, as they begin to perform the signs and prophesy.
Why do they need to prophesy? They foretell about the following events of God and what will befall mankind next.
Where will they prophesy? They will prophesy on the world stage for all to hear and see.
When will they start to prophesy and how long will they prophesy for? We’re not sure when they begin their prophesying, but we do know it is for 1260 days. Revelation 11:2 points to the time that the holy city is trampled, it could be at or in that same time frame that the two witness start their work.
Who are the enemies of the two witnesses and why? Those who resist God and his message along with the wild beast. It is all the governments that is in opposition to God’s Kingdom.
Where are the two witnesses killed? They are publicly killed as the Scripture says in the same place that our Lord Jesus was killed, in the city of Jerusalem.
If I have failed to answer any of these questions, please let me know.
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