TWO WITNESSES - NYOBS 43.19

TWO WITNESSES

One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin.

In any sin that he sins: at the mouth of TWO WITNESSES,

or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

Deuteronomy 19:15 (KJV)

Background

·          Part one of Christ’s return in THE AIR has already happened and He has RAPTURED the dead believers as well as the believers that are still alive. – Part two is when He returns to THE EARTH and reigns for 1,000 years. – NYOBS 01.23 – RAPTURE – NYOBS 35.16 - 144,000 -THE MARK

• The Seven Year Tribulation period has already begun. – 144,000 Jewish Evangelist have already been sanctioned for the last time to evangelize the world with the Gospel Message.
• The Two Witnesses appear during the LAST 3 ½ years of the tribulation period as mentioned in the 1,260 days of Revelation.   
• Symbols - The two olive trees and two lamp stands are symbolic of the two witnesses.  Olive oil and lamp stands both give light and are also symbolic of the light of the “word” of God.

Rev 11:3-5 - Two Witnesses – Two Evangelist – Two Prophets

3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth."

4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.

5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.

1 Thess 4:16-17 – Rapture - Dead believers First then the living

16 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:

17 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. KJV

Purpose

• Two purposes for the Tribulations (also known as “Jacobs Trouble”).

1      To purge Israel and prepare the believing Jewish remnant for the return of the Messiah.

2      To punish the wicked for their sins.

• The purpose of these Two Jewish Evangelist, also known as “prophets” is to display the power of God, and foretell the great events of wrath to come.  – Watchman on the Wall -

·         Jew and Gentile alike will come to the Lord because of their testimony.

• They will be hated by the antichrist and his people.  The two prophets cannot be harmed until their assignment is finished.
• These “Two Witnesses” parallel the OT, when God’s servants Zerubbabel and Joshua, were chosen to reclaim and rebuild the Jewish temple after the Babylon captivity. – The Lord God Almighty said; “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit”.

God endued them with His Spirit to accomplish His work.

Zech 4:6 - Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit

6 This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: `Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD Almighty. NIV

Why Two Witnesses

• The Law of Moses requires Two Witnesses for a thing to be established as true.
• Jesus sent the disciple’s out Two by Two. – Two Angels witnessed Jesus death – Two Angels witnessed the translation of Jesus.
• NOTE:  The Messiah; The Old Testament is one witness and the New Testament is the second witness. – The Gospel; Jesus is one witness and His Father is the Second Witness.

Matt 18:16 – Two Witnesses establish something as true

16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. KJV

Deut 19:15 – At the mouth of Two Witnesses

15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

KJV

John 20:12 – Two Angels witnessed the slain body of Jesus

12 And seeing two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

KJV

Acts 1:10 – Two Angels witnessed Jesus translation

10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

KJV

Luke 10:1 – Jesus sent out the witnesses Two by Two

1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. KJV

John 8:17-18 – Why Two Witnesses? – The Law requires it.
¹⁷ In your own Law it is written that the testimony of TWO WITNESSES is true.
¹⁸ I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” (NIV2011)

Supernatural Power

• The two evangelists have been granted unlimited power and authority and only have to “speak” and fire consumes their enemies.  They can bring drought, turn water into blood and bring on plagues which is very similar to the miracles wroth by Moses and Elijah.
• They cannot be harmed; they are IMORTAL till their assignment is finished.
• No believer will die until he has finished what God has sent him to do, whether he is 1 or 101.

Rev 11: 6 – The TWO WITNESSES have supernatural POWER

6 These men have POWER to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have POWER to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

Ex 7:17 – Moses – Changed the waters into BLOOD

17 This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. NIV

Num 16:35 – Moses – Called FIRE down from Heaven

35 Moses… And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense. NIV

2 Kings 1:10 – Elijah - Called FIRE down from Heaven

10 Elijah answered the captain, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!" Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.

NIV

Isaiah 55:11 – You will accomplish what you were sent to do
¹¹ So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (NKJV)

Identity

• ONE of the Two Witnesses we believe for sure will be Elijah, because Jesus said Elijah would come before the great and terrible day of the Lord.
• The other of the Two Evangelist could be Moses as the tribulation miracles performed by Moses are like those performed by him while freeing the Israelites from Egypt.
• Moses with Elijah APPEARED with Jesus as His face and clothes begin to glow white as He was transfigured on the mountain.
• Satan tried to take possession of the body of Moses so that he could not be resurrected.
• Others think the two witness’s will be Enoch and Elijah as NEITHER ONE DIED, but were both translated directly to Heaven.   
• From the Apocrypha – The Gospel of Nicodemus 20:3-4 – I am Enoch who pleased God, and was translated by Him, and this is Elijah the Tishbite.  We are also to live to the end of the age; but then we are about to be sent by God to resist Antichrist, and be slain by him, and to rise after three  and one half days, and to be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord.-  (Is the Apocrypha interesting or what)
• The supporting argument is that Enoch and Elijah will die for the first time on earth when then are killed and RAPTURED.  – This argument is a little thin as many Christians will be raptured before they die; besides that Enoch was a Gentile not a Jew. – NYOBS 01.23 RAPTURE
• How about this – John the Baptist who was the forerunner of Christ had a similar message as that of Elijah – They both dressed in the same manner.  – Both Elijah and John the Baptist would certainly be at home preaching in SACKCLOTH – Elijah would represent the Old Testament and John the Baptist would represent the New Testament.  Elijah brings forth FIRE and John the Baptist taught baptism by FIRE.
• We really don’t know who the Two Witnesses are; God can raise up whomever He wants. – If the names of the Two Witnesses were important for us to know, God would have told us.

Mark 9:11-12 – The Law says Elijah must come first.

11 And they asked him, "Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?"

12 Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? NIV

Mal 4:5 – Elijah must come first before that Dreadful Day

5 "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. NIV

Matthew 17:9-11 - Elijah comes first and will restore all things
⁹ And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”
¹⁰ And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” (ESV)
¹¹  He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things.

Matthew 17:2-3 – Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus
² And he was transfigured before them, (Peter and James, and John) and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
³ behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.

NIV

Jude 1:9 – Satan tried to take possession of Moses body
⁹ But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”

(ESV)

Heb 11:5 – Enoch did not experience death - Raptured

5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. NIV

2 Kings 2:11 – Elijah did not experience death - Raptured

As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. NIV

Heb 9:27 – At some point Elijah and Enoch must die

27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: KJV

Revelation 11:3 – Clothed in Sackcloth
³ And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in SACKCLOTH.”

(ESV)

Matthew 3:11 – John the Baptist - Baptize with FIRE
¹¹ I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and FIRE. (ESV)

Killing the Two Witnesses

• The two witnesses are killed after their assignment has been completed.  Many people are saved right up to the time of the prophets deaths.
• The beast that kills the two witnesses is not Satan, the Antichrist or his False Prophet.  He is a fallen angel; He is The King that rules over the abyss and has been locked away with his demon subjects - Although Satan is not their King; he is still in control.
• The Greek word for Witness is martus, which is where we get our English word MARTYR.

Rev 11:7 – Killed after their assignment is completed

7 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.

NIV

Rev 9:11 – The beast is the King of the Abyss – Fallen Angel

11 They had as KING over them THE ANGEL of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon. 

Party Time

• Three and a half days is the literal time that the Two Witnesses lie slain in the street as three and a half years as some scholars teach would not work out chronologically.
• This is victory for the beast and his followers as they hated and feared the evangelists.   They are happy now because they think they no longer have to fear the wrath of God.
• All criminals were granted burial the same day of their execution, however these two witnesses were not buried. This illustrates the pure hatred and spite towards them, even mocking and gloating over their decaying, rotting, stinking carcasses in the streets; treating them like dead dogs.
• These vexing, persecuting prophets are now dead; so they party, celebrating and exchange gifts; this might possibly denote the (Satanic) Christmas season.
• The whole world will see the two slain witnesses lying in the street via satellite technology. By this future date, they probably will also have new personal video gadgets like smart phones or a wrist device that will display the images over and over again. - This would have seemed impossible 100 years ago.

Rev 11:8-10 – Lie in the street 3 ½ days – Televised by Satellite.

8 The bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which figuratively is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

9 For three and a half days men from EVERY people, tribe, language and nation will GAZE on their bodies and refuse them burial.

10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and WILL CELEBRATE by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented (vexed) those who live on the earth.

NIV

The Rapture

• The world hears an audible voice say, “Come up here”. 
• Via Satellite Television, the world sees the two witnesses come back to life and RAPTURED into heaven.  In the first Rapture of the SAINTS, the translation happens in the blink of an eye; this catching up into Heaven of the Two Witnesses will be slow enough for everybody to see. 
• You can be sure, that because of the awareness of the book of “Revelation”, that many cameras will be trained on them from every angle possible, including “looking upward”, not wanting to miss a thing.  I will get to see this up close and personally, but from far up above.

Rev 11:11-12 - They were Resurrected and Raptured

11 After the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them; they stood on their feet’; terror struck those who saw them.

12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.

NIV

God gets their attention

• As the two witnesses begin their ascension, a severe earthquake occurs.  Seven Thousand men are killed in the city; fear grips the hearts of the survivors.
• Before this earthquake, one-half of the world’s population has already been killed and this seven thousand was added to that. - For the sake of the believers, this was a reduced number. - The Jews recognize that this is the hand of God and give him Glory.

Rev 11:13 – Earthquake Survivors give Glory to God

13 There was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Matthew 24:22 - For sake of the elect days will be cut short
²²  And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

Summary

• God sends two witnesses to preach one more time – They do miracles – Many are saved.
• The two witnesses might be Elijah and Enoch, both previously raptured or translated.
• Option two is Elijah and Moses because they performed the same miracles as the two witnesses, plus Satan fought over the bones of Moses to keep him from the resurrection.
• Option three is Elijah and John the Baptist representing the Old and New Testament.
• The Two Witnesses preach the Gospel for the last 3 ½ years of the tribulation period.
• They are supernaturally protected during their mission. – They are temporally IMMORTAL.
• They perform great miracles; call down fire from Heaven, and cause droughts.
• When their mission is complete, God allows the King of the Abyss to kill them.  This king is a fallen angel controlled by Satan.
• They lie in the streets  of Jerusalem for 3 ½ days  - It’s televised by satellite
• People are happy and give each other gifts… Might be at Christmas time.
• The Heavens thunder - The Two Witnesses are resurrected and raptured or translated.
• The process is slow enough for everybody on earth to see it via satellite.
• A great earthquake hits - A tenth of Jerusalem is destroyed
• Seven Thousand men are killed. - Survivors recognize the power of God
• God has everybody’s attention now and they see His invitation to salvation.
• The Wrath of God has been partially displayed, not just to punish or to purge, but to sound the alarm as the “Watchman on the Wall”. – It’s a trumpet call to attention, to make the world aware of the need for a “COURSE CORRECTION” before it’s too late.
• OVER AND OVER again; God reaches out – He takes no pleasure in the death of man.
• God left the door to Noah’s Ark open a week after everything was on board, hoping others would come. – Then He CLOSED THE DOOR. – Once the door is closed, it will not be opened.  NYOBS 17.10 - NOAH’S ARK
• Through His Son Jesus Christ, our loving God, has opened a new door – He will only show you the door; YOU MUST WALK THROUGH IT, BEFORE IT CLOSES.
• The next thing to occur is the first stage of Armageddon, you can be a participant or be an observer – Life is choice driven - NYOBS 22.02 ARMAGEDDON - NYOBS 37.29 – FREE WILL – NYOBS 03.30 PREDESTINATION – NYOBS 38.20 – MAKE BELIEVER

Ezekiel 18:32 - I take no pleasure in the death of anyone
³² For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord GOD. "Therefore, repent and live." (NASB)

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders and see further that I otherwise ever could have.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

American Standard Version Bible - ASV

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Invisible War; The -   Donald Grey Barnhouse

King James Version Bible – KJV

Lost Books of the Bible; The – Bell Publishing

New American Standard Bible – NASB

New International Version Bible – NIV

New Living Translation Bible – NLT

Systematic Theology – Stanley M. Horton

The Other Side of the Good News – Larry Dixon

Thru The Bible Commentary – J. Vernon McGee

What the Bible says about Death - Signs of the times