TWO WITNESSES REVISITED - NYOBS 66.19

TWO WITNESSES REVISITED

A SYMBOLIC look at the end times; God dispatches 144,000 evangelist plus Two Witnesses

First Word

• The Seven Year Tribulation period has already begun. – 144,000 Jewish Evangelist have already been commissioned by God for the last time to evangelize the world with the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ.

• Then Two Witnesses in addition to the 144,000 appear during the LAST 3 ½ years of the tribulation period which Revelation referrers to as the last 1,260 days.
• The purpose of the two witnesses, is to display the power of God, and foretell the great events of wrath to come.  – They are the Watchman on the Wall - Jew and Gentile alike will come to the Lord because of their testimony.

• Systematic Theology argues for various reasons that that the two witnesses will come from ancient times perhaps raised from the dead, back to life, someone like Moses, or it may be two that never died that will come down from heaven; which could be Enoch and Elijah, or maybe even a prophet from the New Testament like John the Baptist.  Some scholars present Peter and Paul; others say James and John and even others perhaps Paul and Elijah; BUT this Word Study will not go anywhere near this concept. 
• Nowhere in the Old or New Testament does scripture state that “Two Prophets” will return to earth to bear witness; this is just well meaning conjecture.
• This study will look SYMBOLICALLY at the book of Revelation. – What do the Two Witness symbolically represent? – After God has just commissioned 144,000 evangelist, why would He need just two more?  – This will surely mess with your theology; I will not press you to embrace this, JUST THINK ABOUT IT. - NYOBS 43.19 – TWO WITNESSES -- NYOBS 01.23 - RAPTURE

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.
• There were Two Bears (Two Witnesses) that brought judgement on a mob of 42 teenagers. NOTE: Forty two months (teenagers) is 1,260 days or the last 3 ½ years of the tribulations when the Two Witnesses will testify. ( A Biblical year was 360 days, not 365 )
• There were “Two Witnesses” parallel in 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”.  - It was God‘s Spirit that accomplished His work; HOLD THAT THOUGHT…
• God has spoken ONCE; then TWICE, His word is Two Witnesses of His power.
• Jesus is one witness and the Father is the second witness.
• The Messiah is the first Witnesses and the Gospel is the second witness.
• The Old Covenant Church is one witness and the New Testament Church is the second witness.

Deut 19:15 – Two Witnesses establish truth

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 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. KJV

2 Kings 2:24 – Two Witness bears – Judgment 42 boys/months
²⁴ And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. And TWO SHE-BEARS came out of the woods and tore FORTY-TWO of the boys. (ESV)

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 10:30 – Jesus and God – The TWO are one
³⁰ I and the Father are one.” (ESV)

Psalm 62:11 – God has spoken once, then twice – It is His power
¹¹ ONCE God has spoken; TWICE have I heard this: that power belongs to God, (ESV)

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

Let’s begin

·         We first encounter the mention of the Two Witnesses in the book of Revelation where they are IDENTIFIED symbolically as Two Olive Trees and again as Two Lampstands. – I didn’t say this; God did, so the first order of business is to unpack the symbolism of the Two Olive Trees and Two Lampstands.

Rev 11:3-4 - Two Witnesses – Two Olive Trees – Two Lampstands

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.

Two Olive Trees

·         Symbolically the Two Olive Trees represent the WORD OF GOD and are the two anointed ones who STAND before the Lord’s throne.  Only Elijah and Elisha used the words; “the Lord God before whom I stand”.

·         Interestingly some translation of the Bible render the words “Two anointed Ones” as “Two sons of Fresh Oil” – The oil from the Olive trees passes to the Lampstands – The Menorah lampstand was used in the tabernacle to give LIGHT to the priest as they carried out their priestly duties.

·         The Olive Oil is the messengers of God such as Enoch & Moses, Elijah & Elisha, Peter & Paul, James & John and by the grace of God; you and me.

Zechariah 4:13-14 – Two anointed ones stand before the Lord
¹³ He said to me, “Do you not know what these (olive trees) are?” I said, “No, my lord.”
¹⁴ Then he said, “These are the TWO ANOINTED ONES who STAND by the Lord of the whole earth.” (ESV)

1 Kings 17:1 – ELIJAH said The Lord God before whom I stand
¹ Now ELIJAH the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I STAND, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” (ESV)

2 Kings 3:14) – ELISHA said The Lord God before whom I stand
¹⁴ And ELISHA said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I STAND, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you. (ESV

Two Lamp Stands

·         Jesus is identified as the Light of the World.

·         God identifies the Lampstands as the Church - The Lampstands converts the Olive Oil into LIGHT to guide the footsteps of the church congregation; the believers. (Seven in scripture is the number for completeness) -

Revelation 1:20 – The Lampstands are the Churches
²⁰ As for THE MYSTERY of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven (ESV) churches, and the seven LAMPSTANDS ARE the seven CHURCHES.

John 8:12 – Jesus is the light of the world
¹² Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the LIGHT of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (ESV)

Dual Nature

·         Since the Two Witness are identified as the Word of God and the Church, we can pick up on the symbolism that the Two Witnesses have a DUAL NATURE. – This can be noted by;

·         The Dual Nature of the Olive Tree; Jesus is the VINE and the Believer is the BRANCH...

·         Elijah represented the “Former Rain” the planting of the Spirit of God and Elisha represented the “Latter Rain”; the harvesting of the Spirit of God. – The Dual Nature -

·         Moses represented the “LAW”; he turned water in to blood and Elijah representing the “PROPHETS” who shut up heaven and stopped the rain.

·         Here’s where we are; in the beginning the Torah was divided by its “dual nature” into two parts. -  We have the LAW with its messengers to the Old Covenant church and later a new dimension was added with the PROPHETS and its messengers to the New Testament Church.

Deuteronomy 11:14 – The Former Rain and the Latter Rain
¹⁴ that I will give the rain of your land in its season, the FORMER RAIN and the LATTER RAIN, that you may GATHER in thy grain, and thy new wine, and thine oil. (ASV)

Joel 2:28 – Latter Rain – God pours out the Holy Spirit
²⁸ And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. (ESV)

James 5:7 – Latter Rain – The coming of the Lord
⁷ Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and THE LATE RAINS. (ESV)

Revelation 11:6 – Dual Nature – Law and the Prophets
⁶ They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. (ESV)

John 15:1-2 – Jesus is the Vine – The Believer is the branch
¹ I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
² Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. (ESV)

Sidebar

·         Interestingly the Two Witnesses will be dressed in Sackcloth portraying the nature of humility; the LEAST shall be first in the kingdom. -  This probably rules out the preachers of the Mega Churches; just sayin’. 

·         The Two Witnesses; the Message as well as the messengers will DIE for a period of time; they are the Christian schools, the institutions and churches that are presenting the message and darkness will cover the earth, a dark time of ignorance of God’s Word. – But then the LIGHT of God resurrects His inspired Word, the Gospel message and folks began to read it again and share it, but then the two witnesses are taken up and hidden in a cloud just like when Jesus was taken up. – Sadly the Two Witnesses will remain dead to most of the world - It’s almost over folks, the Holy Spirit begins to move -

·         This will be what is called the LATTER RAIN, where the harvest is GATHERED in.

Deuteronomy 11:14 – The Latter Rain gathers in the harvest
¹⁴ that I will give the rain of your land in its season, the FORMER RAIN and the LATTER RAIN, that you may GATHER in thy grain, and thy new wine, and thine oil. (ASV)

Revelation 11:12 – The Message is resurrected
¹² Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. (ESV)

Isaiah 60:1-2 - The LORD will arise upon you – Glory seen
¹ Arise, shine, for your LIGHT has come, and the GLORY of the LORD has risen upon you.
² For behold, DARKNESS shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. (ESV)

Acts 1:9 – Jesus was lifted up in a cloud
⁹ And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. (ESV)

Luke 13:30 – Some who are last shall be first
³⁰ And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” (ESV)

Last Thoughts

·         In the first act of our World play; we find that God is center stage; then in the second act of the play, we see the Son is center stage and in the last act of the play, the Holy Spirit is center stage; that would be where we are right now - The building of the Kingdom of God began with “God the Son” and will be finished by “God the Spirit”.

·         An Angel told Zachariah concerning the rebuilding of the temple that symbolically the lampstand and the two olive trees represented the SPIRIT OF GOD.  – He did NOT say the trees represented any persons living or dead. – The rebuilding of the Temple (God’s Church) would not be built by might, nor by power, but by God’s Spirit.

·         We can see by example that God placed the spirit of Elijah on John the Baptist; it might just be that in the end times, the Spirit of Elijah and Elisha might be placed on His Two Witness; the message and the messengers.

·         Elisha Ask Elijah, “Please let there be a DOUBLE portion of your spirit upon me. – What if in the last days we get a DOUBLE PORTION of the Spirit of God. – We will have graduated with a BA – BORN AGAIN and a DDHG; A DOUBLE DOSE OF THE HOLY GHOST –

·         What if in the last days; the Believers are ONE witness, presenting the same message as the disciples of the early church, and the SECOND witness is the Signs following them confirming their testimony of Jesus Christ.

·         I’m not asking that you embrace this; JUST THINK ABOUT IT – The last days witnesses will not be the rich and well-known, but the common everyday man and woman of God endowed with a double dose of the Holy Ghost who care about those that are perishing - Life is choice driven – You can be a witness if you want to.

JUST THINK ABOUT IT

 ‘Luke 1:17 – God placed the spirit of Elijah on John the Baptist
¹⁷ and he will go before (John the Baptist) him in the SPIRIT and power of ELIJAH, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

(ESV)

2 Kings 2:9 - Double portion of God’s Spirit
⁹ When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a DOUBLE portion of your spirit on me.”

(ESV)

Mark 16:20 – They preached with signs confirming
²⁰ And they went forth, and PREACHED everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with SIGNS following. Amen.

(KJV)

Zechariah 4:5-6 – The Two represent the Spirit of God
⁵ Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “DO YOU NOT KNOW WHAT THESE ARE?” I said, “No, my lord.”
⁶ Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by MY SPIRIT, says the LORD of hosts. (ESV)

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.

                                                                                                                                     

A Commentary; Critical, Experimental and Practical - Eerdmans

Antiquity of the Jews – Flavius Josephus Matthias

Apocrypha – Goodspeed

Baker Commentary on the Bible – Elwell

Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White

Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer

Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row

Dake’s Annotated Bible – Dake

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein

Haven’t you Heard? There’s A War going on! – Eldred Echols
Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The – Tyndale

Interlinear Greek-English New Testament - Baker

King James Version Bible – KJV

Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

Nave’s Topical Bible - Zondervan

New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible (2011) – NIV

NOTE: The “new” NIV has been corrupted and made gender neutral.  AVOID IT.

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament – Mac Donald

Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner

Wycliffe Bible Commentary; The – Pfeiffer & Harrison

Wikipedia –

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney