Today we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ from the dead. It was difficult for His apostles to comprehend that He must die for their sins, let alone understand the depths of the New Covenant changes taking place on the earth.
What Jesus couldn't explain about the strategic plan of God while He was on the earth, the visions enabled Him to fully delineate, so that the apostles and disciples would not only better understand for themselves the profundity of His death and resurrection, but would be able to clearly explain to the hearers of the gospel to whom they would preach.
This blog is dedicated to solving the riddles, enigmas, metaphors and esoteric imagery of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, while confirming through historical documentation that most of the visions have been fulfilled. The modern end time doctrine of the church is barely a hundred years old - a doctrine not embraced by the church for 1800 years. Looking back on fulfilled prophecy is easy - no guessing - no interpretation.
In this series, we will be researching chapter 11 of Revelation, and corresponding scriptures, in order to find out who are the Two Witnesses?
Modern Viewpoint of the Two Witnesses...
Since the modern viewpoint of the end time doctrine insists that none of the Revelation past chapter 4 has been fulfilled, their doctrine is speculation and interpretation of a future event. Doesn't anyone question the accuracy of this process? Apparently not, because every radio and television preacher and every mainline denomination preacher has embraced this viewpoint.
They speculate that the Two Witnesses are literally two men who will prophesy for 1260 days during a seven-year great tribulation, after the church is taken up in a Rapture. Since this is a future even they are forced to speculate as to their identity. Since Enoch & Elijah were "taken up," or possibly Moses, because a burial site could not be found, they believe that it must be two of these three prophets. Since they didn't die physically, they could come back for this event and finally die.
They speculate that the Two Witnesses will walk the streets of Jerusalem with their message to repent, demonstrating signs and wonders during the reign of the Antichrist. They will infuriate the populous who will kill them, and leave their bodies in the street for three and a half days, not allowing them to be buried. The citizens will rejoice that the Two Witnesses are finally dead. Did you ever wonder why only one city, out of the whole world, will experience the Two Witnesses?
Other scholars speculate that the Two Witnesses symbolize the witnessing church, who do signs and wonders during the reign of the Antichrist, but will lose their battle in the streets of Jerusalem and be killed. After three and a half days they will be revived, a cloud will engulf them, and they will be taken to Heaven in the middle of the seven-year great tribulation - the Rapture.
With all of this confusing speculation we can understand why the Apostle Peter warned Christians...no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation...for prophecy never came by the will on man, but by holy men of God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit...II Peter 1:20-21.
Historical Viewpoint of the Two Witnesses...
Does scripture really tell us who are the Two Witnesses?
In the Revelation to John, Jesus was able to define the significance of the earthly temple in Jerusalem in relationship to the old covenant, while defining how the new covenant established the heavenly temple in the New Jerusalem. In this study, we will discover how the Two Witnesses represent the old and the new covenants.
Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, "Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there...but leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months...and I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth"...Rev. 11:3.
Why did the angel give John a reed to measure the temple?
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question...
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