When we take the time to research the Old and New Testaments, we will find that scripture will prove scripture, confirming our understanding of the thousands of metaphors and idioms. The Two Witnesses of Revelation chapter 11 have fire in their mouths that devours their enemies. Blog #8 revealed how the Prophet Jeremiah also had fire in his mouth that devoured the people who were made wood by God. This fire in their mouths symbolizes the anointing - glory - of God that consumes the demon doctrines of Satan.
By now we understand that the Two Witnesses are not two human beings, rather they are the old covenant that witnessed - prophesied - the coming of the Messiah, and the new covenant that witnessed His arrival. The Law and the Prophets witnessed what was proclaimed by the 12 apostles - 12 tribes of Israel - the Two Witnesses.
And if anyone wants to harm them fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies...and if anyone wants to harm them he must be killed in this same manner...Rev. 11:5. What does this riddle, "killed in this same manner" mean?
If anyone the apostles are witnessing to, during their ministry with Jesus, attempts to discredit the message of truth spoken by the apostles - Two Witnesses - through disinformation, lies, and false accusations, their lying words will be killed - devoured - by the fire - anointed truth spoken by them.
The word killed in this text does not mean the physical death of a human being. Killed is a metaphor. The fire of God's word spoken by the apostles - Two Witnesses - will devour - refute - the lies and hypocrisies enshrined in the false doctrines embraced by the populous. The ministry of the apostles is a spiritual battle, not a physical battle. God's truth against Satan's lies.
Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh...for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for putting down strongholds...casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ...II Cor. 10:3-5.
The apostles faced people who for centuries had slipped into the hands of Satan's demon doctrines that exalted paganism and immorality. The fire - anointed truth embedded in the old and new covenants - that proceeded from their mouths, was successful in casting down false arguments that the people hurled at them, putting down the strongholds that Satan had placed against the uneducated populous.
Carnal weapons of warfare would be guns, machetes, fire bombs, grenades, missiles and tanks. The weapons of the apostles warfare are spiritual weapons - the truth of the old and new covenants - which refuted all vain arguments, philosophies of men, and demon doctrines that were exalted above the knowledge of God, by the fire - anointed truth - spoken by them. The glory of God in the mouths of the Two Witnesses killed the lies of Satan - the enemy of God.
These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy; and have power over waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, so often as they will...Rev. 11:6.
While operating under the first (old) covenant, all prophets of God exercised supernatural demonstrations of authority through countless miracles, as directed by God. Their supernatural power certainly captured the attention of the people to whom they were sent, confirming their message was from God. In this text, the apostles are operating under the old covenant with the same power and authority as previous prophets.
Remember when the Sons of Thunder wanted to call fire - lightning/glory - down from Heaven just as the Prophet Elijah had done? They knew they had the same power to shut heaven, turn the water into blood, and smite the earth with plagues, because they were operating under the first covenant. Jesus didn't deny they had this power and authority - He was teaching them a better way to present the promises of the two covenants.
What is the "better way" that Jesus desired for His apostles to present the promises of the two covenants to the populous? Stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question...
If you review the last 7 blogs in this series, you will clearly see how scripture is solving a riddle - the identity of the Two Witnesses of Revelation chapter 11. The last time we were together we were on the Road to Emmaus with two men heading home very disappointed about the outcome in Jerusalem.
Incognito, Jesus joined them and quoted to these two men what the Law & the Prophets had witnessed for centuries regarding what just happened in Jerusalem. Jesus explained that the perfect plan of God was to save humanity from their sins, by establishing the spiritual kingdom of Heaven once again on the earth, so all human beings could be reconciled to God - not to establish any earthly kingdom. His kingdom is not of this world...John 18:36.
As the two men approached their destination they said to Jesus...abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent...and He went in to stay with them...Luke 24:29. When they sat down to eat together, Jesus...took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them...then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight...Luke 24:30-31.
After Jesus instantly vanished out of sight, the men said to each other...did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?...Luke 24:32. The word burn is this statement is very important symbolism. In the original Greek language the word is kaio meaning: to set on fire; kindle; consume. This description defines the presence or anointing of God - glory of God.
Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks...Matt. 12:34. When Jesus Christ is invited into the heart of a human being, He transforms him into a new person. The presence - glory - of God now resides in the abundance of the heart of the new believer. A believers' heart is "set on fire" with the glory of God. When this new believer speaks, out of the abundance of his heart, he will speak with the fire - glory - of God.
This definition helps us understand the description of the Sons of Thunder - all the apostles - as they preach the message contained in the two covenants - Two Witnesses. The Sons of Thunder are filled with the fire - glory - of God. With their bombastic and powerful personalities, filled with the fire of God, they certainly created a revolution in their society.
The old and the new covenants - Law & the Prophets - are the Two Witnesses of the promise of a Messiah - a deliverer for mankind from their sins. The Sons of Thunder, and all the apostles, were filled with God's glory to set on fire the hearts of the sinful, immoral, and godless generation to whom they spoke this anointed message of hope.
Satan is the enemy of God and His creation through doctrines of demons and philosophies of the intelligentsia, which undermines the truth of God. Satan uses His angels - seducing spirits in the invisible realm - to speak lies of hypocrisy, while tempting human beings through...the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life...I John 2:16.
Scripture describes the Two Witnesses: fires proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies...Rev. 11:5. The word devour means: to eat.
Remember, the 12 apostles represented the new covenant. But as the 12 tribes of Israel they also represented the old covenant. Two Covenants = Two Witnesses. When the apostles preached that the kingdom of Heaven has arrived, their words were filled with the anointing - fire - of God. The anointed words that come out of their mouth - as lightning - devoured their enemy - lies of Satan.
God said through the Prophet Jeremiah...I will make My words in your mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them...Jer. 5:14. This is definitely a metaphorical phrase. The demon doctrines that the people had embraced - became as wood - and were burned up by the anointed words of the prophet - fire in his mouth devoured - consumed the lies of Satan.
Now that we have defined the metaphor for fire in the mouth of the Two Witnesses - what does the text mean: and if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner? Stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question...
In the last blog I brought your attention to the fact, what Jesus and His apostles were preaching created culture shock. They were presenting a powerful new religious concept that was hard to comprehend by the average person, and rigorously condemned by the religious elite. So is it any surprise they met resistance and repudiation, especially in the beginning - before the miracles and wonders became evident.
When His disciples James and John saw this, they said...Lord do you want us to command fire to come down from Heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?...He turned and rebuked them, and said...you do not know what manner of spirit you are of...for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them...Luke 9:54-56.
James & John were brothers, the sons of Zebedee, a local fisherman and businessman. Zebedee believed in the ministry of Jesus and supplied monetary assistance to Him and the apostles. This text reveals how angry James & John were when the villagers denied them access to their town.
Under the old covenant they knew they were endowed with the same supernatural powers as Elijah the prophet, so wanted to call fire down from Heaven to destroy resisters. But Jesus rebuked them, because the new covenant that He was offering must save men - not destroy them.
James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder...Mark 3:17. Jesus did change the names of some of His apostles - Simon to Peter; Levi to Matthew; Saul to Paul. So why did Jesus nickname James & John the Sons of Thunder?
Boanerges is an Aramaic word with an English translation of Sons of Thunder - men of commotion. Creating a commotion means social agitation or revolution. Historians reveal that James & John had a bombastic nature, known to bellow or shout their message, causing hearers to tremble. Boasting and flaunting their anointed power reveals their immaturity and lack of wisdom, but their stormy temperament would be a positive characteristic, once they learned to submit to the authority and humility of Jesus.
The Sons of Thunder were certainly not namby-pamby, but they did not know what spirit prompted them to demonstrate their power negatively. While Jesus did not want to stifle their dynamic and powerful personalities, He knew they must present His message with wisdom and humility, to a degenerate and godless society.
And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies...and if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner...Rev. 11:5. Revelation chapter 11 reveals the ministry of the Two Witnesses. This chapter is filled with metaphorical language, presenting a riddle that is solvable when we keep the prophecy in context.
If anyone tries to harm the Two Witnesses, fire will spew from their mouth and devour their enemies. The accurate translation for the word fire in this text is lightning - defined as the presence or anointing of God - His glory. When the glory of God is perceived by a human being it is described as lightning or fire. The Sons of Thunder spoke the anointed words - fire - of God.
Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem...and they talked together of all these things which had happened...Luke 24:13-14. These men were commiserating as they headed home, because they desperately wanted Jesus to be the Messiah - the One they had been looking for all of their lives - to overthrow Rome and set up an earthly kingdom to rule over Jerusalem. - but that didn't happen.
So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them...but their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him...Luke 24:15-16. When Jesus asked them why they were so sad, they wondered where this stranger had been for the last three days.
Jesus began to quote from the Law & the Prophets...beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself...Luke 24:27. Jesus showed how the Law & the Prophets - two covenants - had witnessed what just happened in Jerusalem - the spiritual kingdom of God had been re-established in the earth - not an earthly kingdom.
What did Road to Emmaus have to do with the fire in the mouths of the Sons of Thunder? Stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question...
As we embark on the 6th part of this series which is developing scriptural proof for the identity of the Two Witnesses, we must remember that John was shown their identity when he wrote...these are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth...Rev. 11:4. So let's recap what scripture has revealed so far:
Two Witnesses = Two Olive Trees
Two Olive Trees = Two Anointed Ones
Two Anointed Ones = Zerubbabel & Joshua
Zerubbabel & Joshua = Law and Prophets
Law & Prophets = Two Witnesses
The Law and the Prophets prophesied the coming deliverer of God's people - the Messiah. These are the Two Witnesses. As members of the 12 tribes of Israel, the apostles of Jesus Christ represented the Law - the old covenant.
Through the Prophet Jeremiah God said that He would put His laws in their mind and write them on their hearts...Jer. 31:33. Jesus revealed to His apostles that He would provide a new and better covenant - a human being would become the living temple of the Holy Spirit. When the apostles heard the good news from Jesus, they immediately accepted His evidence as the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy.
As with Zerubbabel & Joshua of old, the 12 apostles represented both the Law and the Prophets, as they began to Witness to the populous that Jesus was the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham in the old covenant. Now a new and better covenant was offered - sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ.
We can see clearly that the apostles of Jesus served and represented the first - old - covenant. Now the apostles of Jesus serve and represent both covenants. The two covenants witness that the Messiah will come - and the Messiah has come.
The two covenants witness God's redemptive plan. The apostles of Jesus Christ qualified as the Two Witnesses because they represented both covenants - the Law and the Prophets.
The mystery of God is revealed and finished in the new covenant. What is the mystery of God?
The Apostle Paul explains the mystery...by revelation He made known to me the mystery...which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets...that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel...Eph. 3:3-6.
The first covenant promised salvation that would come through the promised Messiah - a deliverer - but understanding how that would be accomplished was hidden from the sons of men throughout the ages. Through the new covenant of Jesus Christ, the mystery of God was revealed to the holy apostles and prophets. The new covenant fulfilled the old covenant - becoming one in Jesus Christ. Now Jews and Gentiles become one new man in Christ...Eph. 2:11-28.
Have you ever thought about how difficult it was for the culture of the first century to accept this radical new doctrine that was being presented by Jesus and His apostles? For centuries the Jewish people had obeyed rituals, ceremonies, circumcision, and the blood sacrifice of animals to atone for their sins.
Now suddenly, all of these observance will be wiped away, by simply repenting for their sins and accept by faith that the blood of Jesus Christ wipes away their sins - nothing else required? Incredible! This would be considered culture shock by any society.
When Jesus anointed His 12 apostles with miraculous power, He was sending them to a society enslaved by rampant sin, who served many gods through paganism, and had an irreligious view of the apostles. This society freely practiced unrestrained immorality and sexual deviancy, while enduring disease, sickness, poverty, famine, slavery and every kind of degeneration.
Jesus and His apostles were presenting a powerful new religious concept that was hard to comprehend by the average person, and rigorously condemned by the religious elite. So was it any surprise they were met with angst from this society as the Two Witnesses of the old and new covenants - with the new covenant considered foreign and unacceptable?
Who were the Sons of Thunder during this tumultuous time of ministry? Stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question...
In the last four parts of this series we laid out the Old Testament foundation that defines the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11:4...these are two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. The Prophet Zechariah was shown in a vision that the two olive trees were two anointed ones - Governor Zerubbabel and Priest/Prophet Joshua - who would lead the captives back to Israel to rebuild their temple and city.
To find out how the New Testament defines the Two Witnesses we first must understand the ministry of Jesus and His apostles. When we were last together we found out that Jesus...was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel...Matt. 15:24.
The Prophet Jeremiah said...my people have been lost sheep....their shepherds have led them astray; they have turned them away...Jer. 50:6. What is the prophet trying to convey?
The House of Israel is comprised of the twelve tribes of Israel. God is lamenting through the prophet that the shepherds He appointed to keep His sheep safely on the path of righteousness have not done so. Instead, these kings, priests, and prophets that God put in charge took care of themselves, by eating sumptuously, while clothing their own bodies with the grandest of materials, and building grand cities - never sharing the wealth that God had bestowed upon them with His people.
The Prophet Ezekiel explained it clearly when he said...the weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost, but with force and cruelty you have ruled them...so they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered...Ez. 34:4-5.
The metaphorical language in this text describes how God's shepherds did not teach His people the oracles of God - how God desires to heal their bodies, provide food, as well as protect them from danger - instead they made them personal slaves of their kingdom, treating them with contempt. So the sheep got lost in the grip of paganism - oppressed and possessed by demon doctrines. Without a shepherd - sheep lose their way!
God blames the religious leaders - earthly shepherds - for this tragedy and His judgment will come upon those who scattered His sheep, who became the lost sheep of the House of Israel. God prophesied through Ezekiel...I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment...Ez. 34:16.
When Jesus began His public ministry He said to His apostles...do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans...but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel...Matt. 10:5-6.
Did you ever consider that the 12 apostles of Jesus were also of the 12 tribes of Israel? They are lost sheep...hmmm...interesting thought. The 12 apostles are commanded to witness the way of salvation - the deliverer has arrived - to their own people first. Later they would be sent to the Gentiles.
The 12 apostles are descendants of Abraham, and also Jacob who sired the 12 tribes of Israel. Jesus gathered together 12 lost sheep, who represent the 12 tribes of Israel, to witness to the world that He is the promised Messiah. The 12 apostles represented the old covenant of Abraham - the first covenant with promise that was received by faith. This covenant between God & Abraham was sealed by circumcision - blood upon the seed...Gen. 17:11.
We found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote--Jesus of Nazareth the son of Joseph...John 1:45. While the apostles witnessed with Jesus for 1260 days, they served the Law of Moses. They represented the old covenant with the promise of a Messiah. Yet...if the first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second...Heb. 8:6.
Of the two olive trees in the temple of God, one symbolizes the Law - the apostles represented the Law while they ministered with Jesus. If the other olive tree symbolizes priest and prophets, what qualifies the apostles to represent the priest and prophets in order to fully define the Two Witnesses of Revelation? Stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question...
