Bob Josey: Two Witnesses (part 2) Revelation 11:4-10

Post date: Oct 7, 2019 11:02:22 AM

6. The Role of the Two Witnesses During the Tribulation (Revelation 11:4-10)

11:4 – In this verse John gives us some additional information about them being witnesses for God. Here the two witnesses are compared to two lampstands and two olive trees who will stand before God on the earth. The meaning of the two lampstands and the two olive trees are found in Zechariah 4:1-6, 11-14. The answer to the question in the Zechariah, “What are these?” is given to Zerubbabel: “This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” It is apparent that a similar meaning is intended in the book of Revelation even though there is only one lampstand in Zechariah. The olive oil from the two olive trees in Zechariah’s image provided fuel the lampstand. The two witnesses of this period of Israel’s history, Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel, were the leaders of Israel in Zechariah’s time. Just as Joshua and Zerubbabel were raised up to be lampstands or witnesses for God and were empowered by olive oil representing the power of the Holy Spirit, so the two witnesses of Revelation 11 will also perform their prophetic ministry with the power from the Holy Spirit. Their ministry does not come from human ability but from the power of God. It’s the same today regardless of what spiritual gifts we have and the ministries in which we are involved. Today we are to be lights i.e. witnesses powered by the Holy Spirit.

11:5 – The two men are to be God’s witnesses and to prophesy for 1260 days. During this time the Lord will not allow anyone or anything to impede their ministry in any way or to harm them in any way. Anyone who tries to harm them will think they are dealing with a dragon because they will be consumed by fire coming out of the two witnesses’ mouths. They will be human flamethrowers. Notice that John repeated that anyone who wanted to harm them would be roasted to death.

The judgement from God coming out of the two witnesses’ mouths alludes to fire in the mouths of some of the OT prophets. Elijah repletely called down fire that consumed King Ahaziah’s solders which led to the king’s death. Concerning the prophets of Baal and the sacrificial alter on Mount Carmel, Elijah called down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice and the alter to prove that the God of Israel was the one and only true God. It also proved that he was a true prophet of that same God. Moses called down fire from heaven on Egypt in Exodus 9:23.

Therefore, we see that the word of the two witnesses becomes an instrument of judgement among those who reject it.

1. To Deliver Plagues upon the Earth (Revelation 11:6)

The two witnesses will not only have the power and authority to be human flamethrowers, but also, they will have the power to bring plagues upon the earth. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a plague as “a disastrous evil or affliction.” The plagues the two Witnesses deliver to the earth will be just that – disastrous and an affliction.

John identified two specific plagues and one general statement about the plagues that the two witnesses will have the power to deliver upon the earth. God will give them the power to deliver these plagues, just like he gave them the power to spew fire from their mouths. As we shall see, these plagues allude to the power that God gave Elijah and Moses to send plagues upon the earth. The first plague is drought. The length of the two witness’s ministry for 3½ years will be the same as the drought that Elijah initiated 1 Kings 11. It will also be for the same purpose i.e. to punish people for their sins and to lead them to repentance. The second plague mentioned will be turning water into blood. This plague obviously alludes to Moses turning water into blood in Exodus 7:17-25. The last statement concerning the plagues “and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire” certainly points back to the ten different and distinct plagues that Moses delivered to Egypt. However, the two witnesses will be able to exercise their power whenever they wish, not like Moses who could only perform miracles at God's specific command.

From the plagues mentioned in verses 5 & 6, you can understand why some believe that the two witnesses are Moses and Elijah. There are certainly many comparisons and similarities between the Elijah and Moses and the two witnesses. However, because of the arguments I made before against the two witnesses being either Moses and Elijah or Enoch and Elijah, I think it best to see them as coming in the power and spirit of Moses and Elijah to urge the world to trust in Jesus as the Messiah and to repent just a John the Baptizer came in the power and the spirit of Elijah. When they don’t, God’s judgement will be sent to the earth through these two men.

Have you ever thought about the fact that the miracles performed in Revelation by these two men are only the fifth period in the recorded history of the Bible when God would enable a few people to do unusually spectacular signs and wonders? The first period is Moses and Joshua, the second period is Elijah and Elisha, the third period is Daniel and his three friends, the fourth period is Jesus and His’ apostles, and the fifth period is the two witnesses in Revelation 11.

A. Their Ministry Completion and Death (Revelation 11:7-10)

11:7 – According to verse seven, the two witness have competed their 1260 days of ministry without harm as the Lord promised. The word testimony used here and the word witnesses are synonyms because they come from the same Greek word.

If one does a study of the prophets of Israel, one will notice that after their ministry is finished, the Lord many times permits their enemies to persecute and kill them. Jeremiah, John the Baptizer, and eleven of the twelve prophets are a few examples of that. In Matthew 23:29 Jesus called the Pharisees, “… the sons of those who murdered the prophets.” In the case of the two witnesses it will be not different because they will be murdered. However, it will not be a man this time that does the dastardly deed, but the antichrist himself who is called the beast. This is the first of thirty-six times that the word beast is used in Revelation. The antichrist attacks them, defeats them, and kills them. Daniel prophesied in 9:1 that the antichrist called the little horn would wage ware against the saints and would defeat them. There is only three ways this could be possible:

· Because their ministry of witnessing and prophesying was finished.

· By the permissive will of the Lord.

· Because the antichrist is supernaturally empowered by Satan.

The defeat and killing of the two witnesses give the unbelieving world another reason to be amazed and follow after the beast as we saw in Revelation 13:3 in which Satan healed the antichrist’s mortal wound.

Verse 7 does not suggest that the beast came out of the abyss as soon as the two witnesses completed their testimony. The statement about the beast coming out of the abyss is just a general reference about his origin. John here says the antichrist comes out of the abyss, whereas in chapter 13 John says he comes he out of the sea, i.e. the Gentile nations. There seems to be a discrepancy, but there is not! The abyss shows his ultimate Satanic origin, whereas, this Satanic possessed man will eventually come from a Gentile nation. The Abyss is the abode of evil spirits.

11:8 –To show disrespect to the two men, their bodies will lie in a street of Jerusalem for 3½ days. Jerusalem here is not called the Holy City but the Great City. This phrase is used here and eight other times and refers metaphorically to Babylon because it’s the Great City of sin and false religions. There are two cities mentioned during the Tribulation period in Revelation – Babylon, the Great City, which is the city of Satan and the City of God which is the New Jerusalem. As used here the word city refers to the total life of a community of people.

The word that the NASB translates mystically is translated symbolically and spiritual in other translations. Spiritual probably comes closer to the meaning of the Greek word from which it is translated. Spiritual means that which pertains to the Spirit. The Holy Spirit in this case will be so disgusted with what is going on in Jerusalem that He, Himself, metaphorically compares Jerusalem to Sodom and Egypt and then adds that Jerusalem is the city that crucified Jesus. In comparing Jerusalem to Sodom, He is saying that Jerusalem is a city of utter moral degradation. In comparing Jerusalem to Egypt, He is saying that Jerusalem is city of oppression and slavery. In Joel 3:19 Egypt is said to be a place where violence was done to the sons of Judah and in whose land, they have shed innocent blood. Sodom and Egypt have in common a hatred toward Israel and Israel’s God and as a result of this will be judged accordingly.

Lastly, He says that Jerusalem is the city that crucified Jesus. Jerusalem is the city that was known for killing the Prophets and Jesus can be added to the list prophets that they killed. The difference being is that He is the Lord which is the Greek equivariant to Yahweh in the Old Testament. They not only killed the greatest prophet of Israel but also the human body in which God resided.

11:9-10 – Obviously people from all over the world will be able to view the dead bodies. Until the late 40’s with the advent of TV, this would have been impossible unless the antichrist allowed it to happen through supernatural means. Today the world will not only be able to see it on TV but also on the internet. Does observing the bodies for the 3½ days have any connection to the 3½ years of their ministry. Probably not.

Not only will the world observe the dead bodies, but they will also observe the

bodies with glee and will celebrate the fact that they are dead. This is the only

instance of rejoicing during the Tribulation is recorded in this book. After all, the

two men who brought drought and the other plagues that caused death, pain, and

suffering to those upon on the earth for 3½ years are now dead. Their actions reflect

the widespread wickedness of that day. The unbelieving world will celebrate their

death because they do not have to suffer any more plagues (at least they think) and

to listen to messages from God through the two witnesses any longer. They will even

send gifts to each other to celebrate this great victory. How depraved is that? This

will be the world's last great Mardi Gras type celebration.