Revelation 11
The interlude, a further explanation of Trumpet 6, completes and we hear Trumpet 7 sound.
The Two Witnesses
This section references Ezekiel, Zechariah and Jeremiah, and is the source of much speculation. Does this guarantee that the temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem? Who are the witnesses – the Old and New Testaments, Moses and Elijah, something or someone else? Are the times given literal?
The time aspect may cause the most angst. Using a 30-day calendar, 42 months and 1260 days are identical. If one day equals one year, as some claim, then we have 1260 years during which some ungodly power(s) overrun the outer court and the witnesses prophesy. If this is literal time, then we get 3.5 years, which some say is the first half of the Tribulation. If one uses the year-day idea, then the witnesses are dead in the street for three and one-half years. And on and on it goes.
What we miss when we got lost in the weeds of speculation is that God has done some really important things. First, he has given the “outer court” to the nations. Second, he has given a specific job to the witnesses. Third, he has protected the witnesses for as long as it takes to say what needs to be said. Fourth, after they supposedly are defeated by the beast out of the abyss (see Chapter 9) he raises them to life, even as their enemies are gloating. Fifth, he calls them into heaven while their enemies watch.
As a result of God’s initiative, his enemies are constrained to give him glory. This isn’t an indication of salvation on their part, but an admission of their defeat.
Thus completes the Second Woe. The Third Woe follows immediately.
Trumpet 7
As a direct result of the first six trumpets, heaven breaks into tumultuous praise. Note the emphasis: The earth is Jesus’ kingdom. Further, Jesus and God are declared to be identical. Regardless of what the nations do in their rage against our Christ, he is victorious, absolutely, unquestionably victorious!
Revelation for You
How do the Two Witnesses give you hope?
Are you willing to let God be God and to rest in his completed work?
1st ?: see my view on the two witnesses below…
2nd ?: I am willing but the flesh is creeped out by the whole thing…lol
My comments:
I have to take issue with your characterization of speculations being weeds that would obscure our ability to see what happens. I note that Daniel, not understanding, asked for the meaning of his vision. His being told to put it away, and the pronouncement that the understanding of it will come at the time of the end tells me that our searching these things out are exactly what we are supposed to do and that we would be rewarded with increasing understanding if these things. There are many of us that share that opinion.
As for calculated times, I use the formula used by Daniel: one year to “a time” which seems to remain consistent logically. The 70th week remains unfulfilled as long as the church is still here. As soon as the 70th week starts, it becomes a different era, as I believe Paul taught, “thus all Israel shall be saved.” I helieve that because the 70th week will be in effect, so will be the mathematical formula originally used by Daniel.
The two witnesses are not specified, only their office, official duties and powers are. However they are linked to t he temple by their description as the along the side of two olive trees and the two oil lampstands is exactly the same as given to Zerubbabel and Joshua in Haggai 4 & Zechariah 3.
Interestingly, each of these two ancient leaders of Israel have a future role to play in the endtimes: Zerubbabel as the Lord’s “signet” at the endtimes as prophesied in the last prophecy of Haggai & Joshua’s charge that he is given after his resurrection as prophesied in Zech. 3
I accept this interpretation for now. In addition it makes sense they would be there again at the rebuilding of the temple. I’m sure they will have the difficult task of showing how Jesus is the fulfillment of all these things especially the need for the temple.
The argument for one death and one judgment are overwritten by the Lord’s own commissioning of these two, I.M.H.O.
trusting God is unfathomable to the flesh, fathomable to one’s Spirit, if we have been given the new life from God the Father. It always seems to appear Fleshly ways are going to win, and is winning, yet flesh only gains worldly things, that are only temporal.
These two witnesses prove to me to hold on, stand fast, trust to the death, God is sovereign period, God is patient, merciful, and never leaves us nor forsakes us, I personally just want to be available to God to be used by God whenever God calls. Not my will, Father’s will period