The Two Witnesses

To listen to the audio-only version click above

And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. - Rev 11:3-4

The Two Witnesses

1) The Seven Thunders

1. “I saw another strong angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was on his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire; and he had in his hand a little scroll, which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices. When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken, and do not write them.”” (Rev 10:1-4)
2. John heard the voices of the Seven Thunders but was not allowed to write down the messages that he heard.
3. This is the fourth group of seven in the Book of Revelation.
4. The Seventh Seal, the Seventh Trumpet and the Seventh Vial all end at Armageddon; more than likely the Seventh Thunder also ends at Armageddon.
5. We are unable to know the content of the Seven Thunders.

2) The Final 3 1/2 Years

1. The angel which landed on the sea launches the final 3½ years to the Battle of Armageddon.
   “Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there will no longer be a delay,” (Rev 10:5-6)
2. This prophecy does not mean this is the end of time; it is saying delay shall be no longer. This prophecy states there are three and one-half years left from the time the angel stands with one foot on land and one foot on the water, declaring the delay shall be no longer.
3. The same prophecy is also found in the Book of Daniel.
   “And someone said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, “How long will it be until the end of these wonders?” And I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish smashing the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed.” (Dan 12:6-7)
4. The Great Tribulation happens during this final 3½-year time period.
5. When the seventh angel sounds, the mystery of God or the plan of God will be finished.
   “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He announced to His servants the prophets.” (Rev 10:7) NKJV
6. This culminates with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the Rapture of the church.
7. The producing of the bride will be complete, which was the plan of God from the beginning of creation.
8. We then move into the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ.

3) John Released from Exile to Prophesy

1. “Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, “Go, take the scroll which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.” And I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little scroll. And he *said to me, “Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. And they *said to me, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”” Rev 10:8-11
2. John was told that he was not going to die in exile but would prophesy again before many peoples, nations, tongues and kings.
3. Some people have mistakenly thought John died on the Isle of Patmos
4. John returned to be the overseer of the seven churches of Asia.
5. John was released from exile after the death of Domitian, the Roman emperor who placed him there.
6. He had a vast ministry after his release; therefore, the prophecy saying he would prophesy again was fulfilled.

4) The Temple Mount

1. "And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." Rev 11:1-2
2. Revelation 11 is completely devoted to the events of the final three and one-half years, the last 42 months between the beginning of the Great Tribulation and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ at the Battle of Armageddon.
3. John was told to measure the temple of those that worship therein, but not to measure the outer court.
4. This prophecy states the Jews will build a temple on the Temple Mount.
5. The Jews have not assembled there in 2,000 years.
6. They will be allowed to have control over part of the Temple Mount.
7. The prophesied coming peace agreement
8. The Temple Mount will be placed under a sharing arrangement.
9. The Scriptures prophesy the outer court will be trodden down by Gentiles; the Muslims claim control of the Temple Mount.
10. The Temple Mount is the holiest place on earth to the Jewish people.
11. God said He would put His name there forever.

5) Satan’s Two Witnesses

1. These are Satan’s two agents on the earth.
2. Antichrist will be the political leader.
3. False Prophet will be the spiritual leader.
4. These two leaders will be extremely powerful.
5. They will control politics, media, the money and the religions of the world.
6. The Antichrist and False Prophet will be revealed to the world at the beginning of the final three and one-half years.
7. The Great Tribulation will be a time of tremendous battle between good and evil and light and darkness.

6) God’s Two Witnesses

1. God will grant extraordinary power to His Two Witnesses.
2. ““And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.” Rev 11:3-4
3. They will have power like no two prophets in the last 2,000 years.
4. They will have the ability to thwart the plans of the Antichrist.
5. They will have the power to smite the earth with plagues, which refer to the Vials that will be poured out in the end at the time of the Battle of Armageddon.
   “And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; and so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not 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 plague, as often as they desire.” Rev 11:5-6
6. They will preach the message of the coming Kingdom of God during the final three and one-half years.
7. They will tell the world not to follow the Antichrist and False Prophet; if they do, eternal damnation will be their destiny.
8. They will use the prophecies to expose the Antichrist and False Prophet to the world.
9. They will have a worldwide ministry and employ television, Internet, radio and other means to spread their message around the world.
10. They’ll explain the Bible prophesies a one-world government and a one-world economic system called the Mark of the Beast.

7)  Who are the Two Witnesses?

1. Some have thought they might be Moses, Elijah or Enoch since they were translated and never died.
2. There’s no precedent of anyone coming back after 2,000 or 3,000 years and then return to the earth as a mortal being.
3. Hebrews 9:27: And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
4. The Two Witnesses will be mortal because they are going to die.
5. These two men are alive on earth right now and God is preparing them for the ministry He has for them.
6. Their powers will be much like Moses and Elijah.
7. They will have the spirit and power of Moses and Elijah but they will not be literally Moses and Elijah.

8)  World’s Greatest Revival

1. The Great Tribulation will be a time of the greatest revival the world has ever known.
2. The Two Witnesses will not be preaching just to take vengeance on the Antichrist and False Prophet but will be preaching to convert people to the Kingdom of God.
   “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;” (Rev 7:9)
3. They will be incredibly successful and will be specially used during this end time revival.
4. A great multitude that no man can number out of every tongue, every kindred and every people will be saved during this great revival.
   “Then one of the elders responded, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Rev 7:13-14)

9)  The Two Witnesses Killed

1. After their ministry is complete, God will lift His hand of protection from them and allow them to be killed.
   “When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie on the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.” (Rev 11:7-8)
2. The Antichrist will capture them after his armies overtake Jerusalem and possibly while they are ministering on the Temple Mount.
3. The Battle of Armageddon will be in progress during this time.
   “For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be taken, the houses plundered, the women raped, and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be eliminated from the city.” (Zec 14:2)
4. They will be killed three and one-half days before the Rapture during the Battle of Armageddon.
5. The Antichrist will kill the Two Witnesses in Jerusalem, and he’ll hate them so much that he will not allow them to be buried.
   “Those from the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. And those who live on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who live on the earth.” (Rev 11:9-10)
6. Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt; that city is Jerusalem.
7. They will be on display for three and one-half days and their bodies left in the street to rot.
8. The majority of the world will be so evil and sinful they will hate these Two Witnesses who tormented them and they will rejoice when they are dead.

10) The First Resurrection – The Rapture

1. The Two Witnesses will raise from the dead after three and one-half days.
2. The news of the prophesied resurrection of the Two Witnesses will be broadcast around the world.
3. The major media outlets will be present to broadcast this event and will make fun of Christians who actually believe this will happen.
4. Their enemies will watch them ascend into Heaven
5. After three and one-half days, the Two Witnesses’ feet leave the ground and rise into the air.
   “And after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them.” (Rev 11:11-12)
6. The First Resurrection, the Rapture, happens at the end of the Great Tribulation.
   “Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their foreheads and on their hands; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” Rev 20:4-6
7. When those who have not taken the Mark of the Beast, nor pledged allegiance to the Antichrist are resurrected, the Scriptures plainly say this is the First Resurrection and this is when the resurrection or the Rapture occurs.
8. The Two Witnesses will go up at this same time in the First Resurrection.
9. he Scripture is explicit that the First Resurrection happens at the end of the Great Tribulation and the Rapture occurs at this same time.

11) A Great Earthquake

1. This earthquake happens during the same hour the Two Witnesses ascend into Heaven.
   “And at that time there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.” (Rev 11:13-14)
2. The Mount of Olives will split in two; half will go toward the north and half will go toward the south.
3. A tenth part of Jerusalem will fall and 7,000 will be killed.
4. At this time, Jesus returns and plants His feet on the Mount of Olives.
   “Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west forming a very large valley. Half of the mountain will move toward the north, and the other half toward the south.” (Zec 14:3-4)
5. Those who are born again will rise to meet Him in the air and join Him at the Mount of Olives.
6. Men will be afraid and give glory to God; they will know the Antichrist and the False Prophet have vilified these two preachers of God.
7. The Lord will go forth to fight against the nations and against the Antichrist and his world governmental system.

12) The Seventh Trumpet – The Third Woe

1. This is the end of human government and the beginning of the reign of Jesus Christ on the earth.
   “Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”” (Rev 11:15)
2. The mystery of God or the plan of God will be finished.
3. The church will become the bride of Christ.
4. God’s plan from the very beginning was to have a special people who would become His bride, the Lamb’s wife – the New Jerusalem.
   “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, full of the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”” (Rev 21:9)

13) Conclusion

1. We are now living in the church age. If you want to enter the Kingdom of God, you must be born again.
2. You must get in the church of Jesus Christ because everything will culminate a few years from now when the last trumpet sounds.
3. When that trumpet sounds, you want to make sure when those Two Witnesses go up, that not just they go up, but you also are a part of the First Resurrection.
4. The plan of God and the mystery of God will have come to fruition.
5. We will crown Jesus Christ King of kings and Lord of lords!