The Two Witnesses

......... And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."
These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the *God of the earth. 5 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.
These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.

When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.
And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also *our Lord was crucified.
Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations *will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.
And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.
And *they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.
In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.
The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly. Rev 11 : 3-14
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exerpt;
In the East it is the height of indignity to expose the bodies of slain enemies to public gaze. The corpses of God’s witnesses are taken to the public square and lie unburied. No one is allowed to entomb them. They are the scorn and butt of the world’s wit.
With all their power to inflict harm, the wild beast was more than a match for them!
Now God’s name will be completely blotted out of the earth!
Possibly there will be a world holiday and festival to celebrate their death.
This is the last of the world’s good times that we read of in Holy Writ.
What gory glee is theirs who gloat over the murders that seem to silence the last whisper of divine interference in human affairs!
Early expositors, who did not "spiritualize" everything in this Unveiling, might well stagger at the difficulty presented in the statement that those dwelling on the earth are rejoicing over them, when it all seems to occur within a few days’ time.
It certainly gives the impression that, in less than three days, the whole world knows of their death and celebrates it.
Until the twentieth century, this was quite impossible. Now it is easily accomplished. The great monarch of that day should be able to communicate directly, by word of mouth, with all nations, all peoples, every individual on earth, and at a moment’s notice.
Through television or other technological means, even the two witnesses themselves, silent in death, may be shown upon a screen in every corner of the habitable earth.
In fact, it is not at all impossible that an astonished world will gaze upon them as they are roused from death.
Perhaps the very voice of God will be heard in every hamlet, calling them back to life. And then they ascend, the cynosure of every eye on earth!
What a "program" that will be!
But a still greater marvel appears in the passage we are pondering.
How could the writer of the Unveiling know about television or any such technology?
Did not John know that this passage would appear ridiculously impossible? To me this passage proves that the Writer was a great Scientist.
It was inspired by One Who not only fathoms the future but Who knows the capacities of His own creation. Scripture is not "up-to-date" scientifically, but ahead of the times.

GLORIOUS, UNDENIABLE TESTIMONY
Now comes the closing climax in the testimony of the two witnesses. We are inclined to suppose that their testimony was cut short by death.
But, in a very real sense, death itself was a part of their final testimony.
At first it seemed to mark their whole career as false and fruitless.
But when their death was utterly beyond denial, for their bodies were subjected to public gaze and they had been dead more than three days, then God gives the supreme proof of His presence and power by raising them and calling them in audible tones to ascend into the clouds of heaven.
Life comes from God alone.
All man’s efforts to analyze it have failed. All his endeavors to produce it are futile.
The crowning proof that Christ was the Son of God was His power to raise the dead. The prestige of the wild beast is based on his supposed resurrection. His death stroke was cured. He is a startling imitation of the risen Christ.
His fame is greatly enhanced by his success in killing the two witnesses.
All this is undone in an instant, when the spirit of God vivifies their corpses, and they stand up in view of all.
The effect is immeasurably heightened by the voice out of heaven, followed by their ascension. Great consternation seizes their enemies. It may be that they receive some hint of the awfulness of their position.
The very earth seems to shudder at the moral abyss which yawns before the enemies of Yahweh.
The earthquake takes a toll of seven thousand.
At last God’s marvels begin to affect their hard hearts. The rest become frightened and give glory to the God of heaven. Thus ends the second woe. It covers the period of the sixth trumpet. It comprises the scourge of the two hundred millions of terrible cavalry, the seven thunders, the seizure of the temple area, and the testimony of the two witnesses.
Nothing comparable with these calamities, in scope or intensity, has ever visited the earth. These are the last arguments in God’s great controversy with mankind. His last two witnesses not only testify for God, but testify of man that he is a hater of God and thirsts for the blood of all who stand for Him.
From the blood of His first witness, righteous Abel, through that of the Faithful Witness Himself, to this final testimony, man manifests himself a murderer in the first degree.
How thankful we should be that the evangel committed to us is in utmost contrast to the testimony of the two witnesses! They call down physical judgments.
We invoke spiritual blessings. They spread havoc and death. We dispense grace and life.
They faithfully represent an indignant God, in the fury of His wrath.
We are ambassadors of peace, heralding the amazing marvel of a suppliant God, Who refuses to be offended, Who is conciliated to all mankind, and Who prays all to be conciliated to Him.
The still small voice of a praying God is a far greater marvel than the thunders of His wrath.
A. E. Knoch