The Two Witnesses

As we saw in the Second Key to Hidden Manna, Jesus and His disciples were “for signs” of those who were to follow in their steps in the end time. (Isa.8:16) Bind thou up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. (17) And I will wait for Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. (18) Behold, I and the children whom Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel…. Notice that these signs would be fulfilled after these many years of the Lord’s hiding His face from the “house of Jacob”, whose name speaks of carnal Israel. The twelve disciples, the seventy, and multitudes more went out “two and two” in the Gospels and Acts to bring the kingdom message to apostate Israel and the Gentiles. As we will see the same will happen today. In order to show these truths Scripture has to be interpreted with Scripture, and only by the Holy Spirit. The Bible says out of the mouth of two or three witnesses let every word be established. If we are basing a doctrine upon one testimony of the Scriptures, or men, it is probably wrong. There are always two or three witnesses of any doctrine in the Scriptures. (Mt.18:16)…at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established. The doctrine of the Two Witnesses is no different. Can witnesses for what is traditionally taught about them be found in the Scriptures? The answer is “No”. The witnesses point to something far greater.

 

HOLY CITY?

Revelation 11 gives us many clues as to the identity, nature and work of the two witnesses. (Rev.11:1) And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and one said, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. (2) And the court which is without the temple leave without, and measure it not; for it hath been given unto the nations: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. Before we go on any further we must identify this “holy city” because if we get this wrong we get the whole revelation wrong. What we will prove here is that the “holy city” that is trodden under the feet of the nations is the people of God and not corrupt Jerusalem. When Jesus came to the physical “holy city” they rejected and killed Him. That was the last time in the New Testament that physical Jerusalem is called the “holy city”. (Mt.27:50) And Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit. (51) And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom… (52) and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised; (53) and coming forth out of the tombs after his resurrection they entered into the holy city and appeared unto many. The veil was rent because the presence of God left their temple, making it and the city quite unholy. That city became the center of persecution and death to the followers of Christ so God destroyed it in 70 A.D. Jesus predicted this in a parable in which the Jews persecuted those sent to invite them to His feast. (Mt.22:6) [A]nd the rest laid hold on his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them. (7) But the king was wroth; and he sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Notice that “their city” was destroyed by God Himself, which shows how holy God thought physical Jerusalem to be.

Isaiah saw this time of their rejection of God’s “Holy One” and called them everything but holy. (Isa.1:4) Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that deal corruptly! they have forsaken Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are estranged [and gone] backward. Their unholy city was the harlot of Jesus’ day who was guilty of the blood of the saints. (21) How is the faithful city become a harlot! she that was full of justice! righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers. Jesus agreed that physical Jerusalem is not holy but desolate, meaning devoid of God, because she rejected Him and killed the ones sent to her. (Mt.23:37) O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (38) Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. All but a remnant of that unholy city will reject Christ until His return (Rom.9:27). At that time He will bring all nations to plunder and destroy it, until the remnant is threatened, and then He will defend them. (Zech.14:1) Behold, a day of Lord cometh, when thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. (2) For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue (Hebrew: remnant) of the people shall not be cut off from the city. (3) Then shall Lord go forth, and fight against those nations…. Notice that the Lord defends the holy remnant but not the unholy city.

After the crucifixion Paul did not agree that physical Jerusalem is the “holy city”. (Gal.4:25) Now this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to the Jerusalem that now is: for she is in bondage with her children. God is saying that the physical Jerusalem is actually the handmaid, Hagar, because she is in bondage. So who is the freewoman and holy city? (Gal.4:26) But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother. Christians are born of the holy city, New Jerusalem, which is being built in this earth right now. There is nothing physical that is holy in this New Testament. It is people that are holy, not relics as religion has taught us. The physical city was rejected and has no part in the kingdom. (30) Howbeit what saith the scripture? Cast out the handmaid (physical Jerusalem) and her son (those who belong to her): for the son of the handmaid shall not inherit with the son of the freewoman. (31) Wherefore, brethren, we are not children of a handmaid, but of the freewoman (the holy city, New Jerusalem). As we saw in chapter six, the spiritual “holy city” is world-wide along with its spiritual Jews, the Church. (Rom.2:28) For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly… (29) but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter. The two witnesses who are Christians are the second-fruits to come out of Babylon and dwell in the only “holy city”. Jesus as the son of David was the First-fruits in His day to sit on the throne of spiritual Mt. Zion.

 

WITNESSES OF WHAT?

Jesus taught many disciples for 3-1/2 years just as the corporate end time man-child will teach many disciples for 3-1/2 years of the tribulation. From among the multitude of disciples Jesus chose some to be Apostles, meaning in Greek, “ones sent forth”. These twelve were chosen to be the forefathers of the Church just as Jacob raised up twelve patriarchs for Israel. According to this type, the 144,000 end time, man-child company will raise up twelve times that many Apostles, which would make 1,728,000 world-wide. Peter testified that the Apostles were chosen to be witnesses of Jesus’ works, death and resurrection, which was a type for the end time witnesses. (Acts 10:38) [even] Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. (39) And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the country of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom also they slew, hanging him on a tree. (40) Him God raised up the third day, and gave him to be made manifest, (41) not to all the people, but unto witnesses that were chosen before of God, [even] to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. Notice that this happened on the third day and we have now come to the third thousand-year spiritual day when it will all happen again around the world.

Luke also said that the chosen Apostles were witnesses of Jesus being alive during the forty-days’ ministry, which the man-child will have, also. (Acts 1:1) The former treatise I made, O Theophilus, concerning all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, (2) until the day in which he was received up, after that he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit unto the apostles whom he had chosen: (3) To whom he also showed himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing unto them by the space of forty days, and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God.

Just like the above type, the end time Apostles will be chosen to be witnesses of the man-child’s ministry; his spiritual death, burial, and resurrection. Paul explained that being conformed to Jesus’ death and resurrection while we live is the life of Christ in God’s people. (Php.3:10) [T]hat I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings (there’s the altar), becoming conformed unto his death; (11) if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead. (This is the only place the Greek word Exanastasis is used for resurrection. It means “the out resurrection from among the dead”. It is not used for physical resurrection. The wicked are all dead in their sins around us but we are being resurrected from among them. Paul called this perfection.) (12) Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. (13) Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing [I do], forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, (14) I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Paul was saying that perfection is death to the old self-life and resurrection of the new spiritual man, Who is Christ in our life. The man-child is going to be the First-fruits to manifest this perfection but the witnesses will be the latter fruits.

Jesus chose the twelve to have His anointing and to be His two witnesses to the whole world, not just Jerusalem as many falsely think the last witnesses will be. (Acts 1:8) But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Obviously It would be impossible for two individuals to evangelize that much territory in 3-1/2 years. Common sense tells us that they are a large corporate body just as the rest of the Revelation characters are. Those twelve also said they were His witnesses. (Acts 2:32) This Jesus did God raise up, whereof we all are witnesses. They confessed constantly that they were Jesus’ witnesses as in Acts 3:15; 5:32; 10:39,41; 1 Peter 5:1; 1 John 1:1,2. When they sought someone to replace Judas and found Matthias, the criterion was this: (Acts 1:21) Of the men therefore that have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us, (22) beginning from the baptism of John, unto the day that he was received up from us, of these must one become a witness with us of his resurrection. A later Apostle, Paul, who appears to have seen Jesus but was not a personal witness of His ministry and resurrection, did not claim to be one of the witnesses. (13:30) But God raised him from the dead: (31) and he was seen for many days of them that came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses unto the people. Notice they are “now” His witnesses. The disciples called themselves His witnesses after the 3-1/2 years of Jesus’ ministry and the witnesses in Revelation were called that after the man-child’s ministry of 3-1/2 years (Rev.11:3). This also shows that they are the same.

 

CORPORATE BODY OF TWO

The man-child, Jesus, called the twelve out as a corporate body of two witnesses in training, in the first 3-1/2 years just as the end time man-child will. (Mk.6:7) And he calleth unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two…. From then on they were called Apostles. In Acts, which represented the second 3-1/2 years, they were two corporate witnesses. Before Matthias replaced Judas as a witness the eleven were there and ten were paired up. (Acts 1:13) And when they were come in, they went up into the upper chamber, where they were abiding; both Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James [the son] of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas [the son] of James. Although some of these were not heard from in the Bible again, in instances too many to enumerate they continued this habit of going out as a corporate body of two witnesses. Although not counted among the twelve witnesses, later Apostles also went out “by two and two” in Acts, 14:14; 15:40; 16:25. Even when Paul sometimes appeared to be alone, Luke, who wrote Acts, was a silent partner modestly chronicling his acts (Col.4:14; 2Tim.4:11; Phm.1:24). As we have seen, Paul was among twelve other Apostles identified in the New Testament when the Greek word apostolos is translated “apostle” instead of “messenger” as it is elsewhere. Sometimes there were more than two in a company. Although rarely mentioned, sometimes the Apostles took wives with them as some of the latter-day witnesses will. (1Cor.9:5) Have we no right to lead about a wife that is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles….

The twelve Apostles including Matthias were called “witnesses,” which is from the Greek word martus, and in English is “martyrs”. As a type for the end times, these also raised up other Apostles and elders, many of which were not martyred. Jesus also sent out elders “two and two” to preach the good news of the kingdom, many of which were not martyred. (Lk.10:1) Now after these things the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself was about to come. If you multiply the 144,000 man-child by 70 you get 10,080,000. The twelve and the seventy were sent as a corporate body of two in the first 3-1/2 years. Moses also, as a type of the man-child, sent out the twelve princes of the tribes in Numbers 13:2,3 and the seventy elders to the people in Numbers 11:16,17. Notice also that the corporate body of two elders also went everywhere Jesus was “about to come.” Jesus is about to come to the whole world. (Mt.24:27) For as the lightning cometh forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west; so shall be the coming of the Son of man. Foreshadowing this, the Apostles preached the gospel in the native tongues of Jews gathered for Pentecost from “every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5-11).  The end time two witnesses are members of the “holy city” that is worldwide and as such they will witness to the whole Babylonish world in order to fulfill the great commission. Jesus said to His disciples (Mt.5:14) Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. David and Jesus are prominent types of the end time corporate man-child who rule from the throne but the witnesses are members of the “holy city” that we shall see will be “tread under foot forty-two months” or 3-1/2 years. After the twelve witnesses and the seventy elders, the ranks of the disciples, including Gentiles, grew throughout the book of Acts as many were raised up to spread the news “two and two” in a type of the second 3-1/2 years of the tribulation.

 

TWO WITNESSES WITH THE WITNESSES

God loves to hide things from the Pharisees and their disciples and reveal them to His own elect who search for truth. (Pr.25:2) It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. (Mt.13:11)…Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. What we are going to see as we continue is that God uses parallels to hide and reveal things many times. He’ll put one picture parallel with another, to show you that they are the same. What we will see is “two men” appearing parallel with the Apostle witnesses at several different times. At the least, this was to reveal that the two witnesses are the Apostles, and the timing of the appearance of the “two men” was to show what they needed to be witnesses of. Remember we saw that the witnesses had to witness the death and resurrection of Jesus. Here are the “two men” witnessing just that.

Here are two more witnesses of that who are described as “two men”. (Lk.24:4) And it came to pass, while they were perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them (parallel) in dazzling apparel: (5) And as they were affrighted and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? (6) He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, (7) saying that the Son of man must be delivered up into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. Here are two witnesses parallel with the disciples, showing that they represent the two witnesses in the end. These two were witnessing the death and resurrection of Jesus also. Were they merely types of the end time two witnesses of the man-child, or is God saying that the end time witnesses will also actually witness the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus? What made me think this was possible is I have heard testimonies of some who actually did witness these things in the Spirit. Time is not a hindrance to God Who is Light. He can cause the witnesses to view this in the Spirit or personally. Scientists believe that if you approached the speed of light, time would cease. Moses and Elijah, the two witnesses, came to talk to Jesus about His death in Luke 9. I try not to put anything beyond our Father who constantly loves to amaze us. I was a personal witness to God reversing time and changing something that happened, making it as though it never was. I relate this in our book Sovereign God For Us and Through Us.

These two witnesses show up again later at one of those important times. (Acts 1:9) And when he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. (10) And while they were looking stedfastly into heaven as he went, behold two men stood by them (parallel) in white apparel; (11) who also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was received up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye beheld him going into heaven. Now we see these two witnesses were there for the death, burial, resurrection, and when Jesus was caught up to heaven. These two witnesses appeared parallel to the disciples at these times at least to show us what they had to be a witness of, and that the disciples were the two witnesses.

 

TEMPLE AND COURT

(Rev.11:1) And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and one said, Rise, and measure the temple (Greek: naos, meaning “sanctuary”) of God… The Greek word Heiron is only used in the New Testament of the physical temple. The word used for temple here is naos, which was used all through the New Testament when identifying the people of God as His house. Revelation is an obvious allegory, which always uses this word for temple and we are told in 21:22 that “the Lord God the almighty, and the Lamb are the temple thereof.” However many insist that this is a physical temple that will be built by the Jews for the tribulation. They insist that this is the temple Ezekiel saw being measured by a man who also used a measuring reed in chapters 40-43. It could be that Ezekiel saw John himself as a type of the man-child measuring this temple but the Ezekiel temple is not a physical temple either. Ezekiel, John, or anyone else has ever seen it being built by man’s hands. (Acts7:48) Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in [houses] made with hands… (51) Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit… Notice that God rebuked those Jews who were “uncircumcised in heart” not recognizing the spiritual nature of the new temple. Interestingly enough God said of the Ezekiel temple that none “uncircumcised in heart” could enter it. (Ezk.44:9) Thus saith the Lord God, No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any foreigners that are among the children of Israel. We are told that all those uncircumcised in heart, even Jews, are foreigners in the New Testament because they are not born again. (Rom.2:28) For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: (29) but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter… So we see that the Ezekiel temple and John’s temple could not have anyone in it that is not born again. This temple is being built by God’s hands not man’s. (Ex.15:17) Thou wilt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, The place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, The sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. God will use His Word through His man-child typed by Ezekiel, John, and the Branch, as we have seen, to build this temple. (Zech.6:12)… Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: and he shall grow up out of his place; and he shall build the temple of the Lord. These will raise up a larger body of two witnesses and others through them to build this temple. (15) And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the Lord… Therefore the temple and its court represent the various disciples of the end time.

Measuring Ezekiel’s temple, which is Jesus, symbolizes revealing His boundaries, shape, form, and pattern through the Word so that one may not transgress through not abiding in Him. This revelation convicted the people, who are the true house of God, of their sin. (Ezk.43:10) Thou, son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern. (11) And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, make known unto them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the egresses thereof, and the entrances thereof (How to enter into Christ and what law breaking causes one to leave Him.), and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof; and write it in their sight; that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them. (12) This is the law of the house: upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house. The law of the house of Christ is to abide within His limits of holiness. No building can do any of this.

(Rev.11:1) And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and one said, Rise, and measure the temple (disciples) of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. This altar represents the place of the burnt offering, where the flesh is burned up. “Them that worship therein” are those who have already led a sacrificial life. (Rom.12:1) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, [which is] your spiritual service. (1Pet.4:12) Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you. These people are perfected through offering up their fleshly life as a burnt offering in their fiery trials. They have already submitted to God in dying to self. Their altar is in the holy place next to the holy of holies where God’s throne is, and they need no more tribulation burning for ashes can be purified no further. These who are measured with the sanctuary are those who “are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord” of which I will speak later.

However, those not measured with the sanctuary, who live in the outer court and city, are spiritually trampled under the feet of lost men for 3-1/2 years. (2) And the court which is without (Greek: “cast without”) the temple leave without, and measure it not; for it hath been given unto the nations: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. The two witnesses or martyrs are members of “the court which is without”. These are “cast without” to be perfected through spiritual crucifixion by men. (Mt.5:13) Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. Salt is a preservative and an antiseptic symbolizing the full manifestation of eternal life. The witnesses at this time have not yet born the fruit of those who live in the holy places and altar. They must fully enter the kingdom through death. “[T]he court which is without”, was also known as the “Court of the Gentiles” because Gentile and Jew could mingle there but not in the holy places. In other words, it was part in the world and part in the kingdom as are those who are not yet perfected. If we see the temple as an individual Christian, the holy of holies would be spirit and the holy place the soul. This outer court would be the flesh, which needs crucifixion by man. Another parable is those who enter into the presence of God in the holy of holies have to pass through these three stages. Notice that the outer court and the city are trodden under foot 3-1/2 years and the witnesses lie in the streets, as trampled, as “[men] look upon their dead bodies three days and a half.” These days represent 3-1/2 years because Daniel’s prophecy of the seventieth week was seven days that represented the seven years of the tribulation. Notice also that the outer court, the witnesses, and the city, the remnant of saints, are trodden under foot. The end time man-child will send out two corporate witnesses to raise up the holy city of the saints, who together will then face the harlot and the beast as the Book of Acts foreshadows. When the witnesses finish their testimony, they will be killed just as were Jesus’ disciples. Some of the other saints of the Holy City will also be martyred. Others will be purified and enter the Holy Place.

(Rev.11:2)…the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months (3-1/2 years). (3) And I will give unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days (3-1/2 years), clothed in sackcloth. Notice that the city is trampled 3-1/2 years, the same time that the witnesses are persecuted and killed. Notice that verse three is a continuation of verse two and starts out with the word “And” because God is paralleling the two. We have a parallel revelation here. The two witnesses are members of the spiritual worldwide holy city along with all the other saints who are martyred spiritually, or physically in some cases.

 

JUST MOSES AND ELIJAH?

We have heard from those who see the letter that these two witnesses are literally only Moses and Elijah, or some say Enoch. In the text we are told another parable of who the two witnesses are. (Rev 11:3) And I will give unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. (4) These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks (Greek: “lampstands”), standing before the Lord of the earth. This term, “standing before the Lord of the earth” is only found in one other place. (Zech 4:14) Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth. This would make the two anointed ones the two witnesses. We will see that the two anointed ones in Zechariah 3,4 are Joshua and Zerubbabel, not Moses and Elijah. We will also see proof in Revelation that they are Moses and Elijah. If we are looking for two physical men, then we have at least four now. Obviously these two sets of men are not physical individuals but parables of the end time two corporate witnesses.

We have another witness of this principle. (Zech.4:2)…behold, a candlestick all of gold, with its bowl upon the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon; there are seven pipes to each of the lamps, which are upon the top thereof; (3) and two olive-trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. You will notice that the only other place this phrase “two olive trees” is found is in Revelation 11:4 above and they are once again Joshua and Zerubbabel, the two witnesses. These olive tree witnesses appear to be feeding their anointing oil to seven lamps, which represents them being the light to the seven churches. (Zech.4:11)…What are these two olive-trees…which are beside the two golden spouts, that empty the golden [oil] out of themselves? (14)…These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth. Jesus told His first two witnesses who stood by the Lord of the whole earth, “Ye are the light of the world”. This lets you know that the importance of His witnesses parallels the importance of the end time witnesses to the world and the Church. They are forefathers, the reformers, and the light bearers.

The Lord said in Revelation 11:3,4 that “my two witnesses…are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks (Greek: “lampstands”). Since the olive tree in Romans 11 represents the corporate body of Christ which is grafted into Israel through their faith, these two olive trees must also represent two corporate witness bodies. Also each “candlestick” in this verse is a “lampstand” in Greek. That could be seven lamps off of one stem as the candlestick in Zechariah 4:2 above is. This is a menorah or candelabra. Once again we see a corporate body ministering to a corporate body. (Rev.1:12) And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And having turned I saw seven golden candlesticks; (13) and in the midst of the candlesticks one like unto a son of man. Verse 20 tells us “the seven candlesticks are seven churches” and the Lord is standing in the midst of the seven candlesticks. That symbolizes one stem and seven branches like Jesus said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches.” So a lampstand symbolizes the Church with Christ at its center. It symbolized this in the Old Testament tabernacle in Exodus 25: 31,37, and here in the New Testament. Jesus stood in the midst of seven individual golden candlesticks because the Church was spread out. It was not just in one geographical location or one race anymore. The two candlesticks in Revelation 11:4 are only one in Zechariah 4:2 above because the two witnesses are actually one body, which we will continue to see.

Here also is the “two that are one” principle. God called physical Israel the “church in the wilderness”. Now, the Church of the New Testament is about to go “into the wilderness” and they are mostly Gentiles. However, when physical Israelis are born into the kingdom, they become a part of the one New Testament Church. So we’ve got two candlesticks that spiritually are just one candlestick. (Eph.2:14) For he is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition. Physically they are two, but spiritually they are one. The Gospels and Acts show us that the early rain was poured out first on Jesus, then on the two natural Israel witnesses and remnant, but was later also poured out on the Gentiles, joining the two churches. That type shows us that the latter rain will be poured out first on the man-child, then on the two Gentile witnesses and remnant, and later also on a remnant of natural Israel. That is one church going out as two witnesses. The reason things appear to be turned around, but actually are not, is that we who walk by faith are the “Israel of God” now and a remnant of natural Jews are lost and without the covenant (Rom.2:28,29;4:16,17;9:6-8,25,26; Gal.3:7,8,28,29; 6:16; Rev.2:9; 3:9).

 

WITNESSES BUILD THE TEMPLE

There is more proof that the witnesses are spiritually Joshua and Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the governor who came out of Babylon to guide the rebuilding of the temple. His name means “born from Babylon”. He represents those who have come out of the Babylonish harlot to build the temple of God, which are His people, the true Church. (Zech.4:9) The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it…. Of Joshua also it was said twice that “he shall build the temple of the Lord” (6:12,13). Like Paul, Joshua and Zerubbabel represented “wise master builders” of the temple of God’s people. The witnesses are the new leadership to bring them into the image of Christ. Joshua, Zerubbabel, Moses, and Elijah are found in individual types to represent the man-child. However when paired they represent the man-child’s seed, the two witnesses. Why is this? As the man-child, Jesus, told His two witnesses, “the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life” (Jn. 6:63). Jesus’ spirit and life went into His witnesses, recreating Himself in them. The spirits of the two witnesses are first in the man-child before being imparted to them. Jesus’ witnesses were called “Christians” because He lived in them. The witnesses become witnesses of who the man-child is by manifesting his life.

An example of pairing Joshua and Zerubabbel as the two witnesses under the guidance man-child is found in the book of Haggai. (Hag.1:1) In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of Lord by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak…. Haggai here is a type of the man-child who speaks the pure Word of the Lord to the two witnesses, counseling them to forsake building their own houses, as spiritually the religions have done. (4) Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your ceiled houses, while this house lieth waste? He counseled them to build God’s house on the mountain of His kingdom, which spiritually is the temple of His people. (8) Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith Lord. As long as they built their own houses their bread and wine, a type of the life of Christ, and their oil, a type of the anointing, had been cursed. (11) And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the grain, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil…. This understanding brought repentance to the people. (12) Then Zerubbabel…and Joshua…with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as Lord their God had sent him; and the people did fear before Lord.

Then the Lord anointed them for the work of building His house. (13) Then spake Haggai Lord’s messenger in Lord’s message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith Lord. (14) And Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel…and the spirit of Joshua…and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work on the house of Lord of hosts, their God. The timing of this is clearly the tribulation when God said he would shake heaven, earth, and all nations. (2:6) For thus saith Lord of hosts: Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; (7) and I will shake all nations; and the precious things (Hebrew: “desire”) of all nations shall come; and I will fill this house with glory, saith Lord of hosts. Jesus in His body is the “desire of all nations”. Notice that through the shaking of the nations those that God desires will come out of them to be filled with His glory in His house. This is also proven in the next verse. (8) The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith Lord of hosts. The Lord is not greedy of gold and silver. He is speaking of the gold and silver vessels that represent God’s people, which were taken captive to Babylon, being restored to the new temple. (Ezra 6:5) And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to its place; and thou shalt put them in the house of God. God told me three times that this verse represented my ministry.

The move of the Spirit in and through God’s people will be greater than what was seen in the Book of Acts before the falling away. (Hag.2:9) The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, saith Lord of hosts; and in this place will I give peace…. Notice that the spiritual house of God’s sanctified people will be the only place of peace and safety in a shaken world. (21) Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; (22) and I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. The witnesses will be seen by the remnant as a rock of stability in a world that is being judged like Egypt for seeking to keep them in bondage. (Hos.11:10) They shall walk after Lord, who will roar like a lion; for he will roar, and the children shall come trembling from the west. (11) They shall come trembling as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria. The fear of the Lord and the wisdom of the witnesses will draw God’s people out of bondage and into the faith walk in the wilderness.

We are seeing proof that Joshua, Zerubbabel, Moses, and Elijah are the two witnesses and that the accepted theology about who these two are cannot be possible. If you take it in the letter, that these are two people, then you have to accept that they are Joshua and Zerubbabel as much as Moses and Elijah. The Bible doesn’t say that the two witnesses in Revelation 11 are Moses and Elijah. Their works and other symbols identify all four there. Two that are four can only be possible in a parable and a corporate body. There is much greater proof to come.

 

FOUR GROUPS OF SAINTS

Jesus gave us a clear type of four groups of saints that would be fully brought into the Kingdom at the coming of the Lord. (Mt.16:28) Verily I say unto you, There are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. This is a clear type that some would never die until they see the coming of the Lord. Speaking of His coming, 2 Peter 3:8 says, But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. Here we see that the coming of the Lord can be measured in thousand-year days. We know that “some of them that stand here” prefigured those who lived in the end of the sixth day, or 6,000 years from Adam, because the next verse, Matthew 17:1, says “after six days”. This is a hidden revelation of the timing of the coming of the Lord. When He said “some of them that stand here,” He meant of the disciples living at the end of the 6,000 years, these would not die until they saw the Lord come. Since we are at the end of the sixth day and the beginning of the seventh day now, some of us will not die until we see the coming of the Lord! Glory!

In the next verse we will see the Lord glorified on the top of a mountain just as He said he would come in Zechariah 14:4.

(Mt.17:1) And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart: (2) and he was transfigured before them; and his face did shine as the sun, and his garments became white as the light. We see here after six days or on the morning of the seventh thousand years, Peter, James and John saw the coming of the Lord in His glorified body. They prefigured the disciples who would be “alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord”. There is nothing in here by accident for “that which hath been is that which shall be”. Peter, James, and John who were the closest disciples to the Lord also represent in this type “we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord”. These are those in Revelation 11:1 who abide in the temple and altar and are not measured among them to be trampled under the feet of the lost. In other words, those who abide closest to the Lord in the altar of sacrifice will not die. These disciples are those who went deeper into the garden of the Lord’s own suffering. These present their “bodies as a living sacrifice”, a burnt offering on the altar in the temple. Since these are dead through sacrifice they cannot die again. They have overcome the first enemies of sin by grace and subsequently the last enemy of death. (1Cor.15:26) The last enemy that shall be abolished is death. The rapture and resurrection at the end of the tribulation abolishes death. Death is the last enemy because you have to conquer sin to conquer it. It is a law like the law of gravity that those who sin have to die. (Rom.8:2) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death. The rapture people are those who never die because they conquer sin through faith in the Gospel that Jesus “made you free from sin” and through this abolished death. (2Tim.1:10)…Christ Jesus who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Through faith in the Gospel we can conquered sin and then death as Jesus said. He said that those who died would live and those who believed on Him would never die. (Jn.11:25) Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live; (26) and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die. Believest thou this? Some would say that if this is true, why does everyone die? Enoch and Elijah didn’t and now we see that on the seventh day the last enemy will be conquered and many others won’t die either. The key, according to Jesus, is believing. For centuries there was divine healing in the Word but because it wasn’t taught and believed multitudes died before their time. In these days the mature saints will believe that Jesus conquered both spiritual and physical death and will receive the benefit.

In the next verse we see another group, the two witnesses. (Mt.17:3) And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him. (4) And Peter answered, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, I will make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. Now we see the four groups of God’s people in this parable. They are Jesus, a type of the First-fruits man-child of Revelation 12:5; Moses and Elijah who are types of the two witnesses or martyrs of Revelation 11; Peter, James and John who are types of those “that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord” (1Thes.4:15) and the rest of the disciples who are types of the rest of the dead in Christ.

 

MOSES AND ELIJAH COMING IN SPIRIT

Jesus said Elijah would come again, but how? Is it as some say that he will come down out of heaven in person? (Mt.17:11)…Elijah indeed cometh, and shall restore all things: (The restoration that Jesus said was to come was two-fold. The restoration was spoken of by Joel as the former rain, which was ministered by Jesus’ witnesses, and latter rain, which was ministered by the man-child’s witnesses. Also there was another manifestation of Elijah that Jesus spoke of.) (12) but I say unto you, that Elijah is come already, and they knew him not, but did unto him whatsoever they would. Even so shall the Son of man also suffer of them. (13) Then understood the disciples that he spake unto them of John the Baptist. Elijah also came before Jesus as John but the apostates did not know him and they won’t this time either because there was no hint that John was Elijah in the flesh. In what way was he Elijah? (Lk.1:17) And he shall go before his face in the spirit and power of Elijah. John came in the spirit and power of Elijah as will the end time Witnesses. These will have the power of the latter rain to “consume and destroy” the kingdom of the beast (Dan.7:26,27). The judgments in Revelation 11 are the same ones that came out of the mouths of Moses and Elijah. Moses prophesied against Egypt, or the world. Elijah prophesied against the apostate Church. The Revelation judgments will come out of the mouths of the saints, as we shall see.

There is a parallel between John’s ministry, Elijah’s ministry, and the two witness ministries because history always repeats, usually several times. With spiritual eyes we see wonderful things. (Mt.14:1) At that season Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus, (2) and said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore do these powers work in him. (3) For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. (4) For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. (5) And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude. Herod, as a type of the beast, later beheaded John. In Revelation 11 it doesn’t say how the witnesses are killed by the beast but in Revelation 20:4 we are told that those who have the “testimony (Greek: “witness”) of Jesus” were beheaded. I agree that this is the larger witness of the saints as a whole but it probably includes the two witnesses. In our Matthew text the beast is typified by Herod, and the harlot, Herodias, because she was not legal to be wed to Herod. Neither is the harlot legal to be wed to the beast, yet they are one in fornication in Revelation 17. It is not legal for the world to have the apostate church. She is called the harlot, because they are making love to the world beast rather than the Lord. In type, the witnesses are killed for exposing this relationship just as John did. The apostate church is getting paid or bribed by the love of the world to receive the seed of its word and nature. That identifies a harlot. The Lord used Hosea, meaning “savior”, who chose an unfaithful wife that committed fornication, as a type of Himself. That’s exactly what has happened to Israel and is also happening to the Church. History repeats. The Church has followed in the steps of Israel.

As John faced Herod and Herodias, Elijah faced the beast and the harlot for 3-1/2 years while they put to death the prophets of God. Remember that Ahab represented the beast with ten horns because he was the king of the northern ten apostate tribes. His wife, Jezebel, is typed as the harlot in Revelation 2:20-22. She had the 450 false prophets of Baal and the 400 false prophets of the Asherah sitting at her table. In type, the witness, Elijah, faced the harlot, Jezebel, who wanted to kill him and had already put to death many of the prophets of God, and he faced the beast, Ahab.

 

WHY TWO WITNESSES?

The law required two witnesses and the Lord does everything to fulfill the law types. The two witnesses witnessed for God, and against sin. God condemned the people they condemned. God is coming in the day of the Lord to judge this world but first He has to have two witnesses against it to fulfill the law. (Dt.19:15) One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established. Notice that it takes at least two witnesses against every man that sins. This necessitates many witnesses all over the world, not just two in the Middle East. The tradition is they will be seen in Jerusalem by the whole world on television but that would not fulfill the law in that they would not be two witnesses of men’s sins. God had two witnesses against natural Israel’s sins as a type of the last day’s two witnesses against the Church. (Ex.31:18) And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, the two tables of the testimony. The word “testimony” is the same word “witness” in the New and Old Testaments. When God wrote the Law, why didn’t He write it on one table? It was just Ten Commandments. It had to be two tablets because out of the Law there had to be two witnesses. This witness was in the midst of the children of Israel through the wilderness into the Promised Land. It was two witnesses for God against sin.

God put these two witnesses in the one Ark of the Covenant, Jesus Christ. This represents two in the one corporate body of Christ. Also, the two witnesses of the Law and the prophets were manifested in the righteousness of Christ. (Rom.3:21) But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law (represented by Moses) and the prophets (represented by Elijah). This will be a two-fold witness for God against sinners. Furthermore, in the Ark was the rod of Aaron that budded. This was to show who really had the ministry authority when apostate ministers rose up to rule. God had Aaron’s rod bud as a witness to show upon whom He put His authority. This budding rod represented his authority bearing fruit. This will prove in the end times who His witnesses are. The two tables of witness in the Ark of the body of Christ are inscribed by the finger of God. (Ex.31:18) tables of stone, written with the finger of God. God’s Spirit through His witnesses will write His Word on the hearts of the saints. (2Cor.3:2) Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men; (3) being made manifest that ye are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in tables [that are] hearts of flesh.

Jesus wrote the Word on the hearts of His Apostolic two witnesses for 3-1/2 years. They in turn took the good news to the Church at large, and faced the harlot and the beast in what was a type in Acts of the second 3-1/2 years. This is exactly what will happen to the two witnesses. The man-child of Revelation 12 will write the Word on the heart of the two witnesses for 3-1/2 years. They in turn will take the good news to the Church at large and face the harlot and the beast in the second 3-1/2 of Revelation 13. As the Apostles will be sent out “two and two”, so will the elders be in order to prepare the saints everywhere for the coming of the Lord. Everywhere they go they will bring the kingdom of God and His judgment, for God will judge the world on how they receive the two witnesses. (Lk.10:10) But into whatsoever city ye shall enter, and they receive you not, go out into the streets thereof and say, (11) Even the dust from your city, that cleaveth to our feet, we wipe off against you: nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh, (12) I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.

 

TWO WITNESSES BUT ONE BODY

A close examination of the text concerning the two witnesses in Revelation reveals that they are not two distinct people who will individually do the works of Moses and Elijah. (Rev.11:5) And if any man desireth to hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies. Now notice that though they are two they have one mouth, showing that they are one corporate body. We are taught to believe that the spirit of Elijah rested on one witness, while the spirit of Moses rested on the other. The spirit of Elijah is on both of the witnesses, because they are both doing the miracle that was peculiar to Elijah, who brought down fire out of heaven twice to devour fifty men who were sent against him from the beast. The rest of Revelation 11:5 says, “and if any man shall desire to hurt them, in this manner must he be killed”. So they have authority to protect themselves through the spoken Word. Jesus told His witnesses in (Lk.10:19)…I have given you authority…over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. Nobody killed those first witnesses until they were finished with their testimony. In fact, the angels kept springing them from jail as in Acts 5:19 and 12:7. Apostles who were raised up after them, Paul and Silas, were sprung from jail by an earthquake as the doors were opened and their bonds were also loosed as in Acts 16:25,26. The last days witnesses will not be stopped or killed until they have “finished their testimony” (Rev.11:7).

Once again notice that both witnesses will do that which was peculiar to Elijah, stopping the rain. Both witnesses will do that which was peculiar to Moses by turning the waters to blood. (Rev.11:6) These have the power to shut the heaven, that it rain not during the days of their prophecy: and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood. Again this proves that there are not two individual men but a corporate body with the anointing of Moses and Elijah. You will notice that James compares Elijah’s ministry with a future 3-1/2 year corporate body ministry. (Jas.5:17) Elijah was a man of like passions with us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth for three years and six months. (18) And he prayed again; and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. Notice the judgments will come out of their mouths at that time as also says Revelation. (Rev.11:6)…and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they shall desire. Friends, the witnesses or the saints who follow their teachings and anointing are not going to be at the mercy of the world, it will be the other way around. This is not to say that the flesh won’t ultimately be crucified.

The witnesses will go out and live what they learned in the first 3-1/2  years from the man-child exactly as Jesus’ witnesses did. However, Jesus’ witnesses received the former rain anointing through Him and the latter day witnesses will receive the latter rain anointing through the man-child. (Hos.6:2) After two days (2,000 years) will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. (3) And let us know, let us follow on to know Lord: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth. Notice that the latter rain will come on the morning of the third thousand-year day, which is where we are now. (Joel 2:23) Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for he giveth you the former rain in just measure, and he causeth to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, in the first [month]. The former rain was the measured power manifested through the witnesses of Jesus in the book of Acts and given to disciples up until this day. The greater power of the latter rain will be added to the power of that former rain for the latter day witnesses of the man-child and disciples. Then they will be empowered to face the harlot and the beast in Revelation 13. The anointing from the man-child is going to be upon the just as Jesus passed on His anointing to his disciples. (Jn.20:21)…as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you. (22) And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit.

Joel continued to speak of the effects of the latter rain in our day. (Joel 2:24) And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. This symbolizes the great harvest to be born to the witnesses and disciples just as we see in the next verse. (25) And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, my great army which I sent among you. This symbolizes the restoration from the years that the curse has plundered God’s people. This will be the most miraculous widespread revival the world has ever seen. It will also be in the midst of a great falling away of the merely religious and their persecution of the righteous as it was in Jesus’ day.

The witnesses will not fear their coming death. (Rev.11:7) And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them. Since these brethren will give their lives in love to feed and prepare the elect and to warn the wicked, they will have no fear. (1Jn.4:18) There is no fear in love: but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath punishment; and he that feareth is not made perfect in love. They also will feel no pain in their death for “the sting of death is sin” (1Cor.15:56). Jesus said, “If a man keep my word, he shall never taste of death” (Jn.8:52). Jesus bore our sin and therefore did “taste death for every man”. I have read many give witness of brethren dying with a smile on their face and never feeling the pain. (2Cor.5:8) [W]e are of good courage, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord. With courage and a consuming desire to be with the Lord many will step into His presence.

(Rev.11:7) And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and over come them, and kill them. Wouldn’t the whole world wake up when they realized that the united beast armies made war on two people? We would call that an assassination, not a war. A war would imply a battle. What kind of battle could you possibly have with such lopsided numbers? Of course the two men could display enormous power, which would shock the world and be quite a testimony. The truth is the corporate body of two witnesses will display enormous power, but spread out all over the world and coming in the form of judgment on nations it won’t be so obvious and those who want to justify their sinful life will still be able to because God wills it to be that way. At the same time as the beast is making war on this Church leadership, it will make war on the rest of the saints. (Rev.13:6) And he opened his mouth for blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, [even] them that dwell in the heaven. (7) And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them…. Notice that God’s people are His tabernacle which is His temporary temple of these bodies in the wilderness. We see that they are being spoken against and being made war on. So how can they be dwelling in heaven? We are told that those who abide “in Christ Jesus” on earth live “in the heavenly [places]”. (Eph.2:6) [A]nd raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly [places], in Christ Jesus.

So we see that overcoming the saints means overcoming their flesh so that their spirit man may dwell in heavenly places by abiding in the walk of Christ. The Lord will use the beast to break the power of the old man for 3-1/2 years. (Dan.7:25) And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High; and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and a half a time.  (12:7) And…it shall be for a time, times and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. The beast will battle with carnal weapons and the saints will find that the only effective weapon will be the spoken Word.

(Rev.11:8) And their dead bodies (Greek: body) [lie] in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Notice that “dead bodies” in some of your Bibles have a footnote that says something like, “Greek: body or carcass or corpse”. This is correct. It should be singular, not plural. The three most ancient manuscripts say, “their dead body”. A footnote in the Zondervan Received Text says this word is “body”. The numeric pattern proves the Greek word for body, carcass, or corpse is authentic. Notice carefully that two witnesses who are spoken of as a “body” can only be a corporate body. God is not speaking of two individuals here. (9) And from among the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations do [men] look upon their dead body (singular for the same reasons as above) three days and a half, and suffer not their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. This last usage of “bodies” is correct in all of the manuscripts and numerics. That can only lead us to one conclusion. The witnesses are a “body” of people that is made up of many “bodies”. They will be a corporate body of witnesses that will go out two by two repeating the types in history.

(Rev.11:8) And their dead body lies in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. We have heard from most that the two witnesses are going to die on the streets of Jerusalem. This clearly does not say that. The “great city” here is Babylon, and not Jerusalem. (Rev.18:10)…Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! Babylon is also called “the great city” in all of the rest of Revelation: 16:19; 17:18; 18:16; 18:18; 18:19. Let us examine what and where Babylon is and then we will understand that these two witnesses cannot be only two people. When a great earthquake destroyed “the great city” of Babylon, all of “the cities of the nations fell.” (Rev.16:19) And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and Babylon the great was remembered in the sight of God…. This is none other than a nuclear civil war dividing the One World order. Babylon is the whole world and the corporate body of two witnesses against their sins will die on their streets.

(Rev.11:8) And their dead body lies in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt. Babylon is identified as spiritual Sodom. (Isa.13:19) And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. Jesus taught in Luke 17:29 that the end would be like Lot coming out of Sodom. That can only apply to the people of God coming out of the whole world. Like Babylon, Sodom spiritually is the whole world. Now where is this Babylon? Isaiah continues to address the judgment of Babylon. (13:11) And I will punish the world for [their] evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. One of the types of Babylon is the whole world where the witnesses will be killed and lie in their streets. The U.S. is the melting pot of the world and as such is a lesser fulfillment and microcosm of secular Babylon. There is also a religious Babylon. Babylon is also spiritually called Egypt, which is also a type of the world. As with Lot and Sodom, God’s people came out of Egypt and He destroyed it. The Egyptians even said, “knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed” (Ex.10:7), and “We are all dead men” (Ex.12:33). They didn’t say that by accident but to show a type. God is going to destroy the whole world as he destroyed Sodom and Egypt. The witnesses are going to be killed on the streets of the worldwide “great city”, which is spiritually Sodom and Egypt.

Satan is the king of all of the types of Babylon, especially world Babylon. (Isa.14:4) [T]hat thou shalt take up this parable against the king of Babylon…. (12) How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star. “Day-star” was originally translated “Lucifer”. Now look at the end of the chapter and let’s see who Babylon is. (22) And I will rise up against them, saith Lord of hosts, and cut off from Babylon name and remnant, and son and son’s son, saith Lord…. (26) This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. Satan is the king of Babylon because he inhabits the “whole earth” outside of the body of Christ, which is Zion. Satan has taken on a dragon’s body of seven heads and ten horns in Revelation 12:3,9. That is, he inhabits the seed of the seven historic world-ruling empires and the ten divisions of earth in the tribulation. Since the witnesses are the saints around the world, which is the great city, it is easy to see how “from among the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations do [men] look upon their dead body” (Rev.11:9). Friend, they are not watching this on television. The witnesses are being killed on their own streets around the world as history has proven.

Here is another proof of world Babylon. (Gen.1:9) And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. In the beginning the waters were all joined because the land was one continent. Babel was being built on that one continent. (Gen.11:9) Therefore was the name of it called Babel; because Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth (one continent). By confusing original Babylon with many languages it became the seed of the whole earth. Each language then separated people to their respective corner. Then God separated them even further. (16) And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg. (10:25) And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided. Then when the continent divided (Hebrew: paleg), Babylon was separated by water into continents. Peleg has two meanings: “divided by a channel of water” and an “earthquake”. This is called by scientists the Continental Drift Theory. (10:5) Of these were the isles (Hebrew meaning “continents”) of the nations divided in their lands, every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations. So the whole earth is Babylon, “the great city”, and the witnesses were killed all over the earth. The witnesses were certainly not killed on the streets of “the holy city, new Jerusalem” (Rev.21:2). In verse 10 it was called “the holy city Jerusalem”. However, the King James version falsely translates this as “the great city, the holy Jerusalem”, which has no numeric pattern nor is it in the ancient manuscripts.

Why is Babylon called a city? Just as the characters in Revelation are corporate, the cities are corporate. Isaiah speaks of Babylon as a corporate city made up of all nations. (Isa.25:3) Therefore shall a strong people glorify thee; a city of terrible nations shall fear thee. As you can see the individual members of the “great city” are nations not people. (7) And he will destroy in this mountain (kingdom) the face of the covering that covereth all peoples, and the veil that is spread over all nations. When the kingdom of world Babylon is destroyed the veil of blindness over “all nations” will be destroyed. Babylon is a spiritual city made up of “all nations” of “all peoples” outside of spiritual Jerusalem. The city of Babylon and the city of Jerusalem were physical cities. The Jews were a physical people. God’s New Testament Jews are a spiritual people with a spiritual city and they war against another spiritual city, which is Babylon. Both of those cities cover the whole earth at this time. As we will see in the next chapter, Jesus said there are only two men in the earth. (Mt.24:40) Then shall two men be in the field (world); one is taken, and one is left. That is Christ and antichrist, the two worldwide spiritual cities. The corporate two witnesses are going to be killed preaching on the streets of Babylon, “the great city”.

Satan has a corporate Babylonish religious body within the body of antichrist world-wide (1Jn.2:18,19). They are like the apostate Jews were and yet Jesus told them, “you are of your father the devil”. There is a very religious son of perdition hidden among the disciples like Judas was. When the falling away happened, the son of perdition was revealed. Even though Judas was doing the works with the others, Jesus said he was “a devil”. Now, once again the falling away is coming to the corporate son of perdition, who is “a devil” hidden among the disciples. These will be in league with the false church of religious Babylon to kill the witnesses as history repeats.

The witnesses are killed, “where also their Lord was crucified” (Rev.11:8). Jesus was not crucified in the “holy city” and neither will the witnesses be. (Heb.13:11) For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest [as an offering] for sin, are burned without the camp. (12) Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered without the gate. Jesus was taken out of apostate Jerusalem, and killed in the world. Both Gordon’s Calvary and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher claim to be Golgotha and are outside the old city boundaries. (Jn.19:20)…for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city. His witnesses are also going to suffer “without the camp” of the apostate city and people of God. (Heb.13:13) Let us therefore go forth unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. Another way of seeing this is that spiritually outside of Jerusalem, which Hebrews 12 calls the “church”, is Babylon. Church means “the called out ones” because we are called out of Babylon all around us. The witnesses will be killed in the streets of Babylon by the beast to please the harlot, just as Jesus was. They are going to be killed by the apostate religious people of this world who will still be seeing all this in the letter. They will still be expecting two literal witnesses to come all the time they are killing the true witnesses. All the time they are being ruled by the beast, they are looking for him to come. They haven’t recognized him, because they are not spiritual and only see the letter. They don’t receive “the testimony of Jesus [which] is the spirit of prophecy”. The Jews killed Jesus while they waited for the Messiah! Daniel 9:25 told them to count sixty-nine sevens from the time the command was given to rebuild Jerusalem, until the Messiah. They couldn’t have gotten a clearer revelation than that but they were blind, like the religious leaders of this time. To them the witnesses are Moses and Elijah or Moses and Enoch. They are going to see this right up to the time they are warring with the true witnesses of God, whom they will be calling false prophets, repeating history.

(Rev.11:9) And from among the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations do [men] look upon their dead body three days and a half, and suffer not their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. Notice “from among the peoples” they look upon them. It is clearly in the location of the peoples that they see their dead bodies. Not because they are watching it happen in Jerusalem on their televisions. There is going to be a persecution much like there was in Germany when an anti-Semitic spirit swept over that country and they killed the Jews. They thought it couldn’t happen, as the Christians do today. Big religion will receive authority under big government to make you submit to their false God or else. In Jesus’ day, it was very much that way. The Sanhedrin was the centralized, false prophet authority consisting of the Pharisees, Sadducees, leading elders, and priests. They killed Jesus and His two witnesses and their spiritual offspring will do it today.

In Acts the witnesses were physical Jews so in the last 3-1/2 years of the tribulation the witnesses will be Gentile, spiritual Jews. Jesus said “the first shall be last and the last shall be first”. In the book of Acts the witnesses went first to Jews but as many blasphemed, they turned more and more to Gentile unbelievers. In the last 3-1/2 years of the tribulation, the witnesses will go first to the spiritual Jews, the Church, but as many blaspheme, they will turn more and more to a remnant of natural Jews who are now unbelievers. God is going to take His grace away from the apostate gentiles as they become increasingly more reprobate in their thinking and give it to a remnant of Jews who will find grace to believe. (Rom.11:23) And they also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. … (25) For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. In the end, Christians will be one body of Jews and Gentiles, joined in Christ. “There is neither Jew nor Greek…in Christ Jesus.”

(Rev.11:9) And from among the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations do men look upon their dead body three days and a half, and suffer not their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. Notice that a “dead body” which is made up of “dead bodies” is clearly a corporate body of people. Also “dead bodies” in “a tomb” clearly indicates a corporate body. We see that the peoples of the nations are not going to honor these many dead witnesses, which they hate, with a tomb burial. This will be an attempt to dehumanize them after all the signs and wonders they will do and to allay the fear that the ungodly will have of them. As with Jesus, they probably will not want to take the chance that their disciples will steal their bodies and claim they have been resurrected, so they will let them rot in plain view. However, God thwarted their plan with Jesus and He will with them, too. The “three days and a half” in this text represent the last 3-1/2 years of the tribulation. As we have seen, the seventieth week of the tribulation will be seven days that equal seven years, making “three days and a half” here 3-1/2 years in which witnesses are going to come individually to the end of their witness and be killed. In Revelation 13 the beast kills the saints for the same 3-1/2 years, giving us the clear interpretation.

Then the whole earth will rejoice and celebrate Christmas when they get rid of those they will call false prophets. (Rev.11:10) And they that dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and make merry; and they shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth. Notice the witnesses are tormenting the whole earth with truth and signs and wonders. This is obviously hard for two individuals to do. Also God will spoil their party. (11) And after the three days and a half the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them that beheld them. The whole earth sees these witnesses resurrect and hear God’s voice. (12) And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. Since there is only one more resurrection of the righteous dead they will rise up at the last trump with all the saints. (15) And the seventh angel sounded (last trump); and there followed great voices in heaven. Obviously the leadership will rise up with all the disciples. (1Cor.15:51) Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

 

IN CONCLUSION

Amos Scaggs had a spiritual vision which incorporates many of the principles that we have seen up to this point. I give here the interpretation which the Lord gave me.

I received a vision from the Lord showing two stages of His work in and through His last day disciples. 

In the first stage these modern disciples including myself were being gathered.  Preparations had been made by the Lord well in advance. We were adequately taken care of and our needs met without asking. We gathered together in fields, feasting and listening to Jesus while he taught us His ways.

This is a repetition of history. Jesus, manifested in the first-fruits man-child, will teach and provide for the disciples for the first 3 1/2 years of the tribulation just as it was in the Gospels. They will be trained to be his witnesses and signs and wonders will follow their teaching just as it was with the first disciples.

We were going through different parts of the world but seemed to be in the same field. We were also given protection well in advance. We were being given monetary things from Christians that believed in and were sympathetic to our cause but stayed in their prosperous communities. They were good people and kind to us. When we left this first teaching stage they even came to see us off on our journey.

We see here that the witnesses are separate bodies in "different parts of the world" but are in the "same field". Jesus said, "the field is the world". This means that the two witnesses are many bodies in the flesh but one body of two witnesses in the spirit, which is how Revelation 11 typifies them. Also as we saw in Revelation 11, the witnesses have the "protection" of God until "they shall have finished their testimony". The brethren who are not called to be among the man-child or witnesses, who are God's apostles to raise up the end-time Church, are called to support these ministers. Just as the witnesses were hand picked by Jesus in the Gospels, so it will be this time.

The second stage was that we were gathered into groups of two’s and three’s and being sent out into the world. Some would never return to see their families ever again. We were being sent in different groups and then being dispersed. One had the same spirit and anointing as John  Another had the same spirit and anointing as Peter. Another had the same spirit and anointing as James and so forth.

As we have seen, the two witnesses who have the "spirit and anointing" of Moses and Elijah also have the "spirit and anointing" of the Apostles. As Jesus sent out the apostolic, corporate two witnesses, two by two, in the Gospels and then in the Book of Acts, so in our day will the man-child send out the corporate two witnesses. They will give their life to raise up the Church and the true five-fold ministries according to the type in Acts.

I also saw two rich people that were in government power. These were two older friends that partially raised me when I was younger and have been dead for 30-40 plus years. They were the Lt. Governor of Ohio and his wife. I was finishing up some meaningless work that I was doing for them so I could leave in a rush.  She said, I will have a baby by another means if you won’t help me.  He said, “It will have to be by other means because I can’t help you.  She said, I think I’ll have one by a Cherokee.

The woman here represents a remnant of the apostate Church, which will realize that they could not bring forth the fruit of Christ through their patriotic, allegiance to their husband, the beast government, so it will be done by "other means.” Amos here represents the witnesses who were raised by the beast and harlot when “younger” in the Lord but are quickly "finishing" their "meaningless work" supporting them and will "come out from among them". The “other means”, which will bear fruit, the Cherokee, also represents the witnesses, who like them, will hold tenaciously to the roots of their forefathers, the apostles and Christ himself. The Cherokee are an oppressed minority who live in camps separate from the world representing these coming witnesses of primitive Christianity. These will rise up and sow the seed of their forefathers into a remnant of the apostate Church, which will bring forth the baby, the fruit of Jesus in them. These are a weak people in themselves who lost their land to the American beast but are devoted to the "Great Spirit" whose power will bring the true Church back to her roots.

I thought that the Cherokee child would be born mature as Adam was. 

This saying,"mature as Adam" is a natural parable showing a spiritual truth that the spiritual "last Adam" is Jesus Christ. The fruit of Jesus that the witnesses will sow in God's people through the Word and anointing will mature very quickly even as in Curt's dream which showed that the baby will begin to speak and walk perfectly within moments after birth. (Rom.9:28) for the Lord will execute [his] word upon the earth, finishing it and cutting it short.


Your servant, David Eells    http://www.unleavenedbreadministries.org/