The Two Witnesses of Revelation

8/14/2019 The Two Witnesses of Revelation

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THE TWO WITNESSES OF REVELATIONn the 11th chapter of Revelation, two mysterious entities are introduced into the story of the end of the age:

REVELATION 11:3 "And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy onethousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." 4 These are the two olive treesand the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants toharm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wantsto harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6 These have power to shut heaven, so thatno 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. (NKJV)

Who are these "two witnesses" that God will empower at the end of this age to carry His message to a world ruled by the

Antichrist? Some believe that Elijah and Enoch, who were miraculously "taken away" by God (2 Kings 2:11; Gen. 5:24; Heb.

11:5), will return from heaven to prophesy for 3 1/2 years. Others think that it will be Elijah (who stopped the rain in Israel for

3 1/2 years - I Kings 17:1; Jam. 5:17) and Moses (who turned water to blood and brought plagues on Egypt - Exo. 7-12) who

will antagonize the Beast during the 42 months of his reign. Some religious organizations believe that the two witnesses will

be called from within the ranks of their ministry to perform this task. Another theory is that the Old Testament and the New

Testament symbolically comprise these witnesses. But is there any way to really know who the two witnesses will be?

One vital key to understanding biblical prophecy is letting the Bible interpret itself. There are many clues to the identity of the

two witnesses, but we have to recognize and accept them.

Let's look at one of the first clues we're given about these two, which is their apparel. We are told that they are dressed in

sackcloth. What do the Scriptures tell us about sackcloth?

ISAIAH 22:12 And in that day the Lord GOD of hosts called for weeping and for mourning, forbaldness and for girding with sackcloth. (NKJV)

JEREMIAH 6:26 O daughter of my people, dress in sackcloth and roll about in ashes! Makemourning as for an only son, most bitter lamentation; for the plunderer will suddenly comeupon us. (NKJV)

LAMENTATIONS 2:10 The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground and keep silence;

they throw dust on their heads and gird themselves with sackcloth. The virgins ofJerusalem bow their heads to the ground. (NKJV)

The Scriptures make it clear that the wearing of sackcloth is a sign of mourning. So we know that the fact that these two

witnesses are clothed in sackcloth means that they are officially in mourning. What they are mourning for we will see a little

later.

Now let's look at the specific role these two fulfill as witnesses. A witness is a person who has seen or knows something, and is

therefore capable of giving evidence about it. Let's look at the biblical teaching on the function of witnesses. There are several

scriptural passages that explain the role witnesses fulfill.

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DEUTERONOMY 17:6 "Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony oftwo or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 7The hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterwardthe hands of all the people. So you shall put away the evil from among you." (NKJV)

DEUTERONOMY 19:15 "One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or anysin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall beestablished." (NKJV)

A clear principle found in the Torah is that the testimony of only one witness is not enough to convict a person of a capitalcrime. It takes a minimum oftwo witnesses to convict someone for the death penalty (or any other sin, for that matter). This

same principle is repeated by both Yeshua and Paul in the New Testament:

MATTHEW 18:16 "But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth oftwo or three witnesses every word may be established.' " (NKJV)

II CORINTHIANS 13:1 This will be the third time I am coming to you. "By the mouth of two orthree witnesses every word shall be established." (NKJV)

According to the Scriptures, there must be two witnesses to an act in order for the sentence of the Law to be carried out. Since

those who accept the mark of the beast and worship him will "drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full

strength into the cup of His indignation" (Rev. 14:10), at least two witnesses to their sins are necessary to convict and punish

them.

Who will these two witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11 be? Let's look elsewhere in the Bible to see if God identifies who

His witnesses are and what they testify about.

ISAIAH 43:1 But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you,O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You areMine. . . ." 10 "You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "and My servant whom I havechosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me nogod was formed, nor will there be one after Me. 11 I, even I, am the LORD, and apart fromMe there is no savior. 12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed I, and not some

foreign god among you. You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God."(NIV)

ISAIAH 44:1 But now hear, O Jacob My servant, Israel whom I have chosen! 2 Thus saysthe LORD who made you, who formed you in the womb and will help you: Do not fear, OJacob My servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen. 3 For I will pour water on the thirstyland, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour My spirit upon your descendants, and Myblessing on your offspring. 4 They shall spring up like a green tamarisk, like willows byflowing streams. 5 This one will say, "I am the LORD's," another will be called by the nameof Jacob, yet another will write on the hand, "The LORD's," and adopt the name of Israel. 6Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the firstand I am the last; besides Me there is no god. 7 Who is like Me? Let them proclaim it, letthem declare and set it forth before me. Who has announced from of old the things to

come? Let them tell us what is yet to be. 8 Do not fear, or be afraid; have I not told youfrom of old and declared it? You are my witnesses! Is there any god besides Me? Thereis no other rock; I know not one. (NRSV)

These prophetic passages from Isaiah plainly state that Israel will witness to the fact that there is no other God like the Father.

This testimony will be a necessary confirmation of the identity of the one true God (John 17:3) during the time the Antichrist is

reigning and proclaiming himself to be god (II The. 2:4). But how can Israel, the chosen people of God, be the TWO

witnesses referred to in Revelation?

Many Christians who haven't studied the Tanakh (Old Testament) in depth might be surprised to learn that Israel split into

two parts after the reign of King Solomon. This split is recorded in I Kings 12 and II Chronicles 10. The division resulted in



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the southern kingdom of Judea (the "House of Judah") and the northern kingdom of Samaria (the "House of Israel") in the

Holy Land.

The House of Judah was composed of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (I Kings 12:21; II Chr. 11:12). The tribe of Levi also

eventually sided with the House of Judah, having been rejected as priests by the rulers of the House of Israel (II Chr.

11:13-14).

The ten tribes (I Kings 11:31, 35) which composed the House of Israel were the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, Reuben, Gad,

Asher, Naphtali, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, and Dan. These ten northern tribes were led by the tribe of Ephraim, which was

given the blessing of the firstborn by the patriarch Israel on his deathbed (Gen. 48:14-22).

Therefore, we see from the Scriptures that Israel did indeed become "two," qualifying them to be recognized as two different

entities. But is there any other biblical evidence which connects the two houses of Israel with the two witnesses of Revelation

11?

Indeed there is! Revelation 11:4 gives us the next two vital clues:

REVELATION 11:4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before theGod of the earth. (NKJV)

We see that the two witnesses are symbolically called "two olive trees" and also "two lampstands." We'll examine each of

these symbols in turn and see what the Scriptures have to say about them.

First, let's look at what the Bible says about the "two olive trees." Are these olive trees spoken of anywhere else in the Bible?

Yes, they certainly are!

ZECHARIAH 4:1 Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man whois wakened out of his sleep. 2 And he said to me, "What do you see?" So I said, "I amlooking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the standseven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. 3 Two olive trees are by it, one at theright of the bowl and the other at its left." 4 So I answered and spoke to the angel whotalked with me, saying, "What are these, my lord?" 5 Then the angel who talked with me

answered and said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord." 6So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not bymight nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts. 7 Who are you, O greatmountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth thecapstone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" ' " 8 Moreover the word of the LORD came tome, saying: 9 "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his handsshall also finish it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. 10 Forwho has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see the plumb line inthe hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD, which scan to and fro throughoutthe whole earth." 11 Then I answered and said to him, "What are these two olive trees at the right of the lampstand and at its left?" 12 And I further answered and said to him,"What are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacles of the two gold pipesfrom which the golden oil drains?" 13 Then he answered me and said, "Do you not know

what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord." 14 So he said, "These are the two anointedones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth." (NKJV)

Here in Zechariah 4 we see the same symbols that are used in Revelation 11 olive trees and a lampstand. The two olive

trees are said to be "the anointed ones" (literally "sons of the oil") who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth" (Zec. 4:14).

But maddeningly, the angel doesn't give Zechariah (or us) a direct answer regarding the identity of these two trees. We must

look in the book of Jeremiah to find identification of the olive trees:

JEREMIAH 11:16 The LORD called your name, Green Olive Tree, lovely and of good fruit. Withthe noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, and its branches are broken. 17 For theLORD of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced doom against you for the evil of the House



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of Israel and of the House of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provokeMe to anger in offering incense to Baal." (NKJV)

Here in Jeremiah 11 we see that both houses of Israel are called a "green olive tree." They were planted and named by God the

Father Himself. So we can be certain from Scripture that both the House of Judah and the House of Israel are symbolically

labeled as olive trees. But is there any further evidence? Yes there is!

HOSEA 14:5 I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall grow like the lily, and lengthen his roots

like Lebanon. 6 His branches shall spread; his beauty shall be like an olive tree, and hisfragrance like Lebanon. (NKJV)

The prophet Hosea preached several decades before the fall of the House of Israel to the Assyrians (c. 722 BCE). While he

addresses both the House of Judah and the House of Israel in his prophecies, his primary message is directed at the House of

Israel, also known as Ephraim.

To graphically illustrate the House of Israel's rebellion against Him, YHVHcommanded Hosea to take a harlot for a wife (Hos.

1:2). This harlot bore Hosea three children. God had Hosea name them symbolically to show how He was going to deal with

the House of Israel. The children were namedJezreel(lit. "God sows"),Lo-Ruhamah (lit. "no mercy"), andLo-Ammi(lit.

"no people").

All three of these names described God's punishment on the House of Israel, as He explained to Hosea. Jezreelrepresented

God's sowing of the House of Israel among the Gentile nations of the earth after they were carried away into captivity by the

Assyrians (Hos. 8:8; Zec. 10:7-10). Lo-Ruhamah denoted the fact that the Eternal would no longer have mercy upon the

House of Israel, allowing them to be taken captive because of their sins (Hos. 1:6). Lo-Ammipictured the gradual loss of

national identity by the House of Israel. After they were conquered by Assyria, they lost the knowledge of who they were.

Scattered throughout the Gentile nations of the world, the House of Israel forgot that they were part of the chosen people of

YHVH(Hos. 1:9), and eventually came to view themselves as Gentiles.

With this background, we are now ready to look at the apostle Paul's revelation on Israel the olive tree:

ROMANS 11:16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are

the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olivetree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatnessofthe olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember thatyou do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, "Brancheswere broken off that I might be grafted in." 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they werebroken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not sparethe natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness andseverity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in Hisgoodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue inunbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut outofthe olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into acultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted intotheir own olive tree? 25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of thismystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to

Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, asit is written: "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness fromJacob; (NKJV)

In this passage of Scripture from Paul, we see two olive trees mentioned: one that is cultivated, and one that is wild. Who or

what do these two olive trees represent?

The cultivated olive tree depicts the House of Judah, which provided the foundation for the early church (Acts 2:41; 21:20).

This is the olive tree of salvation, for Yeshua said that "salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22). Paul portrays those Jews who

rejected Yeshua as branches which were broken off from the cultivated olive tree because they did not believe in the Messiah



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that God sent to His people.

God told Hosea that He was going to cast the House of Israel away because of their sins (Hos. 1:6). However, He said that He

would not cast away the House of Judah (Hos. 1:7), although later on their sins were even worse than those of the House of

Israel (Eze. 23:11). YHVHpunished the House of Judah, but He never discarded them completely.

The House of Judah was God's lawgiver (Gen. 49:10; Psa. 60:7; 108:8). They had, and continue to have, a major part in the

plan YHVHis accomplishing. As a whole, only the House of Judah has continued to keep God's Sabbaths, which are the sign

between YHVHand His people (Exo. 31:13-17). Because of this, they alone have been recognized as God's covenant people

down to this day. However, the House of Israel lost their identity. They were absorbed into the nations wherein they were

scattered. But God has never lost track of them (Amos 9:9).

This brings us to the wild olive tree Paul speaks of in this passage of Scripture. Many people equate the wild olive tree with

Gentile believers who accept Yeshua as the Messiah. But is this really who Paul is referring to here? There is a telling phrase

used by Paul in Romans 11:25 that exactly identifies who he is talking about:

ROMANS 11:25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lestyou should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel untilthe fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it iswritten: "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;(NKJV)

Here Paul tells us that ALL of Israel, both the House of Judah and the House of Israel, have been blinded to the truth for a

period of time. However, he says that wild olive branches will continue to be grafted in to the cultivated olive tree to replace

those branches broken off until the fullness of the Gentiles has been added. Does the Bible tell us who this "fullness of the

Gentiles" is? Yes, it most certainly does!

GENESIS 48:17 And Joseph saw that his father was putting his right hand on the head ofEphraim; and it was evil in his eyes. And he took hold of his father's hand to turn it fromEphraim's head to the head of Manasseh. 18 And Joseph said to his father, "Not so, myfather! For this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head." 19 And his fatherrefused, and said, "I know, my son, I know. He also shall be a people, and he shall become

great. But his younger brother shall become greater than he, and his seed shall becomethe fullness of the nations." 20 And he blessed them in that day, saying, "In you shallIsrael bless, saying, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!' " And he put Ephraimbefore Manasseh. (The Interlinear Bible)

Here we see the deathbed blessing of Israel upon Ephraim when he adopted him and his brother Manasseh. Israel said that

Ephraim's offspring would become "the fullness of the nations." In Hebrew, this phrase is melo hagoyim. Interestingly, this

phrase can also be translated "the fullness of the Gentiles." It was Ephraim (representative of the lost ten tribes of the House of

Israel) that Paul had in mind when he spoke of the wild olive tree in Romans 11!

This is verified by Paul's statement about "the Gentiles" in the 9th chapter of Romans:

ROMANS 9:22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, enduredwith much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He mightmake known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had preparedbeforehand for glory, 24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of theGentiles? 25 As He says also in Hosea: "I will call them My people, who were not Mypeople, and her beloved, who was not beloved. 26 And it shall come to pass in the placewhere it was said to them, 'You are not My people,' there they shall be called sons of theliving God." (NKJV)

In this passage, Paul quotes from Hosea's prophecy about the eventual recovery of those Israelites (Ephraim and the tribes

associated with him) who were cast away by God for their sins (Hos. 1:10). Either Paul was using this prophetic Scripture out



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of context, or the Gentiles he was speaking of were actually children of the lost Israelite tribes.

Other Scriptures indicate that Paul understood that most of the Gentiles he was preaching to were in fact descendants of the ten

lost tribes who had been scattered 800 years earlier and had intermingled with all the nations round about Judea. To prove this

assertion, let's first look at a telling statement by Paul found in the 10th chapter of 1st Corinthians:

I CORINTHIANS 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fatherswere under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud

and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. Forthey drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But withmost of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.(NKJV)

Here Paul is writing to a group of former pagan Gentiles (I Cor. 12:2) in Corinth, Greece. Yet in using the example of the

Israelites that had been delivered from Egypt by God during the Exodus, he calls them "all OUR fathers" (I Cor. 10:1). He

certainly wasn't referring to them as "fathers" in a spiritual sense, because these people rebelled against God and died while

wandering in the desert for 40 years. So Paul must be speaking of them as the Corinthians' PHYSICAL fathers!

The ancestry of those "Gentiles" he was called to be the apostle to was known to Paul, as this statement to King Agrippa

implies:

ACTS 26:6 "And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to ourfathers. 7 To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hopeto attain. For this hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews." (NKJV)

The final reunification of the two houses of Israel described in the Tanakh (Eze. 37:15-28; Isa. 11:12-13; etc.) had not been

accomplished at the time Paul spoke. In fact, it still has not been accomplished. Therefore, the twelve tribes he referenced

here, who were "earnestly serving God night and day," must have included so-called "Gentile" believers who were, in fact,

offspring of the lost tribes of the House of Israel!

Paul wasn't the only one who understood this truth. In the salutation of his epistle, James also reveals that he knew to whom

he was writing when he addressed the body of believers, both Jews and "Gentiles."

JAMES 1:1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribeswhich are scattered abroad: Greetings. (NKJV)

What Paul revealed in his epistle to the Roman assembly was the same thing Yeshua spoke of in the 10th chapter of John's

Gospel:

JOHN 10:16 "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, andthey will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd." (NKJV)

Here Yeshua tells his disciples that he had sheep that belonged to another flock. He was speaking of the ones to whom he wassent, the lost sheep of the House of Israel (Matt. 15:24). These sheep had lost their identity and thought that they were

Gentiles. But Yeshua knew who (and where) they were, and it was his divinely sanctioned job to retrieve them for the Father.

It is certainly true that Gentiles not of Israelite descent have been included in God's congregation (Exo. 12:38; Isa. 56:3-8).

The Eternal has always made a way for godly foreigners to become part of His chosen people. But Scripture indicates that, for

the most part, those who have been called by God to His Son, Yeshua (John 6:44, 65), are physical Israelites, both from the

House of Judah (the cultivated olive tree) and the House of Israel (the wild olive tree). These two olive trees are the two

witnesses of Revelation 11.

Further confirmation of this identity can be found by ascertaining the meaning of the "lampstand" symbolism used in



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Revelations 11:4. We only have to go back to the 1st chapter of Revelation to see what the "lampstands" represent:

REVELATION 1:12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I sawseven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Sonof Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a goldenband. . . . 20 "The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and theseven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and theseven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches." (NKJV)

In this passage, the lampstands depict seven ekklesiai, the seven Asian churches listed in Revelation 1:11. The Greek noun

ekklesia literally means "an assembly of called out ones." We can see that in the book of Revelation, a lampstand represents a

called out group of people. The symbolism fits perfectly with the House of Judah and the House of Israel, who were at first

called out of Egypt together to be God's people. At the end of this age, they will be called out once more to witness against the

people of this earth when they forsake YHVHand worship the Antichrist.

The scriptural evidence is overwhelming that the two witnesses, who are symbolically called two olive trees and two

lampstands, are in fact the House of Judah and the House of Israel. With this understanding, we can now clearly see the calling

and sealing of these servants of God as it is described in the 7th chapter of Revelation:

REVELATION 7:1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding

back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against anytree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of theliving God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power toharm earth and sea, 3 saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we havesealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." 4 And I heard the number of the sealed,144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: 5 12,000 from the tribe of Judahwere sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, 6 12,000 fromthe tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, 712,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe ofIssachar, 8 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 fromthe tribe of Benjamin were sealed. (ESV)

What has been a mystery, the 144,000 sealed from the tribes of Israel, can now be understood. These 144,000 servants

constitute the two witnesses YHVHuses in the end-time to show the world that He is the one true God. They can be grouped

as follows:

The House of Judah, composed of:

the tribe of Judah,

the tribe of Benjamin,

and the tribe of Levi;

The House of Israel, composed of:

the tribe of Joseph (represented by Ephraim),

the tribe of Manasseh,

the tribe of Reuben,

the tribe of Gad,the tribe of Asher,

the tribe of Naphtali,

the tribe of Simeon,

the tribe of Issachar,

and the tribe of Zebulun.

If you will notice from the list above, the tribe of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) has a double portion among the tribes, as his

father Israel (Jacob) promised (Gen. 48:22). However, the tribe of Dan is omitted from the twelve tribes sealed in Revelation

7. In Genesis 49, Israel gives deathbed prophecies to all his sons regarding their fate in the "last days" (Gen. 49:1). Part of the

prophecy for the tribe of Dan explains the reason why he is not included as part of the two witnesses:



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GENESIS 49:16 "Dan shalljudge his people as one of the tribes of Israel." (NKJV)

Since one cannot be both a witness and a judge in a matter, the tribe of Dan was chosen by God to be the judge in this

end-time situation. He is prophesied to be the judge of those among the offspring of Israel that forsake the true God and follow

the beast (Antichrist).

The prophet Joel speaks of the sanctifying of the servants of God in the end times:

JOEL 2:28 "And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; yoursons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young menshall see visions. 29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out MySpirit in those days. 30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood andfire and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood,before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. 32 And it shall come topass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and inJerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the remnant whom theLORD calls." (NKJV)

Peter used this very passage of Scripture to explain the miracle which occurred on Pentecost in Acts 2. But there remains an

ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy which will occur during the unfolding of the events recorded in Revelation (compare Joel

2:30-31 with Rev. 6:12, 8:12).

The future sealing of the 144,000 will most likely occur on an upcomingShavu'ot(also known as "Pentecost"). The Jews

associate trumpets with three of God's commanded Feast Days: the "first trumpet," sounded onShavu'ot; the "last trumpet,"

sounded on Yom Teruah (also calledRosh Hashanah or the "Feast of Trumpets"); and the "great trumpet," sounded on Yom

Kippur(also known as the "Day of Atonement").

When will the "first trumpet" of Revelation be sounded? At the time reflected in Revelation 8:7, which chronologically

follows immediately after the 144,000 are sealed in Revelation 7:4-8. Just as the Spirit of God fell upon the 120 (Acts 1:15)

after "the day of Pentecost had fully come" (Acts 2:1), so will the first trumpet of Revelation be blown after the 144,000 (120 x

12 x 100) have been sealed, when this future Pentecost has "fully come."

Now let's examine the fate of these two (144,000) witnesses, as revealed by John's vision:

REVELATION 11:7 When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of theAbyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. 8 And their deadbodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt,where also their Lord was crucified. (NASU)

After these witnesses have finished their testimony before the nations, God will allow the Antichrist who had previously come

up out of the Abyss (Rev. 9:11) to make war against them and kill them. For additional information on this Beast and his

activities in the end-time, see my article "Who Is The 'Destroyer'?"

The phrase "make war against them" implies that action against the two witnesses is much more involved than just having twomen killed. The Greek word used for "witnesses" in this passage is martusin; the English word "martyr" is derived from the

singular form of this Greek word. At the end of their testimony, all 144,000 witnesses will be martyred for God:

REVELATION 11:9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their deadbodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 Andthose who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to oneanother, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. (NKJV)

Such will be the hatred of the Antichrist-worshiping masses for these 144,000 witnesses that their bodies will be left to rot in

the streets of Jerusalem after they are executed by the Beast. The world will be so glad to see these two groups of witnesses



9/9

slain that they will declare a global holiday and rejoice over their deaths. But their defeat is not the end of the story:

REVELATION 11:11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God enteredthem, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And theyheard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they ascended toheaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. (NKJV)

Three-and-a-half days (a day for every year they prophesied) after the Beast conquers the witnesses of the House of Judah and

the House of Israel, Yeshua the Messiah is going to return at the 7th trumpet to resurrect them and all the righteous dead, asnumerous Scriptures show (I Cor. 15:51-53; I The. 4:13-17; Matt. 24:31; Rev. 11:15-18). They will be taken to heaven to sing

before the throne of God the Father (Rev. 14:1-5) and to await the marriage ceremony of the Lamb (Rev. 19:6-9).

After the Messiah establishes his kingdom and begins to rule from Jerusalem, these witnesses shall be priests of God and of

Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years (Rev. 20:4-6). So is the reward of those from the House of Judah and the

House of Israel who are called to be witnesses forYHVHat the end of the age. Amen!

Bryan T. Huie

July 22, 2000

Revised: June 5, 2009

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The Two Witnesses of Revelation

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