Today, Saturday May 14
The Two Witnesses Resurrected
Revelation 11:7-12
“When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.”
Today, we are repeating ourselves once again, but I believe it is important to get the events of Revelation 10-14 in order, to help us understand the timetable of the Tribulation. The scene here is the “great” city of Jerusalem in the middle of the Tribulation. The time clock for the Seven-year Tribulation begins to tick when Antichrist makes a peace treaty with Israel (Daniel 9:27). I’m pretty convinced that on the very day he signs this treaty, at the same hour, these two unnamed witnesses miraculously appear and begin to prophesy their message warning of the judgments that are about to come.
Israel is deceived and accepts Antichrist as their Messiah, who allows them to rebuild the temple at this time. It is in these three and half years that the 144,000 Jews are saved and sealed and then sent to the nations preaching the Gospel, so that millions more repent and trust Christ from every nation, every tribe, every kindred and every tongue. At this same time the seven seals are opened and the first six trumpets sound and all the terrible judgments we read about in Revelation 8-9 take place. In these first three and half years, millions of earth dwellers are killed in these judgments, and yet the worst is yet to come when the seventh angel sounds the seventh trumpet and the seven bowls of God’s wrath are poured out on the earth during the last three and a half years of the Tribulation.
Of course, the Antichrist and his followers hate these two witnesses who are exposing their satanic agenda. No doubt the Antichrist sends numerous assassins to murder the two witnesses, but fire comes out of their mouths and kill anyone who tries to harm them. Can you imagine watching this on the evening news every day all over the world?
But finally, at exactly the end of one thousand two hundred and sixty days (exactly three and a half years), the Antichrist, or beast as he is called in this chapter, is able to overcome and kill them. To display his victory, he allows their dead bodies to lay in the street, where he killed them for three and half days, so the whole world can celebrate. The world has a “Satanic Christmas”! They dance, make merry and even share gifts with each other. Remember back in Rev. 9:20-21 these followers of Antichrist would not repent despite the warnings and the plagues: “But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.”
But then the unthinkable happens!!!! With the whole world watching on television, the breath of life from God enters these two witnesses and they immediately rise to their feet. The world is struck with great fear and then a voice from heaven called these two to come up to heaven!
It is obvious that the events that we describe above could not have literally happened fifty plus years ago. But now with satellites circling the globe, and internet technology, it is easy to see how this could be fulfilled today! With Israel back in the Promise Land, and the current world situation of unrest, along with the threat of nuclear war upon us, we should heed the words of Jesus: “So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near--at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away…Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24:33-44)
God bless!
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