• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
Who Are The Two Witnesses
By J. Amory ForresterTaken from his book  The Tribulation Saints 
Introduction
Chapter Eleven of the Book of 
 Revelation
speaks almost entirely of the "two witnesses". Atleast beginning in
verse one
and continuing through
verse thirteen.
This eleventh chapter of 
 Revelation
is included in what the angel is showing John the revelator first, before John's prophesying again. However, John is interrupted by the angel after giving part of the revelation of the 6th Trumpet and the angel decides to now describe the "two witnesses". Beginning in
verseone
through
verse six
, we see the description of who they are and how long their ministry is,which is disclosed as three and one-half years. However, it is important to note here that this doesnot mean that the length of the 6th Trumpet is three and one-half years. This truth must berecognized in order not to confuse oneself. Only the length of the two witnesses' ministry is statedas 3 ½ years not the 6th Trumpet as such.
Verse seven
 
of Chapter 10 of Revelation
begins the actual picking up of the timeline of events being discussed before the interruption. In other words, up until
 Revelation 11:1
the angel wasshowing John the events in sequence up to and including the 6th Trumpet until the "seventhunders", which he was told not to write them (
 Revelation 10:4
), are mentioned. Then the angel briefly states a fact contained in the 7th Trumpet (not the beginning of it (
 Revelation 10:7 
), thenmentions again the "little book" (
 Revelation 10:2
), which contains the seven thunders that he wastold not to write. He was told to eat the book. He did. Then the angel declares that
John mustprophesy again
. Which I believe, as you well know, that John would prophesy in his own prophesy all that the angel had showed him before. But the angel wasn't finished. He had onlygotten partially through the 6th Trumpet. Now the angel proceeds to tell John about the two witnesses, beginning in
verse one
of 
 
Chapter Eleven
through
verse six
.
Now
in
verse seven
, the sequence is picked up again from
verse four 
and continues in sequence.
"And when they
(two witnesses
1
 ) have finished their testimony,..." 
We were told four versesearlier that they would continue for 3 ½ years. So
verse seven
begins at the end of their 3 ½ years.
Verse five
and
six
describes their 3 ½ years and explains what they do during it. Now arriving at
verse seven
, we have the end of their 3 ½ years and the beginning of the end of the 6th Trumpetor the rest of the events contained in the 6th Trumpet.
Verse seven
through
 fourteen
describe theseevents.
Verse fifteen
begins the 7th Trumpet that was briefly mentioned in
Chapter 10, verse seven
only.
Bearing all this in mind
, let's continue.The Apostle John tells many things in the Book of 
 Revelation
about the "two witnesses",especially what they do and how long they do it. However, the disputed fact of precisely who theyare remains a mystery to most. However, I don't believe it needs to be, or should be.Many declarations as to who they might be have filled biblical commentaries and many other  books for centuries. Some claim that they are Moses and Elijah. Others claim that they are Elijahand Enoch. A few, not many, claim they are the church, or at least part of the church. Is thenumber "two" symbolic, and not to be taken literally? One thing is for sure. When these "twowitnesses" and whatever number they represent and whomever they represent, begin their ministry they certainly will not go unnoticed! Those that are living upon the earth will knowexactly who they are and will be glad (they think) when they are gone. They will cause havoc anddestruction, not for just merely a couple of days or weeks, but their power will extend for 3 ½years, matching that of the Antichrist’s final reign along with his father Satan till the end whenYahshua returns.(
 Revelation 13:4, 5
).I believe the "two witnesses" represents a portion of the church in the last 3 ½ years beforeArmageddon. I believe this to be the case, and I wish to make it clear, that I am dogmatic on this point and why I am so is discussed at the end of this chapter, in the Summary. This view hastremendous scriptural evidence to support it, and none to contradict it. Others who believe in a"pre-tribulation" rapture, and those of them along with all others that believe there will be ageneration of believers that will not taste of death, but remain
without ever dying
for the Lord toreturn, have no scriptural basis on which to stake that claim. Out of context scripture andsupposition is all that supports their theories. Many God/Yah fearing men believe this, but believeit in error nonetheless.As with the other views to which I express in this manual, and your adhering to them or thisone will not cause anyone to fall from their faith, or have their faith injured in any way. Quite thecontrary. It could, however, hopefully do at least these things listed below:(1) Help in supporting their belief of faith in Yah's ability to perform his will in his saints if they yield to His Spirit,(2) Help them not to fear the evil one nor the evil days ahead,(3) Prepare them for what is inevitable for them, as was for the saints before them -
To Die
,(4) Motivate them to do Yah's will in the last days, which is to preach the gospel fervently, todo the work of an evangelist, to which we are ALL called (
 II Timothy 4:5
), and leave theerroneous notion that they will escape the world, at any time, alive, in a secret rapture,(5) Cling to the one hope (
 Ephesians 4:4
) as one body, that hope being the blessed hope(
Titus 2:13, "Looking for the
blessed hope
1
 , and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ." 
) which is the resurrection of the dead/rapture. This is explained in greatdetail in Volume Two of the series “Preparation For The Tribulation”, Tribulation Truth.
 
So without delay, let's look at every scripture verse in
 Revelation 11:1-12
that pertains tothem.
Measure Them
There are many more similarities between the saints of Yah and the Two Witnesses, and wewill look at them all. In so doing, you be the judge if it is a coincidence or not.So then, let's begin at the beginning of 
Chapter 11
of the
 Book of Revelation
which dealsexclusively with the Two Witnesses in the first twelve verses.
"And there was given unto me a reed like unto a rod; and the angel stood, saying, Rise,and measure the temple of God, and the alter, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given untothe Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." Revelation11:1, 2
Why does this chapter in the first two verses talk about the
temple of God
1
, the alter, and theholy city? And why measure them and them that worship therein?To answer this, I wish to quote Marvin Byers in his book "The Final Victory: The Year 2000"."The Apostle John is commanded,
"Measure the temple of God and the alter, and them that worship therein" (Revelation 11.1)
. If this refers to a physical temple, and physical measurements,we must ask ourselves a question, "Is John going to measure the physical height of thoseworshipers in
 Revelation 11
? Or is he going to measure their width? Many of us certainly hopenot, because in some cases our width is rapidly approaching our height! Obviously there would be no purpose in those measurements. However, our spiritual stature will be measured, to see howwe measure up to
"the stature of Christ" (Ephesians. 4:13)
. Since the measuring and themeasurements are seen to be spiritual matters, we can be certain that the
"temple" 
and
"alter" 
found in
 Revelation 11
are also spiritual. The temple is a spiritual temple, the Church, and thealter is a spiritual, heavenly alter 
(Hebrews. 13:10)
. As living stones, we must be conformed tothe required measurements to be a part of His eternal temple."
2
Mr. Byers makes some astute observations here, and I would tend to agree with all of them.He states our spiritual stature will be measured to see how we measure up to "the stature of Christ".I believe John was counting the "two witnesses". The word "measure" in Greek is "
metreo
" -to measure (i.e.; ascertain in size by a fixed standard
 
); by implication to add measure (i.e.; allot by rule); figuratively to estimate.
3
Yes, indeed! John is figuratively, estimating the part of the church who are the "twowitnesses". The fixed standard is the "stature of the fullness of Christ", and Yah already knowsthat number and He who rules all heaven and earth has allotted it.Remember we discussed the man-child in Chapter Two, and
 Ephesians. 4:13, "...until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature
4
man, to themeasure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." 
Those in the church who have reached maturity, the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, a man-child, the mature saints, the manifest sons of Yah, have been counted and numberedfrom the rest of the holy city (the remnant of the church). Do not
number them
is the (AmplifiedVersion) of measure; for they shall be tread under foot for 3 ½ years.Remember what Yahshua said about Christians being the salt of the earth?
"Ye
(Christians
 
1
)
are the salt of the earth: but if the salt 
(Christians
2
)
have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...