Pod Prep: 7-20-18
The Two Witnesses Are Coming Part One
SOME BIG MIRACULOUS EVENTS AND PROPHETS ARE COMING
The Bible predicts that two prophets with awesome power are coming at the end of this age. Probably all this will happen in the very near future. Often people will opine that they wish they had lived in days of Moses or Elijah to witness the powerful miracles. We may very well live to see such miraculous power on display from God.
Re 11:3 "And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. (NKJV)
Two prophets are being prepared by God to come onto the world scene and deliver God's blistering condemnations of evil and his wonderful good news of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. In some ways these men will be even greater and more powerful than Moses and Elijah the two greatest of prophets.
Re 11:6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire. (NKJV)
The two will have unlimited power. They will be unstoppable and very powerful, for instance, they could demand TV time globally and hurt those that would say 'NO' or try to oppose them. They will be able to reward or punish nations that oppose their messages just like Elijah did, and more so.
Jas 5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
Moses broke Egypt with his calling down ten plagues on that evil nation and its king until they freed God's people. Note Exodus chapters 7 and 8. The two witnesses could break any nation, if opposed.
THE TWO WITNESSES WILL BE GOD'S LAMPSTAND AND LIGHT TO A DARKENED WORLD
The model for the two witnesses are the lampstands in God's Temple at Jerusalem. They will speak from Jerusalem, probably in or near the Temple grounds. Just prior to predicting the appearance of the two witnesses the Third Temple is measured. The Third Temple must be built to fulfill end time prophecies. Possibly America, under the Trump Administration, will approve this building project or the emperor or beast of the Holy Roman Empire will approve it under their protection as well. However the beast will later stab Israel in the back regardless of when third Temple is built.
Re 11:1 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, "Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. 2 "But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. (NKJV)
The two witnesses are described as two olive trees and two lamp stands that burn brightly in the Temple in Jerusalem. The lamps used olive oil for fuel. They will give the light of God's truth to a very ungodly society. These lamps stands and olive trees are the model for the two witnesses.
Zec 4:2 And he said to me, "What do you see?" So I said, "I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. 3 "Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left." 4 So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked 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." 6 So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts.
The two witnesses prediction applied to a current situation and the greater one to come. The prophesy says the power is coming from God, not men or any church, but from God.
Zec 4:14 So he said, "These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth."
Many will be converted by the light that emanates from these two prophets at the end of this age but the vast majority will reject the light. Revelation Chapter Seven, describes 144,000 and others that are converted thru their efforts and possibly the churches as well.
WHY THEY TORMENT THE WORLD
They torment the world to push them toward repentance and as powerful witness against their evil societies. The vast majority do not repent and will not repent. The messages of the witnesses are like torment to these evil sinners as well as the targeted plagues.
Re 9:20 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. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. (NKJV)
The world did not listen to the two witnesses with a open repentant heart. No, they get angry at the message and refuse to acknowledge their evil sinful ways. They will not repent. Those converted during this period including the 144,000 were marked by God spiritually for protection from the plagues but the rest of the world is going to suffer greatly. The end time societies decadence has ruined those in that age.
2Ti 3:1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,
The witnesses as God's prophets, will be more than justified in condemning the end time evil, man worshiping age, in which all the world will be deceived by the false prophet and the evil beast. The evil Holy Roman Empire will make one last appearance before it is smashed by Christ's second coming. They have itching ears that do not want the truth. People like being mesmerized by the false propaganda and cheap miracles of the beast and the false prophet. The motto is tell us only what we want to hear.
Re 11:18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth." 19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail. (NKJV)
The evil world is warned that their punishment is coming, any second upon them, and they are angry,scared and unrepentant.
THE ULTIMATE WAKE UP CALL IS GIVEN TO THE ENTIRE WORLD
God, being merciful, gives mankind a final wake up call warning. Heavenly signs and trumpet warnings prepare the world for the final plagues that will fall upon them.
Re 11:7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8 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. 9 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. 10 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. (NKJV)
After three and half years of a tormenting message the two witnesses are allowed by God to be overcome and probably shot by the beast's secret police. The world will celebrate this victory. Does it mean that the warning message was incorrect? They can ignore it. One would ask themselves, but if they have any level of Bible knowledge they know this is only temporary. But maybe by then few have any knowledge of the Bible. The Bible at this time has been discredited and poorly circulated unlike today.
Re 11:11 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. 12 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. 13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven. (NKJV)
What a final exit. What a final warning to the evil, angry world. All the planet will see them on TV and online, arise alive and ascend to heaven. This will be just as they have warned the planet. All will know they were right and God's wrath is coming very soon. People will fear, but many will be unable to repent at this point.
It appears that they will support armies trying to fight Christ as unbelievable as that sounds. How deceived can this world become? We may find out very soon!
In part two we will add to this discussion by speculating on who might be one of the two and what characteristics might accompany these two future prophets.
