The Identity of the Two Witnesses

Transcript

GR 1537
07/05/09
The Identity of the Two Witnesses
Revelation 11:3-6
Gil Rugh

We are in Revelation 11 in our study of this crucial book of the Word of God. The focal point of biblical prophecy is ultimately the return of Christ to earth to establish the kingdom over which He will rule and reign for eternity. The first phase of that eternal reign will be 1000 years in duration. We'll talk about the millennium and its purpose within the eternal kingdom as we get to chapter 20.

The framework of God's plan and program for the nation Israel for future events is found in Daniel 9 in the 70 sevens that are determined for the city of Jerusalem and the Jewish people. And those 70 sevens are 70 seven-year periods. And we call them weeks, but they are weeks of years, not seven days but seven years. So 70 x 7 is 490, we're talking about 490 years. Four hundred eighty-three years brought us up until the crucifixion of Christ, shortly after the completion of the 69th week or the 483rd year Christ was crucified. There is a break between the 69th week and the 70th week or the first 483 years which ran consecutively and the last 7 years, or the 70th seven-year period. That will start when the antichrist signs the covenant with Israel. That will be preceded by the Rapture of the church, where the church is removed from the earth and taken into the presence of God. And God will then bring to completion His plan for the nation Israel and establishing their kingdom.

We are in the 70th week of Daniel in Revelation 6-19. We are in the middle of that seven-year period, the events that will break out in the middle and particularly then carry through the last half when we're in chapters 10-14. So we're not moving events along but we've taken a break in the unfolding of the judgments of the tribulation to focus on events that we need to understand that will be important during that last 3½ year period.

Chapter 11 opened up with the measuring of the temple and we noted that would require a rebuilding of the temple. Jerusalem will be trodden underfoot for 42 months, 3½ years. And then verse 3, I will grant authority to my two witnesses, they will prophesy for 1260 days, the lunar year, used as a prophetic year, the same as the 42 months as we noted. And down from verse 3 down through verse 13 we have events related to the ministry of the two witnesses.

We're going to talk about the identity of the two witnesses. There are several connections made within the context here. We've already noted some of these. When you come to verse 4, these are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. So verse 3, I grant authority to my two witnesses, they are clothed in sackcloth as a ministry of judgment. They are the two olive trees and the two lampstands. And we were back in Zechariah and would you go back there quickly and show the identification of this. Zechariah 3 opened up, he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. And verse 8, listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you, indeed they are men who are a symbol. For behold I'm going to bring in my servant the branch, anticipating the Messiah. You have the Holy Spirit represented, seven eyes, these are the eyes of the Lord which range to and fro throughout the earth as chapter 4 verse 10 tells us. Then you have Zerubbabel in chapter 4 verse 6, this is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, not by might nor by power but by my Spirit. Joshua being the high priest, Zerubbabel being the political ruler, the line of David. So here you have the two individuals that will ultimately result in the coming together in Christ of the king and the priestly ministry in one person. Verse 9, the word of the Lord came to me saying, the hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house and so on. Verse 11, then I said to him, Zechariah asks a question. What are these two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left? I answered a second time and said to him, what are the two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes which empty the golden oil from themselves. He answered, do you not know? I said, no my lord. He said, these are the two anointed ones who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth. Joshua and Zerubbabel representing the Lord of the earth in those days.

Now back in Revelation 11 these two witnesses are connecting to the ministry of Joshua and Zerubbabel. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. In the same way that Joshua and Zerubbabel represented Me in those days, now these two men are raised up to represent Me.

They are also identified with the ministry of Elijah and Moses in Revelation 11:5-6. These are things we've already looked at but just to refresh your mind. In the ministry of Elijah fire was called down from heaven to consume the enemies in verse 5, shutting up the heaven with no rain, verse 6. Then the ministry of Moses with turning the water to blood and the plagues of Egypt, verse 6.

Now who are these men? How are they to be identified? A little earlier this evening I gave you an example of those who don't take the interpretation of chapter 11 literally so there are some commentators who see these two men as representative of the church for prophetic type ministry of the church down through history. And various people not taking it as two literal individuals in the last part of the earth. I don't see anything of value in that interpretation, I don't think there is anything to really commend it. It fails to interpret the text of scripture in a normal, literal way. Now they say, we're taking it the way it is intended because apocalyptic literature was never intended to be taken literally. But I disagree with that, it seems like the book of Revelation is prophecy and the example of prophecy in the Old Testament, it is to be taken literally like everything else. There may be symbols, there may be things representing something, but it is clearly taken in a literal way. And that's what we've been doing to Revelation up to this point.

I don't see the church in view here as we've talked about previously, I see the church as having been removed from the earth before the 70th week of Daniel begins. So we're talking about Israel in this context and that's why the chapter talks about the temple, talks about Jerusalem and talks about two men raised up in Jerusalem who will have a prophetic ministry to the nation, which is prophesied in the Old Testament prophets and is brought to fruition.

So when you interpret this passage literally, I mean literally, historically, grammatically in its historical context according to the rules of grammar. There are two basic views regarding the identity of these two witnesses. Some would say they are resurrected Old Testament saints. One of them will be Elijah in this view, the other is either Moses or Enoch. So there are three possible individuals, one of them is Elijah and the other one will either be Moses or Enoch. And we'll talk about the possibilities and the pros and cons in a moment. The other major view is that they are not resurrected Old Testament saints like Moses, Elijah or Enoch, but rather they are two individuals that God raises up during this particular time that carry on ministries like those Old Testament individuals did.

So we just want, in our time together, to sort through what the scripture says about the possible identity of these two men and see what conclusions we might come to. Now whichever view within these two, whether they are resurrected Old Testament saints, or two individuals raised up at that time, the actual fact that these are literal individuals, two specific men carrying on a prophetic ministry during this 3½ -year period is clearly established here. So that won't change as we study here. We're just looking to see, does scripture give us some indication of who these men might be.

First we're going to look at the evidences that would indicate these are resurrected Old Testament saints. What I want to do is walk through why would people believe these might be resurrected Old Testament saints. Then we'll walk through the reasons why they might not be and come to a possible conclusion.

First person and the most popular is Elijah. Many believe that Elijah will be brought back to earth. And I said resurrected Old Testament saints, two of those men wouldn't have to be resurrected because they didn't die—that would be Elijah and Enoch. But they have to come back from heaven to earth and Moses, if he is one of them, would have to be resurrected. Let's look at Elijah. One of the strongest evidences that this would be Elijah brought back to earth is that Malachi prophesies the coming of Elijah. Come back to Malachi 3:1, behold I'm going to send my messenger and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. And who can endure the day of His coming? Who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fuller's soap. He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver. He will purify the sons of Levi, refine them like gold and silver so that they present to the Lord offerings in righteousness. So the one coming before the Lord to prepare the way, and when the Messiah comes there will be first before the establishment of the kingdom a refining judgment. Remember that's why John the Baptist came—repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. When the Messiah comes He will have His winnowing fork in His hand to separate the chaff from the grain, and the chaff will be burned up.

Come over to Malachi 4:5, behold I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse. There will be a national conversion as a result of Elijah's ministry when he comes, which will result in all Israel being saved and the Messiah returning to deliver the Jews from their enemies.

So here one reason we believe this is Elijah as one of the two witnesses, is the prophecy of Malachi. A second reason, back in II Kings 2. Elijah did not die, he was transported directly to heaven. In II Kings 2:9, Elijah and Elisha are traveling together. They cross the Jordan, verse 9, when they had crossed over Elijah said to Elisha, what shall I do for you before I am taken from you? Elijah knew he was on the verge of being taken from the earth. Elisha says, please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me. It doesn't mean let me be twice as powerful as you have been, but remember the double portion indicated you were the successor, you were the heir, if you will. So Elisha would take on the responsibility that had been Elijah's. Verse 11, as they were going along and talking behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them and Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven. We sometimes talk about Elijah going to heaven in a chariot of fire. He didn't, the chariot of fire and the horses separated between these two men and a whirlwind transported Elijah directly to heaven. He did not experience physical death. So that would be a reason why he did not experience physical death. The possibility is that God was transporting him to heaven because his death would come at a much later time in Israel's history, Revelation 11.

A third reason, Elijah performed the same miracles these men are called to do. And you can come back to Revelation 11 because we looked at these miracles in I Kings in our previous study, we're not going to take the time to look at them again. But in Revelation 11:5, if anyone wants to harm them fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies. And we looked in II Kings 1, and remember when the king's soldiers came Elijah said, if I be a man of God let fire come down from heaven and consume you. So the fire came out of his mouth in the sense it was his word to call down fire from heaven that consumed them. And these men with prophetic ministry in the tribulation will have the same power. That would seem to connect them to Elijah. Also we are told in verse 6, they have the power to shut up the sky so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying. And that's what Elijah did as well in I Kings 17, we noted that. And Luke 4:25 and James 5:17 says it didn't rain for 3½ years as a result of Elijah's prayer, that God stopped the rain in Israel. And that's the same thing that will happen here, rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying, verse 6, and we're told that will be 1260 days, the 3½ years—same period as Elijah stopped the rain from falling. So that would connect it to Elijah's ministry.

Then come back to Matthew 16 for a final reason. Look at verse 28, Jesus speaking to His disciples, truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. Some people read that verse and say, see the kingdom started while He was on earth because some there wouldn't die until they saw Him coming in His kingdom. But read the next verse, you have a chapter division but when it was written by Matthew it didn't have a chapter division. Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them, His face shone like the sun, His garments became as white as light. And here you see what Christ will be like in His glory when He returns to establish His kingdom. And behold Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. So here as Christ talked about His coming kingdom and the glory that would be His, and Peter, James and John are privileged to get a preview of the glory that will be Christ's, that was veiled during His earthly ministry, what it will be like when He returns to establish His kingdom. Who is here on that mountain talking with Him but Moses and Elijah. That would seem perhaps to indicate that Elijah is here because he is associated with the setting up of the kingdom, the part of his prophetic responsibility when he returns to earth as one of the two witnesses to prepare the way for the coming of Christ in glory.

So these are some of the reasons why people say that Elijah may be one of the two witnesses. The second person mentioned, probably second in most popularity after Elijah, almost all interpreters who believe that the two witnesses are Old Testament saints who have returned to earth believe that one of them will be Elijah. There is discussion on who the second one will be. Probably the second most popular view then for who will be the second one is Moses, he is usually identified with Elijah because we just read on the mount of transfiguration in anticipation of Christ's coming in glory to establish His kingdom. Who is there with Elijah? Moses. Why would these two Old Testament saints be there together? Well perhaps it will be their responsibility to prepare the way for the coming of Christ in glory to set up His kingdom. That will be the role of the two witnesses in Revelation 11. And so they are here talking about the kingdom and Christ coming in His glory. And they are the two that will prepare the way. So that would be a possibility. He is on the mount of transfiguration with Elijah.

Secondly, as you come back to Revelation 11, Moses did the same miracles that these two men do during their 3½ -year ministry. In verse 6, they have power to turn the waters into blood. And we looked at this back in Exodus 7:17-19 in a previous study. Remember one of the plagues that Moses brought on Egypt, he turned the waters to blood. And then he smote Egypt with a variety of plagues. And we're told at the end of verse 6, they have the power to strike the earth with every plague as often as they desire. So that connects them with Moses' ministry.

And then very interestingly, turn back to Deuteronomy 34. Moses died but his death is unique. He is called to come up on the mountain, verse 1, now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mt. Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan. Remember Moses wasn't allowed to go into the land with Israel, but God allowed him to look across the Jordan into the land from the mountaintop and see all that He had promised. Now what happens while he was there, the Lord takes him. He dies so his body is here, but God just takes his spirit and his body is left there. So you read in verse 5, so Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab according to the word of the Lord, and He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab. God had him buried there, God buried him. The children of Israel didn't bury him, God buried him on the mountain. No man knows his burial place to this day. And you understand Moses didn't die of old age even though he was 120 and he didn't wear glasses because we are told, his eye was not dim nor his vigor abated. I don't qualify for the last part of that either. In other words, Moses was healthy. God simply said, Moses, it is time and Moses' spirit left his body. Now his body lay there.

Come over to Jude. What about the body of Moses? Well, God buried it. It's not that simple. Look at verse 9, but Michael the archangel, and he is the chief angel of Israel. Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not pronounce against him a railing judgment but said, the Lord rebuke you. When it came to bury the body of Moses, Michael the archangel sent to bury the body of Moses and the devil is there to battle Michael for Moses' body. Why? Well perhaps it was because God's intention was to resurrect Moses and have him come back, and the devil's intention was to frustrate the plan of God so that Moses wouldn't have the body to come back with. But Michael is there because he's the chief angel of Israel on behalf of the nation and the guardian of the nation Israel, and he was entrusted with the responsibility to bury the body. We're not told, but here we get an interesting glimpse that Michael the chief angel of Israel is debating with the devil about the body of Moses. What's the difference? Well possibly it's because Moses in the plan of God, and we get an idea. The devil knows much about the future. Remember the demons asked Christ during His earthly ministry, have you come to torment us before the time? We know who you are. They understand a time will come when the Son of God will place them under judgment and commit them to torment. But they didn't think it was the time, so they ask, have you come to torment us before the time? They know something about God's prophetic plan. We think, why don't they give in? Well, sin never gives in unless the grace of God intervenes. And there is no grace to intervene for angels.

At any rate, that's another reason why Moses could be a possible witness in Revelation 11 and that would explain why there was debate over the body of Moses, because that body had to be preserved by God so Moses could move back in and join with Elijah to be the two witnesses.

Another possibility for the second witness in addition to Elijah is Enoch. And some would rather take Enoch, come back to Genesis 5:24. Enoch had a short life, relatively speaking, for the life of the descendants of Adam as you can read in chapter 5 how long they are living. And you come to Enoch, verse 22, Enoch walked with God. And all the days of Enoch were 365 years, rather young fella'. And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him. You know in all the rest of these, and we don't have time to read through the whole list, but the end of verse 5, and he died; the end of verse 8, and he died; the end of verse 11, and he died; the end of verse 14, and he died; the end of verse 17, and he died; verse 19, and he died. But not Enoch. Enoch was not for God took him. Then you pick up again with Methuselah, verse 27, he died. Enoch did not die. So the only two men in the history of the Old Testament who did not experience physical death were Enoch and Elijah. Why wouldn't Enoch die?

Now come over to Jude again. Look at verse 14, it was about these, these false teachers, that Enoch the seventh from Adam. So as you move through that genealogical development in Genesis 5 he is the seventh generation. Enoch prophesied saying, behold the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones. And he's giving a prophecy of the future even though it is in the past tense, the prophetic past we call it. They come and say it as history because it is as good as done when God says it. He prophesied saying, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones to execute judgment upon all, to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way. And all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. See the ministry that Enoch had? He was a prophet, he prophesied of the coming of the Lord with tens of thousands of His holy ones, the return of the Christ to establish His kingdom and to bring judgment upon the unregenerate. And God took him to heaven without dying. Now this is not new material. All the way back in Genesis 5 there was prophetic ministry going on about the coming of the Savior and the coming of the Messiah in glory that would bring judgment on an unbelieving world. Enoch preached that, he was a prophet. How fitting that would be that he would be one of the two witnesses, because that will be a main part of his ministry—clothed in sackcloth, a ministry of judgment and warning.

Okay, so those are the reasons. Maybe we ought to have three witnesses and we could fit Elijah, Moses and Enoch in, but for some reason there are only two so we have to make a choice. The connection of Moses or Enoch as one of the two witnesses, I think, is tenuous at best. We'll talk about Elijah as a separate case. The reasons why I have questions and doubts about Moses and Enoch, either one of them being one of the two witnesses. First of all the transfiguration in Matthew 16 & 17 are associated with Christ's glorious reign, not with the tribulation period. Turn back to Mark 9, just a little additional information there. This also records the same event that we saw in Matthew 17 where Christ told them, verse 1, some are standing here and won't taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power. They see what Christ will be like. Six days later He took with Him Peter, James and John, was transfigured before them. His garments became radiant, exceedingly white, no launderer on earth can whiten them. Elijah appeared to them along with Moses and they were talking with Jesus. Again it's in this context of what He will be like in His glory. So they are associated with the glory of His kingdom, not particularly with the time of judgment preceding that. Now that doesn't mean they couldn't be part of that, but you understand on the mount of transfiguration they were associated with Christ and the glory that will be His in His kingdom. That's not particularly focused on prior events of the seven years leading up to that.

A second reason why I would doubt that it would be Enoch—just because they didn't die, that's not a requirement. It is appointed unto men once to die and after this comes the judgment, Hebrews 9 tells us. But a whole host of believers are going to be translated at the rapture and not experience death. But the general principle holds, it is appointed unto men once to die even though believers in the church at the rapture will be an exception to that. I find no problem with Enoch being an exception, or Elijah being an exception as well.

A third reason, and I think this is important, Revelation 11, similarity of ministry does not mean these two are identical. If you're going to make an identification with two Old Testament saints, it ought to probably be Joshua and Zerubbabel because verse 4 says, these are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord. And there is no doubt, I think all are agreed, in Zechariah 4 its Joshua and Zerubbabel who are clearly identified as the two lampstands. Now Revelation 11:4 says, these are the two olive trees and the two lampstands. Well that would make a specific identification of them. Who were the two olive trees and the two lampstands? Joshua and Zerubbabel. So if you're going to say they are Old Testament saints, there would be good reason to say, then, it's Joshua and Zerubbabel. But we were told in Zechariah 3 that they were symbolic. So I think the fact that they are connected with Old Testament ministries, particularly Elijah and Moses, wouldn't necessarily require identification because they are also connected with Joshua and Zerubbabel.

What about Elijah? The greatest question revolves around Elijah and whether he must return because of the prophecies in Malachi 3 & 4, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord. So let's walk through Elijah as a special case.

Come back to Luke 1, the first point we are going to look at. And here you have Zacharias the father of John the Baptist being prepared for the birth of a son. And remember he and his wife, Elizabeth, had no children. So the angel appeared to Zacharias during his priestly ministry there in the temple and tells him his wife is going to give birth to a son. You will name him John, referring to John the Baptist, not John the apostle. And verse 15 we are told, he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will drink no wine or liquor. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb. This man is a unique individual, he is an individual redeemed in the womb, he is filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb. That is a unique case. He'll turn many of the sone of Israel back to the Lord their God. Now note this, it is he who will go as a forerunned before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous so as to make a people prepared for the Lord. It is his responsibility to carry out the ministry, fulfill the prophecy given at the end of Malachi 4. And it is quoted here, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children. And we're told here it will be in the spirit and power of Elijah to carry out what was prophesied of that. So it's an Elijah-type ministry. So we say we take the scripture literally and we want to take the prophecy of Malachi literally, but here we have the scripture interpreting that for us, that that is the role that John the Baptist will fill. It is he who will go as the forerunner before Him. We saw that in the opening verses of Malachi 3 and then the end of Malachi 4 pulled it together with the quote we have here, to turn the hearts. He's going to do this in the spirit and power of Elijah. So he is that forerunner to go and prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah and the setting up of the kingdom.

Turn back to Matthew 11 for a second reason why it would not have to be a literal Elijah return to earth. Jesus is talking about John the Baptist and this is tied to the opening part of the chapter, we won't go into all of this. Verse 2, when John while imprisoned heard of the works of Christ he sent word by his disciples, are you the expected One or shall we look for someone else? John is a little confused at this point because his ministry was to go and prepare the way for the Messiah and that's what he has done. And he has introduced the Messiah to Israel. In fact he declared, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. You understand he didn't have understanding that the Messiah would suffer and die, be raised from the dead and then at a later time return in glory. So he is confused. I'm in prison, the forerunner of the Messiah who is prepare the way for the Messiah to come and set up His kingdom. So he sends a message, I don't understand. Are you the expected One or do we look for someone else. Jesus says, you go tell him what has happened—the blind received sight, the lame walked, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who does not take offense of Me. I am the Messiah, all the evidence is there. John didn't understand that the later revelation that there are going to be comings to earth, the first born at Bethlehem, the Second returning in glory.

Then Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John and his character. Verse 9, what did you go out in the wilderness to see? A prophet. Yes, I tell you one who is more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, behold I send My messenger ahead of you who will prepare your way before you. That's the Malachi 3:1 reference. This is the One. Behold I will send My messenger ahead of you who will prepare the way. I tell you among those born of women there has not arisen any greater than John the Baptist. I mean, all the prophets of the Old Testament, John the Baptist, he's the one who introduced the Messiah. Isaiah, wonderful prophet, but he could only prophesy about the coming of the Messiah. John the Baptist prepared the way directly and then introduced Him to the nation, calling the nation to repentance.

Down to verse 14, and if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come. If you, Israel, will repent and turn to Me we are ready for the kingdom. Well doesn't the Messiah have to die? I listen to different explanations, one person said, well then the Romans would have intervened and crucified Him and so on. There is no alternative to God's plan because God's plan included the sinful rebellion of the nation but here Jesus clearly says, John can fulfill that prophecy. If you're willing to accept it, John is the Elijah who was to come. So you see that. John himself is Elijah who was to come. So again we've been told a couple of times that that prophecy about Elijah to come needs to be understood he'll be coming in the spirit and power of Elijah. And he'll have an Elijah-kind of ministry in calling the nation to salvation and so on.

A third evidence, turn over to Matthew 17. And this is after the transfiguration. Verse 9, as they were coming down from the mountain where Christ had been transfigured before Peter, James and John, Jesus commanded them saying, tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has been risen from the dead. So this will be revelation intended for a broader audience, but not now. So Matthew records it here, Mark records it. But it wasn't to be recorded until later. So Peter, James and John then would have related it and so on. His disciples asked Him, why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? He answered and said, Elijah is coming and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah already came. Now we get a glimpse into things. Yes, Elijah is coming, but Elijah has come. Elijah already came and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. Verse 13, then the disciples understood he had spoken to them about John the Baptist. So you see again Jesus identifies John as the fulfillment of the Elijah prophecy of Malachi. Now he says Elijah will come so I take it then that the future fulfillment of the Elijah can be the same as the past fulfillment. John the Baptist can fulfill the prophecy of Elijah. Elijah has come. So that's not the hindrance here. And so Elijah will come. He says in verse 11, I take it that it couldn't be the same as John the Baptist, he came in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah.

One reference we ought to look at is John 1. And in this context here, a verse I just referred to, John is baptizing at the Jordan and in verse 29, the next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Amazing, here he is a prophet, the greatest of the Old Testament prophets and here he speaks prophetically as well, who Christ is and what He will do. But he did not understand. However the Old Testament prophets, Peter said they prophesied the suffering death of the Messiah, the ruling and reigning in glory of the Messiah, and they never did understand how that fit together, how He could suffer and die and rule and reign. And until God unfolded His completed revelation, it didn't fit together. So John says, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. But when John is in prison he will send messengers to Christ and say, are you really the Messiah? Because if you are the Messiah, what am I doing in prison? Where is the kingdom? And Jesus gives him the evidence, reminds him of all He has done in miracles, I'm the Messiah. But He doesn't tell John the resolution to his confusion. John just has to take it by faith. That will be for revelation after John the Baptist has been beheaded. So you and I are blessed with a completed view of things.

But we're here to look down at verse 19. This is the testimony of John when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who are you? He confessed and did not deny, I am not the Christ. They asked Him, are you Elijah? He said, I am not. Are you the prophet? He said, I am not. Then they said to him, who are you so that we may give answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord as Isaiah the prophet said. That's from Isaiah 40, the same reference as we had in Malachi 3. Isaiah gave the same basic information, the one who would prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. And then John leads up to that statement that we just read.

You'll note the questions. Are you Elijah? I am not. Are you the prophet? Some of the Jews understood that there would be a prophet come in addition to the Messiah. When Moses said back in Deuteronomy that God would raise up a prophet like me, some of them didn't take that to be the Messiah, but they understood it would be another person. So John here declared, I am not the Christ, I am not Elijah, I'm not the prophet that some of the Jews are looking for. I'm just the one preparing the way. So I take it what John is saying here, he wasn't the literal Elijah, I'm not Elijah returned to earth. But he is the one doing the ministry prophesied of the Elijah who would come. And he makes that clear in verse 23, that he can fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 40:3, which is the same as Malachi 3:1. He's doing it as one who comes in the spirit and power of Elijah, but don't misunderstand, I'm not the Elijah of the Old Testament back on earth. But I am doing what the prophecy is concerning Elijah in future ministry. It's one who would come in the spirit and power of Elijah.

So I don't think that Elijah has to return to earth either. I think John the Baptist could fulfill it in different ways. So my preference here and I think the simplest understanding of Revelation 11 is that the two witnesses are two men raised up. They carry on a ministry that was prefigured in many ways by great Old Testament individuals—Enoch, Moses, Elijah, Joshua, Zerubbabel. They could be like their ministry but they are not the same people. These are two individuals that he raised up, empowered by God to carry on a ministry for 3½ years, the last 3½ years of the tribulation. They will be calling the nation to repentance and ultimately that will come about. Their ministry will end with their death. Verse 7, when they have finished their testimony, and we'll be picking up here in our next study, the beast that comes out of the abyss will make war with them, overcome them, and kill them. Verse 10, those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate. They will send gifts to one another because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. They just hated it. Here are two men giving forth the word of God, pronouncing impending doom. I take it in the context, calling men and women to salvation by faith in the Messiah of Israel, particularly calling the nation Israel to repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, demonstrating the validity of their ministry and their message by mighty miracles. And when finally the protection of God is removed from them, they are killed and the world is celebrating. I mean, you talk about the perversity of sin. After 3½ years of prophetic ministry on a level and a clarity that the world has not seen since Christ was on the earth, and when they are murdered the world is in celebration, giving gifts to one another. It is a relief to be out from under the ministry of the word of God.

We see the perversity of the sinful human heart, we see something of the condition of the human heart. Because what has the world been going through? The judgments of God. You'd think that the word of God would come as a refreshing to them, that there is salvation. The unregenerate heart is harder than you and I can imagine. We don't appreciate as fully as we should the greatness of God's grace because we tend to minimize the awfulness of sin.

During this seven-year period the world has been living under the judgment of God to an extent that it never experienced before. In that context there are two men declaring the word of God in power and demonstrating the validity of their message with mighty miracles. And when they are murdered in the streets the people are celebrating. They don't even want the bodies to be buried because they just want the satisfaction, they are really dead, they are gone. And they're giving gifts to one another, rejoicing, because they were tormented by them. Understand what the message of the word of God is to an unregenerate heart. It is torment. Any wonder that there is opposition when you present the word, when we represent Jesus Christ? I don't know what happened, why were they so hostile? Do we really believe what the word of God says about the wretched condition of the depraved human heart? Yes, the human heart is sinful, but then we act like we're amazed that people are hostile to the truth. I mean, they not only have the truth, they have miracles; they not only have the miracles, they can look around and see the judgments of God pouring down from the heavens on an unbelieving world. And yet when these two as lights shining so brightly in the darkness are murdered, the world lets out a sigh of relief. All the troubles that are overwhelming them are forgotten because we're not tormented anymore with the truth of God, which is a message of salvation. Tormented by a message of salvation, a message of judgment and impending doom, but in that is the message of God's salvation.

We say, oh to have a prophetic kind of ministry. We are entrusted with the word of God. Remember, we are lights in the midst of darkness, we give off the message of God's salvation. We have to announce impending doom, judgment will come, there is an eternal hell but there is an eternal salvation. There is a Savior, the Son of God came to earth, suffered and died the awful death of crucifixion so He could bear our sins in His body on the tree so that we through believing in Him could die to sin and live to righteousness. Turn from your sin, believe in Him. Why will you die? Why will you go to hell? There is a Savior. We shouldn't be disillusioned that the world doesn't pat us on the back for giving that message. It will take the supernatural grace of God intervening to turn a sinful heart from its sin to faith in Christ. Men and women are responsible for their sin and accountable to God for it. But it's the grace of God that brings about salvation. That's true today and it will be true in the days to come.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for these two men that you will raise up as testimonies for yourself in coming days. And Lord, it's a testimony of your grace. You will be calling the world and particularly your people, the nation Israel, to salvation. And by your grace the nation Israel will respond and when all is said and done, the terrible judgments have been poured out, the nation will be brought to its knees. Lord, it's easy for us to study a portion like this and be in awe and admire these men and fail to appreciate the great privilege given to us to be entrusted with your word, to be entrusted with the privilege of being light in the midst of darkness. Human hearts are hard, they are in rebellion against you, they hate you the living God, they hate the children of God, they hate the word of God. Lord, we are privileged to stand boldly and declare that there is a Savior that can deliver from coming wrath and coming judgment. May we not be intimidated, may we not be embarrassed or ashamed, but may we speak boldly, confidently, not arrogantly, may we speak testifying as the redeemed that there is a Savior. May our message be strong and clear in the days of the week before us. We pray in Christ's name, amen.