Our Present Age

and how it will end

 

Chapter 18 – The Two Witnesses 

and the Time of Jacob's Trouble

Most Christians have no problem understanding that the ten virgins in the parable of the 10 virgins do not literally represent 10 women, but for some reason, most people want to believe that the 2 witnesses of Revelation literally represent 2 people (as in Moses and Elijah), which is really absurd. Why would God bring back people from their rest in heaven into physical bodies on Earth? Nowhere in the Bible does it show that God ever does this. Rev 11 states that the 2 witnesses are killed when they finish their testimony, therefore if the witnesses are going to literally be only 2 people standing on a street corner preaching for 3.5 years, how easy would it be for them to be gunned down and killed? In this Chapter I will present the case that the 2 witnesses represent all the tribulation saints who are left behind after the Rapture; the olive trees representing spiritual Israel, and the lampstands representing the New Testament Church. 

Rev 11:4 These [witnesses] are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the Lord of the earth.

The Bible clearly tells us what the olive trees and the lampstands represent. In Rev 1 we see that the seven churches represent the New Testament churches.

Rev 1:20 The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.

In Zechariah 4, we read about 2 olive trees and seven lamps.

Zechariah 4:1-2 Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. 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.

In verses 11-14 we read about two olive trees.

Zechariah 4:11-14 Then I answered and asked him, "What are these two olive trees--at the right of the lampstand and at its left?" And I further answered and asked him, "What are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?" Then he answered me and said, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord." So he said, "These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth."

In Jeremiah 11, God declares that Israel's name is to be called, "Green Olive Tree"; (green signifying that it is alive).

Jeremiah 11:16 The Lord called your name, "Green Olive Tree; lovely and of goodly fruit". 

In Romans 11 we see that the Gentiles were grafted into the olive tree through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, therefore the olive tree that exists today is now referred to as "Spiritual Israel".

Romans 11:24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

The passage below further supports that when the fullness of the Gentiles have come in to the kingdom of God through the Gospel of Jesus, then salvation will come to “all Israel”.

Romans 11:25-26 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, 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; and so all Israel will be saved.

Thus the TWO, both Jew and Gentile, will have become ONE olive tree through Jesus, which is "Spiritual Israel". (see Romans Chapter 9 and also Acts 10:36-39).  Another purpose for the 2 witnesses is that they will be "testifying for the prosecution of the world in a court of law" to indict the world of its sins against God. Just as Israel was God's witness to the world in the Old Testament days, the NT Church is God's witness to the world in the New Testament days. Deuteronomy 19 explains how disputed matters were to be "legally" established “by the mouth of two or three witnesses”.

Deut 19:15 "By the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established."

A lampstand provides light and hope to the world, thus another purpose of the witnesses is to preach the Gospel of Christ. Some translations identify the witnesses as being "men who have the power to shut up the sky..." the fact is that the original Greek does not include the word "men", therefore it could be more accurately read as: “These witnesses have the power to shut up the sky.” Because they will be condemning the unsaved of their sins, when God's witnesses are killed, the world will greatly rejoice believing that they have been successful in eradicating Christianity from off the face of the world.

Rev 11:7-10 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.

The tribulations saints are going to be God’s witnesses after the Rapture, and will have the very important task of preaching the Gospel of Christ. Because the bridge between the natural and the supernatural is going to be crossed on the Day of the Lord, to see and perform miracles is going to become a normal part of everyday life. This period of time is called the Great Tribulation, and also the time of Jacob’s trouble.

Jeremiah 30:7-11 Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. For it shall come to pass in that day, says the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from your neck, and will burst your bonds; foreigners shall no more enslave them. But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up for them. Therefore do not fear, O My servant Jacob, says the Lord, nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet, and no one shall make him afraid. For I am with you, says the Lord, to save you. Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, yet I will not make a complete end of you, but I will correct you in justice, and will not let you go altogether unpunished.

The punishment Israel’s tribulation saints must be dealt is the result of their rejection of their Messiah, when he came the first time and they put him to death. Those of the lukewarm churches also, and all the tribulations saints who have not become born again at the time of the Rapture, must endure a time of great trial and testing for their disobedience to the Words of the Bible. God loves "Spiritual Israel", -- (the two olive trees and the two lampstands), and is going to save them, but He will not let them go “altogether unpunished.” The time of Jacob’s trouble is also referred to as the seventieth week of Daniel (see Daniel chapter 9).

Rev 3:10 Because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

Those who persevere in Christ will not have to endure the “hour of trial” that is coming. We are to eagerly wait with perseverance for the return of the Lord in order to “count ourselves worthy” of escaping it.

Matthew 24:48-51 But if that evil servant says in his heart, “My master is delaying his coming,” and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Luke 21:36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.