March 28, 2006

• Loved being at the Tuesday Woman’s Bible study, so much to share  and learn. I have to tell  you that this has been a tough day kid wise, I am hoping that teens become nicer with age. I know I wasn’t a perfect teen myself, but geesh.

  
  

  Anyway, we are now at Revelation 11, an exciting chapter.

  
  

  Right now as of chapter 10 we have had seven trumpet judgements, and John was given a little book to eat, not share the prophesies with us.

  
  

  Now God is going to make another attempt to reach people with two powerful witnesses.

  
  

  First John is given a reed like a measuring rod, and an angel tells him to “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. 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 42 months.” Rev. 11:1-2

  
  

  Well this tells us that the temple that John is measuring is on the earth – for the Gentiles are going to be treading it, and they are going to be treading it for 42 months (3 1/2 years, or 1260 days (based on a 30 day calendar). This will help us to begin to plot some timelines for Revelation. Remember, in order for satan to do the apostasy there has to be a temple. Now we know there is a temple, and after 1260 days the antichrist is going to go in and desecrate the temple, right now the Gentiles are just in the outer courts. So the two witnesses have to have come 1260 days before the antichrist is revealed. During this time there will be the seals and 6 trumpet judgements before the antichrist is revealed, so we are not exactly sure of when the 2 witnesses come down during the judgement, just that they will be here 3 1/2 years before the antichrist is revealed.

  
  

  So God will give power to the two witnesses, and they will prophesy 1,260 days (3 1/2 years), the will be clothed in sackcloth (repentance), and God calls them two olive trees, and two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.  Zechariah 4 talks about the two lampstands and in 4:14 he says “These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.”

  
  

  If anyone wants to harm them fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies, . They can shut heaven so no rain falls, and they have power to turn water into blood, and to strike the earth with all the plagues as often as they desire.

  
  

  Verses 7-10 talks about their death. The death that only occurs WHEN they have finished their testimony, not before. Their death comes from the beast which ascends out of the bottomless pit, and make war against the witnesses, overcome them and kill them.

  
  

  Their dead bodies will stay in the street 3 1/2 days in the city which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord was crucified (Jerusalem).

  
  

  All those from peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see the dead bodies and not allow them to be put in the grave. Those people will rejoice over them, make merry, send gifts, because they did not like being tormented by the prophets. (It is sad that these people’s hearts are so hardened against the truth of what the witnesses are preaching).

  
  

  After 3 1/2 days God will breath life into them, they will stand on their feet and all who see this will fear. A loud voice from heaven will say, “Come up here” and the witnesses will ascend to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.

  
  

  At that same time there will be an earthquake and 1/10 of the city fell, and 7,000 people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven. This is the end of the second woe, and the third woe will come quickly. (The third woe is the 7th trumpet).

  
  

  Who are the two witnesses? There are two predominant views.

  
  

  Elijah and Moses – which represent the law and the prophets. They both did miracles similar to what we see in Revelation 11.

  
  

  Elijah and Enoch – because both of these men never died, they were cauth up into heaven. And it is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the judgement (Hebrews 9:27). Elijah was taken up in a whirlwind on a chariot of fire, and Enoch walked with God and was no more. But Enoch did not do those miracles mentioned in Revelation. But Enoch prophesied the coming judgement of the ungodly as Jude 14-15 tells us.

  
  

  In both cases Elijah is one of the prophets. Malachai 4:5 tells us that Elijah would come at the day of the Lord. Elijah and Moses appeared on the Mt. of Transfiguration.

  
  

  I am just so grateful at how hard God is reaching down in Revelation to try and reach the people left on earth. He really wants none to be lost, and yet the people have hardened their hearts so much that they rejoice at the death of the two witnesses. Oh that many people’s eyes will be opened to see God’s truth before it is too late.

  
  

  Heather

  • 11:06 pm
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