The Two Witnesses

About a month ago, one of the messages I gave, I spoke to the subject of five promises from God regarding the return of Jesus Christ and what He might bring and what He will bring.

I gave that because of the times that we live in that I think all of us need encouragement more than ever and we need hope more than ever. So I wanted to bring a very hopeful presentation and move almost towards what we might say, get into the goal post. But today we're going to back up some because not everything is light and bright. There are challenging times that are yet ahead of us and the Bible tells us so. But at the end, when we deal with prophecy, at the end, we know that God wins. And if God wins, then the people of God win. The elect win. The elect are saved.

But I would be remiss if we just talk about the bright side of life and what's going to happen at the end without helping some of us realize what's going to occur along the way. So we're going to talk again today about prophecy. But even in what we're going to be talking about, and some of it is going to be challenging, is to recognize that it is very hopeful. It is very encouraging. And there's three things that I want you to get out of the message that I'm going to bring to you today.

And we'll see that if at the end of this message I have delivered. You can tell me afterwards when I step down. The reason why I want to give this to you as a minister of Jesus Christ is always to remind us that God is true to His ways. He is consistent. Number two, He is true to His word, no matter how bleak it looks.

And number three, He is always true to us. Some of the things that we're going to be talking about this afternoon, we're going to be dealing in what we might call a macro sense, a global sense. Because God is the God of creation, and He is the God of this world. And He is going to intervene, as we heard in the Bible study today, in all of human society.

But He's also our God. And that's what makes Him God, that He can deal at a macro sense, but He also deals at a very micro and a very personal sense in our lives. And so some of the things that He is true to in His word with what He's going to do in the future, He is also true to us today.

Same God, same ways, the same one that promises us. So let's move into the subject today, maybe something that we have not discussed for some time, but it's an intriguing subject out of the scriptures. There's a lot of thoughts on it. There's a lot of supposition on it. And my goal today is to be loud, where God is loud. We'll be quiet where God is quiet, and maybe we'll move into the gray areas a little bit and offer some considerations for us to ponder upon. Today, what we're going to be talking about is the two witnesses.

I'm sure all of us, many of us, that have been in the church for whether it be three years, thirty years, or fifty years, have heard many different sermons on the two witnesses. But I look forward to bringing this message to you today to see what the Bible reveals, what the Bible reveals loudly about the two witnesses, and perhaps what it does not comment on.

That at the end of the day, we just simply have to give to God at that time and for His ways to be. Any time that we deal with the subject, just like going back to eighth grade journalism, and you're going to be a cub reporter and you're going to go out on assignment, what you do to create a good article is you deal with the who, the what, the where, the when, the why, and the how.

And that's what we're going to do a little bit today. We're going to be cub reporters going into the book of Revelation, and we're going to look at the who, the what, the where, the when, the why, and the how, dealing with the two witnesses. Now, when we do this, let's understand something. Again, God, in His wisdom and in His wise provisions to us, has chosen to answer some things now that we can understand that will give us a head start into understanding this subject.

And there are some things that He has not revealed at this time, and we need to understand both of these things. Both are to be considered, and always recognizing that at the end, that comprehension will come when the time is right. Now, dealing with the two witnesses, if you're like most people, they want to skip the what, the where, the when, they want to know who.

Who are the two witnesses? That always seems to be the subject at hand, the focus. Do you know who the two witnesses are? I have a question for you. You might want to take out a blank sheet of paper.

Write down who you think the two witnesses are. You know, and I know, that over the years there have been institutions, there have been churches, there have been organizations that perhaps have wandered too far into the field as far as determining who the two witnesses are in their day and in their time. And I think all of us at times have learned, we have learned the lesson of letting God be God, and also allow God setting the dates and setting the personalities. But I know that over my years as a minister, and I've now been a minister for 41 years, I have probably, in my course of ministry, met about 12 of the two witnesses. Now, you think about that for a moment. 12 out of the two. The math does not quite jivvy up, does it? There's an equation problem here. There have been people that have taken upon themselves the role and the goal of doing God's work that they have never been commissioned to do. I want to share a thought with you for a moment. Join me if you would in Matthew 20. In Matthew 20, and let's pick up the thought in verse 22, there are a lot of people that say, well, I want to be God's messenger. I want to be God's witness. I'm one of the two witnesses. I want to take on that role. Jesus, in his earthly ministry, made a profound observation in Matthew, verse 22. And it's the story of where Mrs. Zebedee volunteers her two sons, James and John, one to sit on the left hand and one to sit on the right hand. I think all of us are acquainted with the story, but notice what it says in Matthew 20. And let's pick up the thought in verse 20. Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to him with her sons, came to him being Jesus, kneeling down, kneeling down. It sounds like she was a little desperate. You know, when you're on your knees, you're saying, please, look, do something for an old woman. And he said, and asking something from him, and he said her, what do you wish? And she said him, grant these that my two sons of mine may sit, one on your right hand and the other on the left in your kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, you don't know what you asked. Are you able to drink the cup that I'm about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism that I'm to be baptized with? And they said to him, we are able. So he said to them, you will indeed drink my cup. You're going to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with. But to sit on my right hand or on my left hand is not mine to give, but it is for those whom it is prepared by my father. The cup that is being spoken about here, remember, he asked that cup to be relieved from him if it was God's will. That cup was the pouring out of his life. As Jesus Christ would be sacrificed for our stead. Death was involved.

And this will play into what we're going to come to understand about the two witnesses.

These are not people that are going to raise their hand and say, I'm it!

Here I am! You ever been in a classroom where somebody has a hand that's going like this and it just never comes down? It's a hand that's perpetually in the air. You could raise a flag and just keep it there, you know, like this. That's not what this is about. This is about something very, very important in the scripture. So today with all of this spoken, with the seriousness of the subject at hand, we're going to discuss the role. We're going to discuss the responsibilities of the two witnesses. If you're with me for a second, and I hope you are, there's two words that I'd like you to write down to understand these incredible individuals that are going to come about in the future, because they have two unique attributes and they are not really opposites, but I'm going to get to it right now, because this is what these two witnesses are going to do. Number one, they are very, very bold. They are very, very bold. So that's a key word we're going to be looking at. Number two, they are very, very humble. They're humbly bold, and they're boldly humble. There's a connection that comes together that can only be granted by the Spirit of God. So let's take a look at it. And as we do, again, let's remember that God is true to His Word. And I think we're going to find that more than ever in this fascinating study. Join me if you would, and let's turn to Revelation 11. In Revelation 11, we come front and center with what God is going to do in the future.

As we do this, we're going to come to understand ultimately, first of all, the why and what is going on. Let's take a look at it. Then I was given a read like a measuring rod, and the angel stood saying, 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 under foot for forty-two months. Now we're going to come back to that in a moment. We're going to kind of define what we just went over. But I want to focus now on verse 3. Notice. And I will give power, notice, to my two witnesses. Now go to verse 4. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. Now let's go all the way down to verse 10. Stay in your Bible. Let's go to verse 10, speaking about how the world is going to rejoice in the future over their demise. And notice what again says, and these are two prophets, two prophets. Now let's put this together. We find out that there are two witnesses. They're called two olive trees. They're called two lampstands, and they are called two prophets. What I want to share with you, which is going to be very important in our message today, is simply this. Two is a key element in this reading. Two. The number two. And why is that going to be so important? We're going to ask ourselves, why two? Why not one?

Very important to understand. We're going to come to define these terms. Now let's go back up to verse 1. Moving to the story. Then I, speaking of John, was given a read like a measuring rod. The angel stood saying, rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.

John was given a specific responsibility. Now let's remember something about the book of Revelation. There is a tension. We talked tension a little bit in the Bible study. The book of Revelation has a tension between the first century and the future. Let's always remember that the book of Revelation was written in real time to real people that had real challenges that were trying to serve a real God. And yes, also at that time were under the foot of a beast, the Roman Empire. If you just look at this on the surface, and this is a supposition, and I do say that gingerly, but you might say that he was given a specific assignment. We're also going to find that he's told not to do something. So stay with me. Are you with me? John is told to do something. We're also going to find out that he's told not to do something. Green light, red light. This is the green light. It's said to measure, notice, the temple of God. Well, when we read the New Testament and when we read the epistles, who is the temple of God? Who is the temple of God? The Apostle Paul defines it as, we are the temple of God. Those that God is dealing with. When you think about John for a moment and you look through Revelation 2 and Revelation 3, he does measure the temple, as it were, the living temple of God's people in that first century. He goes through Ephesus, Smyrna, Thyatara, Pergamos, etc., etc., all the way to Laodicea. He takes a certain measurement, not his measurement per se, but he shares that measurement as to how God sees things, as he's looking down upon the elect. This was done. This also reminds us that this is an assignment that was given to John because judgment is on the household of God today. Judgment is upon the household of God today. And for each of us that are out here today, God has, just like he did in Revelation 2 and 3 to the churches, there can be a commendation, there can be a complaint, there can be a deep concern, but it always winds up on hope and encouragement and even gives us the remedy of how to move out of his concern towards us. But now let's notice verse 2 because this contrast from verse 1 to verse 2 is going to set up the role of the two witnesses. But leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not, notice, measure it. For it has been given to the Gentiles and they will tread the holy city under foot for 42 months or three and a half years.

Notice that. But leave out of the court. And he says, for it has been given to the Gentiles. Now, it's very important when we look at this to understand the word Gentile. The word there is out of the Greek is ethnos. It means the people. When the term Gentile is used, when the term Gentile is used, that means those that are apart at that time, often from Israel and or in the sense of the Bible, those that confront and or are apart from God. In the Jewish community, they often use the word the nations. The nations. Those that are not of the birthright. Those that are apart from God. And so we recognize that this language is used. In fact, we're going to see more of it used down the line. If you notice verse 9, let's go down to verse 9. Then those from the peoples, the tribes, the tongues and the nations. That's speaking of the Gentiles. Spiritually speaking. This is the same language that you will find used in Daniel when a message would go out to the nations. To those that did not worship God, but need to understand the one true God. So this just helps us to define the role of what the two witnesses are going to be doing.

The Gentiles are people that are not worshiping God. And so we understand that. Now, let's go to verse 3, because now we're going to go into the two witnesses. And I will give power to the the two witnesses and they will prophesy 1260 days. And notice they're going to be clothed in sackcloth.

In a sense, this is sackcloth depicts mourning. It depicts that there is something very, very serious that is occurring here. And these are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. Now, let's understand something. You know, when I read verse 4, friends, it just almost makes me shiver in place to recognize that there's going to be a time in the future when let's understand it. When we read the book of Revelation that the forces of this earth are going to fight against the Lamb. There is going to be such darkness. As we're discussing the Bibles today, there's going to be a new normal that's abnormal to where Jesus Christ is going to have to intervene in world affairs. And yet, here are these two witnesses, these two olive trees, these two lampstands. And notice they are standing before the God of the earth. They are His witnesses. These two individuals, they have an incredible role. There is a dynamism here that just leaps out of the verses that are before us. And notice what it says, 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. 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. These gentlemen, these individuals, are going to be God's representatives on earth. I do not believe that they're going to be the only two that are on earth. I think that wherever God's people are at that time, the book of Revelation talks about a ceiling. It talks about a protection. It also talks about those that did not love their life unto death and died during this time in the future, as they've died down through the ages.

But these two individuals are called to give a witness on behalf of God. Let's notice when we look at the verses here, verses 5 and 6, what we see for here is we see elements of both the ministry of Moses and the ministry of Elijah. We see the pulling down of fire from heaven, which certainly reminds us of what happened on Mount Carmel with the priest of Baal, that the fire literally came down from heaven, consumed them. We see the aspect of plagues. We see the aspect of power over the waters that reminds us of the ministry of Moses in Egypt and his witness to the greatest empire on earth at that time. It's very interesting when you think about Moses. Moses witnessed to an earthly kingdom that held and terrorized people in physical bondage.

Elijah, on the other hand, witnessed to a confused spiritual kingdom, syncretized, as it were, dealing with Baal and dealing with the God of Israel and mixing it all up in a new recipe that was repugnant to God. And they had to stand up. They were stand-up people. Can you imagine being Moses coming up to Pharaoh, the man God, the greatest emperor on earth, who had had slaves for hundreds of years as people? And Moses comes up and says, Pharaoh, let my people go. And Pharaoh says, you've got to be kidding.

Who sent you? And Moses and or Aaron, as the spokesman said, I am that I am. That is who sent me. And he wants his people to go out and worship him away from you.

Let my people go. What about the ministry of Elijah? When Elijah, thinking himself alone at least, we realize that there were others, but Elijah comes to the throne. And what does King Ahab say? He says, Oh, you trouble of Israel. And Elijah turns that around and says, Wait a minute, King. It is not I who trouble Israel. It is you and your wife. You are the troublers of Israel.

Bold, but humble, because they recognized it wasn't their message. It wasn't about them.

It was about the God of heaven that had elected them to be his tool, to be his instruments in that day and that age. These two witnesses in the future are going to come up against a power.

A conglomeration of power, both spiritual and temporal, both church, most state.

And they're going to have to confront them. It's not going to be an easy task.

People are going to basically say, Oh, it's such a, such a sour, dark message. You're such naysayers.

Don't you really recognize how well everything is going? Join me, if you would, for a moment in Revelation 13. In Revelation 13, which focuses on what we call the beast. We notice down here in verse four, if you'll join me, something that maybe you've never seen before. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast? Long live the beast.

Who is able to make war with them? Who's like them? We recognize in Revelation 18, if you'll stick your nose and your heart in there, and at another time, this whole system that's going to be global in nature, it's going to be about the economy. It's going to be about the moral movement of materials going back and forth. And everybody's going to think, Oh, this is so great and things are so wonderful. But they don't recognize that they are also this beast power is trading in the souls of men that have given away their responsibility, their God-given identity, all to supplement and to please this, which is called the beast. But in all of this, friends, in all of this, they're not really worshiping the beast.

They're worshiping that which is behind. As the book of Daniel tells us, there are things that are happening up in heaven. There are angels. There are forces that are behind nations, countries, empires, whether it be the Prince of Greece or the Prince of Persia.

Just understand something. Always stay wide. Always stay broad. Always keep your eyes open wide. Don't don't don't periscope. Allow God to fill in those details. But here's what I want to tell you, something I learned long ago, that the major headlines are not being made in Bonn or in Berlin or in London or in Tehran and or in Rio right now and or in LA or New York. The major headlines don't begin down here. They begin in heaven above. There is a power. There is a force that is at work. Now, when all of this happens, let's understand something. Let's go here. And then it says here, then I saw... Now, I want to go back to Revelation 11. Pardon me. I'm 13. Let's go back to Revelation 11. And when they had finished their testimony, the beast, notice that his sins out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. This beast is mentioned, which we just defined as we skipped ahead to Revelation 13.

This beast is none other than the latest formation of what has been around almost from antiquity. It's called Babylon. The Bible is very simple in nature, often deals in twos, because that's the best way of creating contrast. You get three or four things going. It gets complicated. Are you with me? To recognize that the challenge, a tale of two cities, two cultures in two ways, has always been there from the beginning of time. It started in Eden. It took root at Babel.

It became fostered even more so under Nebuchadnezzar, this system of man, this kingdom of man, in confrontation to God, and trying to rise above God, building temples to their own gods. When you think of somebody like Nebuchadnezzar, who built the great walls of Babylon, who built the beautiful gates, who built the ziggurat, who built the hanging gardens and said, oh, look at Babylon! Look at everything that I have created! And God said, great, you're going down. By the way, you're going to be a beast in the field, because that's what your heart is. And I'm just going to turn you inside out. And that system comes down to our age and will move perhaps even beyond our lifetimes, but will come into ultimate conflict with the other city, the great city, the heavenly Jerusalem. Let's understand the entire Bible is a conflict between two systems, two cities, a tale of two cities. Jerusalem, Babylon. Jerusalem, Babylon. There is no third option. You say, oh, come on, that's always better. I like a multiple choice.

The Bible is not about multiple choice, friends. It's about being invited to the kingdom of God.

And knowing that God is behind us, has called us, loved us, nurtured us, and given his son for us.

What has Babylon done for us? Nothing. So we notice what's going to happen here. It says, when they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottom of his pit will make war against them and overcome them and kill them. There is a time when they are going to have spiritual Teflon on them. There's going to be nothing that is going to be able to touch them. But just as in the ministry of Jesus, where he was alive for 33 years, there comes a time that God's purpose has got to be wrought and it's got to be done.

They're going to be killed. And notice what's going to happen when they're killed.

I'm actually going to come back to that later. I'm going to come back to another point. I want to share something with you. Let's define this. What does the word witness mean? I think that's important before we go any further. What does the word witness mean?

And what kind and what quality of witness is God going to call? The word witness comes from the word—you might just jot this down—comes from the word martyrs with the U. That's where the word martyr comes from. And in a literal sense, it's used in Hellenic literature in a judicial manner. That is one called to give testimony in a court of law. This sets us up to understand the importance of the two witnesses. These individuals are witnesses that are going to be called on by God to testify, to testify against the Gentiles of verse 2, against the beast of verse 7, and against the world in verse 9 that is going to join with the beast.

They are going to be prosecution witnesses, and they're going to prosecute God's case. What is that case like? Join me if you would in Psalm 9. What kind of justice does God render? Maybe you've never thought about going back to the book of Psalms to understand the two witnesses, but, well, we're in Los Angeles and anything can happen. So let's go to Psalm 9. In Psalm 9, and let's pick up the thought in verse 7. What kind of justice does God render? Notice what it says, But the Lord shall endure forever. He has prepared his throne for judgment.

He shall judge the world in righteousness, and he shall administer judgment for the people's in uprightness. Again, let's drop down to verse 16. The Lord is known by the judgment he executes.

The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Meditation, selah. What we find through the book of Psalm sets up the role of the two witnesses. We understand that God's judgments, and, brethren, let's understand something. God is going to judge this world.

Many in America today believe that God is a first cause, that there had to be a Creator to set creation in motion, twirl it like a top. But we need to understand, and what we believe as Christians is that God is not just a first cause. God is an intervening, active force.

There's a purpose that is being worked out here below, and God ultimately will not be mocked.

He's known for his judgments, which leads us then to why there are two witnesses. Join me if you would in Deuteronomy 17. In Deuteronomy 17 and verse 6.

Again, this is why it is so important to understand both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The New Testament is concealed in the Old Testament, and the Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament. They are one book. We have to understand both. Deuteronomy 17 verse 6, notice what it says, "...whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony notice of two or three witnesses. And he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness.

And the hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hands of the people." Again, just a page over chapter 19. God repeats it twice. In chapter 19, picking up the thought in verse 15, notice, "...one witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits by the mouth of two or three witnesses. The matter shall be established." Brethren, prophecy highlights and brings a reminder that God is true to his word. Here we are now in the book of Revelation. We are speaking of these two witnesses, representatives of God, that are going to deal with this individual and a system and humanity as a whole before there is divine judgment. And God is true to his word. What is the charge? What is the charge against the beast?

What is the charge of those that give their support to this beast, who fall in line with this leader? I think we can pick it up in Revelation 13. Join me if you would there. It makes it simple.

We understand through Revelation 13 that there is a temporal power that can be called the beast, there is also a spiritual power, the second beast that comes along, that puts himself in the place of God.

But just to bring it into crystallized form in Revelation 13 and verse 6, notice what it says about this beast that comes along. Then he opened his mouth, notice in blasphemy, against God. He blasphemed his name, he blasphemed his tabernacle, and he blasphemed those who dwell in heaven.

The two witnesses, and why there are two, is God is true to his word.

He not only created law, law is simply an extension of who and what he is. His love, his concern, his righteous judgments. So there are two witnesses that back up Deuteronomy, because we understand through the prophecies of the Bible of what is about to happen.

When we think of the scope of history for a moment, if we delve into the scriptures, we understand that there are seven seals. Right now, I say this in my personal opinion, that we remain within what is called the first four seals. That time of human history, apart from God, in confrontation to God, a time in which there is religious deception, a time in which there is war, a time in which there is famine, that then brings about pestilence. Things are moving forward, but I'm not going to set dates. I will say this in my reading of scripture, when we come to the fifth seal, which is synonymous with what we call the tribulation, I believe that this is apart from human history. In a sense, humans are there. Don't mistake me. What I'm saying is we find that all of a sudden events almost go on steroids. There's a difference. There's a spiritual element. Satan knows that his time is short. Things are going to happen that have never happened before, just as it says in the book of Daniel. I think this is the time that God uses the two witnesses, because when you think of the first four seals, stay with me, human history, apart from God, come to the fifth seal. When all of this is churning and there's turbulence, that fifth seal is the time of what we call Satan's wrath. He knows his time is short. He comes down, and I do suggest when I read and I study aspects of the beast or that second beast, that temporal and or that religious leader, these are not men that are left alone just by their own spirit. Something very challenging and very troubling is going to happen. They're not going to be operating on their own. But let's understand something. The fifth seal is the tribulation. That's the time of Satan's wrath. Not to be confused with the seventh seal, which is the day of the Lord. There is Satan's wrath out of bounds, out of scope, to no end other than to serve himself. The seventh seal, the day of the Lord, is the time of God's judgment. It is a righteous judgment. It doesn't mean it's going to be pretty when we read the scriptures. But God is going to do nothing. As we talked about Noah today, Noah was a preacher of righteousness for 120 years. Warning was given. Nobody believed him. Nobody crawled into the ark with him.

Revelation has been here for 2,000 years. Very few believe it. Will you believe it? Do we think that things are always just going to go on the way that they have always been? And so these two men, these two individuals, are going to rise up and give God's account. They are the divine prosecution. And they're prophets. They're going to tell this earth exactly what they have done and what is about to come their way. God would have it no other way. He's just. He's perfect. But what power are they going to be operating on? Join me if you would in Zechariah. Zechariah 14. I didn't say Zechariah 14, did I? Zechariah 4. We were in 14 earlier on in the Bible study. Pardon me. In Zechariah, let's go to chapter 4. It may be something that you've never noticed in the Scripture, and that's why it's so important to combine the Old Testament with the New Testament in the book of Zechariah 4. Notice what it says here.

Let me back up a second. We're all going to rewind together, okay, for a moment? Good. Both Zechariah and the book of Revelation are written in what we call apocalyptic style.

That apocalyptic style was a form of writing in the Jewish community that used color, that used imagery. The reason apocalyptic literature was written, the end result or goal, was to give hope and encouragement. Normally, to those that seemingly were left out, had been dispossessed. Similarly, history has passed over, that there was a future, that there was a goal, that they were worshiping a God that was going to stand up for them, whether it was ancient Israel of old, returning to Jerusalem, and or the Israel of God today as we move towards darker and darker times. That God, the one that we worship, is going to be interviewing in human history.

Now the angel, verse 1, who talked with me, came back and awakened me as a man who has wakened out of the state. And he said to me, what do you see? So I said, I'm looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and I understand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. Now, notice what it says. This is not in Revelation. This is in Zechariah. This is where it comes from. Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left. So I answered, and I spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, well, what are these, my Lord? There's the question that always comes out. What's going on? Who are they? Then the angel who talked to me answered and said to me, do you not know who these are? And he said, no, my Lord. So he answered and said to me, this is the word of the Lord. Does rub a bell? Not by my might, nor by my power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts. Now, let's skip down. Let's go down a bit further to verse 11. Then I answered and said to him, what are these two olive trees at the right hand of the lampstand and at its left? And I further answered and said to him, well, what are these two olive branches that rip into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the gold oil drains? And then he answered me and said, do you not know what these are? And he said, no, my Lord. And so he said, these are the two anointed ones who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth. Sounds just like the book of Revelation. These are the two that are going to stand by the Lord of the earth. Now, what is being spoken about here is the imagery that comes out of the tabernacle or the temple where there was the menorah, where there was the lampstand, but there was a bowl and that there was oil that was continually being administered to this campstand, that it did not go out. It did not go out. It was perpetually kept alight, that God was present, that his light would even shine through the dark. You and I know that oil also represents, in that sense, the Holy Spirit. And one of the aspects of the Holy Spirit is when you see it in an individual, you see the working of humility. But it's interesting not only humility, but boldness.

Humidity and boldness. We also understand that olive oil represents purity.

Purity. There's going to come a time, increasingly even in our age, where purity is going to go out of the dictionary, because everybody's moving to new normals that have never been there for 6,000 years. The new normal of today, brethren, is abnormal in comparison to God's holy commandments, of what his initial intention was for humanity, to be a pure people, to be a holy people. These individuals are going to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It's not going to be noticed in Zechariah 4. How often have we quoted Zechariah 4? Not by my might nor power, but by my spirit, says the Eternal. Now, part of this deals with the reconstruction of Jerusalem. I don't want to negate that. But we also see in a greater sense here that it's speaking of a time in the future that what is going to fuel these individuals. Stay with me. You think about it for a moment. You're with me? You think about being the two witnesses. You're in Jerusalem. The whole world has shrunk to the size of a pea. Just think over the last month where we saw the two conventions, one out of Cleveland, one out of Philadelphia. You almost felt like you were on the stage there, and you could flip the balloons as they came down, red, white, and blue. You felt like you were right there with Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Trump. You felt that you might have been there right in the crowd. You had this synergy. You had this energy. You were right there. Well, that's what's going to happen in the future. The whole world is going to see what the two witnesses are about. They're going to see their ministry up close and personal. They're going to hear the words of God from these individuals, as much as Pharaoh heard from Moses, as much as Ahab and Jezebel heard from Elijah.

And they're going to prosecute the case. They're going to make it loud. They're going to make it clear that the beast, the world community, has blasphemed against God, have been weighed in the balances, found wanting, prepare to meet your Maker. God doesn't pull surprises. He didn't do that. Noah was a preacher for 120 years, as we discussed in the Bible study today. Nobody believed him. Only his family was alive.

The rains came. What? What's that? Oh, he's right. Jesus says that greater Noah, that second Noah, his message has been before the world for 2,000 years. Who will believe his report?

Who will understand the role of the two witnesses when it comes about? Now, join me if you would. Let's go back to Revelation 11 and finish up here. Revelation 11.

Remember how we started about the sons of Zebedee? Can you drink from the cup that I drink from? Well, notice what happens here in Revelation 11.

Verse 7, when they had finished their testimony, nothing is going to cut off that testimony until they're finished. When they are finished, then that Teflon goes off of them for a while, just as much as Jesus was given three and a half years to perform his ministry. And then he was crucified, not before. And when they finished their testimony, the beast that it sends out of the violence pit is going to make war against them. They have the target on their back. I have a question. You think of right now the 7.6 billion people that are on earth.

And then you shrink it down to two people that are going to have the target on their back, that the world is against. These gentlemen, these individuals, are incredibly beloved of God.

They are humble. They are bold. They are true. Oh, yeah. Maybe their knees will be shaking, but their heart is firm because they are filled with the Holy Spirit. Just like in the book of Zechariah, those candles always remain lit with the oil. It's not going to go out until God says it's going to go out. And then notice what it says. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom in Egypt. You say, well, where is that? But it's identified here where also our Lord was crucified. This is Jerusalem.

This is where that final ministry of theirs is going to happen. It's going to be in Jerusalem.

Just like Jesus Christ was in Jerusalem, just as Jesus Christ preached for three and a half years, they're going to preach for three and a half years. Then those from the people's 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. They're going to create a national holiday.

Ding dong—no, not the witch—ding dong the two witnesses are dead. Long live the beast.

They're going to be swapping gifts. A new holiday, a new day not to work.

Because these two prophets torment those who dwell on the earth.

Now, after the three and a half days, notice the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven, saying, Come up here, and they ascended to heaven in a cloud. And their enemies saw them. And in the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Notice. And in the earthquake, seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid, and they gave glory to the God of heaven.

There is a lot of similarity between the ministry of Jesus, the earthly ministry, and the ministry of these individuals.

Three and a half years' ministry, winding up in Jerusalem, killed in the environs of Jerusalem, and then resurrected.

I would suggest, I only suggest, that their resurrection to me symbolizes, perhaps, the tripwire to the Great Resurrection of the Saints. For indeed, they are. Stand by. We'll find out one day.

What did we learn from all of us, brethren, to wrap up?

God knows exactly what he's doing.

God is true to his word.

God says, by the mouth of two or three witnesses, let every matter be established.

God also uses a pattern that he started from the very beginning. Remember when Jesus, in his earthly ministry, the way that he conducted himself, he sent out his disciples by what? Two by two.

Jesus remains consistent that, at the very end, two of his greatest disciples, two of his wonderful disciples, are going to be there.

Maybe, even though they rely on God, they're going to need one another. They're going to buck up one another. They're going to encourage one another. They're going to pray for one another that they can make it to the end. And yet, we recognize, when we think about these two witnesses, things that God promised from the very beginning. You might just want to jot this down, look it over later. I want to make a personal point after this. They are going to remember the scriptures. They're going to be filled with the Spirit. They know the Word. They're going to remember that God said that he will never leave us nor forsake us. Never leave us nor forsake us.

They're going to remember what Jesus said that, in that day when you were brought up by the magistrates in Luke 11, Luke 12, verse 11 and 12, he says, Don't worry. I will put my thoughts. I will put my words into your mind. Don't be afraid.

Don't go crazy. Don't think you're alone. I'll put the words in there.

They're going to remember what Jesus said in John 14, verse 12, Greater works will you do than even I have done.

Brethren, in all of this, the simple point is that I want you to be encouraged today that God is going to intervene in human history. I want you to be encouraged that God is consistent with his truths and his ways and his law.

God never breaks his law. He never breaks his patterns.

Oh, I just forgot. Who are the two witnesses? Join me, if you would, in Revelation 11, verse 3.

In Revelation 11, verse 3, let's take a look here. From the time that this was first written until now, people have pointed to that person. Well, that person, maybe he's one of the two witnesses. Or it's got to be that person because of their ability or this or that.

Brethren, I'll just be very honest with you. I do not know who the two witnesses are.

I do know that they will be. I know that they will be our.

Who would you have chosen when you look back in biblical history? When you think of Samuel looking at the sons of Jesse, how well did Samuel pick the next king of Israel as he looked over that brood of boys?

When you think of Jesus and the disciples that he chose, is that any way to start a business?

Getting fishermen from the Galilee and throw in one tax collector?

Here's another one. Are you with me?

If you knew that the Savior of all mankind was about to die, minutes away from death, who's the last person that you would want to have his ear?

Hopefully somebody very righteous, somebody that led a stellar life.

And yet, one of the last human beings that ever talked to Jesus was what we have traditionally come to call the good thief.

Here are two men grasping for air, perhaps seven, maybe eight feet above the ground, if that. You only have to be one inch above the ground to hang, right?

And the conversation that went on there of all people, a condemned criminal, a man that at the end probably gave Jesus tremendous encouragement.

You don't belong here. Everybody else, the church of that day, the church of that day, the religious leaders of that day, say, you belong there. You belong on that stake. You deserve to die. Here's a man. He's a criminal.

And he's saying, you don't deserve to be here with me.

What's going on? We justly deserve to be here, but not you.

How incredibly encouraging that must have been to Jesus. Who would you put it up to Jesus towards the end? Who would you have chosen?

Brethren, our best choices and our best selections always fall short of God's perfection. Revelation 11, verse 3. I'm now going to tell you who the two witnesses are. And I will give power, notice, to my two witnesses.

My two witnesses. Brethren, here's a story that we need to learn out of the Bible.

We have to leave some things to God.

There are some things that God will reveal to encourage us to move us forward, to know that He's intervening, but there are some things that He hasn't filled the details in yet.

That takes faith.

We like one plus one equals two. We like making choices. God says, they will be my witnesses.

Until that time, you and I, in our day and our time, are generations to come, if it be that. Until that time of the two witnesses, each and every one of us witness. Each and every one of us have a responsibility to come out of this world. The great anthem of Revelation 18.4. Each and every one of us is called to be a light, to be a flame of godly boldness, godly humility, and always recognize that God will never leave us or forsake us. I hope you know a little bit more about the two witnesses this afternoon. Let's be encouraged that God, our God, is consistent, is true to His Word, not only in a global sense, but in our own personal lives. And you can take that to the bank of your heart.