YAHWEH, THE GOD OF ISRAEL, IS WITH US!

“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins...”
(Isaiah 58: 1)

The Two Witnesses

The Two Witnesses

Readings:
Revelation 11: 1-14
Zechariah 4

1. Political Awareness

The peoples of this world are becoming increasingly aware of political, legal and spiritual issues. Issues involving democracy, freedom of choice, human rights, legal rights, the power of the media, privacy etc. are now well discussed; even amongst the hitherto illiterate masses in the most backward nations. People have woken up to the enormous greed, corruption and violence that is sweeping this globe. Ignorance had been the norm for millennia, but now there is a great awareness of what's going on; an awareness largely due to the abundance of evidence provided via the media by eye-witnesses. Never a day passes but we read, hear and even see pictures of events taking place all over the world. Eye-witness reports from remote places are broadcast to audiences in all countries. Yes, eye-witness reports are invaluable as any news reporter or solicitor will tell you.

2. Two Witnesses

In the legal profession, the presence of one witness to a crime or transaction is considered good evidence. In the presence of two witnesses, is conclusive. On the evidence of two witnesses, people have been put to death. Most adults know, important legal documents need the signatures of at least two witnesses. All these transactions call for at least two witnesses to be present. In spiritual matters, it is the same. Witnesses are called for, before truth can be established. In Revelation chapter 11 verses 1-13, we read about Two Witnesses who are scheduled by God to testify for 42 months to earth's teeming millions about His Truth. Questions concerning them are numerous: Answers to these questions, depending on which Christian group's literature you read, are varied to say the least. We will not list them all. Instead, we will begin by quoting the Bible passage, which tells of the Two Witnesses. Then, after a brief analysis, we will answer the three questions above.

Revelation 11: 1: And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
2: But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
3: And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
4: These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
5: And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
6: These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

3. When Do the Two Witnesses Appear?

The answer to the first question is: The Two Witnesses make their appearance on the world scene, during the 6th Trumpet (2nd Woe), which occurs towards the latter part of the Seventh Seal. In other words, the Seventh Seal is subdivided into seven stages and the 6th trumpet is the 6th stage. See The Seal & Trumpet Chart to get your bearings, concerning the Seven Seals and the Seven Trumpets, which all occur during the Seventh Seal.

The record concerning the 6th Trumpet begins at Revelation 9: 13 and continues all the way through to Revelation 11: 14. During this 6th Trumpet (also known as the 2nd Woe), in Revelation 9: 15-18, ONE THIRD OF MANKIND are slain! This great multitude, about 2.3 billion people, is about twice the population of China! Pause awhile and consider that staggering fact. Very briefly, these are the events leading up to the 6th Trumpet, the 2nd Woe, when this unimaginable slaughter of a third of mankind will occur.

Sixth Seal (Revelation 6: 12-17)

There is a global earthquake and spectacular signs in the sun, moon and stars. Blind panic grips earth's inhabitants, who run to the rocks and mountains seeking shelter from the wrath of the Almighty and His Son Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ). Events under this Seal have obviously not occurred yet. After the 6th Seal, the 144,000 servants of the Most High are sealed in their foreheads with Yahweh's Name (Revelation 7). This sealing work is still in our future. It has not occurred. When it does occur, sealed believers will no longer need spiritual instruction as to how to live, because they will instinctively know right from wrong (Hebrews 8: 8-13).

The Seventh Seal (Revelation 8 to Revelation 20) begins AFTER the 144,000 are sealed. The Seventh Seal is subdivided into 7 Trumpets, the last 3 of which are called WOES. See Understand the Revelation for a description of the first four trumpets.

From the foregoing, you will see, the Two Witnesses appear on the world scene at the 6th Trumpet (the 2nd Woe). This is at a time towards the latter part of the Seventh Seal, when a third of the human race is perishing! This means, their coming is still in our future. These points are explained further in our online booklet entitled Understand the Revelation.

4. Who Are the Two Witnesses?

To identify the Two Witnesses, we will look closely at several scriptural clues. The first three, of which, are the most important, because they specifically tell us who the Two Witnesses are.

Seven Clues:

  1. The first clue describes the Two Witnesses in symbolic terms as “Two Olive Trees” (Revelation 11: 4, Zechariah 4: 3-11).

  2. The second clue tells us, “They stand in the presence of the God of the whole earth” (Revelation 11: 4, Zechariah 4: 14).

  3. The third clue refers to them as the “Two Anointed Ones.” These three clues are found in this passage:

    Zechariah 4: 11: Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?
    12: And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
    13: And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
    14: Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth.

  4. They prophesy for a period of 42 months or 1260 days during the 2nd Woe (Revelation 11: 2-3).

  5. Any attempt by man, to hurt them, results in immediate death (Revelation 11: 5).

  6. They are eventually killed by the Beast, the Antichrist who is to rise from the Bottomless Pit. The bodies of the Two Witnesses are then exhibited in the city of Jerusalem, where our Lord was crucified.

  7. After three and a half days they are resurrected and ascend to heaven in full view of their enemies (Revelation 11: 8-12).
Notice, the Two Witnesses are specifically referred to as “two olive trees,” “two anointed ones,” who “stand in the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.” The first three clues identify who and where the Two Witnesses are. The other four tell us, what they do and what happens to them. From these clues, A Voice In The Wilderness believes, the Two Witnesses are not: This means, these great men of God were not standing in Yahweh's presence when Zechariah's prophecy was given. They were in their graves awaiting the resurrection. John the Baptist wasn't even born at the time. Moreover, they will most certainly not be raised to life only to die a second death. Scripture tells us, the second death is the lake of fire (Revelation 20: 14) and that it is appointed unto men “once to die” (Hebrews 9: 27). This means, Moses who died in the land of Moab (Deuteronomy 34: 5) couldn't possibly die again as one of the Two Witnesses.

5. Two Archangels

Who, Then, Are The Two Witnesses?

The answer is: The Two Witnesses are the two anointed archangels who stand in Yahweh’s presence. They are the highest ranking angels in the universe and were represented by the two cherubim standing on either side of the ark of the covenant. Proof of this amazing fact now follows:

Exodus 25: 18: And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
19: And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
20: And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.
21: And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
22: And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

Many years later, when king Solomon built his famous Temple, which the Almighty graced with His sacred presence, these two cherubim were depicted as follows:

Clue 1: Two Olive Trees

1 Kings 6: 23: And within the oracle he made two cherubims of OLIVE TREE, each ten cubits high.
24: And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.
25: And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubims were of one measure and one size.
26: The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.
27: And he set the cherubims within the inner house: and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.
28: And he overlaid the cherubims with gold.

Did you notice their construction? The two cherubim were carved out of Two Olive Trees. This is exactly the figurative term - Olive Trees - used in Revelation 11: 4 and Zechariah 4: 3 to describe the Two Witnesses. The inevitable conclusion must be, the Two Witnesses, who are also referred to as Two Olive Trees, are the two archangels represented by the cherubim made of Olive Trees on either side of the ark of the covenant. Other texts concerning them are found in (Exodus 37: 6-9, Psalm 80: 1, 99: 1, Isaiah 37: 16, Ezekiel 10: 1-12).

Clue 2: They Stand in Yahweh’s Presence

One has only to consider the construction of the ark of the covenant to realize how true this is, of these two archangels. They stand in the very presence of God on either side of the mercy seat. The Most High literally communed with the children of Israel from between the two cherubim. They stand in the very presence of the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel!

Luke 1: 19: And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

Clue 3: Two Anointed Ones:

The Two Witnesses are also called the two “anointed ones,” because on and through them the Holy Spirit (symbolized by the olive oil) flows. Are archangels (cherubs) anointed? The answer is, yes cherubs are especially anointed to do their work. See section 7 concerning the anointed cherub Lucifer.

Clues 4 & 5: Do Angels Prophesy?

Yes, angels have prophesied on many occasions. Angels are ministering spirits sent by the Almighty to prophesy, warn, comfort, rescue, feed and punish mankind. At the Savior's birth, the angels of heaven visited earth and sang anthems of praise to common shepherds (Luke 3:8-14). The scriptures abound with evidence of angels visiting mankind with special messages from the Almighty. Here are a few texts to prove this point.

Genesis 19: TWO angels were sent to SODOM to rescue Lot and his family before that city was destroyed.
Judges 6: An angel commissioned Gideon to rescue and judge Israel.
Judges 13: An angel visited Samson's parents and told them they were going to bear a son who would judge Israel.
Daniel 3: 28: An angel preserved Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego in the fiery furnace.
Daniel 6: 22: An angel protected Daniel in the lions' den.
Acts 5: 19: An angel rescued Peter from prison.
Acts 12: 8: An angel rescued Paul from prison.
Revelation 1: 1: An angel delivered the prophecy of the Revelation to the Apostle John.

There are, of course, many other examples of when angels visited mankind; but these should be enough to prove the point.

Why Are the Two Witnesses Sent?

The Two Witnesses are sent to earth to accomplish the following:

6. The City of SODOM

In the last days of SODOM, the Almighty visited earth with two angels, who were then commissioned to enter SODOM and verify the reports, which were reaching the throne of God. On entering SODOM, these two angels witnessed first-hand the shameful homosexual behavior of the men of that city. They also entered SODOM to rescue Lot and his family (Genesis 18 & 19). They were probably the same two archangels, the anointed ones who travel the universe with the Almighty God; the two cherubim who stand in His presence. Long before Moses built the ark of the covenant, long before Solomon made two replicas of the cherubim out of two olive trees, these two anointed archangels were with Yahweh, standing in His holy presence. Yes, the two anointed cherubim are the only beings who fit the scriptural clues about the Two Witnesses.

Will We See the Two Witnesses?

Yes, the whole world will see the Two Witnesses. We also believe, they will visit every continent on earth and warn both saint and sinner, just as they did in the last days of SODOM; before that sinful city was destroyed by fire. They will preach to all of mankind, at a time when a third of the human race is perishing. That is why they are clothed in sackcloth, the ancient symbol of mourning. They present Yahweh's last offer of mercy to mankind. He is holding out the Olive Branch! The olive branch, as we all know, is the universally recognized symbol of mercy and peace. In sending the Two Witnesses to earth, the Almighty is offering terms of peace to all of humanity. It is His final offer! Failure to accept mercy will result in death on an unimaginable scale. It is absolutely impossible for us to exaggerate the importance of these facts. Let the reader beware of ignoring them. For near to six thousand years, the human race has been allowed to go its own way, to do its own thing, and the Most High has patiently waited for His Day. That Day is about to begin. Are you preparing for it?

7. Lucifer, a Fallen Archangel

Long ago Lucifer (Satan) was also a covering cherub. He stood in Yahweh’s presence. He was an anointed one, full of beauty and radiant in splendor. He travelled the universe with the Most High, relaying instructions to thousands of angels under him. But, Lucifer sinned. He grew proud and coveted the throne of the Almighty. He began a rebellion, which continues to this day. Because of this, he was removed from office and his place was filled by another. In the book of Ezekiel, we read about Satan, (Lucifer) the anointed cherub who once stood in the very presence of the Eternal God.

Ezekiel 28: 11: Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
12: Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13: Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14: Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15: Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
16: By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
17: Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
18: Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
19: All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.

The chapter portrays Lucifer in days gone by when, as an anointed archangel. He stood in the very presence of the LORD; when he walked amidst the stones of fire; when he was perfect in all his ways. Yes, Lucifer was initially a spiritual olive branch through whom the holy oil flowed to lighten others. Indeed, he was called the son of the morning (Isaiah 14: 12). Perhaps Abaddon, the Antichrist was another archangel, who joined Satan in his rebellion, before he too was cast out of God's presence. We say this because the Antichrist who rises from the Bottomless Pit has the power to kill the Two Witnesses; an act, of which ordinary men are incapable. “But,” you may ask, “Can an angel die?” Aren't angels immortal beings? See A Voice In The Wilderness article, Immortality for the answer to this question.

Nadab & Abihu:

The story of Nadab and Abihu, the two eldest sons of Aaron was a reflection of what took place in the Temple above (Leviticus 10: 1-7). These two anointed sons of Aaron abused the great privilege granted to them of ministering in the tabernacle. In a way, somewhat similar to Satan, they had been especially anointed of God to stand in His presence and minister with their father Aaron, the High Priest (Exodus 28: 41, 30: 30). But, Nadab and Abihu sinned and were slain. They were replaced by their two younger brothers Eleazar and Ithamar. It is the same with Satan and Abaddon. Both sinned grievously and, like Nadab and Abihu, are scheduled to be burned to death.

8. Holy Archangels

Only two holy archangels are mentioned in the Scriptures. They are Gabriel & Michael. They now stand in the presence of the Most High. Carefully note Gabriel's words to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist.

Luke 1: 19: And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

The archangel Gabriel has visited earth on several occasions. He was sent to Daniel to explain the meaning of certain visions.

Daniel 8: 16: And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.

The remainder of the chapter contains Gabriel's explanation of the prophecy. Gabriel re-visited Daniel some 15 years later to give him skill and understanding, concerning the prophecy of the 70 weeks of years (Daniel 9: 20-27). Gabriel is seen again in the New Testament times, when he visited Zacharias (Luke 1:19). Later, he visited Mary to tell her of the birth of Jesus (Luke 1: 26-37). We can see from these visits, the archangel Gabriel is only sent to earth to deliver the most important messages; those, which concern the coming of the Messiah. We assume from this fact, in earth's final hour, when a third of mankind will die, the archangel Gabriel, the olive tree, the one who stands in Yahweh’s presence, will again be sent to deliver Yahweh's final offer of mercy and peace. Who is the other Witness? Probably the archangel Michael, who when contending with the Devil over the body of Moses left it for the Lord to rebuke Satan (Jude 9). Gabriel and Michael are the only holy angels named in Scripture. Michael is NOT the Lord.

9. Summary

To summarize, we believe, the Two Witnesses of Revelation are not the Word of the LORD, the Old and New Testaments, which have been with mankind for centuries and abide forever. Nor are they the Holy Spirit, Who is not subject to death. Nor are they two righteous men, past or present. The Two Witnesses are two mighty archangels who stand in the Almighty’s presence. One is Gabriel and the other is Michael. They are the “Two Olive Trees” pictured by Moses and Solomon standing on either side of the ark of the testament, which represents the very throne of God. The Two Witnesses will appear on earth at the 6th Trumpet (2nd Woe), when a third of the human race is scheduled to perish. As in the last days of SODOM, they will visit this evil generation with Yahweh's final warning and offer of salvation. They will proclaim the Everlasting Gospel for a period of 42 months, after which, like their Master, they will be murdered. They will rise to life again after three and a half days. No other conclusion fits all the scriptural clues concerning these holy beings.

Their Message:

The Two Witnesses preach the same message the prophets of old preached. In a sentence it is:

“...Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
(Ecclesiastes 12: 13)

Indeed, this is the Everlasting Gospel; the call to have faith in God, to accept His offer of salvation through His Son Yeshua and to keep His commandments. The Two Witnesses will preach the Everlasting Gospel with the added warning of the coming Day of Judgment. The plagues they bring down on mankind will vindicate the veracity and authority of the truths they proclaim. Our reaction to their message should be to have faith in Yeshua, the Lord Jesus Christ and then demonstrate that faith by keeping the commandments of the LORD God of Israel; especially His Sabbath command, which commemorates His creation. Anything short of faith and obedience is courting disaster!

AMEN

In The Son's Name, For The Father's Glory

A Voice In The Wilderness - USA
www.avitw-usa.org