Jordan - Two Witnesses
The Two Witnesses of Jesus- Dual Plan
"And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth." (Rev. 11: 3, 4.)
These two witnesses of Jesus are connected with the mensuration of the temple and the days of their prophesying covers the same time that is required for the development of the sanctuary: namely, forty-two months, or 1,260 days. The Lord undoubtedly refers to these days when he says, "Except those days should be shortened (from years to natural days), there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." (Matt. 24: 22.) If these prophetic days should represent as many years, no human being could survive them; hence they are shortened to common days—the only way they could be shortened. They do not diminish in number, but as prophetic days they are changed from so many years to as many natural days.
We will now notice the position, the commission and the final end of these two witnesses.
1. Their position. Jesus calls them "my two witnesses," and says that he will impart to them power, and they shall prophesy during 1,260 days, or three years and a half. Thus, they have been his witnesses before they receive that power, before the time specified for their special prophesying.
He calls them the two olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. We shall take up the last expression first.
a. They stand before the God of the earth. This is a peculiar expression, because God is always spoken of in the Scripture as the God of heaven. Found only a few times in the Bible and then always connected with one and the same object, it is, therefore, very significant. We find it in Josh. 3: 11, 13. "Behold," said Joshua to the people as they were about to pass over the Jordan, "the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you."… "And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest upon the waters of Jordan," etc. In Micah 4: 13, the same expression is connected with the victory of Zion over the nations, when the substance and the riches of the nations will be consecrated to the "Lord of the whole earth." It will be a work which corresponds to that of Joshua with respect to the ark of God. Again, the same expression is found in Zech. 4: 14; and 6: 5, which texts also speak of the wonderful work of God connected with his sanctuary. Thus we see that the expression "the God of the earth," refers to the time when his special power is displayed on the earth in connection with the sanctuary and the ark. Consequently, it points out the time for the special power of the two witnesses which is to be given them in connection with the development of the most holy place and the ark of the sanctuary of faith, when the earth is taken from the nations.
b. They are the two candlesticks. This expression denotes that these "candlesticks" are spoken of somewhere else; and so they are. In Zech. 4: 12, 14, they are spoken of as "two golden pipes"—candlestick-pipes for the oil (truth) of the lampstand—through which the golden oil (truth) runs into the sanctuary of God. As candlesticks they hold up the prophetic light that is given to guide the people of God on their way to meet the Great King.
c. They are the two olive trees. This, as well as the previous expression, points to some part of the Word of God where an explanation can be found. In Zech. 4th chapter, we find it. The prophet saw the sanctuary of faith, and in it he saw two olive trees by the bowl in which the oil for the lamps was kept—one tree on each side of the bowl. The angel asked him if he understood the meaning of what he saw, and he answered: "No." Then the angel revealed and explained it to him, thus:
"This is (signifies) the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
Who art thou, O great mountain? (the Babylonian mountain) before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain (be removed from the earth), and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof (of Zion) with shoutings, crying, Grace, race unto it! .... The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house (Zion), his hands shall also finish it," etc.
This was a queer explanation of what the two olive trees symbolized; but still, in the Spirit of prophecy, it is easily understood. The name Zerubbabel consists of two words, Zerub (Cherub) and Babel. The word Zerub or Cherub signifies a being that is separated and consecrated( to make or declare sacred; especially : to devote irrevocably to the worship of God by a solemn ceremony)
to God. The cherub of the sanctuary represented the highest earthly being and creative Logos-power. The other word, Babel, represents the kingdom of man. The whole name signifies: a cherub of God present among the works of Baal. Invested with the power of the "God of the whole earth," what will be the consequence of Zerubbabel's work? Just what the Lord tells the prophet. The great mountain of Baal will become a plain. The cherub is connected with the ark of God, before which the camp of the Philistines will be broken up.
But the prophet looked once more at the olive trees, and then he noticed they were only "olive branches" through which the golden oil was dripping. He asked for information. Then the angel answered him, "They are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth."
These "two anointed" or "consecrated" ( to make or declare sacred; especially : to devote irrevocably to the worship of God by a solemn ceremony) beings will stand as the ambassadors of the great King in his work to subdue the nations; they will be his public ministers in the cleansing work of the sanctuary. They are the witnesses of the High Priest, by whom he executes his duties in connection with the sanctuary. As witnesses they stand before his judgment-seat, testifying of the truth as he executes his righteous judgments over sinful Babylon.
In the typical sanctuary, these two witnesses were reflected on the inner veil, upon which they were embroidered with silk of "cunning work." Their proper place was above the mercy-seat of the ark, whereon they stood with their faces toward each other.
The cherubim were "beaten out of one piece" of gold. Thus they were originally one united body. It was God's command that they should be made in this manner, and the real meaning or significance of this typical construction will undoubtedly have its corresponding place in the development of the corresponding objects of the living sanctuary.
As the two witnesses are revealed to John in connection with the sanctuary, it is evident that they are closely connected with that sanctuary and that they will be a power within it. As golden pipes through which the golden oil flows into the vessels which belong to the lamps, will not they deliver the oil that Christ referred to, of which the wise virgins on their way to meet the Bridegroom are the recipients? Their spiritual life-fluid will continue to flow as a stream of light in the dark hours of night in order to guide the wise virgins through the door that is finally shut against the seducers and the seduced. That door is opened by the Spirit of prophecy and leads into the most holy apartment of the sanctuary. All persons who do not become sanctified by the influence of the Spirit of truth and who do not become separated from the iniquities that have defiled them in Babylon, are consequently shut out; the wise virgins are first gathered inside of that sanctifying institution and then the door is shut.
Many curious ideas prevail concerning these two witnesses. Nearly every sect has its own theory about them. Some look for Enoch and Elijah of the Old Testament to come back to earth; some claim that the Old and New Testaments constitute these witnesses; others, that they are the Word of God and the Spirit. But, all such theories vanish as soon as a thorough investigation of the subject is made. The Word and the Spirit constitute God's light, but the witnesses only candlesticks.
The teaching of the S. D. Adventists, that the two witnesses are the Old and New Testaments which were killed (destroyed) in the French revolution in 1793-4, and which ascended to heaven in that new editions of the Bible were printed, is too silly to be believed by any thinking being. It is a link in the mystery-chain of their prophetess. For fear that those two living beings would eventually expose their assumed religious position, they have done like the man who boxed up the subject he murdered and sent it to a foreign country.
2. The commission of the two witnesses. "These have authority to shut heaven, so that it may not rain in the days of their prophecy." They are invested with the power of Elijah. "And they have authority over the waters to turn them into blood and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they choose." They are also invested with the power of Moses. Their commission, therefore, is to lead the people out of Babylon and back to Jehovah. Nothing less than the three and one-half years of drought, reflected. in Palestine during the time of Elijah, and the plagues brought forth in Egypt by Moses, will convince the people that they have been and are the servants of Baal and his kingdom. The lords of Babylon depend as much on their service as did the lords of Egypt; hence, nothing less than depressive means, threatening their very lives, will induce them to let the people go and serve the God of heaven.
Were it not for the supernatural power these two beings are invested with in order to defend themselves against the red dragon, the Babylonians would soon exterminate them. But, like the fire-vomiting dragon, they also send forth fire out of their mouths in defence of their lives and their mission.
3. Their final fate. "And when they shall have completed their testimony, that wild beast ascending out of the bottomless pit will make war with them, and will conquer and kill them." Those who try to hurt them will fall dead before them in the same manner as Ananias and Sapphira did before the feet of Peter. The Spirit of God will kill them. But at the closing up of their testimony, the nations will unite in bringing their dragonic forces against them and will capture and execute them. Satan will possess the wicked masses so thoroughly that they will even hate the dead bodies of those two beings, who, in love of humanity, have warned the world concerning the judgment of God. They will not suffer them to be buried, but will let them lie on the streets of a wicked city, where all the passers-by can spit on them and give them a kick.
By the influence of the false teachers, the world will be led to believe that these two witnesses are the Antichrist who was to come. Enveloped by the cover of Antichrist, it will be impossible for all that cling to the works of man to see these two beings who cause a general disturbance in the world in any other light. Like the Jews at the time of Christ's first advent, the churches, holding fast to their dogmas during- such dangerous times, seek the special protection of the worldly power and, consequently, they cause the people to remove from the earth such beings who are opposed to them and who destroy the fat pastures of the shepherds.
Like Christ was captured by Roman soldiers who were under the influence of the leaders of the church, so these two beings will be taken and brought before a tribunal. Here, like Christ, they will be surrounded by false witnesses who perhaps have heard and misunderstood them but who desire to please their employers by testifying whatever they consider necessary to cause their death. The sentence of the law is passed over them, the death warrant is signed, and they are brought out for execution.
A feeling of joy, that they are now rid of the terrible Antichrist—as they think and say—passes like a mighty wave throughout the deceived world. They do not know that at the same time they in this manner cut off the mission of the witnesses of Jesus, they also reach their own probationary line with the terrible judgment of God resting over their heads. Here, a greater and more terrible catastrophe than the one centering on the Jews at the crucifixion of Christ stands before the "Christian" world. They have had time before them for repentence, but here that time ends. The door of mercy is shut, and the seven last plagues follow.
The prophetic language regarding the two witnesses compared with the history of the execution of their Lord, shows that they will be executed under similar circumstances, also under similar accusations. Right here then, we may add the death warrant of Christ as a model to be followed when the specified time comes. A copper plate found in the kingdom of Naples in the year 1810, A. D., contained the following inscription:
"Sentence rendered by Pontius Pilate, Acting-Governor of Lower Galilee, stating that Jesus of Nazareth shall suffer death on the cross. In the year 17 of the Emperor Tiberius Caesar, and the 27th day of March, the City of Holy Jerusalem—Annas and Caiaphas being priests, sanctificatoes of the people of God—Pontius Pilate, Governor of Lower Galilee, sitting in the Presidential chair of the fractory, condemns Jesus of Nazareth to die on the cross, between two thieves, the great and notorious evidence of the people saying:
Jesus is a Redeemer.
He is seditious.
He is the enemy of the law.
He calls himself falsely the Son of God.
He calls himself falsely the King of Israel.
He entered into the temple followed by a multitude having palm branches in their hands.
Order the first Centurian, Quintius Cornelius, to lead him to the place of execution. Forbid any person whomsoever, either rich or poor, to oppose the death of Jesus.
The witnesses who signed the condemnations of Jesus are:
Daniel Rabboni, a Pharisee.
Joannes Rabboni.
Raphael Rabboni.
Japet, a citizen.
Jesus shall go out of the City of Jerusalem by the gate of Strannus."
The death-warrant of Christ was signed by three Rabbonies —Doctors of Divinity—and one citizen. Yes, it takes Doctors of Divinity to sign such warrants. Let us remember that!
The renowned Frenchman, Victor Hugo, wrote a short poem which we think fits in here as a reflective' picture with respect to the crucifixion of Christ, also with respect to his crucifixion in his two witnesses some time in the near future. It contains the opinion of a person whose whole life was centered in the power that exists.