Topic: Today, God Is Recruiting People For An End Time Battle!
Introduction: Rev 11:3 “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days (3 1/2 YEARS), clothed in sackcloth.” This mighty army of Spirit-filled Christian overcomers which will be the final clean-up troop as the end time Christian era comes to a close. These soldiers of God are characterized by four different names: 1. Two Witnesses 2. Two olive trees 3. Two candlesticks 4. Two Prophets .
I. What do these words,“TWO WITNESS”, symbolize? Were they two persons only or are they a group of people? I personally believe that these are a troop of soldiers that have an inner witness in their spirits of two fathers: The Apostle Paul had this double witness in his heart when he wrote all of his epistles! Here are a couple of sample verses that would declare this truth from the book of Romans:
A. Rom 1:7 “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from GOD OUR FATHER, and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
B. Rom 4:12 “And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of OUR FATHER ABRAHAM, which he had being yet uncircumcised.”
II. What do the words “TWO OLIVE TREES” symbolize? I personally believe that these are two ministries representing both Moses and Elijah that should witness in every spirit-filled believer’s spirit! The Prophet Zechariah desired to know who the “TWO OLIVE TREES” were also:
A. Zech 4:11-14 “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? 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? And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth.” I believe these “two anointed ones” represent the “law and the prophets” ministry in the body of Christ. Moses represents the law and Elijah represents the prophets - Matt 17:3 “And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.”
B. Matt 5:17-18 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law (MOSES‘ MINISTRY), or the prophets (ELIJAH‘S MINISTRY): I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”
C. Matt 7:12 “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
D. The Apostle Paul said that the message he was declaring about Jesus as the Christ was revealed within the “LAW AND THE PROPHETS” - Acts 28:23 “And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.”
III. What do the “TWO CANDLESTICKS” symbolize? In the scriptures, we find the candlesticks representing two churches - Read Heb 3:1-6
A. Acts 7:37-38 “This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. This is he, that was in THE CHURCH IN THE WILDERNESS with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:”
B. Matt 16:16-18 “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and UPON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
IV. What do the words “TWO PROPHETS” symbolize? Where are these two prophets found in the word of God?
A. Deut 34:10 “And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,”
B. Acts 3:20-24 “And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.”
Summary: Over the years there has been much speculation about these persons that are written in Rev 11:1-13. Many have declared them not to be persons but things and they are mostly not even spoken of by the majority of people that call themselves Christians. I personally see them as a group of end-time Spirit-filled believers that resist and hinder the antichrist for 3 1/2 years until he kills them in the streets of Jerusalem! Glory to God when the antichrist thought he had the victory over these overcomers, they were resurrected by the Lord Jesus Christ - Rev 11:7-12 “And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.”
