The First Half of the Tribulation
(3 1/2 years = 42 months = 1,260 days = time, times and half a time)
Jewish worship and sacrifices begin again at rebuilt temple – 2 witnesses – first Seals – first Trumpets – Satan hurled down from heaven
“He will confirm a covenant with many [The Jews] for one ‘seven’, [a seven year span] but in the middle of that ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And one who causes desolation will place abominations on a wing of the temple until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” – Daniel 9:27
Revelation Chapter 11 prophesies about the 2 witnesses that will be sent by God
Revelation 11:2 – “ ‘Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it.’ ”
The command to ‘measure the temple of God and the altar’ indicates that a new temple will indeed be built, contrary to some sites stating that only an altar would be required for Jewish worship.
‘Those who worship in it’ Scripture confirms that the 2 Witnesses are in the first half of the Tribulation. There will not be any worship, except to the Beast, occurring in the second half of the Tribulation.
2 Witnesses
Notice the fact that God sends two witnesses to testify – that is significant.
2 witnesses were always required throughout Scripture when testifying against some iniquity.
Deuteronomy 17:6-7 – “On the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.”
Deuteronomy 19:15 – “A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.”
John 8:17 – “Even in your law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true.”
Zechariah 4:11-14 – “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lamp stand?’ … So he said, ‘These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth.’ “
This is also what’s called ‘near and far prophesies’ which occur frequently throughout Scripture. It means it happens during, or relatively close to the time of the prophet who is prophesying and also in the distant future.
The two olive trees in the distant future are the two witnesses during the Tribulation and they indeed will serve the Lord of all the earth.
Who the 2 witnesses will be
There is great debate that they are either Elijah and Enoch or Elijah and Moses or even possibly two regular men empowered by God as in the near prophesy in Zechariah 4:12.
Neither Elijah nor Enoch died.
2 Kings 2:1 – “And it came about when the Lord was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind to heaven …” And he will return: Malachi 4:5 – “ ‘See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.’
Some might state that that happened with John the Baptist. Luke 1:17 – “It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah”. However it’s always important to study the exact words used – the Bible states ‘in the spirit’ – not body. Elijah hasn’t returned as yet.
Genesis 5:24 – “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” Hebrews 11:5 – “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death … for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.”
In Jude’s one chapter book he wrote about Enoch – Jude 1:14-16 – “It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.’ These are grumblers, finding fault following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.”
Scripture is full of knowledge and understanding – Hebrews 9:27 – “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.”
So it might be these two great men of God. Elijah and Enoch. Neither have died as yet, and Scripture makes it clear men are to die – once.
Many hold strongly to the opinion that the two witnesses will be Moses and Elijah because they both appeared to the Lord during His transfiguration. Matthew 17:3 – “And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.”
Further compelling arguments that the two witnesses will be these two men are due to the fact that the miracles written about in Chapter 11 are very similar to those previously performed by Moses and Elijah in Old Testament times.
James 5:17 states: “Elijah…prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.” Interestingly, 3 1/2 years is the length of time these two witnesses will prophesy in the End Times.
The first of the ten plagues of Egypt was Moses turning the waters into blood – Exodus 7:20-21: “So Moses…lifted up the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile…and all the water…was turned to blood…and the blood was through all the land of Egypt.”
The seventh plague was hail and fire – Exodus 9:23: “Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt. So there was hail, and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very severe, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.”
Fire also came from the Lord in answer to another prayer of Elijah’s – 1 Kings 18:36-39: ” ‘O Lord…today let it be known that You are God…’ Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and the said, ‘The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.’ ”
Pretty strong arguments for Moses and Elijah. Then again, the two witnesses may be two entirely new prophets of God. Time will tell.
Hebrews 11:6 – “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who come to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”
click link for scripture only: Two Witnesses – in sequential order
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Hurray, that’s what I was exploring for. What an information present here at this blog, thanks admin of this website.
People like to think the two witnesses are Elijah and Enoch because they never died, and Scripture says that it is appointed for each to die and then face judgment. Have they never notice that an entire generation of Christians will be taken without dying?
The sanctuary that is being measured is the Bride, the wife of the Lamb. (The Temple of God is the Church, the body of Christ. God doesn’t live in temples made with hands.) They are being measured to see if they measure up to the full measure of Christ (Eph 4:13), His Body, and since they don’t, the outer court, their flesh will be trampled, At the end of Revelation, the holy city finally does measure up, having been made perfect through suffering as their Lord had (Heb 2:10; Heb 12). The two witnesses are Lampstands, defined earlier in Revelation as the witnessing churches, likely, Smyrna and Philadelphia, the faithful who are perfect, not by works, but by patiently enduring, casting aside every weight and the sin that easily besets, and running the race set before us, thereby overcoming the beast and false prophet.