3“And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4These are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands that stand before the Lord of the earth.5And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way.6They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.
We a have read about messengers before, look at Malachi 3:1 where we read about Elijah. Elijah will be sent before the great Day of the Lord. In some versions it says great dreadful day. These two prophets will serve to prophesy and witness of 1260, sound familiar? This is the time period we just spoke of it measures 3 and 1/2 years. Remember, that period of time is a time of terror and of destruction.
Their clothing will be sackcloth, from this we can guess the message will be a dark and sober one.
Many scholars have had different ideas about the witnesses and who or what they are. the number two is of significance in that two is the number for testimony. John is the one having visions and we must remember that there is much symbolism being used and this may just be the case. We will not know for sure until that great and glorious day! Look in the Book of Zechariah 4:3. There is mention of two olive trees buy a bowl, one on the right and one on the left. This passage the trees are worship and prophetic testimony.
Again, we will not know.
Other ideas are:
Law and Prophets
Old and New Testament
Law and Gospel
Or the witnesses just may be a picture of the church... But how? look at Deuteronomy 19:15 where it tells us that if we bring charges against anyone, we must have two witnesses to confirm it
Enoch and Elijah: this one is popular for the reason that neither one of these persons is recorded as ever dying. (Genesis 5:24 and 2kings 2:11)
The most popular is that the witnesses are Elijah and Moses.
Elijah is thought to be the greatest prophet and Moses was the best in Law giving. What two better witnesses? Hey have hung out together before so this would be their second appearance. it Remember, it was those two who showed up on the Mt of
Transfiguration, and appeared to our Lord Jesus Christ. (Mark 9:4).
More evidence?
2 Kings 1:10. It says , "10And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty." In some older versions, it actually mentions fire proceeding out of their mouths and burns up their enemies.
Now look in 1 Kings 17:1 Elijah is prophesying to Ahab saying no rain! This sounds like our man!
Now, look at the next chapter and consider Moses and his history.
Exodus 7:14-18 Water into blood, and oh the plagues he loosed on Pharaoh! This sounds like our other man!
We already know that Elijah is suppose to return the bring in the end! (Malachi 3:1). Now remember in Deu 18:18 God promised to raise up a prophet like Moses...Who better than Moses himself...Through God ALL things are possible!!
Now I have gone on long enough on this one!
Blessings on all till next time
Calabash
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