THE PROPHETS' PUZZLE
"And I will give power to my two witnesses and they will be clothed in burlap and will prophesy for 1,260 days. These two prophets are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth."
What is said about the two witnesses in the prophecy?
First of all, to just start guessing who the two witnesses are without using scripture to interpret the clues, and then the clues to interpret whom the witnesses are is simply foolish. We are not given the liberty of just saying, "Well, I believe it is Moses and Elijah, or Moses and Enoch" without doing the homework of deciphering the clues and applying every single one to the persona of these two witnesses. Only after you have done this can you begin to make an educated guess. Only after all clues have been applied and it fits you can say, "Well, I believe. . . ."
The time in which these two witnesses testify and prophecy is the 3 ½ prophetic days or 1,260 years before the Islamic Beast kills them in the streets of Jerusalem and begins construction of the Dome of the Rock in 688 AD and the al-Aqsa mosque in 707 AD. The scripture says that AFTER these two witnesses have finished their testimony, the Beast from the Abyss, Islam, will declare war, conquer and kill them in the streets of Jerusalem. If they prophesied after they were killed by the Islamic Beast, then their testimony would not be finished. The first half of the Week of Exile is the time of their prophesying and testifying.
Let us look at each of the facts given concerning these prophets or witnesses.
They are clothed in burlap or sackcloth.
What does it mean, in Biblical times, when someone dresses himself in sackcloth? It means that he is in a state of mourning. The Old Testament is peppered with saints dressed in sackcloth, mourning over the loss of someone or something.
They are described as lampstands and olive trees.
Are there other places in the Bible where a lampstand is symbolic of something?
Revelation 1:12-13, 1:20 "When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. . . . This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches."
We see here that a lampstand is not a reference to a singular person, but rather a whole group of people.
Are there other places in the Bible where an olive tree is symbolic of something?
Romans 11:16b-18 "For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too. But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree – some of the people of Israel – have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root ofGod’s special olive tree. But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root."
We see here that an olive tree is also not a reference to a singular person, but rather a whole group of people. There has been much speculation in the Modern American Church as to who these witnesses are. The most popular belief concerning these witnesses is that they are Moses and Elijah or Enoch and Elijah who will return to earth because they never died and they need to die just like everyone else. First of all, Moses, Enoch and Elijah are never described as lampstands or olive trees. Secondly, lampstands and olive trees already symbolically represent a whole body of people and not a person. Thirdly, this prophecy is concerning the Exile of Israel, of which, these three’s ministries had nothing to do with the Exile of Israel.
They stand in the court of the Lord of all the earth.
Zechariah 4:1-14 "Then the angel who had been talking with me returned and woke me, as though I had been asleep. "What do you see now?" he asked."
"I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl of oil on top of it. Around the bowl are seven lamps, each having seven spouts with wicks. And I see two olive trees, one on each side of the bowl." Then I asked the angel, "What are these, my lord? What do they mean?"
"Don’t you know?" the angel asked.
"No, my lord," I replied.
Then he said to me, "This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout; ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’"
Then another message came to me from the Lord: Zerubbabel is the one who laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me. Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand"
(The seven lamps represent the eyes of the Lord that search all around the world.)
Then I asked the angel, "What are these two olive trees on each side of the lampstand, and what are the two olive branches that pour out golden oil through two gold tubes?"
"Don’t you know?" he asked.
"No, my lord," I replied.
"Then he said to me, "They represent the two heavenly beings who stand in the court of the Lord of all the earth."
This represents a place in God or a standing with God. It represents being singled out or chosen by God to be His own. Only those who are invited can stand in the court of the Lord of all the earth. Consuming Fire, Plagues and blood on enemies by witnesses
Consuming fire, various plagues and turning rivers into blood are all judgments exercised by God Almighty. God has used Israel as a vessel in various times to exercise and carry out His Judgments.
Let us connect the dots.
With everything that we have just learned, we can put a picture together of who these witnesses are.
Dressed in sackcloth – in mourning during the time of exile
Lampstands and olive trees – groups of people – more specifically, the saints of God
Stand in the Court of the Lord – Represents being chosen by God and a place in God.
Consuming Fire, Plagues and Blood – God using earthly vessels to execute Judgment
Out of the mouth of two witnesses. . .
There is one more thing that needs to be added which is repeated over and over in the New Testament that applies here. Here are a few scriptures about two witnesses.
Matthew 11:13 "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John."
Luke 16:16 "The law and the prophets [were] until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it."
Acts 24:14 "But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:"
The Identity of The Two Witnesses Revealed
These two witnesses in a physical sense are Israel and Judah. In a symbolic sense, I believe they could represent the prophecies of Daniel and Ezekiel, who are commonly known as "The Two Exile Prophets". In a spiritual sense they are the law and the prophets. They are exiled from their homeland and are in mourning. Even though they are in Exile, they still are the "Heavenly Beings who stand in the Court of the Lord of all the earth." They are still the apple of God’s eye. For the first 1,260 years of Exile, they are a witness and a prophecy to the world of Yahweh God.
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What is said about the two witnesses in the prophecy?
- They will be clothed in burlap
- They will prophecy for 1,260 day/years.
- They are described as olive trees and lampstands
- These witnesses stand before the Lord of all the earth.
- Consuming fire, plagues and blood upon enemies by the witnesses.
First of all, to just start guessing who the two witnesses are without using scripture to interpret the clues, and then the clues to interpret whom the witnesses are is simply foolish. We are not given the liberty of just saying, "Well, I believe it is Moses and Elijah, or Moses and Enoch" without doing the homework of deciphering the clues and applying every single one to the persona of these two witnesses. Only after you have done this can you begin to make an educated guess. Only after all clues have been applied and it fits you can say, "Well, I believe. . . ."
The time in which these two witnesses testify and prophecy is the 3 ½ prophetic days or 1,260 years before the Islamic Beast kills them in the streets of Jerusalem and begins construction of the Dome of the Rock in 688 AD and the al-Aqsa mosque in 707 AD. The scripture says that AFTER these two witnesses have finished their testimony, the Beast from the Abyss, Islam, will declare war, conquer and kill them in the streets of Jerusalem. If they prophesied after they were killed by the Islamic Beast, then their testimony would not be finished. The first half of the Week of Exile is the time of their prophesying and testifying.
Let us look at each of the facts given concerning these prophets or witnesses.
They are clothed in burlap or sackcloth.
What does it mean, in Biblical times, when someone dresses himself in sackcloth? It means that he is in a state of mourning. The Old Testament is peppered with saints dressed in sackcloth, mourning over the loss of someone or something.
They are described as lampstands and olive trees.
Are there other places in the Bible where a lampstand is symbolic of something?
Revelation 1:12-13, 1:20 "When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. . . . This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches."
We see here that a lampstand is not a reference to a singular person, but rather a whole group of people.
Are there other places in the Bible where an olive tree is symbolic of something?
Romans 11:16b-18 "For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too. But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree – some of the people of Israel – have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root ofGod’s special olive tree. But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root."
We see here that an olive tree is also not a reference to a singular person, but rather a whole group of people. There has been much speculation in the Modern American Church as to who these witnesses are. The most popular belief concerning these witnesses is that they are Moses and Elijah or Enoch and Elijah who will return to earth because they never died and they need to die just like everyone else. First of all, Moses, Enoch and Elijah are never described as lampstands or olive trees. Secondly, lampstands and olive trees already symbolically represent a whole body of people and not a person. Thirdly, this prophecy is concerning the Exile of Israel, of which, these three’s ministries had nothing to do with the Exile of Israel.
They stand in the court of the Lord of all the earth.
Zechariah 4:1-14 "Then the angel who had been talking with me returned and woke me, as though I had been asleep. "What do you see now?" he asked."
"I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl of oil on top of it. Around the bowl are seven lamps, each having seven spouts with wicks. And I see two olive trees, one on each side of the bowl." Then I asked the angel, "What are these, my lord? What do they mean?"
"Don’t you know?" the angel asked.
"No, my lord," I replied.
Then he said to me, "This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout; ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’"
Then another message came to me from the Lord: Zerubbabel is the one who laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me. Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand"
(The seven lamps represent the eyes of the Lord that search all around the world.)
Then I asked the angel, "What are these two olive trees on each side of the lampstand, and what are the two olive branches that pour out golden oil through two gold tubes?"
"Don’t you know?" he asked.
"No, my lord," I replied.
"Then he said to me, "They represent the two heavenly beings who stand in the court of the Lord of all the earth."
This represents a place in God or a standing with God. It represents being singled out or chosen by God to be His own. Only those who are invited can stand in the court of the Lord of all the earth. Consuming Fire, Plagues and blood on enemies by witnesses
Consuming fire, various plagues and turning rivers into blood are all judgments exercised by God Almighty. God has used Israel as a vessel in various times to exercise and carry out His Judgments.
Let us connect the dots.
With everything that we have just learned, we can put a picture together of who these witnesses are.
Dressed in sackcloth – in mourning during the time of exile
Lampstands and olive trees – groups of people – more specifically, the saints of God
Stand in the Court of the Lord – Represents being chosen by God and a place in God.
Consuming Fire, Plagues and Blood – God using earthly vessels to execute Judgment
Out of the mouth of two witnesses. . .
There is one more thing that needs to be added which is repeated over and over in the New Testament that applies here. Here are a few scriptures about two witnesses.
Matthew 11:13 "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John."
Luke 16:16 "The law and the prophets [were] until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it."
Acts 24:14 "But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:"
The Identity of The Two Witnesses Revealed
These two witnesses in a physical sense are Israel and Judah. In a symbolic sense, I believe they could represent the prophecies of Daniel and Ezekiel, who are commonly known as "The Two Exile Prophets". In a spiritual sense they are the law and the prophets. They are exiled from their homeland and are in mourning. Even though they are in Exile, they still are the "Heavenly Beings who stand in the Court of the Lord of all the earth." They are still the apple of God’s eye. For the first 1,260 years of Exile, they are a witness and a prophecy to the world of Yahweh God.
Click on the link below to go to the next section.