THE TWO WITNESSESS
Revelation 11:1-14 "Then I was given a measuring stick, and I was told, "Go and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers. But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months. And I will givepower 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. If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die. They have power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish."
"When they have completed their testimony, the Beast that comes up out of the Abyss will declare war against them, and he will conquer them and kill them. And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city that is figuratively called "Sodom" and "Egypt", the city where their Lord was crucified. And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them. All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them."
"But after three and a half days, God breathed life into them, and they stood up! Terror struck all who were staring at them. Then a loud voice from heaven called the two prophets, "Come up here!" And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched."
"At the same time there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake, and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven."
"The second terror is past, but look, the third terror is coming quickly."
"These two prophets are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die. They have power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish."
"When they have completed their testimony, the Beast that comes up out of the Abyss will declare war against them, and he will conquer them and kill them. And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city that is figuratively called "Sodom" and "Egypt", the city where their Lord was crucified. And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them. All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them."
"But after three and a half days, God breathed life into them, and they stood up! Terror struck all who were staring at them. Then a loud voice from heaven called the two prophets, "Come up here!" And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched."
"At the same time there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake, and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven."
"The second terror is past, but look, the third terror is coming quickly."
There are several key things that are mentioned in this prophecy.
- The Outer courtyard (Gentile Court) is turned over to the nations.
- Jerusalem will be trampled for 42 months.
- Two witnesses clothed in burlap will prophesy for 1,260 days.
- Witnesses are called lampstands and olive trees before the Lord.
- The Witnesses have power to bring wrath and judgment.
- The Beast of the Abyss will declare war, conquer and kill the witnesses.
- Their bodies will lie in the streets of Jerusalem.
- For 3 ½ days, all peoples will celebrate the death of the two prophets.
- After 3 ½ days, a loud voice from heaven calls the two prophets to heaven.
- Their enemies watched them rise to heaven.
- A terrible earthquake destroyed a tenth of the city and 7000 people perished.
- Everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
THE OUTER COURTYARD
What is the outer courtyard of the Temple? It is the area where Gentile Worshipers were allowed to gather to worship Yahweh, which was next to the Temple. It is also known as the Gentile Court. It says that the Gentile Court was turned over to the nations for 42 months. Why just the Gentile Court? Why not the whole Temple Mount? What is so special about the Gentile Court? If the Beast of the Abyss takes Jerusalem, why does it only trample the Gentile Court, and who is this Beast of the Abyss?
THE BEAST OF THE DARK ABYSS
Before I go further, let me recap what we learned about the Beast of the Dark Abyss. I will quote from Islam in Prophecy by: Daniel Botkin.
"The army of locusts came forth from a dark cloud of smoke that rolled out of the bottomless pit. The "bottomless pit" in Greek is abussos (abussoß), the source of our English word abyss. Some English Bibles simply translate it as "the abyss." It is remarkable that Abul A’la Mawdudi, one of Islam’s most prominent scholars of the 20th century, used the very word abyss when writing about the beginnings of Islam. In a book written to introduce English-speaking people to the basics of Islam, Mawdudi tells his readers that Muhammed and his message came out of "Arabia – the Abyss of Darkness." These are his exact words, and they appear in bold print as a sub-heading in his book. It is no mere coincidence that this outstanding Islamic author unwittingly identified Islam’s source, in bold print no less, as "the Abyss of Darkness," using the very same word that appears in Revelation."
Before I go further, let me recap what we learned about the Beast of the Dark Abyss. I will quote from Islam in Prophecy by: Daniel Botkin.
"The army of locusts came forth from a dark cloud of smoke that rolled out of the bottomless pit. The "bottomless pit" in Greek is abussos (abussoß), the source of our English word abyss. Some English Bibles simply translate it as "the abyss." It is remarkable that Abul A’la Mawdudi, one of Islam’s most prominent scholars of the 20th century, used the very word abyss when writing about the beginnings of Islam. In a book written to introduce English-speaking people to the basics of Islam, Mawdudi tells his readers that Muhammed and his message came out of "Arabia – the Abyss of Darkness." These are his exact words, and they appear in bold print as a sub-heading in his book. It is no mere coincidence that this outstanding Islamic author unwittingly identified Islam’s source, in bold print no less, as "the Abyss of Darkness," using the very same word that appears in Revelation."
THE TRAMPLING OF THE GENTILE COURT
Since we have established that Islam is the Beast of the Dark Abyss, let us take a look at how they trample the Gentile Court. Where is the Gentile Court as pertaining to the Temple Mount? On the top is a sketch of where the Gentile Court was in pertaining to Solomon’s and Herod’s Temple, and on the bottom is the way it looks today.
Since we have established that Islam is the Beast of the Dark Abyss, let us take a look at how they trample the Gentile Court. Where is the Gentile Court as pertaining to the Temple Mount? On the top is a sketch of where the Gentile Court was in pertaining to Solomon’s and Herod’s Temple, and on the bottom is the way it looks today.
So, we see that the al-Aqsa Mosque is in the Gentile Court Area, while the Dome of the Rock is right over where the Holy of Holies used to be. There are two prophetic fulfillments that correspond with these two buildings. One pertains to the Gentile Court being trampled while the other pertains to the Abomination of Desolation. There are also many who believe that the Temple was over the Dome of the Spirits which is just above the Dome of the Rock. If that was the case, then both the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa would be in the Gentile Court which would still be in line with the prophecy.
THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION X 2
There are actually two Abominations of Desolation. Both of them are mentioned in Daniel. The first one is mentioned in Daniel 11:31. If you go from Daniel 11:1 to 11:31 you will find that it matches every single battle and skirmish from the time Alexander the Great conquered Persia until the time when Antiochus IV, bitter at the Jews, overthrew the Temple and set up a pagan altar.
Daniel 11:31 "And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation."
Josephus records the event:
. . .However, in that citadel dwelt the impious and wicked part of the [Jewish] multitude, from whom it proved that the citizens suffered many and sore calamities. And when the king [Antiochus IV] had built an idol altar upon God’s altar, he slew swine upon it, and so offered a sacrifice.This would be considered the only abomination of desolation if Jesus had not spoken of it as being an event in the future.
Mark 13:14 "So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains."
Here we find that it is two-fold. The first abomination of desolation, the pagan altar in the temple happened in 167 B.C. When does the second abomination of desolation take place? Let us look at the second mention of it in Daniel.
Daniel 12:11 "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days"
Notice that in this passage there is no mention of defiling the temple fortress. That is because the second time happens on the Temple Mount without a Temple present.
So, when does this 2nd Abomination of Desolation take place? Daniel said that there are 1,290 days between when the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up. Since there is no mention in John’s Revelation about daily sacrifices being abolished, we need to look at when it actually happened in the past. There have been three times when this has happened. The second time that the daily sacrifices were abolished was in Daniel’s time in the year 583 BC. The third time was when Antiochus IV abolished them and enforced the sacrifice of swine upon the pagan altar.
Let us look at the second time. Since we know that years in prophecy are many times represented as days, the 1,290 days can actually be years. Not only that, but you will see that both lunar and solar years can apply to this date. First, we will look at the lunar years. How many days are in a lunar calendar year? 360 days are in a lunar calendar year. This is 5 and ¼ days less than the solar calendar year goes by which is what most of the world uses today. So, if these years are lunar years, then we need to use a solar to lunar year converter. What percentage is 360 of 365.25? The answer is 98.56% or .9856. How do we change the 1,290 lunar years into solar years? It’s simple.
We multiply 1,290 by .9856 and we come up with 1,271. So, 1,290 lunar years are equal to 1,271 solar years. If we add 1.271 years to 583 BC, that takes us to the year 688 AD. What happened in 688 AD that was a historical event in the history of Israel? 688 AD is the year that Islam began the construction of the Dome of the Rock upon the Temple Mount. Now, we are beginning to see the fog clear a little on the context of the prophecy in Revelation 11.
What happens if we don’t convert the figure 1,290 into solar years? What if we treat 1,290 as solar years instead of lunar years? Let’s try that. Add 1,290 years to the year 583 BC and you come to the year 707 AD. Is there anything special about that year? Yes, there is. This is the year that Islam began construction of the second mosque in the Gentile Court of the Temple Mount named al-Aqsa, meaning "farthest from Mecca." So, both times, 688 AD and 707 AD, match perfectly with the times of the construction of the two Muslim Mosques on the Temple Mount. The Dome of the Rock was built almost directly over where both Solomon’s and Herod’s Temples were built, while al-Aqsa was built in the Gentile or Outer Court area.
There are actually two Abominations of Desolation. Both of them are mentioned in Daniel. The first one is mentioned in Daniel 11:31. If you go from Daniel 11:1 to 11:31 you will find that it matches every single battle and skirmish from the time Alexander the Great conquered Persia until the time when Antiochus IV, bitter at the Jews, overthrew the Temple and set up a pagan altar.
Daniel 11:31 "And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation."
Josephus records the event:
. . .However, in that citadel dwelt the impious and wicked part of the [Jewish] multitude, from whom it proved that the citizens suffered many and sore calamities. And when the king [Antiochus IV] had built an idol altar upon God’s altar, he slew swine upon it, and so offered a sacrifice.This would be considered the only abomination of desolation if Jesus had not spoken of it as being an event in the future.
Mark 13:14 "So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains."
Here we find that it is two-fold. The first abomination of desolation, the pagan altar in the temple happened in 167 B.C. When does the second abomination of desolation take place? Let us look at the second mention of it in Daniel.
Daniel 12:11 "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days"
Notice that in this passage there is no mention of defiling the temple fortress. That is because the second time happens on the Temple Mount without a Temple present.
So, when does this 2nd Abomination of Desolation take place? Daniel said that there are 1,290 days between when the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up. Since there is no mention in John’s Revelation about daily sacrifices being abolished, we need to look at when it actually happened in the past. There have been three times when this has happened. The second time that the daily sacrifices were abolished was in Daniel’s time in the year 583 BC. The third time was when Antiochus IV abolished them and enforced the sacrifice of swine upon the pagan altar.
Let us look at the second time. Since we know that years in prophecy are many times represented as days, the 1,290 days can actually be years. Not only that, but you will see that both lunar and solar years can apply to this date. First, we will look at the lunar years. How many days are in a lunar calendar year? 360 days are in a lunar calendar year. This is 5 and ¼ days less than the solar calendar year goes by which is what most of the world uses today. So, if these years are lunar years, then we need to use a solar to lunar year converter. What percentage is 360 of 365.25? The answer is 98.56% or .9856. How do we change the 1,290 lunar years into solar years? It’s simple.
We multiply 1,290 by .9856 and we come up with 1,271. So, 1,290 lunar years are equal to 1,271 solar years. If we add 1.271 years to 583 BC, that takes us to the year 688 AD. What happened in 688 AD that was a historical event in the history of Israel? 688 AD is the year that Islam began the construction of the Dome of the Rock upon the Temple Mount. Now, we are beginning to see the fog clear a little on the context of the prophecy in Revelation 11.
What happens if we don’t convert the figure 1,290 into solar years? What if we treat 1,290 as solar years instead of lunar years? Let’s try that. Add 1,290 years to the year 583 BC and you come to the year 707 AD. Is there anything special about that year? Yes, there is. This is the year that Islam began construction of the second mosque in the Gentile Court of the Temple Mount named al-Aqsa, meaning "farthest from Mecca." So, both times, 688 AD and 707 AD, match perfectly with the times of the construction of the two Muslim Mosques on the Temple Mount. The Dome of the Rock was built almost directly over where both Solomon’s and Herod’s Temples were built, while al-Aqsa was built in the Gentile or Outer Court area.
AL-AQSA AND THE DOME OF THE ROCK
One thing that does need to be understood is that the Dome of the Rock is a shrine while al-Aqsa is a mosque. To understand the role of both buildings I will quote an excerpt from the Al-Aqsa Islamic Society’s web page on the history of al-Aqsa.
"Ten years after the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) received his first revelation, he made a miraculous night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and to the Seven Heavens on a white flying horse called Al-Buraq El-Sharif. During his interval in Jerusalem, the Prophet stopped to pray at the rock (now covered by the golden Dome), and was given the commandment to pray five times a day."
"Today, Muslims throughout the World use Mecca as the direction of prayers (Qibla). However, for 16½ months following the Prophet Mohammad's miraculous journey, Jerusalem was the Qibla."
"During Prophet Mohammad's life (pbuh), he instructed Muslims to visit not only the mosque where they lived in Mecca, but also the 'Farthest mosque' from them which lay 2000 kilometers north, in Jerusalem. Hence the name Al-Masjid El-Aqsa, or Al-Aqsa Mosque. "
"Al-Aqsa Mosque is the second oldest mosque in Islam after the Ka'ba in Mecca, and is third in holiness and importance after the mosques in Mecca and Medina."
"The rectangular Al-Aqsa Mosque is 144,000 square meters, 35 acres, or 1/6 of the entire area within the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem as it stands today. It is also called Al-Haram El-Sharif (the Nobel Sanctuary). The Dome of the Chain marks the exact central point of this Mosque."
"Al-Aqsa Mosque holds up to 400,000 worshippers at one time, bearing in mind that the space required for each person is roughly 0.8m x 0.5m to enable the submissive kneeling in prayer. On Fridays at noon, during the fasting month of Ramadan, and particularly the 27th of Ramadan (Lailat El-Qadr), the area is filled to virtual capacity."
What is misunderstood is that The Dome of the Rock is a monument of the Muslim faith. It is not a place of worship. It is set up next to al-Aqsa, which is the place of worship.
One thing that does need to be understood is that the Dome of the Rock is a shrine while al-Aqsa is a mosque. To understand the role of both buildings I will quote an excerpt from the Al-Aqsa Islamic Society’s web page on the history of al-Aqsa.
"Ten years after the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) received his first revelation, he made a miraculous night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and to the Seven Heavens on a white flying horse called Al-Buraq El-Sharif. During his interval in Jerusalem, the Prophet stopped to pray at the rock (now covered by the golden Dome), and was given the commandment to pray five times a day."
"Today, Muslims throughout the World use Mecca as the direction of prayers (Qibla). However, for 16½ months following the Prophet Mohammad's miraculous journey, Jerusalem was the Qibla."
"During Prophet Mohammad's life (pbuh), he instructed Muslims to visit not only the mosque where they lived in Mecca, but also the 'Farthest mosque' from them which lay 2000 kilometers north, in Jerusalem. Hence the name Al-Masjid El-Aqsa, or Al-Aqsa Mosque. "
"Al-Aqsa Mosque is the second oldest mosque in Islam after the Ka'ba in Mecca, and is third in holiness and importance after the mosques in Mecca and Medina."
"The rectangular Al-Aqsa Mosque is 144,000 square meters, 35 acres, or 1/6 of the entire area within the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem as it stands today. It is also called Al-Haram El-Sharif (the Nobel Sanctuary). The Dome of the Chain marks the exact central point of this Mosque."
"Al-Aqsa Mosque holds up to 400,000 worshippers at one time, bearing in mind that the space required for each person is roughly 0.8m x 0.5m to enable the submissive kneeling in prayer. On Fridays at noon, during the fasting month of Ramadan, and particularly the 27th of Ramadan (Lailat El-Qadr), the area is filled to virtual capacity."
What is misunderstood is that The Dome of the Rock is a monument of the Muslim faith. It is not a place of worship. It is set up next to al-Aqsa, which is the place of worship.
42 PROPHETIC MONTHS
"They (the people of Islam) will trample the holy city for 42 months." First of all, why didn’t the angel just say 1,260 days? Why did he change it up a bit and say 42 months? I believe the reason is that it gives us the freedom to do more than one equation. How many days are in a lunar month? There are twelve equal months in the lunar calendar. Each has 30 days. In order to find out how many days are in 42 months, we simply multiply 42 by 30 and we get 1,260 days. We already know that, so let’s try something else. We will use the solar calendar of 365.25 days. If 365.25 days are in a solar year, how many days are in a solar month? It varies between thirty, thirty-one and twenty-eight. Every four years it’s twenty-nine, so we have to come up with our answer a different way. We divide the solar year of 365.25 days by 12 and we get the answer 30.44 days. Multiply 42 by 30.44 and you come up with 1,279. So, now we have two groups of years; 1,260 and 1,279. If you add 1,260 to 688, you come to the year 1948 which was the year that the Exile ended and Israel became a nation once more. There is one problem with that. This equation is not about Israel, but it’s Holy City, Jerusalem. If you add the new number of 1,279 to 688 you come to the year 1967, which is the year that Jerusalem was restored to Israel. Now that makes a whole lot of sense.
"They (the people of Islam) will trample the holy city for 42 months." First of all, why didn’t the angel just say 1,260 days? Why did he change it up a bit and say 42 months? I believe the reason is that it gives us the freedom to do more than one equation. How many days are in a lunar month? There are twelve equal months in the lunar calendar. Each has 30 days. In order to find out how many days are in 42 months, we simply multiply 42 by 30 and we get 1,260 days. We already know that, so let’s try something else. We will use the solar calendar of 365.25 days. If 365.25 days are in a solar year, how many days are in a solar month? It varies between thirty, thirty-one and twenty-eight. Every four years it’s twenty-nine, so we have to come up with our answer a different way. We divide the solar year of 365.25 days by 12 and we get the answer 30.44 days. Multiply 42 by 30.44 and you come up with 1,279. So, now we have two groups of years; 1,260 and 1,279. If you add 1,260 to 688, you come to the year 1948 which was the year that the Exile ended and Israel became a nation once more. There is one problem with that. This equation is not about Israel, but it’s Holy City, Jerusalem. If you add the new number of 1,279 to 688 you come to the year 1967, which is the year that Jerusalem was restored to Israel. Now that makes a whole lot of sense.
PROPHESY FOR 1,260 DAYS
There is something that needs to be addressed here. It can be assumed that the 1,260 days of the testimony of the two witnesses and the 42 months of the trampling of the Holy City happen at the sametime. This cannot be. The reason being is that John’s prophecy says, "After they have finished their testimony (not before) the Beast from the Abyss (Islam) will declare war, conquer and kill the witnesses." The 42 months happen after the 1,260 days. It says that specifically. If that is the case, when do these 1,260 years begin. This time we have to subtract. Moving backward from 688 AD 1,260 years we come to the year 572. Let us try that equation with 707 AD. Moving back 1,260 years from 707 AD we come to the year 553 BC. These two dates are important. What happened in the year 572 BC? That is the year that Nebuchadnezzar’s army took Damascus. What happened in the year 553 BC? Daniel gave a prophecy in that year. Before we go into that prophecy, let us look at the two dates of 553 BC and 1967 AD. How many years are there between 553 and 1967? There are 2,520 years from 553 BC until 1967 AD. Now let us look at the prophecy in Daniel that took place in 553 BC.
There is something that needs to be addressed here. It can be assumed that the 1,260 days of the testimony of the two witnesses and the 42 months of the trampling of the Holy City happen at the sametime. This cannot be. The reason being is that John’s prophecy says, "After they have finished their testimony (not before) the Beast from the Abyss (Islam) will declare war, conquer and kill the witnesses." The 42 months happen after the 1,260 days. It says that specifically. If that is the case, when do these 1,260 years begin. This time we have to subtract. Moving backward from 688 AD 1,260 years we come to the year 572. Let us try that equation with 707 AD. Moving back 1,260 years from 707 AD we come to the year 553 BC. These two dates are important. What happened in the year 572 BC? That is the year that Nebuchadnezzar’s army took Damascus. What happened in the year 553 BC? Daniel gave a prophecy in that year. Before we go into that prophecy, let us look at the two dates of 553 BC and 1967 AD. How many years are there between 553 and 1967? There are 2,520 years from 553 BC until 1967 AD. Now let us look at the prophecy in Daniel that took place in 553 BC.
THE PROPHETIC "WEEK" OF EXILE
Daniel 9:27 "The ruler will make a treaty (or enforce a covenant) with the people (Israel) for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up an abomination of desolation, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him."
Here we see that there is one set of seven, or one week, and halfway into the week, this ruler will end the sacrifices and then set up the Abomination of Desolation, which we know from Daniel 12:11 is the Dome of The Rock which began construction in 688 AD and the al-Aqsa mosque which began construction in 707 AD. The prophecy says that at the half point of the week, the Abomination of Desolation will be set up. Half of seven is three and one half. So, from 553 BC until 707 AD is 3 ½ "days", and from 707 AD until 1967 AD is 3 ½ "days". How long then is one of these "days"? The week of exile lasts for 2,520 years. Divide 2,520 years by 7 and you get 360 years. There is that number again! So, in prophecy, not only can a day equal 360 days (a day/year), but a day can also, on special occasions, equal 360 years (a year of years). Let us get back to the 3 and ½ days. So, if 7 days equal 2,520 years, then 3 and ½ days equal 1,260 years. Where have we heard the term 3 and ½ days before?
Daniel 9:27 "The ruler will make a treaty (or enforce a covenant) with the people (Israel) for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up an abomination of desolation, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him."
Here we see that there is one set of seven, or one week, and halfway into the week, this ruler will end the sacrifices and then set up the Abomination of Desolation, which we know from Daniel 12:11 is the Dome of The Rock which began construction in 688 AD and the al-Aqsa mosque which began construction in 707 AD. The prophecy says that at the half point of the week, the Abomination of Desolation will be set up. Half of seven is three and one half. So, from 553 BC until 707 AD is 3 ½ "days", and from 707 AD until 1967 AD is 3 ½ "days". How long then is one of these "days"? The week of exile lasts for 2,520 years. Divide 2,520 years by 7 and you get 360 years. There is that number again! So, in prophecy, not only can a day equal 360 days (a day/year), but a day can also, on special occasions, equal 360 years (a year of years). Let us get back to the 3 and ½ days. So, if 7 days equal 2,520 years, then 3 and ½ days equal 1,260 years. Where have we heard the term 3 and ½ days before?
THE THREE AND ONE HALF DAYS IN REVELATION 11
"And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies (the two witnesses). . . ."
Now the picture is starting to come into focus! These three and one half days where the witnesses are slain are not literal days, nor are they years. They are the last three and one half prophetic years of years found in Israel’s Week of Exile! From here, we can move on to discuss the symbolism found in this prophecy and how it relates to Israel and her history, but first let us recapitulate what we have learned thus far.
"And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies (the two witnesses). . . ."
Now the picture is starting to come into focus! These three and one half days where the witnesses are slain are not literal days, nor are they years. They are the last three and one half prophetic years of years found in Israel’s Week of Exile! From here, we can move on to discuss the symbolism found in this prophecy and how it relates to Israel and her history, but first let us recapitulate what we have learned thus far.
- al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock were built in the Gentile Court
- The Beast that Rises from the Abyss is Islamic Imperialism or Jihad
- The Prophecy of the Two Witnesses is centered around the Exile
- In Prophecy, days are 360 days or 1 year, and years are 360 years
- There is a prophetic Week of Exile found in Daniel
- 42 months are either 1,260 years (lunar) or 1,278 ½ years (solar)
- Both 1,260 years and 1,278 ½ years are considered 3 and ½ days.
- Daniel gave his Week of Exile Prophecy in the year 553 BC.
- From 553 BC until 707 AD is 1,260 years.
- From 707 AD until 1967 AD is 1,260 years.
- In 688 AD the Construction of The Dome of the Rock began
- 42 months are 1,279 years from 688 AD until 1967 AD.
Here is a table conversion chart to better help with your understanding of prophetic days, weeks, months and years.
360 Day Calendar
360 / 12 months = 30 days
42 months = 42 x 30 = 1260
One year of years = 360 years
7 years of years = 2520 years
3 ½ years of years = 1260 years
365.25 Day Calendar
365.25 / 12 months = 30.44 days
42 months = 42 x 30.44 = 1278.5
One year of years = 365.25 years
7 years of years = 2557 years
3 ½ years of years = 1278.5 years
360 Day Calendar
360 / 12 months = 30 days
42 months = 42 x 30 = 1260
One year of years = 360 years
7 years of years = 2520 years
3 ½ years of years = 1260 years
365.25 Day Calendar
365.25 / 12 months = 30.44 days
42 months = 42 x 30.44 = 1278.5
One year of years = 365.25 years
7 years of years = 2557 years
3 ½ years of years = 1278.5 years
DIVINE ACURACY WITH NUMBERS
Before I go further, I want to show you that both 688 AD and 707 AD fit in the 1,260 year range. Remember, that even though we are using 360 years in each day of the prophetic week, that they are still solar years. It may be 360 years each, but they are solar calendar years of 365.25 days each. We never acted like the 1,260 years could actually be lunar years. Remember that actual lunar years are a fraction of solar years. Just like the prophecy about the Abomination of Desolation and the 1,290 lunar years, where we changed them to 1,271 solar years by using the .9856 multiplier, we can do that with the 1,260 years. Let us change the 1,260 years to solar years. 1,260 lunar years multiplied by .9856 equals 1,241 solar years. From 553 BC until 688 AD is 1,241 solar years. If we subtract 1,241 years from 1948 AD we come to the year 707 AD. There are 19 years in between 688 and 707 and 19 years in between 1948 and 1967. Amazing! There are also 19 years between the dates 572 when Nebuchadnezzar took Damascus until 553 when Daniel gave his prophecy concerning the Week of Exile. I know that it is sounding confusing and quite complex with all of these numbers and dates, solar years, lunar years, day/years, years of years, and so on and so on. It’s enough to give you a headache, but when all the pieces come together to form a picture, what a glorious picture it is!
This is one of the most incredible witnesses to the existence of the All Knowing, All Seeing Yahweh! He transends time and nothing escapes Him! It shows that the Word of God is infallible, perfect, foolproof, incontrovertable and unassailable! All of the numbers and dates match up so perfectly! It could not have been any more precise. God orchestrated it so well that all of the numbers are interchangeable between the solar and the lunar calendar and they all fit on an important and historical date within the timeline! Ther is absolutely no way that this is a coincidence and it could not have been orchestrated by the nation of Israel or any other nation that Israel would have been in cahoots with. There are several different nations over a span of 2500 years involved. The mathmatical precision and orchestration of this could only happen by God. This prophecy not only authenticates the New Testament, but it binds it like glue to the Old Testament! What a witness to the legitimacy of Christ as the Jewish Messiah!
Before I go further, I want to show you that both 688 AD and 707 AD fit in the 1,260 year range. Remember, that even though we are using 360 years in each day of the prophetic week, that they are still solar years. It may be 360 years each, but they are solar calendar years of 365.25 days each. We never acted like the 1,260 years could actually be lunar years. Remember that actual lunar years are a fraction of solar years. Just like the prophecy about the Abomination of Desolation and the 1,290 lunar years, where we changed them to 1,271 solar years by using the .9856 multiplier, we can do that with the 1,260 years. Let us change the 1,260 years to solar years. 1,260 lunar years multiplied by .9856 equals 1,241 solar years. From 553 BC until 688 AD is 1,241 solar years. If we subtract 1,241 years from 1948 AD we come to the year 707 AD. There are 19 years in between 688 and 707 and 19 years in between 1948 and 1967. Amazing! There are also 19 years between the dates 572 when Nebuchadnezzar took Damascus until 553 when Daniel gave his prophecy concerning the Week of Exile. I know that it is sounding confusing and quite complex with all of these numbers and dates, solar years, lunar years, day/years, years of years, and so on and so on. It’s enough to give you a headache, but when all the pieces come together to form a picture, what a glorious picture it is!
This is one of the most incredible witnesses to the existence of the All Knowing, All Seeing Yahweh! He transends time and nothing escapes Him! It shows that the Word of God is infallible, perfect, foolproof, incontrovertable and unassailable! All of the numbers and dates match up so perfectly! It could not have been any more precise. God orchestrated it so well that all of the numbers are interchangeable between the solar and the lunar calendar and they all fit on an important and historical date within the timeline! Ther is absolutely no way that this is a coincidence and it could not have been orchestrated by the nation of Israel or any other nation that Israel would have been in cahoots with. There are several different nations over a span of 2500 years involved. The mathmatical precision and orchestration of this could only happen by God. This prophecy not only authenticates the New Testament, but it binds it like glue to the Old Testament! What a witness to the legitimacy of Christ as the Jewish Messiah!
WHY THE EXILE?
The Exile of Israel is one of the most misunderstood events in the Bible. Even in Christ’s time it was not understood. This is clear in Acts 1:6-8 "So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking Him, ‘Lord, has the time come for You to free Israel and restore our kingdom?’"
"He replied, ‘The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.’"
This was clearly out of Christ’s hands. Christ came to free mankind from sin and reproach. He did not come to undo the exile of Israel and the events that were already set in motion. The Father alone had the authority to do that. Christ’s ministry did not encompass that and had zero effect on Israel’s Exile and the Wrath that was to be poured out upon Israel as a nation. He did not come to restore Israel to her place and free her from the exile and the wrath that was to come. Christ DID, however come to take the wrath of God for mankind’s sin, to save mankind and restore the relationship between man and God. This is truly a hard thing to grasp, but if you add in a prophecy, then it puts it in perspective. If Israel’s exile and God’s wrath upon her were spoken of in Old Testament prophecy with a time period set in place that went beyond Christ’s time on earth and the time of His work on the cross, could Christ undo it? Absolutely not! Christ will not undo the Word of God. He will only fulfill it.
That was the whole point of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. There was a penalty for sin that had to be paid. Mankind could not pay it and God could not change His Word, so He sent Christ to die on the cross to fulfill His Word, pay the price and free mankind from the penalty of sin. He did not undo His Word. His Word and His Law had to be fulfilled, and it was fulfilled in Christ. The same applies to the Exile that was decreed in Daniel 9:26-27. I love how the New Living Translation phrases it. "After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One (Jesus Christ) will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end. The ruler will make a treaty with the people for one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration (abomination of desolation), until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him."
The Exile of Israel is one of the most misunderstood events in the Bible. Even in Christ’s time it was not understood. This is clear in Acts 1:6-8 "So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking Him, ‘Lord, has the time come for You to free Israel and restore our kingdom?’"
"He replied, ‘The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.’"
This was clearly out of Christ’s hands. Christ came to free mankind from sin and reproach. He did not come to undo the exile of Israel and the events that were already set in motion. The Father alone had the authority to do that. Christ’s ministry did not encompass that and had zero effect on Israel’s Exile and the Wrath that was to be poured out upon Israel as a nation. He did not come to restore Israel to her place and free her from the exile and the wrath that was to come. Christ DID, however come to take the wrath of God for mankind’s sin, to save mankind and restore the relationship between man and God. This is truly a hard thing to grasp, but if you add in a prophecy, then it puts it in perspective. If Israel’s exile and God’s wrath upon her were spoken of in Old Testament prophecy with a time period set in place that went beyond Christ’s time on earth and the time of His work on the cross, could Christ undo it? Absolutely not! Christ will not undo the Word of God. He will only fulfill it.
That was the whole point of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. There was a penalty for sin that had to be paid. Mankind could not pay it and God could not change His Word, so He sent Christ to die on the cross to fulfill His Word, pay the price and free mankind from the penalty of sin. He did not undo His Word. His Word and His Law had to be fulfilled, and it was fulfilled in Christ. The same applies to the Exile that was decreed in Daniel 9:26-27. I love how the New Living Translation phrases it. "After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One (Jesus Christ) will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end. The ruler will make a treaty with the people for one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration (abomination of desolation), until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him."
THE BEAST AND THE RULER
Before I go further, I need to explain something. Let us talk about the Beast for a moment. The Beast in Revelation 17 has seven heads.
Revelation 17:8-11 "The beast you saw (the Scarlet Beast) was once alive, but isn’t now. And yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to this world, whose names are not written in the Book of Life before the world was made, will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died (this is the same wording that is found in Revelation 13:3). This calls for a mind of understanding: The seven heads of the beast represent the seven hills where the woman rules. They also represent seven kings (kingdoms). Five kings (kingdoms) have already fallen, the sixth (Roman Empire) now reigns, and the seventh is yet to come, but his reign will be brief. (older translations say "he must remain for a little while") The Scarlet Beast that was, but is no longer, is the eighth king. He is like the other seven, and he, too, is headed for destruction."
Let us look at the seven kingdoms that make up the Physical Body of Satan or the Beast once again. There were five that had fallen before John’s time. They were Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Mede and Persia (which are considered one beast in Daniel 8) and Greece. There was the sixth, which was the Roman Empire. The seventh one was Islamic Imperialism. The eighth one is said to be like the seventh, but it is a resurrected kingdom from one of the first five.
There may be seven kingdoms listed here, but they are all considered to be One Beast with seven heads. We see that with each beast kingdom, the beast looks slightly different. Babylon is the Scarlet Beast with seven heads. The Roman Beast is a dragon with seven heads. The Islamic Beast has the mouth of a lion, the body of a leopard and the feet of a bear and has seven heads. They are all the physical body of Satan manifesting in different times. Just like the Church or the Kingdom of God is the Body of Christ, the Beast or the Seven Demonic Kingdoms are the Body of Satan.
With all of that said, we can establish a few things. Let us look at Daniel 9:26-27 again and dissect it. "After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One (Jesus Christ) will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a RULER will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end. The RULER will make a treaty with the people for one set of seven, but after half this time, HE (THE RULER) will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all HIS (THE RULER) terrible deeds, HE (THE RULER) will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration (or the Abomination of Desolation), until the fate decreed for this DEFILER (THE RULER) is finally poured out on HIM (THE RULER)."
Who is this ruler? First of all, this ruler seams to transcend times and eras. The Ruler whose armies destroyed the city and the Temple was the Roman Empire led by Titus, a soon to be Roman Emperor, in 70 AD. The Ruler that put an end to sacrifices and offerings and set up the Abomination of Desolation was Islam in 688 AD. That is a 610 year difference. Who is this Ruler? This Ruler is the Beast with seven heads. It is the Body of Satan that has been around for thousands of years. The Beast, throughout time, has oppressed the people of God, whether they are Israel or the Church. The beginning of this prophesied week of Exile started out in 553 BC. The Jews were already in Exile, but the prophecied week of Exile began during the reign of Darius the Mede when Daniel received this prophecy.
What was unique about Darius the Mede and Cyrus the Persian? After Daniel was rescued from the Lion’s Den, Darius the Mede sent out this decree to the people of every race, nation and language throughout the world; "’I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, and He will endure forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed, and His rule will never end. He rescues and saves His people; He performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.’ So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian."
When was this treaty or covenant enforced by the Ruler? We just read it. Darius and Cyrus were both kings of the Two Horned Beast of Mede and Persia. Daniel received the prophecy of the one set of seven, or the one week, during the reign of Darius the Mede. So, the Ruler, which is the Beast working through its third head, the kingdoms of Mede and Persia, made a treaty with the people that began in 553 BC. This treaty was apparently supposed to last a very long time.
However, we read "and a RULER will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple." The Ruler, which is the Beast working through its sixth head, the Roman Empire, came through Jerusalem in 70 AD killing every single Jew who didn’t flee, and completely destroyed the Temple, leaving no stone left unturned, as prophesied by Jesus Christ.
Right in the middle of this Week of Exile, "after half this time, HE (THE RULER) will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all HIS (THE RULER) terrible deeds, HE (THE RULER) will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration (or the Abomination of Desolation)." The Ruler, this time, is the Beast working through its seventh head, the Kingdom of Islam. The Islamic Imperialists came through Israel and then Jerusalem, causing destruction and desolation throughout the land. And, the most despicable thing that could possibly happen happened. They began construction of the Dome of the Rock in the Gentile Court in 688AD and al-Aqsa Mosque in 707 AD. When the Dome of the Rock, the Abomination that caused Desolation, was completed, there was a sign above the door post that read "GOD HAS NO SON." So, the Bible scholars were right, just not in the way they thought they were. The Beast in Revelation 13, which is the Islamic Kingdom, is the Antichrist. For 1,260 years, the Jews went from being exiles to being completely desolate, dispersed throughout the nations.
Before I go further, I need to explain something. Let us talk about the Beast for a moment. The Beast in Revelation 17 has seven heads.
Revelation 17:8-11 "The beast you saw (the Scarlet Beast) was once alive, but isn’t now. And yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to this world, whose names are not written in the Book of Life before the world was made, will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died (this is the same wording that is found in Revelation 13:3). This calls for a mind of understanding: The seven heads of the beast represent the seven hills where the woman rules. They also represent seven kings (kingdoms). Five kings (kingdoms) have already fallen, the sixth (Roman Empire) now reigns, and the seventh is yet to come, but his reign will be brief. (older translations say "he must remain for a little while") The Scarlet Beast that was, but is no longer, is the eighth king. He is like the other seven, and he, too, is headed for destruction."
Let us look at the seven kingdoms that make up the Physical Body of Satan or the Beast once again. There were five that had fallen before John’s time. They were Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Mede and Persia (which are considered one beast in Daniel 8) and Greece. There was the sixth, which was the Roman Empire. The seventh one was Islamic Imperialism. The eighth one is said to be like the seventh, but it is a resurrected kingdom from one of the first five.
There may be seven kingdoms listed here, but they are all considered to be One Beast with seven heads. We see that with each beast kingdom, the beast looks slightly different. Babylon is the Scarlet Beast with seven heads. The Roman Beast is a dragon with seven heads. The Islamic Beast has the mouth of a lion, the body of a leopard and the feet of a bear and has seven heads. They are all the physical body of Satan manifesting in different times. Just like the Church or the Kingdom of God is the Body of Christ, the Beast or the Seven Demonic Kingdoms are the Body of Satan.
With all of that said, we can establish a few things. Let us look at Daniel 9:26-27 again and dissect it. "After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One (Jesus Christ) will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a RULER will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end. The RULER will make a treaty with the people for one set of seven, but after half this time, HE (THE RULER) will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all HIS (THE RULER) terrible deeds, HE (THE RULER) will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration (or the Abomination of Desolation), until the fate decreed for this DEFILER (THE RULER) is finally poured out on HIM (THE RULER)."
Who is this ruler? First of all, this ruler seams to transcend times and eras. The Ruler whose armies destroyed the city and the Temple was the Roman Empire led by Titus, a soon to be Roman Emperor, in 70 AD. The Ruler that put an end to sacrifices and offerings and set up the Abomination of Desolation was Islam in 688 AD. That is a 610 year difference. Who is this Ruler? This Ruler is the Beast with seven heads. It is the Body of Satan that has been around for thousands of years. The Beast, throughout time, has oppressed the people of God, whether they are Israel or the Church. The beginning of this prophesied week of Exile started out in 553 BC. The Jews were already in Exile, but the prophecied week of Exile began during the reign of Darius the Mede when Daniel received this prophecy.
What was unique about Darius the Mede and Cyrus the Persian? After Daniel was rescued from the Lion’s Den, Darius the Mede sent out this decree to the people of every race, nation and language throughout the world; "’I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, and He will endure forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed, and His rule will never end. He rescues and saves His people; He performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.’ So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian."
When was this treaty or covenant enforced by the Ruler? We just read it. Darius and Cyrus were both kings of the Two Horned Beast of Mede and Persia. Daniel received the prophecy of the one set of seven, or the one week, during the reign of Darius the Mede. So, the Ruler, which is the Beast working through its third head, the kingdoms of Mede and Persia, made a treaty with the people that began in 553 BC. This treaty was apparently supposed to last a very long time.
However, we read "and a RULER will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple." The Ruler, which is the Beast working through its sixth head, the Roman Empire, came through Jerusalem in 70 AD killing every single Jew who didn’t flee, and completely destroyed the Temple, leaving no stone left unturned, as prophesied by Jesus Christ.
Right in the middle of this Week of Exile, "after half this time, HE (THE RULER) will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all HIS (THE RULER) terrible deeds, HE (THE RULER) will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration (or the Abomination of Desolation)." The Ruler, this time, is the Beast working through its seventh head, the Kingdom of Islam. The Islamic Imperialists came through Israel and then Jerusalem, causing destruction and desolation throughout the land. And, the most despicable thing that could possibly happen happened. They began construction of the Dome of the Rock in the Gentile Court in 688AD and al-Aqsa Mosque in 707 AD. When the Dome of the Rock, the Abomination that caused Desolation, was completed, there was a sign above the door post that read "GOD HAS NO SON." So, the Bible scholars were right, just not in the way they thought they were. The Beast in Revelation 13, which is the Islamic Kingdom, is the Antichrist. For 1,260 years, the Jews went from being exiles to being completely desolate, dispersed throughout the nations.
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:"
"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?
- 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 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.
These two witnesses in a physical sense are Israel and Judah. 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.
FROM EXILE TO DESOLATION
Luke 21:20-24 "And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived. Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. Those in Jerusalem must get out, and those out in the country should not return to the city. For those will be days of God’s vengeance, and the prophetic words of the Scriptures will be fulfilled. How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. For there will be disaster in the land and great anger against this people. They will be killed by the sword or sent away as captives to all the nations of the world. And Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end."
What is the one thing that the Jews did that removed God’s protection from them? The majority of the Jews rejected their Messiah, Jesus Christ. In rejecting Christ, they rejected their God. In 1st John, he says "He who denies the Son, also denies the Father." It is the spirit of antichrist.
Here we see Jesus Himself say that God’s vengeance was about to be brought onto the Jews. The rejection of Christ brought God’s vengeance. Here we also see the phrasing "Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles". This is the same language that is used in Revelation 11. Jesus was specifically speaking of this second half of the Week of Exile. "Until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end." What is so interesting to note here is that Jesus was saying that the period of 42 prophetic months or 1,279 years, from 688 AD until 1967, was God’s vengeance.
Many in the church have interpreted "Until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end." to mean that the door will close on the Gentiles for salvation and then open again for the Jews. That is not what this means. Look at this in the context of the verse. It is talking about the Gentile occupation of Jerusalem – the Islamic occupation. The period of Islamic occupation of Jerusalem came to an end in 1967. This Gentile occupation of Jerusalem has nothing to do with the Gentile Church. God will not close the door on the Gentiles.
Luke 21:20-24 "And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived. Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. Those in Jerusalem must get out, and those out in the country should not return to the city. For those will be days of God’s vengeance, and the prophetic words of the Scriptures will be fulfilled. How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. For there will be disaster in the land and great anger against this people. They will be killed by the sword or sent away as captives to all the nations of the world. And Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end."
What is the one thing that the Jews did that removed God’s protection from them? The majority of the Jews rejected their Messiah, Jesus Christ. In rejecting Christ, they rejected their God. In 1st John, he says "He who denies the Son, also denies the Father." It is the spirit of antichrist.
Here we see Jesus Himself say that God’s vengeance was about to be brought onto the Jews. The rejection of Christ brought God’s vengeance. Here we also see the phrasing "Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles". This is the same language that is used in Revelation 11. Jesus was specifically speaking of this second half of the Week of Exile. "Until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end." What is so interesting to note here is that Jesus was saying that the period of 42 prophetic months or 1,279 years, from 688 AD until 1967, was God’s vengeance.
Many in the church have interpreted "Until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end." to mean that the door will close on the Gentiles for salvation and then open again for the Jews. That is not what this means. Look at this in the context of the verse. It is talking about the Gentile occupation of Jerusalem – the Islamic occupation. The period of Islamic occupation of Jerusalem came to an end in 1967. This Gentile occupation of Jerusalem has nothing to do with the Gentile Church. God will not close the door on the Gentiles.
GOD DID NOT REJECT ISRAEL
Romans 11:1-5 "I ask, then, has God rejected His own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin."
"No, God has not rejected His own people, whom He chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, "Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too."
"And don’t you remember God’s reply? He said, "No, I have 7000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!"
"It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace – His undeserved kindness in choosing them."
Even though, the Jews rejected Christ as their Messiah, and then persecuted His saints unto death, God did not reject them! Not in the least! They may have incurred His wrath upon them, but they were still His own. They had lost their place in the world, but they were still the Apple of His Eye. This nation who was once mighty before the kings of the earth who was now the scorn of the earth was still God’s chosen. He never rejected them. Man may have rejected the Jews, but God never did. They may even have lost their place in standing with God in the Court of the Lord of all the earth, but they were never rejected by Him.
Romans 11:1-5 "I ask, then, has God rejected His own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin."
"No, God has not rejected His own people, whom He chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, "Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too."
"And don’t you remember God’s reply? He said, "No, I have 7000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!"
"It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace – His undeserved kindness in choosing them."
Even though, the Jews rejected Christ as their Messiah, and then persecuted His saints unto death, God did not reject them! Not in the least! They may have incurred His wrath upon them, but they were still His own. They had lost their place in the world, but they were still the Apple of His Eye. This nation who was once mighty before the kings of the earth who was now the scorn of the earth was still God’s chosen. He never rejected them. Man may have rejected the Jews, but God never did. They may even have lost their place in standing with God in the Court of the Lord of all the earth, but they were never rejected by Him.
THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD ALMIGHTY
The Beast of the Dark Abyss, Islam, had control of Jerusalem for exactly 42 prophetic months, which was 1,279 years. No more, and no less. Exactly 1,260 years later, Israel was reborn as a nation, and possession of the Holy Land was plucked from the hands of the Islamic Beast. 19 years later, Jerusalem was taken by Israel from the grasp of the Islamic Beast. Yahweh kept His word. It had nothing to do with the might of Israel or the weakness of Syria, Jordan and Egypt. It was not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord. God gave Israel the victory both times. If that is the case, and if Israel is visibly the Apple of God’s Eye to the world once more, then why are we so concerned about Israel in the sense that Islam is a threat? Islam has no power over God’s people. Just like Babylon, they were used as an instrument that led to the restoration of Israel. Islam’s fate is in the Word, which we will discover later.
The Beast of the Dark Abyss, Islam, had control of Jerusalem for exactly 42 prophetic months, which was 1,279 years. No more, and no less. Exactly 1,260 years later, Israel was reborn as a nation, and possession of the Holy Land was plucked from the hands of the Islamic Beast. 19 years later, Jerusalem was taken by Israel from the grasp of the Islamic Beast. Yahweh kept His word. It had nothing to do with the might of Israel or the weakness of Syria, Jordan and Egypt. It was not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord. God gave Israel the victory both times. If that is the case, and if Israel is visibly the Apple of God’s Eye to the world once more, then why are we so concerned about Israel in the sense that Islam is a threat? Islam has no power over God’s people. Just like Babylon, they were used as an instrument that led to the restoration of Israel. Islam’s fate is in the Word, which we will discover later.
AFTER THREE AND ONE HALF DAYS. . . .
"But after three and a half days, God breathed life into them, and they stood up! Terror struck all who were staring at them. Then a loud voice from heaven called the two prophets, "Come up here!" And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched."
This is a reference to Ezekiel’s Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel 37. In fact the verse about the witnesses bodies not being allowed a proper burial, and being left to rot in the streets for passers by to gawk at is a reference to the dry bones.
Ezekiel 37:1-14 "The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. Then he asked me, "Son of man, can these bones become living people again?"
"O Sovereign Lord," I replied, "You alone know the answer to that."
Then he said to me, "Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’"
"So I spoke this message, just as He told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them."
"Then He said to me, "Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’"
"So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet – a great army."
"Then He said to me, ‘Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones – all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’ Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’"
The people of Israel went from being a hopeless, lifeless body of people who had just endured the Holocaust a few years back into a fearsome army. It was God’s doing. God breathed life back into them and brought them back home. The Muslims were not expecting this at all. They had allied with Nazi Germany and had fought along side them in the war. The Mufti of Jerusalem had secret meetings with Adolf Hitler concerning the destruction of the Jews. They formed a bond of friendship with each other and there were thousands of Muslims who had enlisted and trained with the German forces. This took them completely by surprise! The Arab world was struck with Terror as they witnessed their mortal enemies take the land back that was taken from them 1,260 years earlier. The children of Israel had not been a nation for 2,520 years and now, overnight, they were given their land back! That is more than two millennia! No wonder the Arab world was struck with Terror! Not only did it strike terror in the hearts of the Arabs, but in their spiritual enemy, Satan, as well! They went from a Valley of Dry Bones to a Vast and Fearsome Army!
"Then a loud voice from heaven called the two prophets, "Come up here!" And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched."
This refers to their ascension back to being the Heavenly Beings who have their place standing in the Court of the Lord of all the earth. They returned to the status they once knew with Yahweh. I am not referring to the salvation of their souls, but the divine protection of their earthly kingdom. They returned to being the Apple of God’s Eye in view of the whole world. They returned to being the chosen nation. The exile was over. They were no longer strangers and aliens in the world, for they had their high place returned to them.
"But after three and a half days, God breathed life into them, and they stood up! Terror struck all who were staring at them. Then a loud voice from heaven called the two prophets, "Come up here!" And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched."
This is a reference to Ezekiel’s Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel 37. In fact the verse about the witnesses bodies not being allowed a proper burial, and being left to rot in the streets for passers by to gawk at is a reference to the dry bones.
Ezekiel 37:1-14 "The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. Then he asked me, "Son of man, can these bones become living people again?"
"O Sovereign Lord," I replied, "You alone know the answer to that."
Then he said to me, "Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’"
"So I spoke this message, just as He told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them."
"Then He said to me, "Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’"
"So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet – a great army."
"Then He said to me, ‘Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones – all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’ Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’"
The people of Israel went from being a hopeless, lifeless body of people who had just endured the Holocaust a few years back into a fearsome army. It was God’s doing. God breathed life back into them and brought them back home. The Muslims were not expecting this at all. They had allied with Nazi Germany and had fought along side them in the war. The Mufti of Jerusalem had secret meetings with Adolf Hitler concerning the destruction of the Jews. They formed a bond of friendship with each other and there were thousands of Muslims who had enlisted and trained with the German forces. This took them completely by surprise! The Arab world was struck with Terror as they witnessed their mortal enemies take the land back that was taken from them 1,260 years earlier. The children of Israel had not been a nation for 2,520 years and now, overnight, they were given their land back! That is more than two millennia! No wonder the Arab world was struck with Terror! Not only did it strike terror in the hearts of the Arabs, but in their spiritual enemy, Satan, as well! They went from a Valley of Dry Bones to a Vast and Fearsome Army!
"Then a loud voice from heaven called the two prophets, "Come up here!" And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched."
This refers to their ascension back to being the Heavenly Beings who have their place standing in the Court of the Lord of all the earth. They returned to the status they once knew with Yahweh. I am not referring to the salvation of their souls, but the divine protection of their earthly kingdom. They returned to being the Apple of God’s Eye in view of the whole world. They returned to being the chosen nation. The exile was over. They were no longer strangers and aliens in the world, for they had their high place returned to them.
THE TERRIBLE EARTHQUAKE
"At the same time there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake, and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven."
The Greek word that was translated as earthquake is the word "seismos". Believe it or not, the first definition listed is not earthquake, but commotion, and then gale, and then earthquake. Since commotion is first, let’s put it in the passage and we will get a better understanding.
"At the same time there was a terrible commotion that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that commotion, and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven."
This puts a whole new spin on this. In Israel’s War for Independence in 1948, there were around 6,300 casualties on Israel’s side. This is not the number 7000, but there is a connection in the passage that will bring the number to 7000.
The literal translation of the passage is "At the same hour there was a terrible commotion. . . ." Since we are dealing with prophetic days, months and years, we would also be dealing with hours as well. In the Week of Exile, a day is 360 years. What would a prophetic hour be in that time? A prophetic hour is 15 years. Notice that the literal translation does not say "In the same hour", but "At the same hour". This gives us the feeling that it is around that time and not exactly in that time. For example, if you are in the mall, then you are in the mall. BUT, if you are at the mall, you can either be in it or in the parking lot or driving around it. If you are in it then 1967 is 19 years after 1948. In prophetic time, 19 years is 1 hour and 20 minutes which is "at" or "around the same prophetic hour". This passage is not only talking about Israel’s War for Independence in 1948 but also Israel’s retrieval of Jerusalem in 1967. Israel lost 700 men in the fight for Jerusalem. 6,300 plus 700 equals 7000.
"At the same time there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake, and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven."
The Greek word that was translated as earthquake is the word "seismos". Believe it or not, the first definition listed is not earthquake, but commotion, and then gale, and then earthquake. Since commotion is first, let’s put it in the passage and we will get a better understanding.
"At the same time there was a terrible commotion that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that commotion, and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven."
This puts a whole new spin on this. In Israel’s War for Independence in 1948, there were around 6,300 casualties on Israel’s side. This is not the number 7000, but there is a connection in the passage that will bring the number to 7000.
The literal translation of the passage is "At the same hour there was a terrible commotion. . . ." Since we are dealing with prophetic days, months and years, we would also be dealing with hours as well. In the Week of Exile, a day is 360 years. What would a prophetic hour be in that time? A prophetic hour is 15 years. Notice that the literal translation does not say "In the same hour", but "At the same hour". This gives us the feeling that it is around that time and not exactly in that time. For example, if you are in the mall, then you are in the mall. BUT, if you are at the mall, you can either be in it or in the parking lot or driving around it. If you are in it then 1967 is 19 years after 1948. In prophetic time, 19 years is 1 hour and 20 minutes which is "at" or "around the same prophetic hour". This passage is not only talking about Israel’s War for Independence in 1948 but also Israel’s retrieval of Jerusalem in 1967. Israel lost 700 men in the fight for Jerusalem. 6,300 plus 700 equals 7000.
CONCLUSION
This really puts things in perspective! The book of John's Revelation is all about the life of Israel as a nation, and God's dealings with her for the past 2000 years. What a glorious witness to the Apple of His Eye, the Jews! Jesus came to the Jews first and then to the Gentile. The salvation of the Jews should be a priority to every believer. "How do we make it a priority? How do we win the Jews to Christ?"
The answer is simple and yet profound. If Revelation is interpereted the way it was meant to be, which is fulfilled prophecy over a 2000 year period concerning the nation of Israel, then it becomes the greatest tool that the Church has in winning the Jews to Christ!
This really puts things in perspective! The book of John's Revelation is all about the life of Israel as a nation, and God's dealings with her for the past 2000 years. What a glorious witness to the Apple of His Eye, the Jews! Jesus came to the Jews first and then to the Gentile. The salvation of the Jews should be a priority to every believer. "How do we make it a priority? How do we win the Jews to Christ?"
The answer is simple and yet profound. If Revelation is interpereted the way it was meant to be, which is fulfilled prophecy over a 2000 year period concerning the nation of Israel, then it becomes the greatest tool that the Church has in winning the Jews to Christ!
JUST ONE MORE THING. . .
Daniel 8:13 "Then I heard two holy ones (angels) talking to each other. One of them asked, "How long will the events of the vision last? How long will the rebellion that causes desecration stop the daily sacrifices? How long will the Temple and heaven’s army be trampled on?"
"The other replied, "It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the Temple will be made right again"
This passage is talking about Antiochus IV taking over the Temple and setting up the pagan altar, but there is something interesting here. The first question is "How long will the events of the vision last?"
The first event happens when Greece, the Shaggy Male Goat, tramples down Mede and Persia, the Two Horned Ram along with Israel. This event happened in 333BC. If you treat the evenings and mornings as years and add 2,300 years to 333BC, it takes you to the year 1967, when Israel regained Jerusalem!
Daniel 8:13 "Then I heard two holy ones (angels) talking to each other. One of them asked, "How long will the events of the vision last? How long will the rebellion that causes desecration stop the daily sacrifices? How long will the Temple and heaven’s army be trampled on?"
"The other replied, "It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the Temple will be made right again"
This passage is talking about Antiochus IV taking over the Temple and setting up the pagan altar, but there is something interesting here. The first question is "How long will the events of the vision last?"
The first event happens when Greece, the Shaggy Male Goat, tramples down Mede and Persia, the Two Horned Ram along with Israel. This event happened in 333BC. If you treat the evenings and mornings as years and add 2,300 years to 333BC, it takes you to the year 1967, when Israel regained Jerusalem!