There has been lots of speculation regarding who will be the Two Witnesses described in Revelation in the last days who will bring plagues upon the Earth for 3.5 years. Most scholars agree that Elijah is one but the 2nd one has been up for debate. Let me share with you something that I believes gives us a really good indication who this 2nd man is.
Rev 10:1 I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.
2 He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,
3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices.
4 Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them."
5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven
6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer,
7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.
8 Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, "Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth."
9 So I went to the angel and said to him, "Give me the little book." And he said to me, "Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth."
10 Then I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter.
11 And he said to me, "You must prophesy AGAIN about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings." NKJV
Notice how John was told that he was going to prophesy AGAIN to many peoples and also kings. From the time John wrote Revelation which was at the end of his life...John never did this.....as yet. This is something that John still has to fulfill. I believe this is a very good indication that John may in fact be the second Witness. Consider this. John was also the only Apostle that was not martyred. He was believed to have died of natural causes at an old age, but no one knows for certain. There are two traditions in the Early Church Fathers. One was that John after leaving the Isle of Patmos where he wrote Revelation, died sometime after returning to Ephesus and was buried there and the other is that he was "caught up" in the same manner as Elijah.
This is also interesting. The Old Testament closes with the book of Malachi in which Elijah is prophesied to return before the "Day of the Lord".
Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
Mal 4:6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. NKJV
In Revelation ( quoted above) we have the prophesy of John going to prophesy to many peoples and kings which he never did.
We have one Old Testament Prophet and one New Testament Prophet. To me it makes a whole lot of sense and there seems to be some evidence in which to come to this belief.
Uh... am I missing something or what?... So what does the scriptures say? Revelation chapter 11:verses 1-4:
And I was given a reed like a measuring rod, and the angel of the Lord, stood, saying "Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the sourt which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has beend given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forthy-two months. And I will give power to my TWO WITNESSES, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."
THESE ARE THE TWO OLIVE TREES AND THE TWO LAMPSTANDS STANDING BEFORE THE GOD OF THE EARTH."
Therefore, this lets me know that the TWO WITNESSES ARE Sybolic of THE TWO OLIVE TREES AND THE TWO LAMP/CANDLESTANDS. The two God referenced as being the olive trees and lampstands just as pointed out in Zechariah chapter 4:verses 1-6.which Zerubbabel and Joshua are referenced to as being the two olive trees furnishing oil for a lampstand who is Israel.
it is only man's guess as to who these two will be, and God's word doesn't even hint as to who they will be...but we only know that the two witnesses will be for Israel as Zerubbael and Joshua was for Israel and preform miracles and do God work as according to the passage.
But there is no way anyone can give a concrete answer as to who the two witnesses will be... this information is God's secret... otherwise, He would not have left it out of His word had He wanted us to know, therefore, we can only guess...:glow:
Didn't you read my original article? It's all there but I will repost the particular scripture again.
Rev 10:10 Then I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter.
11 And he said to me, "You must prophesy AGAIN about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings." NKJV
Notice how John was told that he was going to prophesy AGAIN to many peoples and also kings. From the time John wrote Revelation which was at the end of his life...John never did this.....as yet. This is something that John still has to fulfill. I believe this is a very good indication that John may in fact be the second Witness. Consider this. John was also the only Apostle that was not martyred. He was believed to have died of natural causes at an old age, but no one knows for certain. There are two traditions in the Early Church Fathers. One was that John after leaving the Isle of Patmos where he wrote Revelation, died sometime after returning to Ephesus and was buried there and the other is that he was "caught up" in the same manner as Elijah.
We can reasonably speculate as to who the Two Witnesses will be. The Old Testament tells us that one of them will be Elijah
Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
The Day of the Lord occurs after the Sun and Moon Signs, which is After the Great Tribulation. Mat 24:29 and just
And in the New Testament we have a prophesy given for John the Apostle to complete which he never did. This is a strong indication that it will be John who will be returning with Elijah.
Rev 10: 10 Then I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter.
***11 And he said to me, "You must prophesy*** AGAIN*** about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings."*** NKJV
Consider this. John was also the only Apostle that was not martyred. He was believed to have died of natural causes at an old age, but no one knows for certain. There are two traditions in the Early Church Fathers. One was that John after leaving the Isle of Patmos where he wrote Revelation, died sometime after returning to Ephesus and was buried there ***and***the other is that he was "caught up" in the same manner as Elijah.
Since John has yet to fulfill this prophesy I would tend to think he is the second witness.
