THE TWO WITNESSES
Lesson 16
page 3 of 3

l page 1 l page 2 l page 3 l

 

Phenomenal powers

The world will be amazed to observe 144,000 people proclaiming a uniform message.  Without similarity in culture, without uniform education, without corresponding with each other, they all proclaim the same full gospel message!  This will be another wonderful evidence of God’s effort to save.

As mentioned earlier, the 144,000 work under distressing conditions for 1,260 days (about 3,5 years).  More will be said about the timing of these events in a later study.  The Bible says that if anyone tries to harm the Two Witnesses, fire consumes them!  There is a scriptural precedent for this.  Elijah, the prophet, once called fire down from heaven and burned up 102 of his enemies!  See II Kings 1.  Just as Israel reached a place where nothing less than extraordinary events could shake them from their sin, the end of the world is no different.

We also learn from Revelation 11:6 those embodying the Two Witnesses have the power to shut up the sky to prevent rain (during the 1,260 days) from falling and they have the power to turn the water to blood and strike the earth with any plague as often as they want.  Again, there is a scriptural precedent for this.  Elijah asked God to withhold the rain from Israel for 3.5 years, and He did!  When Elijah asked God to send rain after the famine, rain came!  See James 5: 17,18

As we examine the work of the 144,000, we return to chapter 11:

5. After 1,260 days are ended, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack the Two Witnesses and kill them.  {V7}
6. Their bodies lie in the street of a city called Sodom and Egypt, where Jesus was crucified.  {V8}
7. The earth will rejoice that the Two Witnesses are dead.  {V10}
8. After 3.5 days they live again.  {V11}
9. They ultimately go up to heaven in a cloud.  {V12}

Remember, the seventh trumpet announces that mercy is closed.  Everyone has made his or her decision.  Jesus seals everyone for eternity with these words.  “Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy.”  Revelation 22:11

The work of the Two Witnesses, the Bible and the Holy Spirit, is finished.  They have nothing more to say. Their powerful message has gone to every nation, kindred, tongue and people.  Every decision for or against God has been made.  The 144,000 and all those receiving the judgment hour message, retreat to the solitary places of earth to wait for the second coming.  Mercy is no longer available to those receiving the mark of the beast.  Every decision has been made and Jesus seals everyone for eternity.

Satan, the beast that comes up from the Abyss, appears upon the earth during the 5^th trumpet.  In the apparition of a man, he masquerades as God Almighty.  Through his marvelous miracles, he gains control of the world.  He “kills” or makes void the witness of the Bible and Holy Spirit by leading many to commit the unpardonable sin.  He deceives the majority of the world through deception and then he will lead the world into open defiant rebellion against God’s law.

Satan will also lead the world to believe that the 144,000 are responsible for the tribulation upon the land because they have the powers to turn water to blood, withhold rain.  Even more, Satan says the 144,000 are prolonging the tribulation! He says to the people of earth, “These people persist in rebelling against the new world government that will bring peace and prosperity to all; therefore, rid the earth of them before they destroy you!”

John says the bodies of the Two Witnesses lies in the streets of Sodom and Egypt where Jesus was crucified.  Jesus was not physically executed in Sodom or Egypt.  He was crucified on a hill outside of Jerusalem.  John is using the strongest language possible to describe the world at the time of probation closes.  Sodom symbolizes unrestrained evil and Egypt refers to the incredible hardness of heart manifested by Pharaoh during the plagues upon his nation.

The brilliant and penetrating message of the 144,000 will anger the world because most people love darkness rather than light.  See John 3:19.  Those rejecting the gospel invitation will become bitterest enemies of the 144,000 and their followers.  John says every nation kindred; tongue and people on earth will gloat when the Two Witnesses are killed because these “tormentors” are dead or powerless.

When Noah and his family entered the ark and the door was closed, seven days went by before rain fell.  During that time, those outside the ark danced and celebrated because Noah’s voice was silenced.  He was a prisoner of the animals!  The jeering and laughter continued until the first raindrops spattered on the ark.  It will be the same way in the future. For a period of time the people will be delighted that the 144,000 and their followers have gone away.  But Satan takes advantage of the suffering that occurs during the seven last plagues.  He raises hatred for God’s people to a new level by blaming the plagues on “the people of God.”  “The 144,000 and their followers must be eliminated” Satan roars.

A period of 3.5 days is mentioned by John where the people of earth gaze on the bodies of the Two Witnesses and refuse them burial. This refers to a universal death decree setting aside a special day for the express purpose of simultaneously executing all of God’s people around the world.  Since the power of the Two Witnesses is dead or finished at the close of probation, the wicked regard the saints as “dead men” awaiting execution.  They plan to destroy all of them at a certain time.  There is a scriptural precedence for a special day calling for the extinction of all God’s people around the world!  See Ester 3:13

But the execution doesn’t take place.  Jesus Himself intervenes.  He opens the sixth seal and comes quickly with all the angels of heaven and the glory of the Father to rescue His suffering children!  The sleeping saints, the 144,000 and the numberless multitude who endured to the end for Jesus are “restored to power and they are taken up to heaven in a cloud while their terrified enemies look on.

 John says “But after the three and half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.  Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here.’  And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.” Revelation 11:11,12 What could be more vindicating?

Quiz

1. In your own words, who are the 144,000?

2. Who are the Two Witnesses?

3. What is the unpardonable sin?

4. What is the difference between remnant 1 and remnant 2?

5. Name one of the characteristics of the 144,000:

Memory Verse: Matthew 12:31  “Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.”

Notes:

l page 1 l page 2 l page 3 l

[TOP]