Revelation 11:4
These are the two olive trees and the two
lampstands standing before the God of the earth.
These are the two olive treesOr represented by the two olive trees in ( Zechariah 4:3 Zechariah 4:11-14 ) , which there design Joshua and Zerubbabel; and who in laying out themselves, their gifts and wealth, in rebuilding and finishing the temple, were types of these witnesses, the ministers of the Gospel, in the successive ages of the apostasy; who may be compared to olive trees, because of the oil of grace, and the truth of it in them; and because of the gifts of the Spirit of God bestowed on them, or their having that anointing which teacheth all things; and because they freely impart their gifts, and the golden oil of the Gospel unto others, and also bring the good tidings of peace and salvation by Christ, of which the olive leaf is a symbol; and because they are like the olive tree, fat, flourishing, and fruitful in spiritual things; they are sons of oil, and God's anointed ones:
and the two candlesticks;
which hold forth the light of the word, in the midst of Popish darkness: this shows that churches, as well as ministers, are designed by the witnesses, since the candlesticks are explained of the churches, ( Revelation 1:20 ) , though the simile well agrees with ministers of the word, who are the lights of the world, or hold forth the light of the Gospel, which is put into them by Christ: and these olive trees and candlesticks are represented as
standing before the God of the earth;
ministering unto him, enjoying his presence, and having his assistance, and being under his protection. The Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, read, "the Lord of the earth"; and so the Complutensian edition; see ( Zechariah 4:14 ) ( 6:5 ) .
Prediction 1
It has been suggested that these men
could be Moses, and Enoch or Elijah.
1) Moses and
Elijah are both prophets (10).
a) Moses: Deuteronomy
18:15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like
me...”
b) Elijah: 1 Kings
18:36 “...the prophet
Elijahstepped
forward and prayed...”
2) They have God-given power.
a) Moses: Exodus 4:21 The LORD
said to Moses, “...see that you perform before Pharaoh all thewonders I have given you the power to do.”
b) Elijah: 1 Kings
18:46 “The power of the LORDcame upon Elijah...”
3) These
were the exact two men who were
on the mount of transfiguration as witnesses of Jesus.
• Matthew 17:1-3 “After six
days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led
them up a high mountain by themselves. [2] There he was transfigured before them.
His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. [3]
Just then there appeared before them Moses and
Elijah, talking with Jesus.”
4) The two
witnesses perform precisely the same supernatural judgments that Moses
and Elijah did.
a) Moses: The ten plagues in
Egypt, including turning water to
blood (Exodus 7:20-12:31).
b) Elijah: Shutting up
the rain in the days of King Ahab (James 5:17).
5) Both the Old Testament and Jewish
tradition expected Moses and Elijah to return in the future.
Elijah: Malachi 4:5 predicted the return of Elijah,
Malachi 4 talking about the Great day of the God
Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the
prophet. Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
Malachi 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."
Moses : The Jews believed that God’s promise to
raise up a prophet like Moses (Deut. 18:15, 18)
necessitated his return
Deut. 18:15 "The
LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from
your brethren. Him you shall hear,
Deut. 18:18 I will raise up for them a Prophet like
you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall
speak to them all that I commend Him.
In New
Testament people belief
People believe John the Baptized is Elijah
John 1:21 And they asked him, "What
then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he
answered, "No."
People believe Jesus is the prophet
John 6:14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This
is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."
John
7:40 Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard
this saying, said, "Truly this is the Prophet.
Jesus’
statement in Matthew 11:14 that “if
you are willing to accept it, John [the Baptist] himself is Elijah who was to
come” does not necessarily preclude Elijah’s future return.
5) Both
these men, left the earth in unusual ways.
Elijah never
died, but was transported to heaven in a fiery chariot (2 Kings 2:11–12),
2 Kings 2:11
Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of
fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah
went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
2 Kings 2:12
and Elisha saw it, and he cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot of
Israel and its horsemen!" So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his
own clothes and tore them into two pieces.13 He also took up the mantle of
Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
Deut 34:5-6
So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to
the word of the LORD.6 And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab,
opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day.
Jude 9
Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about
the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said,
"The Lord rebuke you!"
6) Food for thought —
Only Jesus, Moses, and Elijah did 40-day fasts in the
Bible. This is another association of these two men.
Moses :
Exodus 34:28 where it is written
that Moses was up in a mountain with the Lord for 40 days and forty nights and
that "he did neither eat bread nor drink water...." verse 28.
Elijah :
It would seem that Elijah was able to do the same as Moses. See 1 Kings 19:7,8.
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7) Time of
appeared
We have seen that Moses and Elijah appeared
with Jesus on the mount of transfiguration during
Christ’s 3-1/2 years of ministry on earth. It would seem entirely
appropriate for them again to be His two
witnesses in these end-time 3-1/2 years.
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Prediction 2
The Temple and the City, Joshua and Zerubbabel
20 And
again the word of the LORD came to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the
month, saying,21 "Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah,
saying:
' I will
shake heaven and earth.
22 I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms;
I will
destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms.
I will
overthrow the chariots
And
those who ride in them;
The horses
and their riders shall come down,
Every
one by the sword of his brother.
23 'In
that day,' says the LORD of hosts, 'I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the
son of Shealtiel,' says the LORD, 'and will make you like a signet ring;
for I have chosen you,' says the LORD of hosts."
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1. The shaking of the heavens and the earth.
2. The overthrow of the "throne of kingdoms."
3. The destruction of the strength of the heathen nations.
4. The destruction of an invading army from internal fighting.
All of these events will occur at the very beginning of the end-times tribulation. The Day of the Lord will begin with the shaking of the heavens and the earth as shown after the sixth seal is broken. Babylon, referred to as the ruler over the kings of the earth in Revelation 17:18, is referred to here as the "throne of kingdoms," and is predicted to be overthrown at this same time early in the tribulation.
Magog and other heathen nations will also be destroyed or greatly punished as a result of the first trumpet judgment, and the invaders of the Magog alliance will be struck with madness and internal fighting as shown in Ezekiel 38:21. In the aftermath of these events the final seven years of Daniel’s great prophecy will begin, and at this time Zerubbabel will be made God’s signet.
But before
we look at Zerubbabel’s end-times career, we should look at the role he played
at the building of the Second Temple after Israel had come out of Babylon, and
we should also look at his partner.
In 538 BC the Persian King Cyrus issued the
decree allowing for a large number of the Jewish exiles to leave Babylon and
return to Israel to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. Two years later, in 536
BC, the Jews succeeded in setting the foundation of the Temple and then they
began to build the Temple itself. As the work began many of Israel’s enemies
became worried and tried to discourage the builders. Eventually their
harassment succeeded, and the work on the Temple stopped for more than a decade
until the second year of King Darius of Persia. This was when the prophet Haggai stepped up to encourage the Jews who were living in Jerusalem to turn back to their task of rebuilding the Temple. The two chapters of the book of Haggai document how he at first scolded the Jews for building comfortable homes for themselves, while God’s house remained unfinished. Then he focused his attention on Zerubbabel, who was the political leader and governor of Judah, and also on Joshua, who was the religious leader and high priest. These two men listened to Haggai and led the Jews to finally finish their job of rebuilding the Temple in the sixth year of Darius. Zerubbabel and Joshua were two men who were very important to God, and the prophets Haggai and Zechariah had much to say about them.
The word of the Lord first came to Haggai on the first day of the sixth month of the second year of King Darius, and it was this message that prompted Zerubbabel and Joshua to lead the people to return to the work on God’s Temple, which then began three days later on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.
Then the word of the Lord again came to Haggai, this time on the twenty-first day of the seventh month of the same year. As the Temple was being built many of the Jews became discouraged and ashamed, because they could see that the Temple they were building would hardly compare to the glory of Solomon’s Temple that had been destroyed by the Babylonians many years earlier. Haggai consoled them by telling them that the "desired of all nations" would come and "fill this house with glory," making the glory of the Second Temple "greater than the glory of the former house," (Haggai 2:6-9). This was a prediction that the Messiah would one day enter the Second Temple, which is exactly what Jesus did on many occasions, prior to its destruction in 70 AD.
In the eighth month of the second year of Darius the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, who told the people of Israel that they must never turn their back on God as their forefathers had. Zechariah’s word was heeded as the Temple was being worked on, and the people repented and acknowledged that God always dealt with them justly (Zechariah 1:1-6).
The word of the Lord came again to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, of the second year of King Darius, this time with a message to Israel that they should carefully follow the Lord’s laws, and thus receive His blessings. And finally, the Lord gave His last message to Haggai, His second message on the same day of the twenty-fourth, which was the message that Zerubbabel would be taken by God and set up as God’s signet near the beginning of the end-times tribulation.
On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month of Darius’ second year, God spoke again to Zechariah and gave him a lengthy vision of the future. This vision was given to Israel as it existed in Zechariah’s day, but it also includes predictions that can only apply to the end-times.
Zechariah was first shown a man riding a red horse, with many other horses behind him, and they are explained as the ones that the Lord has sent throughout the earth. They report to the angel that the world is at rest and in peace, and then the angel asks the Lord how long until Israel will again be blessed, bringing an end to the seventy years of God’s anger. The Lord responds by saying that the Temple will be rebuilt and Jerusalem will again be prosperous and receive God’s blessings.
Next, Zechariah is shown four horns that are explained as the horns that are responsible for scattering the Jews. Four craftsmen, or carpenters, then appear, and God says that their work will counter the work of the horns and the Jews will again be secure.
Zechariah’s vision, as given in chapter two, then focuses on events that concern the end of the age. First, Zechariah is shown a man with a measuring line, who is sent out to measure Jerusalem. An angel predicts that Jerusalem will be without walls, and the Lord says that He will protect her and be its glory within. Then the Lord gives two commands, the first is to flee from the land of the north, and from where they had been scattered to the four winds of heaven, and the second is to flee from the Daughter of Babylon. God then predicts that He will raise His hand against the many nations that have plundered Israel, and that through this act Israel will know their God. The Lord will then dwell in Israel and live among His people, choosing Jerusalem and inheriting Israel and many other nations as well. Chapter two ends with the command, "Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling."
All of these predictions offer allusions to the book of Revelation and to the end-times tribulation:
- The measuring of Jerusalem is similar to the measuring of the Temple in the eleventh chapter of Revelation. It symbolizes God’s choosing of Jerusalem once again, and a return to Daniel’s prophecy of the Seventy Weeks, during which God focuses on the Jews and Jerusalem.
- The prediction that Jerusalem will be prosperous and without walls is similar to Ezekiel’s prophecy that Israel will be a prosperous land without walls prior to the Magog invasion.
- Zechariah writes that Israel will be scattered to the four winds of heaven, which compares to the end-times gathering of Israel "from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other," (Matthew 24:31) that Jesus predicted within His Olivet Discourse. The regathering from ancient Babylon during Zechariah’s time was not a worldwide regathering, but only a regathering from throughout the Mid-East and Mediterranean region.
- The command to flee and escape from the Daughter of Babylon can only be a reference to end-times Babylon, because there was no danger in ancient Babylon from which the Jews were commanded to flee. Jews lived in ancient Babylon safely and continuously even after they were allowed to return to Israel, and they helped to build a flourishing and long-lasting Jewish community. The command to flee from the Daughter of Babylon corresponds to the message in Revelation to those living in end-times Babylon, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues." God’s people are warned to flee because Babylon will suffer a very serious divine judgment and He does not want them to be a part of it.
- The hand that God will raise against the nations that plunder Israel, that causes Israel to recognize their God, is also similar to the prophecies of Ezekiel regarding the Magog invasion at the beginning of the tribulation. Ezekiel writes that Magog invades for plunder, and that when God destroys them Israel "will know that I am the Lord their God."
- The final result, when the Lord lives in Jerusalem among Israel and many other nations, is another clear prophecy of the result of the end-times tribulation, when an era of peace and brotherhood will be established.
- The final message of chapter two is a warning to mankind of the approaching Day of the Lord, which will begin when the Lord is roused and shakes the heavens and the earth in His wrath, as described within the sixth seal of Revelation.
The third chapter of Zechariah continues with this end-times theme and it focuses on Joshua the high priest, standing before the Lord at the time of his resurrection and judgment. This is the judgment that every believer will have to face, known theologically as the bema seat of Christ, which is a Greek word for "judgment." The Apostle Paul used the term bema seat, because in his day the bema seat was understood as the place from which athletes were rewarded after completing a race. The judgment of the bema seat is not a judgment of condemnation, because every believer is assured of salvation, it is rather a judgment that focuses on the life of the individual, separating the good works from the bad and making the true worth of each person’s life completely obvious.
This judgment is mentioned several times by the Apostle Paul,
"You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written: ‘As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’ So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God." (Romans 14:10-12)
"For we must all appear before the judgment [bema] seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10)
This judgment will be one where the believer’s bad works are burned up with fire and completely consumed, leaving only the good works behind. Paul explains,
"[Every man’s] work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames."
(1 Corinthians 3:13-15)
This judgment will occur at the resurrection at the time of the end. Paul writes that the good works of a believer’s life will be rewarded, and this reward is described in many passages as a crown,
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." (James 1:12)
"…the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes…"
(1 Thessalonians 2:19)
"Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:8)
"And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away." (1 Peter 5:4)
Believers will be judged when they are resurrected, which will be at the time of the rapture for most, but for others it will be at the end of the tribulation as given in Revelation 20:4. At the time of the rapture and resurrection there will also be a changing of the body, allegorized by Paul as a change of clothing,
"For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:52-57)
All of these descriptions that relate to the resurrection and judgment of believers are shown in the third chapter of Zechariah, which gives us a picture of Joshua the high priest, who will be raised near the beginning of the tribulation, after the rapture of living believers, to carry out a specific mission upon the earth,
"And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by.
And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.
Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the Branch. For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree." (KJV)
This vision begins at a time when "the Lord hath chosen Jerusalem," which will be when the 70th Week of Daniel’s prophecy begins, which was a prophecy that was given concerning the Jews and Jerusalem. Prior to the 70th Week Jerusalem is not a part of God’s program, but He will turn back and focus once again on His holy city when the 70th Week begins. This is evidence that Joshua will be raised at the beginning of the 70th Week of Daniel.
Zechariah was shown a scene in heaven during which Satan and the "angel of the Lord" stand beside Joshua. Satan is rebuked, and Joshua is referred to as a "brand plucked out of the fire." Paul wrote that every believer will come through the judgment "as one escaping through the flames." Then Joshua is given new clothes, just as Paul wrote that "the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality." When Joshua’s filthy old clothes are replaced with perfect new clothes the "angel of the Lord" says "Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee." This angel of the Lord is none other than Jesus Christ, because no angel has the authority to forgive sins.
Zechariah was given a vision of heaven at the time of the end, just as it appears in Revelation, and because he lacked understanding he simply referred to Jesus as "the angel of the Lord." After Joshua’s clothes are replaced he is then given a mitre, which can be seen as a type of crown, perhaps signifying his reward for being faithful and passing through the judgment.
After Joshua is resurrected and judged then Jesus gives Joshua a task, commanding him to "keep my charge." Joshua is told that if he is successful then God will give him the authority to "judge my house" and to "keep my courts," and he will also be given a place among "these that stand by." Jesus was referring to the great multitude of raptured saints that will be standing in heaven before God’s throne after the rapture and resurrection, as seen in Revelation after the opening of the sixth seal. If Joshua keeps the "charge" that he is given then he will be given a place with the great multitude. Then a reference is made to Joshua’s "fellows" who "sit before thee," which refers to the twenty-four elders who sit on thrones in heaven surrounding the throne of God. They are indeed men that are "wondered at," and they are also Joshua’s "fellows" because they are a select group of Israel’s saints who minister in heaven today.
A reference is then made to the Messiah Jesus Christ, who is the Branch and the stone with seven eyes, as also described in Revelation 5:6. The Messiah is a stone that was laid before Joshua’s end-times mission, but the Second Coming when the Messiah is brought forth will come after Joshua’s mission. Finally chapter three ends with a reference to the Messianic Kingdom when Israel’s sins will be forgiven and the earth will be at peace.
The nature of Joshua’s mission, which is the "charge" that he is asked to keep, is explained further in chapter four of the book of Zechariah, which returns again to Zerubbabel, Joshua’s partner.
"And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep. And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, And behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you. For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth." (KJV)
When Zechariah received this vision the work on the Temple had been restarted and had been going on for four or five months. Zechariah was told that Zerubbabel’s hands would finish the rebuilding of the Temple, and that this would be a sign to Zechariah that his vision was true.
When Zechariah first saw the two olive trees and the two golden pipes he asked what they were. At first he was given a message to give to Zerubbabel, saying that Zerubbabel would have the power to bring down mountains. Then he was told that Zerubbabel would possess the seven eyes of the Lord, which were also associated with Joshua earlier in Zechariah’s vision. Finally he is given the answer for what the olive trees represent when the Lord tells him,
"These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth."
Joshua and Zerubbabel will be God’s anointed ones. God’s choice of Zerubbabel as a "signet" during the end-times was shown in the last prophecy of Haggai, and Joshua’s resurrection at the time of end, with the "charge" that he is given after his resurrection, is shown in Zechariah chapter three. However, the mission of Joshua and Zerubbabel, the two olive trees who will rise up after the rapture at the beginning of the 70th Week, is not fully explained until the eleventh chapter of the book of Revelation,
"And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.
These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth…"
When their task is completed they will again be resurrected, this time up off of the streets of Jerusalem, into heaven to take their places among the great multitude of raptured saints who stand before the throne of God, singing songs of praise and glory and worshiping the Creator of the Universe.
Prediction 3
ISAIAH 43:1 But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob,
and He who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You
are Mine. . . ." 10 "You are My witnesses,"
declares the LORD, "and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may
know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was
formed, nor will there be one after Me. 11 I, even I, am the LORD, and
apart from Me there is no savior. 12 I have revealed and saved and
proclaimed — I, and not some foreign god among you. You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I
am God." (NIV)
Zac. 4:11 I, even I, am the LORD, and
apart from Me there is no savior. 12 I have revealed and saved and
proclaimed — I, and not some foreign god among you. You are My witnesses,"
declares the LORD, "that I am God." (NIV)
(rfhpah 4:2) eP fhz;fpwJ vd;dntd;W Nfl;lhh;@ mjw;F ehd;: ,Njh>
KOtJk; nghd;dpdhy; nra;ag;gl;l Fj;Jtpsf;iff; fhz;fpNwd;@ mjpd; cr;rpapy; mjpd;
fpz;zKk;> mjpd;Nky; mjpd; VO mfy;fSk;> mjpd; cr;rpapy; ,Uf;fpw
mfy;fSf;Fg;Nghfpw VO Foha;fSk; ,Uf;fpwJ.
(rfhpah 4:3) mjpd; mUfpy; fpz;zj;jpw;F tyJGwkhf xd;Wk;> mjw;F
,lJ Gwkhf xd;Wk;> Mf ,uz;L xyptkuq;fs; ,Uf;fpwJ vd;Nwd;.
(rfhpah 4:11) gpd;G ehd; mtiu Nehf;fp: Fj;Jtpsf;Ff;F tyJGwkhfTk;
mjw;F ,lJGwkhfTk; ,Uf;fpw ,e;j ,uz;L xyptkuq;fs; vd;dntd;W Nfl;Nld;.
(rfhpah 4:12) kWgbAk; ehd; mtiu Nehf;fp: ,uz;L nghw;Foha;fspd;
topaha;j; njhq;fp> nghd;dpwkhd vz;nziaj; jq;fspypUe;J ,wq;fg;gz;Zfpwitfshfpa
xyptkuq;fspd; ,uz;L fpisfs; vd;dntd;W Nfl;Nld;.
(rfhpah 4:13) mjw;F mth;: ,itfs; ,d;dnjd;W cdf;Fj; njhpahjh
vd;whh;@ Mz;ltNd> vdf;Fj; njhpahJ vd;Nwd;.
(rfhpah 4:14) mg;nghOJ mth;: ,itfs; ,uz;Lk; rh;tNyhfj;Jf;Fk;
Mz;ltuhapUf;fpwthpd; rKfj;jpy; epw;fpw mgpN\fk; ngw;wth;fs; vd;whh;.
In Zechariah 4 we see the same symbols
that are used in Revelation 11 — olive trees and a lampstand. The two
olive trees are said to be "the anointed ones" (literally "sons
of the oil") who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth" (Zec.
4:14). But maddeningly, the angel doesn't give Zechariah (or us) a direct
answer regarding the identity of these two trees. We must look in the
book of Jeremiah to find the identification of the olive trees:
JEREMIAH 11:16 The
LORD called your name, Green
Olive Tree, lovely and of good fruit. With the noise of a great
tumult He has kindled fire on it, and its branches are broken. 17 For the
LORD of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced doom against you for the evil of
the House of Israel and of the House of Judah, which they have
done against themselves to provoke Me to anger in offering incense to
Baal." (NKJV)
(vNukpah 11:16) ey;y fdp cz;lhapUf;fpw Neh;j;jpAk; gr;irAkhd
xyptkunkd;Dk; Ngiuf; fh;j;jh; cdf;F ,l;lhh;@ Mdhy; kfh mkspapd; rj;jkha; mijr;
Rw;wpYk; neUg;igf; nfhSj;Jfpwhh;@ mjpd; nfhk;Gfs; Kwpf;fg;gl;lJ.
(vNukpah 11:17) ghfhYf;Fj; J}gq;fhl;LfpwjpdhNy vdf;Ff; NfhgKz;lhf;f
,];uNty; FLk;gj;jhUk;> a+jh FLk;gj;jhUk; jq;fSf;Ff; Nflhfr; nra;j
nghy;yhg;gpdpkpj;jk; cd;Nky; jPq;if tug;gz;ZNtd; vd;W cd;id ehl;bd Nridfspd;
fh;j;jh; nrhy;Yfpwhh;.
The House
of Judah
·
The tribe of Judah
·
The tribe of Benjamin
·
The tribe of Levi
The House
of Israel
·
The tribe of Joseph
·
The tribe of Manasseh
·
The tribe of Reuben
·
The tribe of Gad
·
The tribe of Asher
·
The tribe of Naphtali
·
The tribe of Simeon
·
The tribe of Issachar
·
The tribe of Zebulun
According to the Scriptures, there must
be two witnesses to an act in order for the sentence of the Law to be carried
out. Since those who accept the mark of the beast and worship him will
"drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength
into the cup of His indignation" (Rev. 14:10), at least two witnesses to
their sins will be necessary to convict and punish them.
Who are the two witnesses
mentioned in Revelation 11? Let's look elsewhere in the Bible to see if
God identifies who His witnesses are and what they will testify about:
ISAIAH 43:1 But now, thus says the LORD, who
created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are
Mine. . . ." 10 "You are My witnesses,"
declares the LORD, "and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may
know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was
formed, nor will there be one after Me. 11 I, even I, am the LORD, and
apart from Me there is no savior. 12 I have revealed and saved and
proclaimed — I, and not some foreign god among you. You are My
witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God." (NIV)
ISAIAH 44:1 But now hear, O Jacob My
servant, Israel whom I have chosen! 2 Thus says the LORD
who made you, who formed you in the womb and will help you: Do not fear,
O Jacob My servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I
will pour My spirit upon your descendants, and My blessing on your
offspring. 4 They shall spring up like a green tamarisk, like willows by
flowing streams. 5 This one will say, "I am the LORD's,"
another will be called by the name of Jacob, yet another will write on the
hand, "The LORD's," and adopt the name of Israel. 6 Thus says
the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am
the first and I am the last; besides Me there is no god. 7 Who is like
Me? Let them proclaim it, let them declare and set it forth before
me. Who has announced from of old the things to come? Let them tell
us what is yet to be. 8 Do not fear, or be afraid; have I not told you
from of old and declared it? You are my witnesses! Is
there any god besides Me? There is no other rock; I know not one. (NRSV)
These prophetic passages from Isaiah
plainly state that Israel will witness to the fact that there
is no other God like YHVH the Father. This
testimony will be a necessary confirmation of the identity of the one true God
(John 17:3) during the time the Antichrist is reigning and proclaiming himself
to be god (II The. 2:4). But how can Israel, the chosen people of God, be
the TWO witnesses referred to in Revelation?
Christians who haven't studied
the Tanakh (Old Testament) in depth might be surprised
to learn that Israel split into two parts after the reign of
King Solomon. This split is recorded in I Kings 12 and II Chronicles
10. The division resulted in the southern kingdom of Judea (the "House
of Judah") and the northern kingdom of Samaria (the "House of
Israel") in the Holy Land.
The House of Judah was composed of the
tribes of Judah and Benjamin (I Kings 12:21; II Chr. 11:12). The tribe of
Levi also eventually sided with the House of Judah, having been rejected as
priests by the ruler of the House of Israel (II Chr. 11:13-14).
The 10 tribes (I Kings 11:31, 35)
which composed the House of Israel were the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh,
Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, and Dan.
These 10 northern tribes were led by the tribe of Ephraim, which was given
the blessing of the firstborn by the patriarch Israel on his deathbed (Gen.
48:14-22).
Therefore, we see from the Scriptures
that Israel did indeed become "two." They can
legitimately be recognized as two different, but related, entities.
But is there any other biblical evidence which connects the two houses of
Israel with the two witnesses of Revelation 11?
Indeed there is! Revelation 11:4
gives us the next two vital clues:
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