(Revelation 11:1-13) Who Are the Two Witnesses?

 

“And there was given me (John) a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. And I will give power unto My two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.” (Revelation 11:1-3)

First, let’s get a sense of the time-period here mentioned. John is told to “measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not.” We have already briefly discussed this in our study of the seven churches when we looked at the church of Philadelphia. We saw how the Millerites (Adventists) first believed that Jesus was returning to earth in the Fall of 1844 because they believed “the cleansing of the sanctuary” referred to the cleansing of this earth. After the “bitter” disappointment they turned their attention to studying (measuring) the heavenly sanctuary which we connected to the angel’s command to John that he “must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings” (Revelation 10:11) and then immediately John says, “there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.” (Revelation 11:1).

This intense study (measuring) led them to understand more concerning the connection between “the cleansing of the sanctuary” and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).

“And he (Aaron/high priest) shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar (of incense) before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil: And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony (Ark of the covenant), that he die not … And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness … And he shall go out unto the altar (of incense) that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it (the altar) with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel … For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.” (Leviticus 16:12, 13, 16, 18, 19, 30)

Notice the three things John was to measure are part of the Day of Atonement ceremony. John was told to measure:

1. “The temple of God.” We read above, “so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation.”
2.  “The altar.” We read above, “And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it (the altar of incense) with his finger seven times, and cleanse it.”
3. “Those who worship therein.” We read above, “For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.” This was all part of the cleansing of the sanctuary process.

Then we have seen in Revelation 11:18, 19 the opening of the Holy of Holies when this cleansing (or, time of judgment) began. In between these verses is the vision of the two witnesses. John gives us the time period when these two witnesses arrive on the scene by saying, “they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.” We have studied this time-period before in our study of the little horn power (see, Part Two). We concluded that these 1,260 days represent a full 1,260 years and are linked to the time-period of papal rule from 538 A.D. to 1798 A.D. Therefore, the vision of these two witnesses must have been fulfilled during that time-period.

We have also seen that “the woman” (God’s people/church) in Revelation 12 goes into the wilderness for “a thousand two hundred and threescore days” which is the same time period when these two witnesses prophesy “clothed in sackcloth.”

“And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days … And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.” (Revelation 12:6, 14)

John says, “they should feed her there” (verse 6), and the woman is to be “nourished” during this 1,260-year period (verse 14). Who are the “they”? Could it possibly be the “two witnesses” who will “prophecy” and “feed” her and “nourish” her while “clothed in sackcloth” during this period of 1,260 days/years—538-1798?

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines “sackcloth” by saying, “This word is chiefly used in Scripture to denote a cloth or garment worn in mourning, distress or mortification (2 Samuel 3:31).” The two witnesses, are seen prophesying (feeding, nourishing) God’s people while they were “in distress” for “a thousand two hundred and threescore days (1,260 years) from the face of the serpent.”

Serpent Justice

The woman (church) goes “underground” because “the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.” (Revelation 12:15). The two witnesses were there to help guide and nourish the woman so she would not to be swallowed up by the flood from the serpent. This “flood” which comes out of the serpent’s “mouth” can be seen as a flood of false doctrine, especially the concept of “serpent justice”, which is all about force and coercion. We learned in a previous study how the serpent in the Garden deceived Adam and Eve into thinking God was coming to judge, condemn, and kill them after they ate of the forbidden fruit. Eating the forbidden fruit was symbolic of them taking in all the lies that were being taught and entertained at that tree. Through sin, a false system of justice was implanted causing fear and condemnation to rule their mind:

“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:8-10)

The serpent deceived us into sin because he knows sin hides (clouds) God’s ever merciful face (Isaiah 59:2). He wants us to distrust our Father, thinking He is a tyrant who needs to smell blood in order for His wrath to be appeased.

In Revelation 12 we see God’s desire to steer us away and protect us from “the face of the serpent.” The “face” of the serpent is the complete opposite of the “face” of God. Sin has clouded God’s face from us, by projecting the serpent’s face onto God. Christianity began to view God’s justice as something no different than the serpent’s form of justice. This is why God says, “Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no man see Me, and live.” (Exodus 33:20). Why is this? Is it because God will lash out in anger to smite us all dead? No. It’s because of what we believe about God. We falsely believe God will lash out and smite us if He sees one little sin in us, but it’s actually the sin in us which destroys us as we look at the loving merciful face of God. When God’s character is fully revealed, it naturally exposes all our shortcomings. While Isaiah was brought into the Holy of Holies, he cried out, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” (Isaiah 6:5). However, Isaiah believed in God’s forgiveness; for we read, “Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.” (Verses 6, 7).

But if we believe God will strike us dead on the spot, our guilt and conscience will overwhelm us, and we will die.

“For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.” (Job 3:25)

This is why Paul wrote:

“For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one (unbeliever) we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other (believer) the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Corinthians 2:15, 16)

And Charles Spurgeon once said:

“The same sun which melts wax hardens clay. And the same Gospel which melts some persons to repentance hardens others in their sins.”

Now, is it the sun doing this or is it the ingredients in the wax and clay reacting to the sun? The sinful heart of Pharaoh was hardened by the way it reacted to a righteous God (c.f. Exodus 7:3; Exodus 8:32). In Scripture God is called “a consuming fire” to sin wherever present (Deuteronomy 4:24; Hebrews 12:29). It’s not that He is killing some while protecting others, it’s the same consuming fire being poured over both the believer and unbeliever.

“The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil.” (Isaiah 33:14, 15)

Did you read what I just read? The ones who will dwell eternally in the devouring fire are the ones who walk righteously! How different is this from what we hear from the pulpits today? Satan has deceived the world into thinking that the place you don’t want to go is the place of “consuming fire” and “everlasting burnings” which is God’s very presence. While unified in Christ you will be clothed with His fireproof “robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10); for “He will immerse (baptize) you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Luke 3:16). Like the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace, the only thing that will consume is what binds you, your iniquity, and not a hair on your head will be singed (Daniel 3).

It’s all about how you react according to the way in which you think about God. If you have the mind of serpent justice, then you will die according to what you believe; “for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52), and “the one who has shown no mercy will be judged without mercy.” (James 2:13). This doesn’t mean that God is withholding His mercy, but the one who judges without mercy is the one resisting or not believing in mercy. Believing God’s justice is like serpent justice, and that God needs to directly kill the sinner, causes fear when sin is exposed in the presence of God. Isaiah said the “sinners” who “are afraid” will be “surprised” not being able to dwell in the consuming fire of God’s love.

“Set me as a seal upon hine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.” (Song of Songs 8:6)

However, if we will allow the Spirit of Christ to come in and cleanse our soul temple from all the lies of the serpent, we will trust in God’s free forgiveness “and [we] shall see His face; and His name (true character) shall be in [our] foreheads (our thinking/reasoning).” (Revelation 22:4).

The serpent’s flood after the woman came as a total opposite reason the flood came in the time of Noah. The serpent’s flood is all about “do what I say, or I will kill you!” This is not why the flood came during the time of Noah, even though many Christians believe it was. God was not saying, “Get on the Ark, or I will kill all of you with a flood!” No, this kind of operation is what’s called an extortion racket, and God does not operate on threatening people to do what He says. This is serpent justice; for it is how Satan operates. (For a deeper understanding about why the flood came, see the article entitled: Did God Really Drown Millions of People in the Flood?).

The Wilderness

The prophesying in sackcloth also means the woman (church) was barely getting enough nourishment to get by. This is the meaning of the “wilderness” to where she flees to. A wilderness area represents non-productivity. In Jeremiah we read:

“I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was (became) a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by His fierce anger. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.” (Jeremiah 4:26, 27)

Listen how God compares His people (Jacob) with the woman who was “given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness”:

“For the LORD'S portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; He led him about, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.” (Deuteronomy 32:9-12)

Jacob was found in the place of wilderness, a place of non-productivity. This is why Jacob’s name, which means supplanter/usurper, was changed to “Israel,” which means overcomer. In the book of Exodus, we read:

“In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount. And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto Myself.” (Exodus 19:1-4)

The Israelites escaped Egypt with the Egyptian army at their heels. Just as Satan sent a flood after the woman, the Israelites were trapped at the Sea. But the Sea departed, and they went across on dry land and sadly the waters drowned the Egyptians. Some cry out “Hallelujah! God drowned all those pesky Egyptians.” But did you ever stop and think that God took off their chariot wheels to slow them down (Exodus 14:24, 25) in order for them to think twice about going any further? Couldn’t it be possible for a God of love to want to save the Egyptians as well? Ask yourself, did God ever use serpent justice of force and coercion, which demands the death of the disobedient? Or did God exercise divine justice by doing all that He could to save them, but in the end gave them over to their own free choice? (For a deeper understanding of this, see the article entitled, Who Really Killed Firstborn in Egypt?).

The Israelites went through the wilderness because of their murmurings. God desired to bring them straight through, but they had to wonder in the wilderness for 40 years because their perception of God was twisted. Why did most of them die in the wilderness without seeing the Promised Land? Because they too were infected with serpent justice, thinking God was the source of death and would kill them:

“And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, ‘If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?’ So they said to one another, ‘Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.’” (Numbers 14:2-4, New King James Version)

“Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: ‘If only we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! Why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here?’” (Numbers 20:2-4, New King James Version)

“And the people spoke against God and against Moses: ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.’” (Numbers 21:5, New King James Version)

How sad it must have been for God to have His people willing to believe such lies about Him.

“Because all those men which have seen My glory, and My miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted Me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to My voice; Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked Me see it.” (Number 14:22, 23)

Again, this is not a threat, but a solemn statement of fact based upon their own choices and judgment. When God told Adam and Eve “in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17), He was not threatening to kill them, but was lovingly warning them of the inherent consequences of their own choices. God created us with freedom of choice. It would not have been free choice if God gave them the choice whether to eat it or not, and then seek to kill them for making the choice He thought was wrong. Many ask, “Why did God place that forbidden tree in the Garden in the first place? Wouldn’t life be so much better if He didn’t?”

“Let’s go back to the garden of Eden and that perplexing forbidden tree. If God had not made that tree, would it have been possible for humankind to love as God loves? For love, to be love, requires that it be freely given. For love to be freely given, we must also have the liberty to not love. Love is always a choice; love cannot be commanded or coerced. If God would have created our first parents and placed them in the garden without providing some tangible way whereby they could have chosen not to love and trust him, it would not have been possible for them to love as God himself loves. Just as God is our Source of life, he is also our Source of genuine love—life and love are inseparable. To be created in God’s image gives each of us the potential to become a loving friend to our Creator. God did not place the tree of the knowledge of good and evil with the restriction forbidding eating from its branches as an arbitrary test of our obedience to him, but as an assurance that he values our freedom of choice so highly that he was willing to take the risk that we could choose to turn from him. When we understand the reason why God placed the forbidden tree in the garden, we will not accuse him of being a self-serving dictator.” (Jay A. Schulberg, Acts of our Gentle God, pp. 12, 13)

While talking with Nicodemus, Jesus said, “And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.” (John 3:14, 15, New Living Translation). Here Jesus is referring to the time when the people in the wilderness were dying due to being bit by serpents (Numbers 21). In response, God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole, and everyone who looked at it would be healed. Have you ever wondered why Jesus compares Himself to the bronze serpent? A serpent in Scripture always represents Satan (Revelation 12:9). Satan used to be one of the good angels (cherubs) who covered the throne of God (Ezekiel 28:14). These cherubs are called "seraphim" which we read about in Isaiah chapter 6. The Hebrew word for "seraphim" is שָׂרָף and actually means "fiery serpent." Christ, however, is usually represented by a gentle lamb (Isaiah 53:7; John 1:29; Acts 8:30-35; 1 Peter 1:18, 19). Why is holding up a bronze serpent, a symbol of Satan, curing the people? Why didn’t God tell Moses to lift up a lamb?  

Well, do you remember what we learned about bronze in our study on the sanctuary? We learned that bronze is a man-made alloy of copper and tin. All the furniture in the outer court of the sanctuary was made of bronze, showing us our bronze (man-made) way of thinking. Jesus died on the cross to expose our bronze thinking, which believes that God cannot forgive sin without the shedding of blood. God gave His Son over to our thinking, our serpent justice in order that we would finally believe He has forgiven us.

“For He (God) hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

When we realize that Jesus died due to our bronze thinking and our way of serpent justice, we are drawn to Him and His amazing love for us which reconciles us to the Father’s true character and love for us.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved (from sin clouding God’s face).” (John 3:16, 17)

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear (believing God kills us) hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love Him, because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:18, 19)

No more will we obey our heavenly Father out of fear of punishment, thinking He’s going to kill us if we mess up. Instead, we will delight to obey Him out of selfless love because we are His children.

“Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He (Christ) likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death He could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil), and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death.” (Hebrews 2:14, 15, New English Translation)

Please remember that the whole purpose of reconciliation is not about changing God’s mind toward us, but changing our minds towards God. Our minds will be changed from thinking, “I messed up, my Dad is going to kill me!” to “I messed up, I need to call my Dad!”

The reason why Moses lifted up a serpent instead of a lamb is because lambs were not hurting them, it was serpents. It is God’s desire to crush the serpent’s head (the way in which the serpent thinks and acts):

“And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy (serpent’s) head, and thou shalt bruise His (Messiah’s/Jesus’) heel.” (Genesis 3:14, 15)

When we apply the divine pattern of the woman as representing God’s church, we see that God will put enmity between the church and all that the serpent (Satan) represents. Paul wrote:

“Now I (Paul) beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.” (Romans 16:17-20)

(Please see the study entitled, Didn’t God Send Fiery Serpents To Kill the People When They Complained At His Leadership? for more details).

This event of Moses lifting up the serpent happened in the wilderness because that’s the sort of thinking they had. God was desiring to lead them out of that thinking so they could finally enter His rest, which brings healing to the mind and heart, so they could enter the Promised Land (Hebrews 3), which represented the entering into the full knowledge of God and His perfect character – the dwelling place of sinlessness. Like the Israelites of old, whom God was initially protecting from the evil fiery serpents (Deuteronomy 8:15), in Revelation 12 God brings the woman (His people) into the wilderness to protect as much truth as possible as the serpent spues out its poisonous lies during the Dark Ages. It is of no coincidence that the Latin word Vatican actually means "Divining Serpent." 

The Two Olive Trees and Two Candlesticks

“These (the two witnesses) are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.” (Revelation 11:4-6)

The two witnesses are “two olive trees” and “two candlesticks.” In Zachariah chapter 4 we read that Zachariah also had a vision of the lamps and the olive trees which an angel tells him represents “the word of the LORD” which speaks to man by the “Spirit” (Zechariah 4:5, 6). Therefore, we have evidence that the two olive trees and the two lampstands are the word of God — the Bible! The Bible is referred to as being two olive trees because of the oil that olives produce. Oil is used to keep fire burning. Thus, we have the connection to the lampstands which the oil was to keep burning. The purpose of keeping the lamps burning with oil is to continually give light. The Psalmist once wrote “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

The Law and the Prophets

These witnesses have the power that “it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood.”

The Bible student should be immediately thinking of the prophet Elijah who “prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months (1,260 days)” (James 5:17; 1 Kings 17 and 18), which exposed the pagan god Baal as false.

We are also directed to Moses who turned the waters into blood during the time of the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7:14; 12:30), exposing the Egyptian gods as false.

However, we are not to look for the literal Moses and Elijah to return. They are used symbolically here. Moses represents the Law while Elijah represents the prophets. The phrase “Law and the Prophets” was used to refer to the Scriptures:

“Think not that I (Jesus) am come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:17, 18)

These two witnesses therefore represent the whole Bible, both Old and New Testaments as commonly called. After His resurrection Jesus said, “These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me” (Luke 24:44). And then in verse 27 it says: “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself.” 

The Old and New Testaments are God’s two witnesses because they both bear witness to Jesus. Jesus said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify (bear witness) of Me.” (John 5:39). Here, Jesus is specifically referring to, what is commonly called, the Old Testament. Everything in the Old Testament testified of the coming Savior. Jesus, when referring to the everlasting gospel (Good News) contained in all of Scripture, but revealed more fully in His life on earth, said, “And this gospel of the kingdom (the good news of His Father’s true character as revealed in Jesus) shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:14). 

Jesus is both the light of the Word and its oil. In John chapter 1:1 Jesus is referred to as “the Word.” In Revelation 19:13 He is called “the Word of God.” Jesus told us, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12).

Oil in Scripture is often used to represent Christ’s Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.” (Luke 4:18). The reference is made to anointing—an act normally done with oil. Jesus says: “The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life” (John 6:63).

Fire Proceedeth Out of Their Mouth

Revelation 11:5 says, “And if any man hurt them (the two witnesses), fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies …” This draws our attention to something Jeremiah wrote:

“The Lord put forth His hand, and touched my (Jeremiah’s) mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth … Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make My words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it (God’s word) shall devour them.” (Jeremiah 1:9; 5:14)

Jeremiah also wrote:

“Is not My word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29)

How is it that God’s word can devour people like fire? Well remember, the fire represents God love (Song of Solomon 8:6), and God’s love is “a consuming fire” to sin wherever present. Will you allow God’s word to consume and devour all your faulty preconceived ideas concerning God and His character? Will you be able to “dwell with the devouring fire” (Isaiah 33:14, 15)?

In Revelation 11:5 John adds, “if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.” In Scripture the Word of God is also likened to a sword: “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17). Now compare that to what we read earlier, “for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52). Those who kill by the sword (the Bible) are those who spread lies about God while using the Bible. Their false doctrines will thus be killed (destroyed/devoured) when the Bible is used properly to present the truth of God’s character.

Concerning the ten-horned beast, John writes:

“And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months (1,260 days/years). And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name (character), and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.” (Revelation 13:7-10)

This we have seen as the Roman papacy. During the Dark Ages the papacy led people into captivity and, not only killed with the literal sword, but killed with the spiritual sword (the Bible) spreading and enforcing their false dogma. Jesus once warned, “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.” (John 16:12). But at the end of the 1,260 years, they would be led into captivity and be killed (destroyed/devoured) by the sword (the Bible/truth). What consumes a lie? TRUTH and JUDGMENT; What consumes selfishness? LOVE and MERCY.

The Suppression of the Scriptures

In churches in Central Africa and in the Armenians of Asia, God’s truth survived for many centuries from the Papal power. The Waldensian Christians were among the first people of Europe to possess a translation of the Scriptures. Because the Waldensian Christians believed the Papal system was “the little horn” power spoken by Daniel, they totally denied the authority of the popes. They often had to retreat into the caves to hide from the Roman armies:

“Seen by the Roman Catholic Church as unorthodox, they [the Waldensian Christians] were formally declared heretics by Pope Lucius III in 1184 at the Synod of Verona, and by Pope Innocent III during the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215. In 1211, more than 80 Waldensians were burned as heretics at Strasbourg, beginning several centuries of persecution that nearly destroyed the movement.” (Wikipedia)

The Roman papacy began to suppress the Bible and forbade anyone to have a copy:

“We prohibit laymen possessing copies of the Old and New Testament … We forbid them most severely to have the above books in the popular vernacular [non-Latin version] … The Lords of the districts shall carefully seek out the heretics in dwellings, hovels, and forest, and even their underground retreats shall be entirely wiped out.” (Pope Gregory IV, Council Tolosanum, Anno. Chr. 1229)

“No one may possess the books of the Old and New Testaments in the Romance language, and if anyone possesses them, he must turn them over to the local bishop within eight days after promulgation of this decree, so that they may be burned lest, be he a cleric or a layman, he be suspected until he is cleared of all suspicion.” (The Council of Tarragona, 1234 A.D. Source: D. Lortsch, Historie de la Bible en France, 1910, p.14. See also: The 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia article on Scripture)

Clearly the two witnesses (the Old and New Testaments) prophesied “in sackcloth” during the 1,260-year rule of the Roman papacy.

The Beast from the Bottomless Pit

“And when they (two witnesses) shall have finished their testimony (during sackcloth), the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.” (Revelation 11:7-11)

John says “the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit” will ascend when the two witnesses “finished their testimony.” Earlier John said they would “prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth” (verse 3). So, this beast must ascend out of the bottomless pit around the end of the 1,260 days/years, which we have seen is 1798 A.D. 

John also says this beast would kill the two witnesses “and their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt.” Why was it “spiritually” called Sodom and Egypt? The same immoral and atheistic attitude that was seen in Sodom and Egypt arose again during the French Revolution.

• Sodom - "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before Me ..." (Ezekiel 16:49, 50).
• Egypt - "And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go." (Exodus 5:2).

In the 1941 edition of the Encyclopedia Americana, it says:

“In 1798 he [Berthier] … made his entrance into Rome, abolished the papal government and established a secular one.”

Notice that Berthier, under the leadership of Napoleon, not only “abolished the papal government”, but also “established a secular one.” Historians refer to the time of the rise of this secular government as “The Reign of Terror.” It is this time that Christianity and anything that dealt with morals was thrown out the window, and anarchy prevailed. Atheism had its own government! This atheistic (spiritual Egypt) and immoral (spiritual Sodom) government was the one set up as a result of the French Revolution, which paved the way for Atheistic Communism. This government replaces God’s design for life with fallen man’s. It is a government from “the bottomless pit”— it has no sure foundation! 

John said it would also be the place where “spiritually … our Lord was crucified.” During this time God was publicly denied, as the Goddess of Reason (an image of a vile woman) was set up and paraded down the streets and worshipped. The established motto was “CRUSH THE WRETCH”, referring to Christ. Not realizing that Jesus is “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3), both Sodom and Egypt crucified the presence of Jesus’ pleading Spirit which led to their self-destruction. When Christ was on the earth, the Jewish leaders sought to kill Him because His selfless life was a constant irritant to their hypocritical life. Here in Revelation 11, we see that the people sought to crucify Christ afresh because “these two prophets tormented them.”

The Greek word for “tormented” here is βασανίζω (bansanizo) meaning, “To test the purity of metals such as gold and silver by rubbing them upon a touchstone.” The torment was not physical, but spiritual (although spiritual torment can and does lead to physical torment). The “fire” coming out of their mouths is used metaphorically as testing (diagnosing) one’s purity (or fitness) for the kingdom of God.

“Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:13-15)

The fire is there to save us, not torture us! The fire comes as a testing (a diagnosing) to see what sort of person we are. Instead of being “tormented” (agitated) and angry at God, we must thank Him for diagnosing us correctly and permit Him to cure us by burning away all our selfish works by the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit.

However, just as in the time Christ was on the earth, these people became angry at the loving conviction that the two prophets (God’s word) were bringing to them, thus they sought to crucify Christ, “the Word of God”, afresh (Hebrews 6:6) and grieve His Spirit. Baptism, Communion, and the Sabbath (all things designed by God to help us receive of His Spirit) were illegal, as was the Bible.

In November 1793 the Legislature of France passed a decree that abolished religion and banned the Bible by law. The prophet John stated that the two witnesses would be killed for three and half days, or three and a half prophetic years (Revelation 11:9). Although the French assembly had passed a law forbidding the Bible in 1793, it was only three years later that another decree was given in acceptance of the Bible. This decree, however, was delayed for six months and the decree was finally passed by law in June 1797. Exactly three and half years! 

Thus, the prophecy of the two witnesses being resurrected after three and a half years was fulfilled. John goes on to say that after their resurrection “they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them” (verse 12). This reveals that after their resurrection in 1797, the Scriptures would be exalted. It was only two years later when the London Religious Tract Society was formed in 1799. Then the British and Foreign Bible Society was formed in 1804. Then followed the American Bible Society in 1816. From its organization the British and Foreign Bible Society had issued 539,664,024 copies of the Bible by 1942. Likewise, the American Bible Society had issued 321,951,266 copies by the same year. How accurate is Bible prophecy!?!

The Time of the End

In previous studies we have learned that “the time of the end” would begin after the 1,260-year period of papal rule from 538-1798:

“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased … And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” (Daniel 12:4, 7-10)

Gabriel tells Daniel that, during the time of the end, “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” This phrase has a two-fold meaning, for it is also a divine pattern.

1. The Growth of Technology and Modern Geology

Apparently, the means of travel would increase at the time of the end (“many shall run to and fro”). In the past 200 years we have greatly increased the means of travel. 200 years ago, you traveled by horse and buggy. In fact, horse and buggy was the means of travel from that time all the way back to the dawn of history! Today we travel by planes, trains, and automobiles. Gabriel said, “and knowledge shall be increased.” Just before entering the 1800s, an increased knowledge of technology was beginning with the Industrial Revolution. A Newspaper called Phrenological Journal reported this statement made in April of 1871: “Never was there such activity of invention with the history of mankind as at the present day.” Keep in mind that this was stated in 1871. Such inventions that have increased since the beginning of the 1800s include: Gas lighting (1798). Steamboat (1807). Photography (1839). Sewing machine (1846). Typewriter (1868). Telephone (1876). Gasoline engine (1883). Automobile (1892). Motion pictures (1895). Television (1936). Nuclear weapons (1945). Not to mention DVDs, computers, the internet, Wi-Fi, iPods, game systems, iPhones and the soon coming self-driving vehicles! Technology is running ramped today!

It’s highly significant that after many years from the time Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness, King Hezekiah began to cleanse Judah from idolatry:

“He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan.” (2 Kings 18:4)

The people had begun to worship the bronze serpent. They had set it up as an idol and depended on it, instead of God, for health and healing. Today the advancements in medical science are also worshipped above God, our Designer and Healer. We are told not to trust God for healing, but upon science alone – the bronze serpent on a pole whose head Christ will crush and destroy.

“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8)

Does Christ destroy? Yes! How? Through violence and war, killing His enemies as fallen man does? No, by laying down His life, exposing the serpent’s true character:

“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.” (Hebrews 2:14, English standard Version)

Please keep in mind that I am not condemning the great medical advances we have today. The problem lies in the fact that these advances are attributed to man, to the point that the human mind is worshipped above God, the Creator of the human mind. Man’s thoughts become higher than God’s thoughts and man’s ways become higher than God’s ways, when Scripture says the exact opposite (Isaiah 55:8, 9). “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12).

God calls this worship of man’s medical mind “sorcery” in the Bible (Revelation 22:15). The Greek word for “sorcerer” here is φάρμακος (pharmakos) which is where we get the English word, “Pharmacy.” Strong’s Concordance defines it as”

“phármakos – properly, a sorcerer; used of people using drugs and ‘religious incantations’ to drug people into living by their illusions – like having magical (supernatural) powers to manipulate God into giving them more temporal possessions.”

And Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words says:

“Phamakia … (Eng., ‘Pharmacy,’ etc.) primarily signified ‘the use of medicine, drugs, spells’ … In ‘sorcery,’ the use of drugs, whether simple or potent, was generally accomplished by incarnations and appeals to occult powers, with the provision of various charms, amulets, etc., professedly designed to keep the applicant or patient from the attention and power of demons, but actually to impress the applicant with the mysterious resources and powers of the sorcerer.”

The Greeks worshipped this god of medicine as Asclepius:

“Asclepius is the god of medicine and healing in ancient Greek religion. Asclepius represents the healing aspect of the medical arts. The rod of Asclepius, a snake-entwined staff, remains a symbol of medicine today.” (Wikipedia)

Along with this came the progression of new world ideologies such as man’s thoughts on our origin, devoid of a divine Creator. Charles Darwin (1809 - 1882) advanced the theory of evolution with his book “the Origin of Species” which he began accumulating information on in the year 1837. He then began to draw up short notes which he enlarged in 1844 and the book was published in 1859. People praising this work have written:

“Next to the Bible no work has been quite as influential, in virtually every aspect of human thought, as The Origin of Species.” (Ashley Montagu)

“It is clear that here is one of the most important contributions ever made to philosophic science; and it is at least behooving on scientists, in the light of the accumulation of evidence which the author has summoned in support of his theory, to reconsider the grounds on which their present doctrine of the origin of species is based.” (The New York Times)

“Darwin was one of history’s towering geniuses and ranks with the greatest heroes of man’s intellectual progress.” (George Gaylord Simpson in The Meaning of Evolution)

Amazingly, on Friday, October 25, 1996, the Chicago Tribune posted an article entitled, “POPE BOLSTERS CHURCH SUPPORT FOR EVOLUTION":

“In a major statement of the Roman Catholic Church's position on the theory of evolution, Pope John Paul II has proclaimed that the theory is 'more than just a hypothesis' and that evolution is compatible with Christian faith. In a written message to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the pope said the theory of evolution has been buttressed by scientific studies and discoveries since Charles Darwin …” (Stevenson Swanson, Tribune Staff Writer, Dateline: New York)

Other people who rose at this time were:

• James Hutton whose book, The Theory of the Earth, was published in 1788. Hutton is believed to be the father of modern geology who made open attacks on the Flood story and ridiculed the idea of a young earth.
• George Cuvier was put in charge of French science in 1789. Cuvier developed new ideas about how the layers of the strata in the earth’s crust. He proposed the ideas of Sedimentology which teaches that all sedimentary layers were put down over millions of years.
• Charles Lyell magnified the theories of Hutton and Cuvier to an all-new level in the 1830s. He was a proponent of Uniformitarianism which teaches the geological phenomenon could be explained in terms of currently observed natural processes operating gradually over long periods time.
• Karl Marx who joined the “League of the Just” in 1842 which later became known as “The League of Communists.” Marx began writing The Communist Manifesto in 1844 which was published in 1848 and teaches “there is no God.”

“Where did these ideas of modern geology have their roots? Was it truly based on detailed, sound scientific research? Or was it part of something much larger and perhaps more sinister? As we investigate, we learn that it came from men involved with the Secret Societies, the instigators of the French Revolution, pivoting around 1798 – right at the end of the 1,260-year prophecy. It was from this era – and even this locality – those new ideas regarding geology began to emerge … We see many new teachings emerging at nearly the same time, and all intertwining with each other. Teachings from men such as James Hutton, George Wilhelm, Friedrich Hegel, Sir Charles Lyell, Karl Marx, and Charles Darwin. These men would change world thought regarding science, politics, life and religion. Their views would be taught academically by institutions of higher learning and permeate classrooms around the world. Indeed, these men, as well as many others, framed the ideologies of the beast from the bottomless pit … ‘Time’ became the ‘god’ to all geological thought. It was time that created the world as we know it, and anything was possible if given enough time. Lyell’s interpretation of geology as the steady accumulation of minute changes over enormously long spans of time turned out to be a powerful influence on the young Charles Darwin.” (Evolution and the Beast from the Bottomless Pit, Laymen Ministries Magazine, No. 185, Summer/Fall 2010)

It’s very interesting that “time” began to be their god. This comes directly from Greek mythology. The Greeks had a god named Chronos who was the god of time and later began to be known as “Father Time.” It is also worth noting here that Chronos, also known as Aeon, was not only depicted as an old man with a beard but depicted as a self-created three-headed serpent. Notice Paul’s words carefully as he says:

“Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (Chronos).” (2 Timothy 1:8-9)

Yes, Paul is here using the Greek word χρόνος (Chronos) and thus proclaiming boldly to the Greek mind, that Christ existed before Chronos; for Scripture speaks of Christ as One “whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity” (Micah 5:2, Berean Study Bible). He was begotten before time (Chronos) began.

"Many Christians can’t accept Christ having an origin at some time in eternity because this, in the Greek way of thinking, makes Him less than Chronos/Aeon. Therefore, [in their thinking] to be equal to the supreme God, Christ can’t have an origin at all, thus destroying the reality of His inheritance from His Father ... the Greek mind sees time and eternity as the same thing, just an infinite amount of it. But this is not eternity, this is sempiternity." (Adrian Ebens, As You Judge, p. 167)

See chapter 25 of the book, As You Judge for more details on this.

2. The Growth of Biblical Knowledge

There is a reason why Darwin’s book came at the time it did. Satan knew that Daniel’s prophecy of knowledge increasing is mostly pointing to the increase of biblical knowledge, because it was time for Daniel’s book to be unsealed as the Bible became more accessible to the general population after 1798 and time for the cleansing of the sanctuary from Satan’s lies to begin in 1844. The angel in Revelation chapter 10, who holds the unsealed book of Daniel, tells John “there should be time (chronos) no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as He hath declared to His servants the prophets.” (Revelation 10: 6, 7).

The end of Chronos is fast approaching as the mystery of God is finishing up. The angel says this mystery would be finished during the sounding of the seventh trumpet, which we have seen is connected to the hour of judgment/cleansing as “the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple.” (Revelation 11:15-19). What better time for Satan to unleash all his power – “… Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” (Revelation 12:12). Just as secular knowledge was rising during this time, false Bible docrines were on the rise as well. Here's a list of a few which rose around this same time-period:

• The Futurist Doctrine which steers the attention away from the papacy and focuses on one superhuman dictator that will rise during a so-called seven-year tribulation after God’s people are raptured from the earth, was made popular in the Protestant belief system by a Presbyterian minister named Edward Irving in 1830. In the effort to steer the Protestant’s attention away from themselves as being “the little horn” power, the papacy invented the futurist doctrine by employing the help of Jesuit Ribera in 1591 who founded the doctrine as part of their counter-protestant attack. Today the book and movie series Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, which was released between 1996-2007 and teaches the Jesuit doctrine of Futurism, remains to be widely popular and accepted as truth. This doctrine holds that the 70-week prophecy in Daniel 9 refers to the coming antichrist in the future. They press pause at the end of the 69^th week and place the 70^th week way into the future, claiming it refers to a seven-year tribulation period just before Jesus comes again. For details on this prophecy, see the study entitled, When Was the Sanctuary Cleansed?
• Bahai Faith (the official faith of the United Nations) is founded in 1844. The Bahai Faith “upholds the fundamental unity of all religions … So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.” The unity of all religions lessons the authority of Christ and makes Him an equal to such people as Mohamed and other false Messiahs. It teaches that there is more than one path which leads to God, which today is being heralded by such mega-superstars as Oprah Winfrey. However, Christ said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John 14:6). This unity of religions is prophesied in the Bible, which we will study in a future lesson.
• Sinaitic Manuscript is discovered at Mt. Sinai in the monastery of St. Catherine in 1844. This became the basis for all modern translations of the Bible. This isn’t to say that all modern translations are evil (I use them in this prophecy series), but we just need to be cautious because there is an agenda out there.
• Modern Spiritualism had its birth on March 31, 1848 when two young girls known as the Fox sisters [Maggie, 14; Kate, 11] claimed to hear mysterious rapping in western New York. The Fox family deserted the house and sent Maggie and Kate to live with their older sister, Leah Fox Fish, in Rochester. Soon, ‘seers’ like Andrew Jackson Davis emerged and others began reporting spiritual manifestations. Upon hearing of the Rochester incident, Davis invited the Fox sisters to his home in New York City to witness their medium capabilities for himself. This elevated his stature from obscure prophet to recognized leader of a mass movement. Maggie, Kate, and Leah Fox embarked on a professional tour to spread word of the spirits. Following 1888 however, the movement began to wane after the Fox sisters confessed to fabricating their reports. Nonetheless, spiritualism persisted in institutional forms. One of the oldest and largest spiritualist churches is the National Spiritualist Association of Churches, founded in 1893 in Chicago. Spiritualism continues to fascinate its’ audience through the mediums of tv and movies and is the backbone of the Catholic doctrine of “saints” (such as Mary, St. Anthony, St. Jude etc.) whom parishioners are encouraged to pray to.  This doctrine teaches “There is no Death … There are no Dead” – a teaching which carries on the serpent’s great lie that “ye shall not surely die” (Genesis 3:4) because everyone has a naturally immortal soul independent from God. Therefore, in order for a sinner to die, it must come from an outside force – God, instead of from the inherent consequences of sin which the Bible teaches. Popular Spiritualist, E.W Sprague once said, “Spiritualism says that the dead know more than the living. ‘And the serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die.’ Genesis 3:4. In this, as in many other Bible passages, the Devil told the truth, and the Lord was in error.” We know that the Bible says the exact opposite: “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything…” (Ecclesiastes 9:5). You decide.
• Alice A. Bailey (1880-1949) priestess and prophetess of the New Age Movement has her 24-book series of Esoteric Philosophy published by Lucifer Trust (later changed to Lucis Trust to hide the name).
• The Charismatic Movement begins to rise in the late 1800s/early 1900s. This false manifestation of the true gift of tongues magnifies the belief that true religion is based on feelings and emotions (which draws the attention to individual) and not obedience and truth, which goes directly against the true purpose of the Holy Spirit. The modern-day speaking in tongues movement has its origin in Delphi Greece where the sibyl (prophetess) would fall into a trance, allowing Apollo to possess her spirit. In this state she prophesied in a form of ecstatic speech and her ravings were “translated” by the priests of the temple into elegant hexameters (a form of Greek poetry). In the summer of 1967, the tongues movement invaded the Roman Church at Notra Dame University when many priests, nuns, and laypeople supposedly received the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues. “It has also jumped denominational lines and invaded Protestantism. It is no longer relegated to the ’holy rollers,’ but has now entered mainstream Protestantism and has achieved acceptability. In fact, it has become the unifying factor in Christendom today. Where attempts to formally unite all the denominations had failed, the charismatic movement has united Christians as nothing else could.” (Russell Burrill, The New World Order, pp. 133, 134). Referring the lamb-like beast, Revelation 13:13 says: “And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles.” Fire in Bible prophecy represents the work of Christ’s Holy Spirit (1 kings 18:20-40; Matthew 3:11; Acts 2:2-4; Revelation 4:5). Since prophecy says people will be deceived by this “fire”, we can conclude that it will be a false manifestation of the Holy Spirit at work. The energy, music, and excitement of charismatic services are much like a rock concert. Individuals report that they were unable to control their own bodies. “As my friends began to pray over me, I felt a strange physical sensation start in my hands and feet, and gradually spread over my whole body. It was like an electrical current or as though the inside of my body were shaking against my skin.” (“The Holy Spirit at Michigan State,” Acts, Today’s News of the Holy Spirit Renewal, Sept.-Oct. 1967, p. 23). Now, compare this to the effects Spiritualism has on the body: “In entering the trance condition, your hands and body may twist and jerk, as if you were being treated to a series of galvanic shocks. When the spirit enters, in the arms are felt peculiar tingling sensations like needles and pins, something akin to a current of electricity passing through from head to foot.” (Spiritist Vishita, Bhakta Swami, Genuine Mediumship, 1941, p. 37). Here are some biblical principles regarding the gifts of tongues:

1. The gift of tongues is the gift to preach the gospel in a real foreign language that you have not previously learned (Acts 2:4-8).
2. Only two or three people are to speak in a service with each taking his/her own turn (1 Corinthians 14:27).
3. If no one is going to understand you speak then you must make sure there is an interpreter present. Otherwise, you are not to speak publicly because no one will understand you, but God who understands all languages (1 Corinthians 14:28; 14:2). With this in mind, there is no reason to stand and speak in a foreign language if everyone present (including you) all speak the same language.
4. Paul taught that the words spoken should be intelligent words, not vain babbling (1 Corinthians 6-9, 19).
5. When Praying to God by yourself it is unnecessary to speak in a language you do not understand because one of the Holy Spirit’s jobs is to interpret our prayers into the language of heaven (1 Corinthians 14:15; Romans 8:26).

At the end of the Israelite’s wilderness journey, Caleb and Joshua were the only men from their generation permitted to go into the Promised Land. Likewise, at the end of the church’s wilderness journey, only a remnant of believers remained:

“And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the Commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Revelation 12:16, 17)

As already mentioned in our study of the seven churches, it was at this time when the “great Awakening” began.

“The Second Great Awakening was a Christian revival movement during the early 19th century in the United States. The movement began around 1800, had begun to gain momentum by 1820, and was in decline by 1870 … Numerous Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist ministers participated in the services. Thanks to such leaders as Barton W. Stone (1772–1844) and Alexander Campbell (1788–1866), the camp meeting revival became a major mode of church expansion for denominations such as the Methodists and Baptists … Among the new denominations that were rooted in the religious ferment of the Second Great Awakening are the Churches of Christ, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormons), the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Evangelical Christian Church in Canada … The idea of restoring a ‘primitive’ form of Christianity grew in popularity in the U.S. after the American Revolution. This desire to restore a purer form of Christianity played a role in the development of many groups during the Second Great Awakening, including the Mormons, Adventists, Baptists and Shakers.” (Wikipedia)

During this time an increased interest of Daniel’s prophecies emerged, especially from the teachings of Baptist pastor, William Miller. As time went on, the focus was upon Christ’s ministry in the heavenly sanctuary as it related to Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). Great emphasis was proclaimed from Revelation 14 where we read:

“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” (Revelation 14:6, 7)

Take note that the message to “worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters” is intimately connected with “the hour of His judgment”, which we have seen is related to the cleansing of the sanctuary on Yom Kippur. We have determined this “hour” of the judgment/cleansing as beginning in the Fall of 1844 A.D. (See, When Was the Sanctuary Cleansed?). Can you see why Darwin’s book came out when it did?

Just how was the emphasis on the Creator proclaimed? The phrase, “worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters” is unmistakably a reference to the Fourth Commandment, which deals with the Sabbath:

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: [why?] For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” (Exodus 20:8-11)

The seventh-day Sabbath stands as God’s memorial to His Creatorship (Genesis 2:1-3). If the seventh-day Sabbath had always been kept, there would have never been an Atheist or Evolutionist. If you remember from our study on the little horn power (see, Part Two), we discovered that it would attempt to change God’s Times (Festivals) and Laws (Daniel 7:25). We learned from history that the Church of Rome played a major role in changing the Sabbath from Saturday (the seventh day) to Sunday (the first day) and enforced it through the law of the state:

“We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.” (Peter Geiermann, CSSR, A Doctrinal Catechism, 1957 edition, p. 50)

“It is well to remind the Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and all other Christians, that the Bible does not support them anywhere in their observance of Sunday. Sunday is an institution of the Roman Catholic Church, and those who observe the day observe a commandment of the Catholic Church.” (Priest Brady, in an address, reported in the Elizabeth, N.J. “News” of March 18, 1903)

As John witnessed the remnant of God’s church coming out of the wilderness, he saw that they “keep the Commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Revelation 12:17). One of the Commandments of God says to observe the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath (Saturday), thus these people will:

• Rise together after 1798 A.D.
• Proclaim the “hour of His judgment is come” since 1844 A.D.
• Keep all of God’s Commandments, thus they will be seventh-day Sabbatarians who “worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”

But if only a remnant of the original offspring of the woman (church) came out of the wilderness keeping the Commandments of God, what happened to all the rest? In Revelation 17 John is shown the answer:

“And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.” (Revelation 17:1-6)

In vision John was brought “into the wilderness” where he saw a harlot woman riding the ten-horned beast. This is the same ten-horned beast who chased after the other woman into the wilderness and tried to drown her with a flood from his mouth. It appears that the flood has overtaken most of the woman's offspring since only a remnant survived. The majority have sadly become the harlot children to their Babylonian Mother.

Take a look at the colors John sees: “And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold.” Why is this so important? Did you know these three colors are mentioned together all throughout the book of Exodus to describe the garments of God’s priests? (See, Exodus 28:5-6, 8, 15, 33; 39:2-3, 5, 8). However, there is one color missing that God’s priests have, but this woman does not. It’s the color blue. Why is this missing from the garment of the whore?

In Numbers 15 God tells His people to make tassels (tzitzit) and attach them to the four corners of their garments. Each of these tassels had to have at least one strand of blue (verse 38). Why blue? God declared:

“Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the Commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring.” (Numbers 15:38, 39)

The reason she is called a “whore” (harlot) is because she has forgotten (put aside) the Commandments of God and has sought after her own heart (desires) according to her own eyes (understanding). By doing this she and her harlot children are placing themselves outside of God’s knowledge which is being increased within His people:

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the Law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” (Hosea 4:6)

When God chose blue for the tassels, it was no arbitrary decision on His part. Before God wrote His law onto stone tablets we read, “and they saw the God of Israel. There was under His feet as it were a pavement of sapphire (blue) stone, like the very heaven for clearness” (Exodus 24:10, English Standard Version). God is standing on a pavement of blue “sapphire stone.” God then tells Moses, “Come up to Me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a Law, and Commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them” (verse 12). When God says, “I will give thee tables of stone” it more accurately says, “the stone.” God would give Moses His Law written on “the stone” He was standing on—the blue sapphire stone. 

Interestingly, laws which forbid certain secular activities on Sunday are called “Blue Laws” because they are written on blue paper. Satan always has a counterfeit.

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His Commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14)

Since the Sabbath is intimately connected to “the hour of His judgment/cleansing” process, which brings time (Chronos) to an end as we know it, then the Sabbath plays a major role in this experience.

“Eternity is a completely different existence than time. Time connected to the fear of death leaves us feeling irritated with those who ‘waste’ our time or don’t perform efficiently. Eternity is the experience of complete rest and peace. It is the concept connected to the Sabbath. In the book of Genesis, we note with interest that on the seventh day of the first week it does not say the evening and the morning were the seventh day. It only does this for the first six days. There is a timelessness connected to the Sabbath. It is the day we are most strongly connected to our Father in heaven, and we taste more deeply the peace of God at that time … This element of time plays a vital role in understanding the judgment process in the Scriptures … Daniel was told that it would take 2,300 years until the Sanctuary would be cleansed, and the principles lived during Yom Kippur would find a final fulfilment from 1844 onwards. From this time God does examine the books of record in the judgment to see who lives and who dies. Yet the context of the judgment is that God is defending His people from the charges of Satan against them. This event is seen through a very different lens by the majority of people. The judgment is seen as an experience of ‘you have a certain amount of time to get yourself behaving right and if you don’t then you will be killed.’ This approach to the judgment has the opposite effect in the sinner from what is intended. The fear this creates actually makes overcoming sin impossible because there is no fear in love (I John 4:18) … That is why in the process of the judgment, God’s people cease to be concerned about Chronos. They start to live in the eternity experience now for they no longer fear death.” (Adrian Ebens, As You Judge, pp. 165, 166, 168-170)

We know from Scripture that God created all things by His Son Jesus; for God said to His Son, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness” (Genesis 1:26).

“For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him.” (1 Corinthians 8: 5, 6)

“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son: In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by Him (Jesus) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.” (Colossians 1:12-17)

Since the Sabbath stands as God’s memorial to His Creation, it stands as a memorial to the work of Christ in creating all things and then resting in His Father’s bosom upon the very first Sabbath:

“Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed.” (Exodus 31:16, 17)

The Hebrew word for “refreshed here is, נָפַשׁ (naphash), which means, “to breathe, or be breathed upon.” Here we see the Son resting in His Father as the Father breathes His refreshing Spirit of life upon Him, just as Jesus breathed on His disciples saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22).

Thus, the Remnant, who “keep the Commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” will keep the seventh-day Sabbath in honor of God, the Father, who “made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters” by His Son Jesus. Some may objet right here and say, "But the verse above in Exodus 31 says the Sabbath was for 'Israel', clearly it cannot be for Gentiles can it?" For the answer to this, see the article entitled, Wasn’t the Sabbath Only for the Israelites and Their Descendants Who Came Out Of Egypt?

The Sabbath has always been kept by various groups down through history, but it wasn’t until the 1840s when Sabbath observance exploded into a world-wide movement, which is right on time according to Bible prophecy!

“Seventh-day Sabbatarianism was revived in seventeenth-century England. Early advocates included John Traske (1586–1636) and Thomas Brabourne. The majority of seventh-day Sabbatarians were part of the Seventh Day Baptist church, and they experienced harsh opposition from Anglican authorities and the Puritans. The first Seventh-day Baptist church in the United States was established in Rhode Island in 1671 … The Sabbath was introduced to the Adventist movement of William Miller and his followers by the Seventh Day Baptists. The group of ‘Sabbatarian Adventists’ emerged from 1845 to 1849 from among the Adventist groups, later to become the Seventh-day Adventists … A young Seventh Day Baptist layperson named Rachel Oakes Preston living in New Hampshire was responsible for introducing Sabbath to the Millerite Adventists. Due to her influence Frederick Wheeler began keeping the seventh day as Sabbath after personally studying the issue in March 1844 following a conversation with Preston, according to his later report. He is reputed to be the first ordained Adventist minister to preach in support of Sabbath. Several members of the church in Washington, New Hampshire he occasionally ministered to also followed his decision, forming the first Sabbatarian Adventist church … T. M. Preble soon accepted it either from Wheeler, Oakes, or someone else at the church. These events actually preceded the ‘Great Disappointment’ [of 1844] … Preble was the first Millerite to promote Sabbath in print form; through the February 28, 1845 issue of the Hope of Israel in Portland, Maine. In March he published his Sabbath views in tract form … This tract led to the conversion of J. N. Andrews and other Adventist families in Paris, Maine, as well as to Joseph Bates (in 1845). These men in turn convinced James and Ellen White, as well as Hiram Edson and hundreds of others … The Seventh-day Adventist Church is the largest modern seventh-day Sabbatarian denomination, with about 16 million members and hold the Sabbath as one of the Pillars of Seventh-day Adventism … Other minor Sabbatarian churches include:  The Chinese True Jesus Church (2 million members worldwide); Seventh-day Remnant home-churches; Church of God (7th day, 300,000 members), Logos Apostolic Church of God in the UK, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Sudan; Sabbath Rest Advent Church; [as well as a growing number of Messianics and Hebrew Roots believers].” (Wikipedia)

Therefore, this renewed emphasis upon God as the Creator and Designer began soon after 1844, as God began to separate (sanctify/cleanse) “the Remnant” of His people from papal ideology and the philosophies of the Atheistic worldview, which rose from the bottomless pit as a result of the French Revolution and serpent justice. 

“Moreover also I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.” (Ezekiel 20:12)

 

Next study: What is the Seal of the Living God?