23 September 2020

THE 2 WITNESSES (Rev 10-11)

Quick Summary

Rev 1 Apostle John was given a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Rev 2-3 Jesus gave John the messages to the 7 churches.
Rev 4 John was given a vision of heaven.
Rev 5 Jesus reveals to him the future from a scroll with 7 seals.
Rev 6 1st seal Deception.
2nd sealWars.
3rd seal Famine.
th
4 seal Death (pestilence, diseases, pandemics, natural disasters,
earthquakes – 25% of world’s population wiped out.
5th seal Great Tribulation (3½ years of Antichrist’s unrestrained evil).
th
6 seal Cosmic blackout, cataclysmic earthquakes.
Second coming of Christ.
Rev 7 “144,000” Resurrection & rapture of the Church.
th
Rev 8-9, 11b 7 seal Wrath of God on the wicked.
7 trumpets are sounded:
 First 4 trumpets – one-third of the earth’s ecosystem is
either damaged or destroyed (land, sea, drinking water).
 Next 3 trumpets – Battle of Armageddon (one-third of
mankind killed; world’s population reduced to half).
1,000-year millennial reign of Christ.
Rev 10-11a Parenthesis Great Tribulation.
 Jerusalem under attack.
 2 witnesses.

Jerusalem Under Attack (Rev 11:1-2)

Read also Zech 14:1-2; Lk 21:20, 24-27.

The Two Witnesses (Rev 11:3-13)

The period of the Great Tribulation is 1,260 days, 42 months, 3½ years, or “time, times and
half a time”.

Who are the two witnesses? Possible candidates:

(a) Elijah (2 Kin 1:9-10; Mal 4:5).
(b) Moses (Ex 7:14-18; 7-12).
(c) Enoch (Gen 5:24).
(d) John the apostle.

Seven Reasons Why John Is a More Likely Candidate

1. The hint from Scripture (Jn 21:20-24).

Page 1 of 2
2. The message of the seven thunders (Rev 10:1-7; Is 55:10-11).

3. The message of the little book (Rev 10:2, 8-10; Ezek 2:9-10; 3:1).

4. The promise of a worldwide ministry (Rev 10:11; 11:9).

5. The spirit of Elijah (Mk 3:17; Lk 9:54-56).

6. To fulfil the prophecy of Jesus (Mk 10:38-40; Rev 11:7-8).

Four baptisms in the New Testament:

(a) Baptism of John (Mt 3:11a, Acts 19:4).
(b) Water/Christian baptism (Mt 28:19).
(c) Baptism in the Holy Spirit (Mt 3:11b).
(d) Baptism of suffering (Lk 12:50) – baptism of martyrdom.

7. The New Testament Witness.

The Death of the Two Witnesses (Rev 11:9-13; 1 Thess 4:17)

The Jews will turn back to Christ (Zech 12:8-11; Rom 11:26, 17).

Rev 10:1-11:13 is a parenthesis (insertion). It is really the 5 th and 6th seal, a prophecy of the
start of the Great Tribulation to the second coming of Christ.

Two Concluding Thoughts

1. Blessing and suffering: was John blessed or not? Many Christians can’t handle blessing
and suffering both at the same time. Just like how they struggle to balance truth and
love, or faith and the sovereignty of God, or the already and not yet. Blessing and
suffering are not mutually exclusive (Mt 5:10; Mk 10:30). In this present age, the two go
together. If you can’t accept this, you will end up being either hyper-faith (only blessing,
no suffering) or hyper-sovereignty (only suffering, no blessing). Both extremes are
wrong.

2. The anointing of the Holy Spirit: the two witnesses will be so full of the anointing of the
Spirit that they will prevent the forces of evil to take all of Jerusalem captive. The
anointing allows them to work mighty signs, wonders and miracles, and prophesy
powerfully in the end times. We don’t accept the doctrine of cessationism, the view that
at the end of the apostolic age, the miracles gifts (especially, tongues and healing) have
ceased.1 Is 11:2 gives us the seven anointings of the Holy Spirit and the benefits they
bring: (a) supernatural ministry, (b) spiritual intelligence, (c) excellent skill, and (d)
leadership ability.

1
gotquestions.org/cessationism.html
Page 2 of 2