In Revelation 11:3, John is told about the two special witnesses who will preach in Jerusalem for 1,260 days (three and a half years). The Bible doesn’t tell us specifically who these two are, but some scholars say the two are representative characters, not real individuals, but symbols of the law and the prophets, the law and the gospel, the Old Testament and the New Testament. Most scholars, however, believe the two witnesses are two individuals, and they speculate about their identities.
Some say the two witnesses are Enoch and Elijah. Enoch walked with God and the Lord “took him” (Genesis 5:24). Similarly, the prophet Elijah was taken up “by a whirlwind to heaven” (2 Kings 2:11). Neither of these men experienced death. As such, some see them as the two witnesses of Revelation 11.
The two may be Zerubbabel and Joshua the priest, because John seemed to refer to Zechariah 4 (Zechariah’s fifth vision in which a golden lamp stand and two olive trees highlight the important positions of these two men in the restored community). Joshua and Zerubbabel helped to reestablish Israel and rebuild the temple after the Exile.
Most likely the two witnesses are Moses and Elijah, either literally or figuratively. Moses was the great lawgiver of the Old Testament, the man to whom God gave the Ten Commandments, and Elijah was the greatest prophet of the Old Testament. These two also appeared with Jesus at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1–3). Just as ten plagues preceded the deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt, the two witnesses in Revelation 11 perform similar miracles in verse 6: “These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.”
If anyone attempts to harm the two witnesses, “fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies” (11:5). The fire reference is similar to what Elijah did when some soldiers tried to shut down his ministry (2 Kings 1:1–17). Elijah was also famous for prophesying to Ahab that there would be no rain until he said so, and his words came true. We also know, according to Malachi 4:5–6, that someone like Elijah, or possibly Elijah himself, is to return before the great and final day of the Lord: “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.”26 If these two witnesses are not Moses and Elijah, they will be similar to them.
In Revelation 11:3 notice when the ministry of the two witnesses takes place and for how long: 1,260 days. According to the Jewish calendar, a month equaled 30 days. Thus 1,260 days equals 42 months—three and a half years.
We see similar terminology in Revelation 12:14, “a time and times and half a time.” This is the same time frame referred to in Daniel 7:25 and 12:7 (“a time, times, and half a time”).
These three and a half years comprise the first half of the Tribulation. During this time, Israel will rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, possibly with the protection, cooperation, encouragement, and assistance of the Antichrist. This arrangement will require some elaborate negotiations, but it is going to happen. The Antichrist may even encourage the restoration of the sacrificial system. For three and a half years, Israel will prosper under this pact, but then the Antichrist will break this agreement (Daniel 9:27), turn against the Jewish people, and desecrate the temple of God.
The message of the two witnesses apparently has to do with Israel and the temple. They are clothed in sackcloth (a dark, coarse cloth made from goat or camel hair, with a rough texture similar to a burlap sack). The sackcloth indicates mourning, grieving, humility, and contrite repentance. It’s interesting that during this time the Word of God and the power of God will be outside the temple rather than within it.
Notice, too, that these two men are designated as prophets (Revelation 11:3, 6). Prophesying in the Bible is often more forth telling than foretelling, and that seems to be the tact of these two witnesses. They call the nations to repent and to return to the Lord. They also perform miracles (11:5–6). They will certainly have divine protection until their work is completed, because their message will not be popular with the powers of the earth.
When they have finished their work, the Beast—the Antichrist, possessed by Satan—will ascend from the bottomless pit (the abyss) and will cause the two witnesses to be killed (v. 7). He will not allow their bodies to be buried (v. 9), which to Jews was an unthinkable offense. An unburied body was an outrage and an insult to the dead. All of this will be done under the auspices of the Antichrist in order to humiliate God’s messengers and ultimately God Himself.
It is also significant where this will happen. Using coded language, John told his readers that these things are going to take place in Egypt (a biblical euphemism for bondage) and Sodom (a euphemism for gross sin). To make sure his readers understood, John added, “where also their Lord was crucified” (11:8). He was referring to Jerusalem.
It’s interesting to see that Jerusalem is called the “great city” eight times in this chapter, but it was great only from a human perspective, not God’s. To Him, Jerusalem had become as corrupt as Sodom and Egypt.
In order to interpret bible prophecy you must understand who the prophecy was for. The commend for the people to flee to the mountains and hide in the last days was for Israel, not us. Tht said I still think people should prepare. There is no guarantee that things won’t get really bad before the clock starts clicking on the 7 year tribulation. The American economy is on the verge of a total collapse, and we should all be storing food and weaponry to face that.
With respect to all, please do not confuse the Second Coming of Jesus Christ with the Rapture. These are entirely two separate distinct events. True there is a last trump at the end of the seven year tribulation period where Jesus gathers the elect from the four corners of the world, but this is not the rapture of the Church. At the Second Coming Jesus’ feet touch the earth at the Mount of Olives. At the rapture Jesus’ feet never touch the earth. Instead, we rise and meet Him in the air and I do not believe we go up in the clouds, climb up on white horses that Jesus brought with him, make a u-turn and then come back down again. That is exactly what would have to happen at the end of the tribulation, because if Jesus returns at the end of the tribulation with tens of thousands of his Saints, then how is this possible without a rapture prior to the end of the tribulation? How do these tens of thousands hook up with Jesus to come back with him?
At the Second Coming all the world sees Jesus coming. At the rapture it is impossible for anyone to see it happen because it takes place in the twinkling of an eye and there is no mention of the world being in turmoil, the sun and moon being darkened and stars falling, but instead people are eating, drinking and marrying. Never in the entire Bible does God ever allow his people suffer his wrath. He always makes a way of escape. He did it for Noah, he did it for Lot and his family, he did it for the Hebrew Children, and we are told he is going to do it for the remnant of Jews during the tribulation period, so why would he not do it for the Bride of Christ? There are many scriptures pointing to the fact that God’s people are never appointed to his wrath. He has always made a way of escape, and Jesus himself proclaimed in Revelation 3:10 “Because thou has kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from (the original Greek word is “ek” meaning “out of”) the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth”. Why would God hide and protect his remnant of Jews during this period of time and allow the Bride of Christ get their heads chopped off and suffer all the horrible judgments of God’s wrath?
What would be the purpose of a rapture at the end of the tribulation period? A large majority of the Church would already be dead by then, either at the hand of the Antichrist or else at the hand of God himself when he pours our his wrath, plagues and judgments upon this earth. Those that are miraculously still alive will be starving and so battered by the judgments that God is going to pour out on this earth, the Bible indicates those alive during this period of time will be begging God to kill them because the pain on their bodies will be so intense they will be gnawing their tongues. Does this sound like the Church of Jesus Christ? I don’t know about you, but there is something very wrong when I have to beg God to please kill me because I cannot stand the intense suffering of his torture any longer. Have you even bothered to read what happens to the population of this earth during the Bowl Judgments of God? And you are telling me that this is the Bride of the Lamb of God that he is going to take to heaven after all this torture and perform the Marriage Supper? I am not sure that many brides today would look forward to their proposed husband beating them up and torturing them before he marries them. According to the parable that I read in the Bible, the brides were anxiously trimming their lamps and joyfully anticipating the arrival of the bride groom.
Come on folks, we serve a God who loves us so much that he hung himself on a Cross at Calvary and died for us. Do you really believe this same God is going to put the very people he died for through 3-1/2 years of torture and literal hell on earth at the hands of the Antichrist? All this theology is going to pass away when you find your neck being placed on a guillotine. I personally don’t want to hang around for that.
Amen and Amen to Charles and Susie! God Bless both of you for your insightful, articulate responses.
Pastor Jim,
If you do a Google-search, you’d easily find out that the “Rapture Doctrine” is actually an early 19th-century Christian invention.
With all due respect to Christians who believe in a so-called “Pre-Tribulation Rapture”, this doctrine in NO WAY reflects the correct Biblical and ancient Hebraic attitude toward the “sufferings” that mankind is expected to go through in this present earthly life. The Pre-Trib Rapture doctrine is totally ALIEN or antithetical to Jewish/rabbinic teachings on the “expectation” for suffering during Man’s existence on Planet Earth. This recently-made Christian doctrine, like many others, unfortunately alienates our Jewish brethren from understanding the “Jewishness” of the Gospels, whereby the “religion” of Christianity makes itself appear “different” from Judaism; in that the Rapture doctrine gives Christianity the appearance as being an “escapist” religion; while conversely, Judaism itself – as taught in the Torah – presents a faith that, in a sense, automatically “requires” or “demands”, from God, a willingness on the part of Man to go through “sufferings” during our earthly walk with the Lord.
As sincere as Christians may be in believing in the Pre-Trib Rapture doctrine, unfortunately this same non-Jewish teaching has a way of subconsciously catering to the natural carnal materialistic desire – on the part of Western Christians – to escape sufferings that are inevitable in this life; and in a sense, this same doctrine has a way of subconsciously creating an attitude of presumption that God is “supposed to” – or obligated – to shield or protect Christians when persecutions for following Jesus do indeed come to his disciples. Therefore, how do we adequately “explain” the vicious deadly Christian persecution that took place the days of the pagan Roman Empire; and throughout the last 2,000 years, around the world; including TODAY, such as in the anti-Christian communist and Fundamentalist-Islamic nations??
However, I believe that the real and underlying concern for this topic has much to do with the subconscious EMOTIONAL RESPONSE that this word, “rapture”, elicits particularly from “Pre-Tribulation” Christians, who of course, for decades, have unknowingly – yet automatically – carried in their own minds a natural human hope or desire to “escape” from the “unwanted” persecution that is prophesied to occur during the period of unprecedented global evil, i.e., the unparalleled time of earthly sorrow – the so-called “Great Tribulation”. Naturally, “Pre-Tribulation” Christians have a presumed “expectation” of God that He will supernaturally “deliver” or protect the “faithful” followers of Jesus from having to “go through” the inevitable and horrific period of martyrdom during the immensely diabolical reign of that wicked global ruler, commonly known (in Christian eschatology) as the “Anti-Christ”.
Without meaning to speak condescendingly or pejoratively of “Pre-Tribulation” Christians, I humbly and respectfully express my DISAGREEMENT that the Hebrew word “lakah”, found in Matthew 24:37-41, refers to human beings of whom the Lord considers to be the “righteous” ones. The English word, “taken”, as recorded in Matthew 24, being translated from the Greek, “harpazo” or Hebrew word, “lakah” – of course, no one could argue against the literal meaning of this Biblical word that has long been established to mean just what the language experts says that it means. And of course, in Matthew 24, Jesus does indeed speak to his disciples of a so-called “rapture” to take place near the End of the Ages. However, I DO NOT believe that the so-called “righteous” individuals are the ones who are “taken” – or “raptured” – before or during the days of the Great Tribulation. My personal belief is that the Hebrew word, “lakah”, actually refers to those wicked persons who refused to REPENT of their sins; and thus will become the ones of whom the Lord – as He did during the days of Noah – will finally “take away” (or “destroy”) off the face of the Earth.
I take this point of view because, when I look at the whole context of Matthew 24, especially verses 15-22, where Jesus speaks of the coming “Abomination of Desolation”, Jesus makes reference to the prophet Daniel, implying that this anointed man of God had already forewarned – in Dan.9:27 – about a time when “the prince” (i.e., the “Anti-Christ) will “….cause the sacrifice[s] [of the Temple] and the oblation to cease; and for the overspreading of abominations, [the prince] shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” [KJV].
As Yeshua is making reference to this same future “abomination”, he simultaneously speaks of it in relation to the Great Tribulation, as he speaks to his disciples in a prophetic manner, by warning them – in Matt. 24:15-21 – that “…when ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place [i.e., the rebuilt Temple]…[then] FLEE into the mountains [of Judea]…for then shall be Great Tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” [KJV].
Indeed, Rabbi Yeshua warns his disciples to “FLEE” for their lives by running toward and hiding inside Judea’s mountains when they finally “see” the prophesied coming of the Abomination of Desolation, as the “prince” (mentioned in Dan. 9:27) willfully manifests this “defilement” inside the Temple in Jerusalem. Since it is obvious that Rabbi Yeshua, the Great Shepherd, cares for the welfare of his “sheep”, he thus instructs his flock in how NOT to get caught DEAD in the midst of this unprecedented horrible time that Christians readily identify, from the Bible, as “The Great Tribulation”. Again, and simply said, Rabbi Yeshua tells his followers to FLEE !!!
Since Jesus warns his disciples to “flee” from the reign of the Anti-Christ when this “prince” (as mentioned in Daniel) commits the Abomination of Desolation, then Jesus’ very admonition implies that his disciples – whichever ones that are alive at this time to witness such an awful thing – these same disciples (whatever time in World History) will no doubt have to be PRESENT down here on Planet Earth – and present indeed during the reign of the Anti-Christ, in order for them to actually “see” or “hear about” what the Anti-Christ himself intends on doing, in regard to defiling Jerusalem’s Temple.
Therefore, I ask rhetorically: How can the Hebrew word, “lakah”, as found in Matt. 24:40-41, refer to the “taking up” or the “rapturing” of the so-called “righteous” – into Heaven; when Jesus himself already warned his supposedly “righteous” or “faithful” flock to “flee” toward the Judean mountains when they finally “see” the Man of Sin shockingly defile God’s Temple in Jerusalem? In other words, how can the Jewish Christians in Palestine (or other Christians anywhere else around the world) be “taken up” or “raptured” into Heaven – to supposedly “meet” Jesus – if Yeshua himself already WARNED his disciples to immediately FORSAKE everything that they own and quickly head into whatever “wilderness” that they can take REFUGE, in order to escape the worldwide mass slaughter of Christians who refuse to “bow down” and worship the Anti-Christ; REFUSING to worship the Devil-Incarnate as the one and only “god” of the entire universe? [And yes, incidentally, during the reign of the Anti-Christ, NOT EVERY God-fearing person will be able to ESCAPE into some deserted or secluded area upon the Earth. There will be many God-fearing people upon the planet of whom Lord Himself will call, to be fearless martyrs for His Glory!! Please see Daniel 7:21 & 25; 8:25 ].
Since, in Matt. 24, Jesus implies that his disciples will be “down here” on Planet Earth during the reign of the Anti-Christ – and that he gives no indication whatsoever that his followers will be “taken away” or “raptured” during the time of the Great Tribulation (for they are going to either be hiding from the Anti-Christ, or be martyred); THEN I am forced to come to the conclusion that the Hebrew word, lakah, COULD NOT, in this particular context, refer to the “righteous” being “taken” up into Heaven. Rather, in my humble opinion, the word lakah, as found in verses 41 & 44, refers instead to the unrepentant WICKED.
Yes, the righteous will indeed be “raptured”, but only at the very end of “The Great Tribulation”, i.e., the time in which Jesus is said to be “coming back” to Earth in order to bring into full manifestation – and forever – God’s Kingdom.
Furthermore, if we come down to Matthew, verses 37 to 41, we see that Rabbi Yeshua continues prophesying (to his disciples) on the state of “evil” during the Last Days of Man’s rule upon Planet Earth – i.e., the future time just before God slams down “JUDGMENT”; using “The Days of Noah” as an analogy in characterizing a similar degree of worldly evil that will exist, just before the so-called “Second Coming of Jesus Christ”. In verse 39 – in regard to the unsaved wicked during the days of Noah – Yeshua simply says that the Great Flood “… took them all away” [KJV]; thus implying to his listeners that, at an appointed time, God will one day likewise “take away” (or “destroy”) from the Earth, the unrepentant sinners who will be alive during the Last Days before Jesus’ return.
Please note, for the sake of continuity – that after Jesus had spoken, in verses 37 to 39, on the great degree of evil that existed during the licentious days of Noah, the Rabbi next purposely speaks in a parable-like manner – in verses 40 & 41, using another form of the verb, “take”; and using it as he speaks about God having to bring upon the Earth His “wrath”, in order to permanently remove the rebellious “wicked” off the face of the defiled Earth. Particularly here, Yeshua foretells (by parabolic imagery) that the wicked “shall be taken” out of the Earth by way of divine annihilation; while conversely, the faithful “righteous”, who are untouched by the Lord’s wrath – these are the latter-day victorious disciples that Jesus identifies as “the other[s] left” [i.e., the “others” graciously “left” on Planet Earth – by God – ultimately, for His loving purpose in saving them for His imminent Eternal Kingdom.
Therefore, as I examine the use of the word “take” in the context of Matthew 24, I humbly submit that this same word is actually being used dually in the New Testament, referring to both the “righteous” and the “wicked”; whereby, in my humble opinion, I see the word “take” being used to refer to the “wicked”, in places such as Matt. 24:40-41; and sometimes being used to refer to the “righteous”, such as 1 Thess. 4:17 [Greek, “harpazo”].
However, while the English words “rapture” or “taken” are NOT explicitly written in Matt. 24:31, I nevertheless have no problem in agreeing that Matt. 24:31 makes an allusion to the “Rapture” doctrine itself, which is supported by 1 Thess. 4:17; whereby, in both of these verses, Yeshua and Paul speak on the “gather[ing] together [of God’s] elect” from the “four winds” of the Earth; with this being the so-called “snatching away” of the saints, to meet Jesus in the CLOUDS, as the Messiah Himself immediately descends upon the Earth, and being accompanied by his “resurrected” followers, to finally – and eternally – establish his long-awaited Kingdom.
As already recorded in Daniel 7:14-15: “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the CLOUDS of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”
In Acts 1:9-11, we have: “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a CLOUD received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven”.
And as the Book of Jude, verse 14 states: “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints”
[By the way, Pastor Jim, Jude is referring to the very “book” of Enoch, which was NOT included in the traditional Western Bible canon, along with the rest of the Apocrypha. However, the Book of Enoch had been rejected by the ancient Jews because it contained prophecies pertaining to Christ].
Thank you (Charles Reece)so much for your comment. Amen! Well said! I am thankful for men of God who carry the torch of revelation for God’s people! Pastor Jim does a marvelous job alerting the people of atrocities coming to our Nation. We truly need a divine intervention. However, I agree with your comments on the rapture theory. Our Bible tells us over and over about the wicked being destroyed or taken away as you so stated, and God’s people began a NEW! I would love to hear Pastor Jim’s comments on this view. Also, I am thankful for the alert to “prepare” with food, etc. for the coming calamities, but if we are going away…ESCAPE MENTALITY…why buy the food or prepare? Should we not focus on “preparing” our souls and becoming knowledgeable about what is actually taking place in our government, our natural world, etc.? Just saying, I would like to have a response. Blessings to you all! I appreciate your service to our King, Lord Jesus Christ; for He is The Great I AM!!! Pastor Jim, you are one of the faithful few who “tell it like it is!!!” Amen! I love your program; DVR it every day!
That’s the144,000 Jews evangelizing the whole world during the tribulation , and many will be saved during the tribulation and many will be killed at that time.
Pastor Jim, I watched your show over the Internet but what I started to watch was cut off. Twho days this happened but will keep trying. I wanted to come for your Christmas season but no one knows when that is so guess I can’t come to visit and see what you have done. WOW awesome from what I can see.
OK, on your blog of the rapture: Enoch and Eijah seems to be the two prophets that will return from what I have read as “it is written”, no flesh and blood can be be in Heaven. Since both of them never died, wouldn’t that mean they will be the two?
Moses did appear on the Mt of Transfiguation, couldn’t that have been so the men with Jesus could see that there is life after dealth of the flesh? ?Example, Jesus, alive, God in flesh, Moses died, God hid his bones but is still alive and Elijah who never died, all showing us that all are alive. What do you think?
Also, you said the 3 1/2 yers for trib., but wasn’t that changed to a 5 month time or as it is written that even the elcet will fall to satan. Rev 2:10 says that thre will be a 10 day personal trial for everyone to face satan. Am I not getting this?
I noticed in a Bible I use to have but got rid of it due to a change made in it. Lot of Bible today are doing this, maybe you have noticed this. In EZ 13, God says He is against those who teach His people to fly and etc. VS 20 in the NIV, souls was changed to birds which is a lie as then people won’t know the WOES that God speaks of when man tries to change things in His Word. Again, what do you think?
Thanks for being on TV and the items you offer to help us in this world of such a mess. As in Amos 6, the famine is of food but also of His Word as we see how this government and other governments, God is being taken out of everything. Soon, His Word will be gone if you and others like you are forced to shut down. Prayers are with you and I hope I will get to meet you and Lori befor that time.
Cap <