Reviving the Two Witnesses - Conclusion of The Two Witnesses

Conclusion of The Two Witnesses

Zechariah lived in a time of rebuilding and his vision of the two olive trees meant that Zerubbabel and Joshua would be blessed with Jehovah's spirit in strengthening the people for the work.  The vision of the lampstand reminded Zechariah not to 'despise the day of small things' because Jehovah's purposes would be carried out- " 'not by a military force, nor by power, but by my spirit,' Jehovah of armies has said."  (Zechariah 4:6, 10; 8:9) The small band of Christians  persistently carrying the light of truth to mankind during the first world war would similarly be used in a rebuilding work.  They too would be a source of encouragement and few as they were, would learn to rely on Jehovah's strength, not despising the day of small beginnings.

The fact that they were described as two witnesses also reminds us of the transfiguration.  In that vision, three of Jesus' apostles saw him in the Kingdom glory, accompanied by Moses and Elijah.  This foreshadowed Jesus' sitting down on his glorious throne in 1914 to accomplish a work prefigured by those two prophets.  (Matthew 17:1-3; 25:31) Fittingly, the  two witnesses are now seen to perform signs reminiscent of those of Moses and Elijah.  For example, John says of them:  "And if anyone wants to harm them, fire issues forth from  their mouths and devours their enemies; and if anyone should want to harm them, in this manner he must be killed.  These have the authority to shut up heaven  that no rain should fall during the days of their prophesying." -Revelation 11:5,6a.

This reminds us of the time when Moses' authority was challenged in Israel.  That prophet  uttered fiery words of judgment, and Jehovah destroyed the rebels, consuming 250  of them by literal fire from heaven.  (Numbers 16:1-7, 28-35) Similarly, Christendom's leaders defied the Bible Students, saying that  these had never graduated from theological colleges.  But God's witnesses had higher credentials  as ministers those meek persons who heeded their Scriptural  mess age.  (2 Corinthians  3:2, 3) In 1917 the Bible Students published The Finished Mystery, a powerful commentary on Revelation  and Ezekiel.  This was followed by the distribution of 10,000,000 copies of the four-page  tract The Bible Students Monthly with the feature article entitled "The Fall of Babylon-Why Christendom Must Now Suffer-The Final Outcome." In the United States, the irate clergy used the war hysteria as an excuse to get the book burned.  In other countries the book was censored.  Nevertheless, God's servants kept fighting back with fiery issues of the four-page tract entitled Kingdom News.  As the Lord's day proceeded, other publications would make clear Christendom's spiritually defunct condition. Compare Jeremiah 5:14.

What of Elijah?  In the days of the kings of Israel, this prophet proclaimed a drought as an expression of Jehovah's indignation on the Baal-worshiping Israelites.  It lasted three and a half years.  (1 Kings 17:1; 18:41-45; Luke 4:25; James 5:17)  Later, when unfaithful King Ahaziah sent soldiers to force Elijah to come into his royal presence the prophet called down fire from heaven to consume the soldiers.  Only when a military commander showed proper respect for his position respect for his proper respect for his position as a prophet did Elijah consent to accompany him to the king.  (2 Kings 1:5-16) Likewise, between 1914 and 1918, the anointed remnant  boldly drew  attention to the spiritual drought in Christendom and warned of fiery judgment as "the coming of the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah." -Malachi 4:1, 5; Amos 8:11.

John goes on to say of the two witnesses: "And they have authority over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every sort of plague as often as they wish." (Revelation 11:6b)  In order to persuade Pharaoh to let Israel go free, Jehovah used Moses in striking oppressive Egypt with plagues, including the turning of water into blood.  Centuries later, the Philistine enemies of Israel well remembered Jehovah's acts against Egypt, causing them to cry:  "Who will save us from the hand of this majestic God?  This is the God that was the smiter of  Egypt with every sort of slaughter ["plague ," Revised  Standard Version] in the wilderness."  (1 Samuel 4:8; Psalm 105:29)  Moses portrayed Jesus, who had authority to pronounce God's judgments on the religious leaders of his day.  (Matthew 23:13; 28:18; Acts 3:22)  And during the first world war Christ's brothers, the two witnesses, exposed the death-dealing quality of  "the waters" that Christendom was serving  to her flocks.

Next time:  Reviving the Two Witnesses - The Two Witnesses Are Killed

From the Book of Revelation