Chapter Twenty-Five/Reviving the Two Witnesses -The Two Witnesses - Conclusion

 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 Pharoah to let Israel god 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 the majestic 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; 28:28; Acts 3:22) And during the first world war Christ's brothers, the two witnesses, expose the death-dealing quality of "the waters" that Christendom was serving to her flocks. 

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 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 Kings17:1; 18:41-45; Luke4:25; 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 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 at "the coming of the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah." - MALACHI 4:1, 5; AMOS 8:11. 

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 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 message. (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 banned. 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. 

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 The fact that they were described as two witnesses also reminds us of the transfigurati0n. In that vision, three of Jesus' apostles saw him in 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 want 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 the heavens that no rai should fall during the days of prophesying." - REVELATION 11:5, 6a. 

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 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, not 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 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. 

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 The John class had to preach this message for a definitely stated time:1,260 days, or 42 months, the same length of time that the holy city was to be trampled underfoot. This period seems to be literal, since it expressed in two different ways, first in months and then in days. Additionally, at the beginning of the Lord's day, there was a marked period of three and a half years when the hard experiences of God's people matched the events prophesied here-starting from the outbreak of the first world war in the latter part of 1914 and continuing to the early part of 1918. (Revelation 1:10) They preached a "sackcloth" message concerning Jehovah's judgment of Christendom and the world. 

They fact that they were symbolized by two witnesses confirms to us that their message was accurate and well founded. (Compare Deuteronomy17:6; John 8:17, 18) John calls them "the two olive trees and the two lampstands," saying that they are standing before the Lord of the earth." This is an evident reference to the prophecy of Zechariah, who saw a seven-branched lampstand and two olive trees. The olive trees were said to picture "the two anointed ones," that is Governor Zerubbabel and High Priest Joshua, "standing alongside the Lord of the whole earth." - ZECHARIAH 4:1-3, 14. 

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Chapter Twenty-Five/Reviving the Two Witnesses - The Two Witnesses

 Even while being trampled on, these loyal ones do not cease to be Jehovah's faithful witnesses. Hence, the prophecy continues: " 'And I will cause my two witnesses to prophecy a thousand two hundred and sixty days dressed in sackcloth." These are symbolized by the two olive trees and the two lampstands and are standing before the Lord of the earth." - REVELATION 11:3, 4.

These faithful anointed Christians needed the quality of endurance, for they had to prophesy "in sackcloth" What did this mean? In Bible times sackcloth often symbolized mourning. Wearing it was a sign that the person had brought low in sorrow or distress. (Genesis 37:34; Job 16:15, 16; Ezekiel 27:31) Sackcloth was associated with the mournful messages of doom or grief that God's prophets had to proclaim. (Isaiah 3:8,24-26; Jeremiah 48:37; 49:3) The wearing of sackcloth could indicate humility or repentance in view of divine warning. (Jonah 3:5) The sackcloth worn by the two witnesses appears to indicate their humble endurance in announcing Jehovah's judgments. They were witnesses proclaiming his day of vengeance that would bring mourning also to the nations.

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Chapter Twenty--Five/Reviving the Two Witnesses - The Trampling of the Courtyard - Conclusion

 What, though of the small group of Bible Students? Were they to be measured immediately in 1914 their adherence to divine standards? No. Like the professed Christians of Christendom, they too must be tested. They were 'cast clear out, given to the nations' to be severely tried and persecuted. Many of them realized that they should not go out and kill their fellowman, but as yet they did not fully appreciate Christian neutrality. (Micah 4:3; John 17"14, 16;1 John 3:15) Under pressure from the nations, some compromised.

How was it, though, the holy city was trampled underfoot by those nations? Clearly, this does not refer to the Jerusalem that was destroyed over 25 years before Revelation was written. Rather, the holy city is New Jerusalem, describe later in Revelation, that is represented now on earth by the remaining anointed Christians in the temple's inner courtyard. In time, these also will become a part of the holy city. So trampling on them is tantamount to trampling on the city itself. - REVELATION 21:2, 9-21. 

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Chapter Twenty-Five/Reviving the Two Witnesses - The Trampling of the Courtyard

 Why was John forbidden to measure the courtyard? He tells us in these words: "But as for the courtyard that is outside the temple sanctuary, cast it clear out and do not measure it, because it has been given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city underfoot for forty-two months." (Revelation 11:2) We have noted that the inner courtyard pictures the righteous standing on earth of spirit-begotten Christians. As we shall see, the reference here is to the literal 42 months extending from October 1914 into 1918, when all professing Christians were put to the test. Would they uphold Jehovah's righteous standards during these war years? Most did not. En-bloc, the clergy of Christendom put nationalism ahead of obedience to divine law. On both sides of the war, which was fought mainly in Christendom, the clergy preached the young men into the trenches. Millions were slaughtered. By the time that judgment started with the house of God n 1918, the United States had also entered that blood- spilling, and the clergy of all Christendom had incurred a bloodguilt that still cries out for divine vengeance. (1 Peter 4:17) Their being cast out has become permanent, irreversible. - ISAIAH59:1-3,7, 8; JEREMIAH 19:3, 4. 

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Chapter Twent-Five/Reviving the Two Witnesses - Measuring the Temple Sanctuary - Conclusion

 Therefore, when John is commanded to measure the temple sanctuary and that priest worshiping in it, it is a sign that nothing can prevent the fulfilling of Jehovah's purposes regarding the temple arrangement and those associated with it, and that those purposes are nearing their climax. Now that all things have been placed under the feet of Jehovah's strong angel, it is the time for "the mountain of the house of Jehovah" to become "firmly established above the top of the mountains." (Isaiah 2:2-4) Jehovah's pure worship must be exalted, after centuries of Christendom's apostasy. It is also time for those of Jesus' faithful brothers who have died to the resurrected into "the Holy of Holies. (Daniel 9:24; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16; Revelation 16:11; 14:4) And the last sealed ones on earth of "the slaves of our God" must be measure according to the divine standards in order to qualify for their permanent place in the temple arrangement as spirit-begotten sons of God. The John class today is fully aware of those holy standards and is determined to measure up to them. - REVELATION 7:1-3; MATTHEW 13:41, 42; EPHESIANS 1:13, 14; compare Romans 11:20. 

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