Could the "two witnesses" in Revelation 11:3 be the OT and NT?

Question

During 1260 years these witnesses are in state of sackcloth or obscurity, but God gives them the power to maintain their testimony. Zech. 4:11-14 implies that the 2 olive trees represent the Word of God. John 5:39 says "They are they which testify of me."....this was Jesus talking about the OT.
Rev.11:5--"if any man hurt them"....to hurt the Word of God is to corrupt, oppose, or pervert it. "fire proceedeth out of their mouth"....judgement of fire is pronounced in the Word against them. Rev.11:6 "These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not....and power over water to turn to blood"....Moses and Elijah did these things...but did them in the power of the Word of the Lord. Rev.11:7 "when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast....shall make war against them, and overcome...and kill them." AD 538 start of sackcloth state-AD 1798. France would have fit spiritual Sodom and Egypt. (11:8) "they ...shall see their dead bodies 31/2 days and not put them in graves." (11:9)

France made war on the Bible for 3 1/2 years. (Rev.11:10) "they that dwell on the earth shall rejoice over them and make merry....send gifts to each other"
In 1793 the gospel was , by a solemn act of the Legislature abolished in France. By the decree of the French Government, declaring that the nation ackowledged no God, the OT and NT were SLAIN throughout Republican France. In Lyons the Bible was dragged at the tail of an *** in a procession through the streets. In 1973, Nov.11 a Grand Festival dedicated to "Reason and Truth" was celebrated in the Cathedral of Notre Dame, which had been desecrated, and been named "the Temple of Reason". A pyramid was erected in the center of the church...and inscribed, "to philosophy". Bibles were gathered and burned. The Sabbath was blotted out and every 10th day substituted for profanity.Baptism and communion were abolished. The Goddess of Reason was set up and publicly worshipped. After 3 years a resolution to supersede the decree was passed which

actually took 6 months to pass making the 3 1/2 days/years in Rev. 11:9. This decree gave toleration to the Scriptures.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_Reason
http://www.bibleexplained.com/revelation/r-seg11-12/r11f-Fr-rev.htm

Answer 1

CORRECT! The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed. The New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.

Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedth out of the mouth of God".
Matthew 4:4

Answer 2

Zec 4:13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Zec 4:14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

These are the two Messiahs. The term 'anointed ones' in Zech 4:14 (yitshar) is a reference to oil. 'Moshiach' (messiah) literally means 'smeared with oil', or 'anointed'. So here we have a direct association with 'Messiahs', not one, but TWO!
The community at the Dead Sea (Essenes) reached the same conclusions. These are the 'word of God' allright, but they are the living, breathing, walking and speaking 'word of God', His Chosen messengers that deliver God's direct testimony. And since Revelations maintains the perpetualness of God, it must follow that there be two chosen representatives of God alive at all times:

Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

This is so to fulfill the 'Two Witness' law of the OT:

Deu 19:15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

In this figure the 1260 'days' represent 'degrees'. Time, times and half a time, 1 x 2 x .5= 3.5, and 3.5 x 360 (degrees of a complete circle) = 1260 degrees. This means 3.5 circular rotations of something, divided by increments of 360. Two repetitions of 3.5 would give: 3.5 + 3.5 = 7, the number of completion and perfection.

Answer 3

Where in the New Testament does it say that suffering is eternal? It says that the fire is eternal, but that is not the same thing as saying that people who are thrown into it continue to exist in order to experience it. I see a continuity between the OT and NT. The stories of the Israelites wiping out their foes to the last living being are congruent with God wiping out his foes at the Last Judgment in the New Testament. EDIT: That doesn't specify what the eternal punishment actually is. If the eternal punishment is that you are dead (instead of alive and in paradise), it need not involve conscious suffering. In fact, the idea of eternal punishment being eternal death seems more likely given that the contrast is with eternal life.

Answer 4

The two witnesses in Revelation 11 are actual prophets. This is clear as to their demise, they ascend into heaven when God calls "Come up hither", and their enemies behold them as they ascend in a cloud. Clearly this is not the old and new testaments. It is also clear that it could only happen in modern times such as these or later because of the technology needed for the world to see them in Jerusalem, and to send gifts around the world for three and a half days.

Answer 5

Yes,
Rev 11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

Answer 6

The two witnesses are an allegory pointing to the institutional church (wheat & tares) of the new testament. God often uses the number 2 to signify the going forth of the gospel in parabolic language, we see this in Luke 10 when the disciples were sent out in 2's, amnong other places. Now carefully compare:

"And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth." - Revelation 11:3,4.

The two witnesses are called "candlesticks" the same word John in Revelation had earlier used to describe the churches:

"The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches." - Revelation 1:20.

"Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;" - Revelation 2:1.

Answer 7

A very interesting question, but Capri makes a very good point. The whole ascension to heaven thing seems to cut out anything as mundane as text - even inspired text, unless you ar suggesting that the testaments were eradicated from the earth but exist in heaven.

Jim, http://www.life-after-harry-potter.com

Answer 8

Interesting question. I had never considered it that way. However I believe the two witnesses will be actual people. Specifically I believe it will be Elijah and Enoch. Although if you want to go to with Moses and Elijah you are just as entitled and just as likely to be right.

Answer 9

need to put all the pieces together (from the bible).
Rev
Daniel
Matt 24-25
1 & 2 Thes
1 & 2 Tim
2 Peter 3
Job 19
Malachi 3-4
and others

Answer 10

and those two prophets names are
Enoch and Elijah, who never died.
Besides this is after the church is taken away<><