GOD'S TWO WITNESSES

"I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth," says Revelation 11:3-4.

Some think these two witnesses are two literal people -- but if they live the 1260 "day"-year period, they could not be real men. Also, are men "candlesticks?" Are men "olive trees?" If candlesticks and olive trees can be symbolic images, the same can apply to the two witnesses. These two witnesses represent the vehicle by which God "witnesses" to us: The Holy Bible The Old testament and the New Testament are God's two witnesses. [JOHN 5:39]

The two witnesses are "killed" by a BEAST (i.e. a nation), and after three and a half "days" they rise back up to the amazement and fear of the beholders. [REV 11:11]

Using the day-for-a-year premise, this means that the scriptures are to lie dead in some country for 3 1/2 years. This "beast" refers to the First French Republic (1792 to 1804), and its antireligious bias. How?

On November 10, 1793, a decress in Paris abolished religion. Atheism "killed off" God's two witnesses for 3 1/2 years.

The French government on June 17, 1797, voted to reinstate religion after seeing how their society lustfully worshiped their "goddess of reason" harlot. This LEGISLATED ATHEISM was a quite logical backlash to the Papacy's terrible cruel inquisitions. But it only lasted 3 1/2 years.

The scriptures were then brought back to life and flourished: The British and Foreign Bible Society was founded in 1804, and the American Bible Society in 1816. Never again would God's "two witnesses" be put to "death."

To those who still consider these two witnesses being "people", refer to JOHN 6:63: "The words that I speak to you, they are spirit, they are life." God's Word is quite real to Him, very much "alive." His Living Word is His Witness.

We have had an overview of one of the longest prophecies, and we've seen that it's matched history very, very well. We're now going to put that on hold to look at another.