The Two Witnesses
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In chapter 11 of the book of Revelation we read about these two men (prophets) who are able to exercise divine powers shutting heaven to stop rainfall and turning water into blood. Furthermore they can also strike the earth with all plagues as often as they desire. Most people think these two witnesses will be Moses and Elijah but I disagree. I simply do not believe the Lord ordained for either of these men to know the glorious life in heaven only to be sent back to planet Earth to be a witness for 1,260 days. To me, that idea is simply absurd! So then, who are the two witnesses? Well let's look at this issue from a viewpoint of common sense. A witnesses is someone that has used his five senses to give testimony about specific subject matter. In this particular case the the two witnesses were two men who saw and heard almost all the 1,260 day testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. My belief is that the two witnesses are the prophet Daniel and the Apostle John. I not only believe these two men are alive today but they have been so for a very long time, especially Daniel. If you disagree with that last statement then you probably don't know the power of God.
The first notion of these two witnesses is first found in the book of Zechariah. Zechariah prophesied with Haggai after the Babylonian captivity was completed and the temple building was resuming in the second year of the reign of Darius in 520 BC. The prophet Daniel was a young teenager in 606 BC when he was initially taken captive in the third year of King Jehoiakim (607-606 BC). Daniel would have been well over 90 years old when the second Jerusalem temple was completed on the third day of Adar in 515 BC.
In the book of Zechariah the angel that spoke to Zacheriah after awakening him asked "what do you see"? Zechariah responded; 4:2-14 (KJV) 2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
8 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.
10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
11 Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof ?
12 And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
14 Then said he, these are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth".
I bring attention to these verses in Zechariah because this passage gives some clues as to the identity of the first of the two witnesses. In verse eleven I have highlighted in bold italic print the section that mentions the two olive trees upon the right side and left side of the candlestick. Notice that there is only one candlestick mentioned in this verse but in Revelation chapter 11 it mentions two olive trees and two candlesticks specifically telling us these are the two witnesses. The fact that only one candlestick is mentioned here seems to indicate the first of the two witnesses has come upon the scene. Remember that Daniel is probably about 100 years old when the second temple was completed in February of 515 BC. In order for Daniel to be the first of the two witnesses then his life at this point in time would have to take on a supernatural longevity in terms of his physical well being. Only God is able to do something such as this. In chapter 12 of the book of Daniel verses 11-13 read (NKJV) 11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.
12 Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.13 But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days." Whenever the word days is mentioned in the prophetic writings and it is also preceeded by a number then it should always, always, always, be interpreted in terms of the year/day principle of time. This is consistent not only in the writings of Daniel but also in the book of Revelation. For example the 1290 days mentioned here in Daniel chapter 12 represent 1290 years. Likewise the 1,335 days also represent 1,335 years. Most people will try to put these verses in a future application with Daniel's 70th week yet to be fulfilled but if one uses common sense then one can see that the daily sacrifice was abolished in Jerusalem sometime in the year 599 BC between the start of the Hebrew civil New Year and the death of King Jehoiakim sometime about November or December as the solar year (Gregorian calendar) was about to end. Jeremiah tells us that 3,023 Jewish captives were taken in this seventh year of Nebuchadnezzer and the writings of Josephus further elaborate and tell us they were the principle men of the city. The principal men of Jerusalem would undoubtedly include the prieshood of the Levites and the High Priest. Without them the daily sacrifice would not have continued. If one measures from the start of the Hebrew Civil year (August 23, Elijah calendar) in 599 BC and goes 1290 solar years into the future it brings the calculation to August 22/23 in the year 692 AD. It was in the year 691/692 AD that the Muslim holy site known as the Dome of the Rock was completed in Jerusalem. There is not a shred of doubt that this is what Jesus referred to as the 'abomination of desolation'. If we continue and move foward with the second measure and add 1335 years to that endpoint in August of 692 AD it brings the calculation to August 22 in 2027 AD, almost exactly 10 years from now (Sept., 2017). The year 2027 should also prove to be very significant because it was exacly two thousand years ago that Jesus began his ministry on Sept. 13th in 27 AD when He was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Jesus ministered for exactly 1,260 days (representing the 1260 years of Israel's redemption), starting at His baptism on day one and concluding two days after His resurrection (Nisan 16, Feast of Firstfruits), the endpoint of His ministry landed on day 1260, tuesday morning Nisan 18. Tuesday morning on Nisan 18 happened to be the exact midpoint during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (In the middle of the week He will put an end to sacrifice and offering).Just as it was stated in Daniel's 70 weeks prophecy.
Jesus appeared the the third time to his disciples after His resurrection
but it was in Galilee. This must have taken place sometime after Pentecost and the stoning of Stephen when the disciples departed Jerusalem. It is my opinion that this third encounter took place on the Day of Atonement in 31 AD, which places this day exactly 153 days after Pentacost Sunday. It was during this third encounter with His disciples that Jesus gave another clue as to who the second witness would be. When Jesus was walking and talking to Peter, Peter turned around and then asked Jesus "what about this man" (John 21:21) pointing to the apostle John. Jesus responded "If I will that he remains until I come, what is that to you, You follow me." That lone statement coupled with the fact that in the book of Revelation John is told after eating the scroll that he must prophecy again to many people, nations, tongues, and kings seems to strongly indicate John is the second of the two witnesses. Daniel was from the tribe of Judah thereby representing the southern tribes but John lived in Galilee thereby representing the northern tribes collectively called Ephraim. Daniel lived under the Law of Moses thereby representing the Old Covenant but John lived after the resurrection of Jesus thereby representing the New Covenant of Grace. One other factor that affirms Daniel as the first of the two witnesses is that Daniel would have been very familiar with all the prophetic verses concerning the arrival of Israel's Messiah. Undoubtedly this makes Daniel the perfect candidate to lead the wise men from the Persian caravan that sighted the star above the place where the young child was (star over Bethlehem).