The Two Witnesses: When?

THE TWO WITNESSES: FIRST HALF OF THE WEEK OR SECOND?

It is commonly held in our day that the two witnesses in Revelation 11:3-13 prophesy during the first half of the seventieth week. In my estimation this view lacks biblical support. A much stronger case can be built for them prophesying during the second half of the week. In the following paragraphs I will summarize and respond to the strongest arguments I have come across for the witnesses prophesying in the first half of the week, then I will give nine arguments why I believe they prophesy during the second half of the week.

ARGUMENTS FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEK

One. God will use the two witnesses to secure the salvation of the 144,000. Answer. This is a theory. It is not stated in Scripture, nor does any statement of Scripture necessitate this conclusion.

Two. The two witnesses must be present during the first half of the week to counteract the lying wonders of the antichrist. Answer. If the purpose of the two witnesses is to counteract the lies and false miracles of the antichrist, then surely the two witnesses must be present during the second half of the week. For it is during this time that Satan kicks the great delusion into high gear with the fallen angels being cast down to earth (Rev. 12:7-14), the antichrist sitting in the temple in the abomination of desolation (Dan. (9:27), the false prophet deceiving those that dwell on the earth with great miracles, even calling down fire from heaven and giving life to the image of the beast (Rev. 13:12-15), and the false prophet requiring all men to worship the image of the beast or be executed (Rev. 13:15).

Three. It is an unproven assertion that the other references to the 42 months or the 1260 days or the 3.5 years all refer to the second half of the seventieth week.  Answer. If someone thinks this point is unproven, they either haven’t examined these passages carefully or they examined them under the influence of prejudice which refuses to call a spade a spade. The evidence is perfectly clear for anyone who candidly examines the passages. (They can be read below under my first argument).

Four. The three and a half days that the witnesses lie in the street are characterized by joy, celebration, and gift giving around the world. This doesn’t seem likely if these deaths happen just days prior to the end when the armies of the world are gathering around Jerusalem and the cities of the world are shaking under the mighty earthquakes at the end. Answer. There are three problems with this argument. First of all, the great shaking of the entire planet doesn’t happen until the time of the Lord’s descent from heaven, after the celebration and after the nations have finished gathering for Armageddon (compare Matt. 24:29-31 with Rev. 6:12-17).  So it is a non-factor.

Secondly, the world’s rejoicing over the death of the prophets, whom they hold responsible for the judgments, would be even more heightened near the end of the second half of the week than it would near the end of the first half for there would be more to celebrate over. Bear in mind that the judgments increase in severity the farther into the seventieth week you go. And the greater the victory, the greater the celebration. This is human nature.

Thirdly, a victory over the prophets near the end of the second half actually harmonizes with the effort to gather all the world’s armies in Armageddon to meet the invading army.  The death of the two witnesses would be a huge encouragement to mankind. They finally got rid of the troublemaking prophets. They would certainly take this as a positive sign that the antichrist can also lead them to victory over the invading army and this Jesus guy who wants to be the dictator over the planet. I suspect this vain hope is the meaning of the cry “Peace and security!” in 1 Thessalonians 5 just prior to the second coming. The world thinks peace and security is within their grasp, when in reality they are mere days from sudden destruction.

Five. The earthquake in Revelation 11:13 which rocks Jerusalem would be pointless if the final earthquake which destroys the entire world is just a few days later. Answer. I think it is better to accept the indications that this event is late in the week (Rev. 10:7, 11:14, 11:15-19 ) and take the earthquake in Revelation 11:13 as a warning shot over the bow. Last warning! Repent! The day of judgment is coming!

ARGUMENTS FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE WEEK

One. In Revelation 11:3 the ministry of the two witnesses is stated to be 1260 days (aka 42 months or three-and-a-half years). Everywhere else in Scripture this time period refers  to the second half of the seventieth week, otherwise known as the great tribulation. If we trust the precedence of Scripture and the law of first mention, we can rest assured that Revelation 11:3 also refers to the second half of the week and therefore places the two witnesses in the time of great tribulation.  Examine the following passages. Is there any reason to doubt that they all refer to the time of great tribulation taught in Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, and 2 Thessalonians 2:4? In the middle of the week the antichrist shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering, set himself in the temple, declare himself God, and set in play 42 months of war against the saints of the living God.

Dan 12:7, “And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.”

Rev 11:2, “But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.”

Rev. 12:6, “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.”

Rev. 12:14, “And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.”

Rev. 13:5-7, “there was given to him a mouth speaking great things, and power was given unto him to continue forty-two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.  And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.”

Without a doubt, these passages all refer to the time of great tribulation taught in Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, and 2 Thess. 2:4. In the middle of the week that antichrist shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering, sit in the temple, declare himself God, requires the world to worship him on pain of death, and makes war on the saints of God for 42 months.

Two. The contextual connection between the two witnesses in Rev. 11:3 and the temple and the Gentile defilement of Jerusalem in Rev. 11:2 suggest a close relationship. This suggestion is enhanced when we consider that the testimony of the two witnesses is associated with the lampstand in the temple (Zech. 4:1-12). And it is further enhanced by the twin time statements. Note that 11:2 informs us that the city outside the inner temple shall be trodden by the Gentiles for 42 months, and 11:3 states that the two witnesses shall prophesy for a thousand two hundred and sixty days. The simplest solution, one that is perfectly reasonable, is to equate these two time statements and regard them as coterminous. The fact is, given their close connection, and the biblical precedence demonstrated above, the burden of proof does not lie with those who equate these time statements. It lies with those who challenge this equation.

Three. The miracles that the two witnesses work such as turning water to blood and smiting the earth will all kinds of plagues (Rev. 11:6) accord better with the second half of the seventieth week than the first half. The first half is largely characterized by visitations which are providential, though on a much larger scale than usual. The second half is characterized by the supernatural.

Four. It would seem out of character for God to not have a counter testimony to the antichrist and the false prophet during the second half of the week. He had a continual counter testimony in the kingdom until the four hundred silent years. Elijah and Moses were the two that manifested the most miraculous demonstrations of the power of God to counter serious opposition to God. Elijah stood against the priests of Baal and against Ahab and Jezebel. Moses stood against Pharaoh, the golden calves, compromise in his own camp (Aaron and Miriam), strange fire, etc. If God rose to the challenge in the past with lesser rivals, why would he not rise to the challenge when the arch-human rival of all history is center stage, defiling the temple? Judging by the God I see in the Old Testament and the book of Revelation, who consistently contends for his testimony and name at vital crossroads in times of earthly dispensation, I see a zero percent chance that God would pull Elijah and Moses off the field of spiritual battle prior to the full-blown mystery of iniquity.  When the adversary unleashes the false prophet, the lying miracles, the living image, and the attendant potent lies upon the world—centered in Jerusalem no less!—God will rise to the occasion. He will counter with his two witnesses who will operate in the same spirit and manner they operated in when facing Pharaoh and wicked king Ahab.

Five. The death and resurrection of the witnesses brings us to the end of the sixth trumpet and second woe (Rev. 11:11-14). Their resurrection is quickly followed by the third woe, the sounding of the seventh trumpet. The Scripture is clear that with the sounding of this trumpet, the mystery of God shall be finished which he had declared to his servants the prophets (Rev. 10:7). What is this mystery? It can only be the mystery of the kingdom (Mark 4:11ff, Matthew 13). This is evident by the fact that the chief event of the seventh trumpet (Rev. 11:15-19) is the kingdom— “the kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.”

Note. The order of the visitations in Revelation can be confusing. Bear this one thing in mind. The four series are introduced in order, but they overlap. Each series ends at the second coming. The sixth seal, the seventh seal (which introduces the seven trumpets), the seventh trumpet, the seventh thunder (presumably), and the seventh bowl all end at the second coming.

Six. The promise that Elijah shall come before the day of the Lord to prepare the people for the coming of the Lord (Mal. 4:5-6). This seems to fit better with the two witnesses ministering in the second half of the week better than the first half. Leaving the field prior to the most pitched part of the spiritual war, the final three and a half years, does not seem to square with preparing the Jews for the coming of their Messiah.

Seven. God gives prophetic warning before his mighty judgments. He warned the world through Noah prior to the flood. He gave Abraham and Lot a heads up prior to his destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. He gave Nineveh a warning through Jonah. Even more interesting, he gave Pharaoh a warning through Moses before every supernatural judgment that befell the land. I believe this latter judgment in particular is the pattern for Moses’ ministry during the seventieth week. The world and Israel shall receive fair warning prior to every supernatural visitation. And once we make this typological connection (Moses’ ministry is Egypt prior to the promised land is a type of his ministry in Israel prior to the kingdom), the second half of the week is the only viable option for Moses ministry, for that is when the vast majority of the supernatural visitations occur.

Eight. Moses and Elijah were associated with the Lord Jesus when he was transformed on the mount and manifested the power and glory of his second coming. This we gather from Matthew 16:28 to 17:9, Mark 9:1-9, and Luke 9:27-36, (with the added light of 2 Peter 1:16-18). If the fulfillment bears a close resemblance to the typology, then we can assume that the two witnesses will minister in close proximity to the Lord’s coming in power and great glory, not three and half years away from it.

Nine. Moses brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, right up to the border of the promised land. On the basis of this observation, it is not unreasonable to expect the fulfillment to bear a close resemblance to the type. We can expect Moses to guide the believing Jews through the barren wilderness of this world during the time of Jacob’s trouble, right up to the brink of the promised land of the kingdom, where the baton will be passed to the true Joshua, whom we know as Yeshua or Jesus.

CONCLUSION

On the basis of these nine arguments, I am forced to conclude that the two witnesses will prophesy during the second half of the seventieth week and not the first.

ADDENDA

Some of the most esteemed prophecy teachers have held that the two witnesses will prophesy during the second half of the seventieth week. These names I found just grabbing volumes off my shelves:
Clarence Larkin, The Book of Revelation, under Rev. 11:1-14.
Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22, An Exegetical Commentary, in loc.
E.W. Bullinger, Revelation, in loc.
Walter Scott, Revelation, in loc.
F.W. Grant, The Numerical Bible, Hebrews to Revelation, under Revelation, pp. 422-423.
T.B. Baines, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Appendix to the Sixth Trumpet, p. 133

Eyes wide open, brain engaged, heart on fire,

Lee W. Brainard