“Then I was given a measuring stick, and I was told, “Go and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers. But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in burlap and will prophesy during those 1,260 days.” These two prophets are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die. They have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. And they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish. When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them, and he will conquer them and kill them. And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city that is figuratively called “Sodom” and “Egypt,” the city where their Lord was crucified. And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them. All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them. But after three and a half days, God breathed life into them, and they stood up! Terror struck all who were staring at them. Then a loud voice from heaven called to the two prophets, “Come up here!” And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched. At the same time there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake, and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second terror is past, but look, the third terror is coming quickly.”
Revelation 11:1-14 NLT
Many have tried to say that the apocalyptic events of Revelation have come to pass. They claim tragic events such as the tyranny of Nero or Antiochus Epiphanes. They note various abominations performed in the temple. Yet no one seems to have a suitable answer for the historical two prophets. If these events passed, where are they in history. Since their Lord is said to have died where they are to die, they couldn’t have predated him. And there have been no prophets since Christ with authority to call power from heaven, to die and resurrect, or to ascend to heaven. There has been no great celebration of two prophet’s death by the world. These two have not existed in history and therefore it stands to reason that they are yet to come. As we seek to understand apocalyptic literature, it is best to wait for things to be revealed than to try to find a best fit that doesn’t quite work, or that doesn’t work at all. If Revelations final trumpets have already blown and the seals been opened, where are the two prophets?
JOSH McGARY.COM 