Part 1

The two witnesses are men whom God will give supernatural abilities to allow them to stand and witness  for God's people, those believers that know and trust on the Lord Jesus Christ. The tenth chapter of Revelation reminded us that we do not need the writings of the seven thunders, because the prophets of old have already told us what would happen in the final days of this earth age.  The thunder follows the lightening, and by the time that you hear the thunder, the damage and destruction has already been done.

This eleventh chapter of Revelation is going to reveal to us something that is going to happen just prior to the gathering back to our Lord Jesus Christ, and it will be the revealing of the two witnesses, and what shall happen to them. It is no secret for God is letting His elect know in advance.

Revelation 11:1
1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.

This "reed" John was given, was not for making a measurement. The reed was a "scepter"; a rod not for building something, but for destruction.   The destruction is for the tarring down of the temple of God, the altar, and all of them that worship within.  That is because at this time the Antichrist will be sitting on the throne of God in the temple, making sacrifice to himself, and the people of the world will believe he is God.

The "temple of God" after the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the body of the believers called the "body of Christ". That many membered body is made up of believers of all races, and brought together for one purpose, to spread the gospel of Christ so that souls would hear the Word of God and come to the saving knowledge of Christ.

Daniel 9:27
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

This is the time of the witnesses called the "abomination by the desolator", spoken of in Daniel 9:27, and at that time satan, the "son of perdition" will be revealed in the temple at Jerusalem, as recorded in [II Thessalonians 2:2-4].

II Thessalonians 2:3-4
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Satan is the "man of sin", and he is the only one condemned to destruction prior to this earth age. "Perdition" means "destruction".  Ezekiel 28:18 identifies satan as the one marked for destruction.

Ezekiel 28:18
18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.

The subject in II Thessalonians 2 is; when will the coming of Jesus Christ at the seventh trumpet be? Paul is telling us that before Jesus Christ comes, there will come a great apostasy or "falling away" first.  A large part of the body of Christ will turn from God's Word, to their own traditions, and those traditions will set them up for the deception that satan will bring when he comes.

II Thessalonians 2:4
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Satan will sit in His temple in Jerusalem, and declare himself to be God, and the whole world will believe in him. Even most of those that call themselves Christians today. They will worship satan as God because they believe him to be Jesus Christ, for satan will come with all his supernatural powers and deceiving wonders. When satan presents himself to be God by the flood of lies that come from his mouth, and they see the wonders that he performs, they will worship him as Christ.  However, satan will be the "instead of Christ" also called the Antichrist.

Matthew 24:15
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

Jesus also spoke of this destruction in Matthew 24:15, when He was telling His disciples what Christians could expect before His coming back to earth.

Revelation 11:2
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.

Romans 11:5
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

The remnant was the remnant that God chose, such as Paul and the Disciples and others, from generation to generation. They were to bring the message and truth of the Gospel of Christ.  Elijah himself, and John the Baptist in the spirit of Elijah, were teaching God's Word, and passing that God's Word down through the years to deliver it in the final generation to the election [elect] of God.

Everyone that sees the truth of God's overall plan are part of the remnant, and this doesn't refer to salvation, because there will also be millions that have the salvation that God offers to all through repentance and believing in His Son.  But we are talking here about a remnant that delivers God's Word.  These people have eyes to see and ears to hear and know the truth of God's plan.

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