Revival and Ascension - Rumor notes 78

Revelation 11

11 After the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet. Great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 I heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here!" They went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies saw them.

After the three and a half days

Leave out the court which is outside of the temple, and don't measure it, for it has been given to the nations. They will tread the holy city under foot for forty-two months. (Revelation 11:2)

Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. (Revelation 12:14)

He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time. (Daniel 7:25)

He shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease; and on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate; and even to the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out on the desolate. (Daniel 9:27)

I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by him who lives forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. (Daniel 12:7)

But truly I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land. (Luke 4:25)

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months. (James 5:17)

Yahweh prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (Jonah 1:17)

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:40)

What are we to make of this time period? It is not completely settled in my understanding. However, I do believe there are multiple legitimate ways of viewing this. What appears to best fit at this point, but with some lingering questions related to things not all aligning completely, is to apply this to the 3 ½ years of Jesus' ministry that brought an end to excuses for viewing God through the immature lenses of the law and the prophets.

the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet

Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7)

Thus says the Lord Yahweh to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.

Then said he to me, Prophesy to the wind, prophesy, son of man, and tell the wind, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Come from the four winds, breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then he said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.

(Ezekiel 37:5,9-11)

When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit! Whoever's sins you forgive, they are forgiven them. Whoever's sins you retain, they have been retained."

(John 20:22-23)

But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

(Romans 8:11)

Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak. (Acts 2:2-4)

When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were gathered together. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:31)

If these two witnesses represent the immature, inferior and partially darkened perceptions of God's character as witnessed to by the perceptions of the Law and the Prophets symbolized by Moses and Elijah, this kind of testimony was rendered impotent or dead during the 3 ½ years of Jesus' ministry. This period could be likened to a time of metamorphosis during which truth and our understanding of history was being reshaped by the witness of the Lamb on earth. After this time the truth as it is in Jesus powerfully prepared His followers to be filled with His Spirit at Pentecost, which in turn brought consternation and fear to the opponents of the truth about God brought to light by the gospel of Jesus. Thus the glory of the old system of witnesses became eclipsed by the far greater glory of the gospel.

Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

They said one to another, "Weren't our hearts burning within us, while he spoke to us along the way, and while he opened the Scriptures to us?" (Luke 24:27,32)

What we see here is the death of two witnesses followed by a reviving of two witnesses but with a very different effect on those around them then they had previously. Something dramatic changes between their death and the new kind of witness emanating from them, and I don't think it is simply because they came back from the dead. I believe it is more likely that the nature of their testimonies is what changed, now in line with the testimony of the Son. More on this later.

Great fear fell on those who saw them

In that day there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified, and gave glory to the God of heaven. (Revelation 11:13)

Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and died. Great fear came on all who heard these things.

Great fear came on the whole assembly, and on all who heard these things. By the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. They were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. None of the rest dared to join them, however the people honored them.

(Acts 5:5,11-13)

As they said these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, "Peace be to you." But they were terrified and filled with fear, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. (Luke 24:36-37)

They heard the voice of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden. Yahweh God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" The man said, "I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." (Genesis 3:8-10)

Elijah and Moses appeared to them, and they were talking with Jesus. Peter answered Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let's make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." For he didn't know what to say, for they were very afraid. (Mark 9:4-6)

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. (1 John 4:18 NRSV)

This city shall be to me for a name of joy, for a praise and for a glory, before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do to them, and shall fear and tremble for all the good and for all the peace that I procure to it. (Jeremiah 33:9)

Why is great fear the default reaction of people confronted with the presence of God?

Why were the disciples of Jesus terrified when He suddenly appeared in person in their midst after the resurrection? It was not merely the surprise factor, for there were two other disciples there strongly urging them to believe He was alive when this transpired. So what was the root issue that led them to be terrified when seeing Him rather than being filled with joy?

Here is another very important question. How do we interpret passages that tell us that people give glory to God from a motivation of fear? Is this a sign of true repentance, or is it something inferior that still leaves them vulnerable to torment in His presence?

Fear has been our problem ever since the entrance of sin into the human psyche in Eden. Fear is the unavoidable symptom of harboring disbelief of God's goodness, kindness, love and unconditional forgiveness. Fear comes because we believe The Lie of the enemy that God relates to us in the reward punishment legal system rather than from a passionate desire for intimate relationship simply because He is love and has no darkness in Him at all.

The reason the disciples in the upper room felt terrified when Jesus suddenly appeared, was for the same reason Adam and Eve felt terrified when this same Jesus showed up in the garden to visit with them after they ate the forbidden fruit. Their fear was a direct result of being infected with the lie that brought misapprehension about God's disposition towards them and the kind of motivations He has for everything He does. They now could only assume that the reason He was coming was to carry out His presumed threat to kill them because they had disobeyed His direct command to them and this was the promised punishment.

Similarly the disciples assumed that Jesus must be very upset with them as they had all forsaken and betrayed Him into the hands of His enemies in His time of greatest vulnerability. Now that He had returned to find them again, it must be to carry out retribution for their betrayal Him and for crass disloyalty. This was the kind of kingdom they had imagined He had come to set up, which is why Jesus needed to come back to correct the way they perceived His disposition towards them along with how God longed to relate to them.

The mindset brought on by counterfeit ways of viewing God assumes that if we offend God He is required to punish us, if not merely to vent His wrath, then because that is how law and justice operate, and God cannot do otherwise even if He might want to differently. It is this distortion of the very foundation of how God is motivated that is the cause of all fear, and the more vested we are in our belief of this, the more terrified we will be when we encounter the presence of pure power. To believe in the power of God while refusing to believe simultaneously that God is nothing but love alone is the recipe of torment. Resistance to love always results in terror which is torment to the human heart that is designed for love yet crippled by unbelief. Resistance to trusting God's heart is the core essence of sin and is the corrosive element that destroys the very parts of our psyche that are necessary in order to experience joy, satisfaction, peace, love and fulfilling bonds with other hearts.

The only path to freedom from fear is the same path to freedom from sin, for sin is simply another name for distrust in God's integrity, truthfulness and trustworthiness. The only way one can avoid the reaction of fear that produces torment is to consent to believe the truth as it is in Jesus. It is this truth of the trustworthiness of God that alone has the ability to align us properly with the power of God's glory so that we will thrive in His intense presence instead of frying in it.

The sinners in Zion are afraid. Trembling has seized the godless ones. Who among us can live with the devouring fire? Who among us can live with everlasting burning? He who walks righteously, and speaks blamelessly... (Isaiah 33:14-15)

It is not God who needs to change His thinking about us in order for us to be saved, for love never needs adjustment and it is not God who is our problem. This comes out of the religious definition of sin, that God takes offense when we sin against Him and we must find some way to placate Him or pay off the debt induced by our offenses. This entire way of viewing God is what must be exposed as a fraud and discarded completely, for such views of God are what make up the resistance that results in the fire of torment whenever we encounter the truth of God's love up close and personal.

I am coming to see that this is more likely the meaning of this prophecy of the two witnesses. Their immature testimony of God that represents Him as using a mixture of love and fear has to come to an end in order to be replaced with the Lamb's version of God that is itself a terror to His enemies. It is a terror because they see His power but refuse to believe He is only love. Thus their fear of punishment is anchored in their own imagination and deeply embedded traditions invested in that system, rendering them incapable of believing the truth that alone could set them free.

The coming of the lawless one is apparent in the working of Satan, who uses all power, signs, lying wonders, and every kind of wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion, leading them to believe what is false, so that all who have not believed the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 NRSV)

I heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here!"

After these things I looked and saw a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I heard, like a trumpet speaking with me, was one saying, "Come up here, and I will show you the things which must happen after this." (Revelation 4:1)

This gives us a positive ID that this voice is that of Jesus introduced in chapter 1. The testimony of Jesus the faithful witness is significantly different from that of these two witnesses so far, but now that they have died to that old way of thinking, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ gives them new life and a new identity, and now they are ready to be exalted by heaven as their testimony now is only to point to Jesus as the only reliable witness to emulate, believe and embrace.

After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain by themselves. He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light. Behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with him. Peter answered, and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, let's make three tents here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him." (Matthew 17:1-5)

They went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies saw them

But Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil and arguing about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him an abusive condemnation, but said, "May the Lord rebuke you!" (Jude 1:9)

It happened, as they still went on, and talked, that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which parted them both apart; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. (2 Kings 2:11)

We must not slip into the trap of the earning/deserving mentality when viewing the accounts of Moses and Elijah being taken to heaven. Neither of them experienced this because they represented God accurately, but simply because God had greater plans for them and they had chosen in the end to allow Him to have His way in their lives. Their end does not justify their earlier misrepresentations.

Who are these who fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? Surely the islands shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, for the name of Yahweh your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because he has glorified you. (Isaiah 60:8-9)

He said to them, "It isn't for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth." When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. (Acts 1:7-9)

Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes rather, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Even as it is written, "For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter." No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

(Romans 8:34-37)

even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (Ephesians 2:5-6)

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God's trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.

(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

their enemies saw them

It was so, that after Yahweh had spoken these words to Job, Yahweh said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is kindled against you, and against your two friends; for you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has. Now therefore, take to yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept him, that I not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has."

So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did what Yahweh commanded them, and Yahweh accepted Job. (Job 42:7-9)

Show me a sign of your goodness, that those who hate me may see it, and be shamed, because you, Yahweh, have helped me, and comforted me. (Psalms 86:17)

The wicked will see it, and be grieved. He shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away. The desire of the wicked will perish. (Psalms 112:10)

"They shall be mine," says Yahweh of Armies, "my own possession in the day that I make, and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him. Then you shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who doesn't serve him.

(Malachi 3:17-18)

Morbid Celebration - Rumor notes 77

 

Revelation 11

9 From among the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations people will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. 10 Those who dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and they will be glad. They will give gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

From among the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations

They sang a new song, saying, "You are worthy to take the book, and to open its seals: for you were killed, and bought us for God with your blood, out of every tribe, language, people, and nation, and made us kings and priests to our God, and we will reign on earth." (Revelation 5:9-10)

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. (Revelation 7:9)

They told me, "You must prophesy again over many peoples, nations, languages, and kings." (Revelation 10:11)

It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him. (Revelation 13:7)

I saw an angel flying in mid heaven, having an eternal Good News to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth, and to every nation, tribe, language, and people. (Revelation 14:6)

He said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. (Revelation 17:15)

Then the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then the herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, peoples, nations, and languages, that whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up; and whoever doesn't fall down and worship shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. (Daniel 3:3-6)

Nebuchadnezzar the king, to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked toward me. How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation. (Daniel 4:1-3)

Then Daniel answered before the king, Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another; nevertheless I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation. You king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty: and because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him: whom he would he killed, and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he raised up, and whom he would he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: and he was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the animals', and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys; he was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky; until he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that he sets up over it whoever he will. You his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which don't see, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you have not glorified. (Daniel 5:17-23)

Then king Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree, that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and steadfast forever, His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed; and his dominion shall be even to the end. (Daniel 6:25-26)

people will look at their dead bodies

When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them. It happened on the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. They cut off his head, and stripped off his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry the news to the house of their idols, and to the people. They put his armor in the house of the Ashtaroth; and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan. When the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard concerning him that which the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan; and they came to Jabesh, and burnt them there. They took their bones, and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days. (1 Samuel 31:7-13)

I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life; and their dead bodies shall be for food to the birds of the sky, and to the animals of the earth.

(Jeremiah 34:20)

Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the pit. Those who see you will stare at you. They will ponder you, saying, "Is this the man who made the earth to tremble, who shook kingdoms; who made the world like a wilderness, and overthrew its cities; who didn't release his prisoners to their home?" (Isaiah 14:15-17)

Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness: I have cast you to the ground; I have laid you before kings, that they may see you. By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your traffic, you have profaned your sanctuaries; therefore have I brought forth a fire from the midst of you; it has devoured you, and I have turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all those who see you. All those who know you among the peoples shall be astonished at you: you are become a terror, and you shall nevermore have any being. (Ezekiel 28:17-19)

What would passages clearly referring to wicked people and even the devil himself, have to do with two witnesses clearly called by God to prophesy for Him? There are several factors we must not ignore in our typical penchant to make everything clearly black or white, good guys or bad guys. We need to be open to other possibilities if we are to receive wisdom from heaven to bring us a larger perspective. This means we need to be honest as we assemble relevant passages that contain similar references and clues that may reveal unexpected results, and then test everything through the filters we picked up in the very first verse of this book.

One of the axioms that I have found very helpful as a tool to discover meaning in Scriptures is the operational principle of a counterfeit. A counterfeit requires a true original in order to have any impact and convincing power to deceive. Without an original that has inherent power or authenticity in truth, a counterfeit is useless or obvious. I maintain that for pretty much every original design of God Satan has contrived a counterfeit by which to deceive the nations into believing that his system is more viable than the kingdom of heaven. Given this, it would begin to make sense that the enemy would paint witnesses for God as actually being deserving of shame, death and disdain in order to prevent the truth about himself from being exposed. That is a possibility regarding this event.

Keep in mind as well what we have been unwrapping over recent studies regarding the nature of the testimony and the disposition of these witnesses when compared with the testimony of God's Son and His disposition towards His opponents. There are considerable disparities, making it quite possible that they put themselves in harm's way by their choices to misrepresent the One who commissioned them. I am convinced that if we choose to rely on Satan's methods and fail to be cleansed of motives originating from his way of living and thinking, we open a door of authority to him and then suffer defeat in part because we gave him permission to have his way in our lives. Don't pick up the enemy's weapons if you don't want to come under the enemy's authority, for he will surely exercise his legal opportunity in every such situation and will inflict his desires on those who fail to remain purely on the side of the Lamb and remain faithful to His ways of conducting warfare.

Therefore the Jews, because it was the Preparation Day, so that the bodies wouldn't remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a special one), asked of Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. (John 19:31)

While it is true that Jesus was not left dead on the cross for three and a half days but was placed in a tomb by His followers, there may be something of significance here still. Jesus was God made vulnerable to the powers of darkness which led to His death by crucifixion. But it was not because He compromised by using the enemy's weapons, but God's secret plan was to expose the entire system of Satan by allowing Jesus to be made sin on our behalf so we might become His righteousness.

three and a half days

(We will cover this when we examine verse 11.)

not allow their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb

The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. (2 Kings 9:10)

All the kings of the nations, sleep in glory, everyone in his own house. But you are cast away from your tomb like an abominable branch, clothed with the slain, who are thrust through with the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit; like a dead body trodden under foot. You will not join them in burial, because you have destroyed your land. You have killed your people. The seed of evil-doers will not be named forever. Prepare for slaughter of his children because of the iniquity of their fathers, that they not rise up and possess the earth, and fill the surface of the world with cities. (Isaiah 14:18-21)

Those who dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and they will be glad

This label, those who dwell on the earth, is used ten times in Revelation. It appears to be a term used to signify those whose loyalty lies with this world's system of governance as opposed to all those whose loyalty is for heaven and the Lamb's kingdom and way of doing things. Dwelling in this case has more to do with a mindset rather than a physical location.

The lords of the Philistines gathered them together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice; for they said, Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, Our god has delivered into our hand our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, who has slain many of us. (Judges 16:23-24)

Behold, and answer me, Yahweh, my God. Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death; Lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed against him;" Lest my adversaries rejoice when I fall. (Psalms 13:3-4)

Don't let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes. (Psalms 35:19)

Vindicate me, Yahweh my God, according to your righteousness. Don't let them gloat over me. Don't let them say in their heart, "Aha! That's the way we want it!" Don't let them say, "We have swallowed him up!" Let them be disappointed and confounded together who rejoice at my calamity. Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me. (Psalms 35:24-26)

But you have rejected and spurned. You have been angry with your anointed. You have renounced the covenant of your servant. You have defiled his crown in the dust. You have broken down all his hedges. You have brought his strongholds to ruin. All who pass by the way rob him. He has become a reproach to his neighbors. You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries. You have made all of his enemies rejoice. Yes, you turn back the edge of his sword, and haven't supported him in battle. You have ended his splendor, and thrown his throne down to the ground. You have shortened the days of his youth. You have covered him with shame. Selah. (Psalms 89:38-45)

Don't rejoice against me, my enemy. When I fall, I will arise. When I sit in darkness, Yahweh will be a light to me. (Micah 7:8)

Therefore Jesus perceived that they wanted to ask him, and he said to them, "Do you inquire among yourselves concerning this, that I said, 'A little while, and you won't see me, and again a little while, and you will see me?' Most certainly I tell you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow, because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she doesn't remember the anguish any more, for the joy that a human being is born into the world. (John 16:19-21)

They will give gifts to one another

The other Jews who were in the king's provinces gathered themselves together, defended their lives, had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of those who hated them; but they didn't lay their hand on the plunder. This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of that month they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness. But the Jews who were in Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth and on the fourteenth days of the month; and on the fifteenth day of that month, they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in the unwalled towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, a good day, and a day of sending presents of food to one another. Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both near and far, to enjoin them that they should keep the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month Adar yearly, as the days in which the Jews had rest from their enemies, and the month which was turned to them from sorrow to gladness, and from mourning into a good day; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending presents of food to one another, and gifts to the needy. (Esther 9:16-22)

these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth

It happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, Is it you, you troubler of Israel?

(1 Kings 18:17)

Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, my enemy? He answered, I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do that which is evil in the sight of Yahweh. (1 Kings 21:20)

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, there is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh, Micaiah the son of Imlah: but I hate him; for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. Jehoshaphat said, "Don't let the king say so." (1 Kings 22:8)

Behold, they cried out, saying, "What do we have to do with you, Jesus, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" (Matthew 8:29)

You will be hated by all men for my name's sake, but he who endures to the end, the same will be saved. (Mark 13:13)

For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn't come to the light, lest his works would be exposed. (John 3:20)

We are His witnesses of these things; and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him." But they, when they heard this, were cut to the heart, and determined to kill them.

(Acts 5:32-33)

Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed at him with one accord. (Acts 7:54-57)

We looked at some verses related to Elijah making earth dwellers uncomfortable. Here are some that reveal the discomfort that Moses caused using the supernatural gifts of God in Egypt.

I know that the king of Egypt won't give you permission to go, no, not by a mighty hand. I will put forth my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst of it, and after that he will let you go. (Exodus 3:19-20)

The officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble, when it was said, "You shall not diminish anything from your daily quota of bricks!" They met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: and they said to them, "May Yahweh look at you, and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us."

Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, "Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people; neither have you delivered your people at all." (Exodus 5:19-23)

Do not miss an important aspect of this story. This is not just about God having Moses and Aaron use supernatural miracles to impress Pharaoh, the pagan ruler of the most powerful and ruthless empire who was refusing to release God's people from cruel slavery. This had much greater implications that are easy to miss if we are not alert and watching what God has been seeking to do all the time.

God spoke to Moses, and said to him, "I am Yahweh; and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Yahweh I was not known to them. I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their travels, in which they lived as aliens. Moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant. Therefore tell the children of Israel, 'I am Yahweh, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments: and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that I am Yahweh your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage: I am Yahweh.'" Moses spoke so to the children of Israel, but they didn't listen to Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. (Exodus 6:2-9)

This last sentence is key and we must not miss its extreme relevance to us today. Because their deliverance was not quick, easy and painless, they were ready to prefer slavery over freedom. Don't tell me this is still not true with us today. The issue of willingness to listen to God's perspective, trust His heart when things get worse instead of better and enemies react viciously to suggestions that we might be headed toward freedom from their control over us, are just as real today as it was then. This story has been the theme God reminds us of all throughout Scripture and is the defining metaphor God uses to reveal to us the desire of His heart to set us free from the tyranny and bondage of fear that holds us hostage to Satan's power of selfishness in our lives.

This entire story of Israel's deliverance extends far beyond mere physical separation from Egypt, though that was an important part. From the much larger perspective we are privileged to have in our day, it starts to become clear that God wanted to make a separation in the psyche of His people from living under a slave mentality. Deliverance from thinking like a slave involves suffering, and because we live in fear of suffering we, like the Children of Israel, often prefer the relative comfort of bondage to the pain of separation from the familiar to the unknown. What we fail to see is that the underlying system of hierarchy defines how all relationships are experienced by all those who dwell on the earth. The great I AM longs to draw as many as possible out into a promised land of freedom, yet the freedom He has for us is far beyond just escape from physical slavery. Yet just like us too often, both the elders of Israel and even Moses himself failed to grasp this far greater reality as the story reveals. They assumed God would bring a quick and painless deliverance, and they had little desire to experience even more suffering than they already endured.

But you did follow my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, steadfastness, persecutions, and sufferings: those things that happened to me at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. I endured those persecutions. Out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you remain in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. From infancy, you have known the sacred writings which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:10-15)

Now all these things happened to them by way of example, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands be careful that he doesn't fall. (1 Corinthians 10:11-12)

Yahweh said to Moses, "Behold, I have made you as God to Pharaoh; and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you; and Aaron your brother shall speak to Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I will lay my hand on Egypt, and bring forth my armies, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. The Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh, when I stretch forth my hand on Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them." (Exodus 7:1-5)

Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and he said, "I have sinned against Yahweh your God, and against you. Now therefore please forgive my sin again, and pray to Yahweh your God, that he may also take away from me this death." (Exodus 10:16-17)

There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been, nor shall be any more. But against any of the children of Israel a dog won't even bark or move its tongue, against man or animal; that you may know that Yahweh makes a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel. All these your servants shall come down to me, and bow down themselves to me, saying, "Get out, with all the people who follow you;" and after that I will go out.'" He went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. Yahweh said to Moses, "Pharaoh won't listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt." (Exodus 11:6-9)

I want to emphasize one of the key points of this passage related to the two witnesses, and that is the phrase those who dwell on the earth. These are the ones who experience torment, not the two witnesses. In the book of Revelation this code phrase is used to identify all those who cling to the counterfeit system of thinking and living and defining reality enforced on this planet. It is these underlying premises that react violently to the light of the true glory, nature and disposition of God brought by the Lamb in stark contrast with those of this earth. This light always produces torment in the hearts of those who resist the power of selfless love, and this is becoming more clear throughout history. Yet we still remain infected with this spirit of trading, of selfishness, of independence and pride that are all part of the inheritance as humans that we received from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We struggle to admit that our own hearts are in desperate need of cleansing and purifying to free us from anything that reacts negatively to purity, love, kindness and the kind of justice that God represents.

Shouldn't you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?' His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due to him. So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don't each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds." (Matthew 18:33-35)

Torment is the experience that people feel whenever their resistance to true love is exposed in the presence of purity, humility, kindness and unsurpassed passionate, selfless love. Does this mean that the torment people experienced was because of love, or were they using negative kinds of torment on their enemies? The question must always return to the exclusive standard of what is true, real and right – comparing and testing everything to the way Jesus treated and related to people.

From all that we have seen, the kind of torment people felt from these two witnesses was a mixed bag, something like both light and dark, good and evil, the kind of God the ancient serpent insisted to Eve that she should become like. Witnessing for God may indeed make many people feel highly uncomfortable, but I believe it is essential that we not taint our testimony for God with ungodlike attributes and tactics that give any credibility to the enemy's accusations against Him. This mixed testimony introduces confusion into the hearts of all who are longing to know the kind of love we are meant to thrive in forever. It is time to renounce the confusion of spirit and contradictions that muddy the waters of our witness, and turn to focus our attention and affections on the Lamb who alone is the example who never casts any shadow over the reputation of His Father.

When our witness corroborates with the testimony of Jesus that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all, then it is freed from all double-mindedness and the power of God can be released to accomplish what it is designed to do – save people from their sins and liberate them to live in peace and joy.