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The Two Witnesses
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Comment by Stephen R. Rizzo on November 24, 2008 at 10:12pm
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Earth so they can die during the Great Tribulation.) Of course, there are other views on the Two
Witnesses such as people who have claimed to be one of the Two Witnesses, but the critical
question we have to ask is this: “What does the Bible teach?”
When valid rules of interpretation* are followed, the Bible tells us who the Two Witnesses are
because the Bible interprets itself. The Two Witnesses are not two people even though some
translations of the Bible have taken the liberty of calling them “men.” (See Revelation 11:6 in
the NIV.) The Two Witnesses are much more capable than any two men. The Two Witnesses
are personified in the book of Revelation because they will work through men and women for
1,260 days.
(*Note: For a discussion on the importance of valid rules of interpretation, please see Chapter 1
in my book, Daniel Unlocked for the Final Generation.)
When their 1,260 days of empowerment arrive, the Two Witnesses will enable 144,000 people to
do greater miracles than Jesus did! (John 14:12-14) If Jesus Christ Himself came down from
Heaven as one of the Two Witnesses, His influence during the Great Tribulation would be less
than the influence the Two Witnesses will actually wield! To put this in perspective, ask yourself
this question: “What effect did Jesus have on the nation of Israel during His ministry on Earth?
Actually, the gospel of Jesus dramatically accelerated throughout the world after He returned to
Heaven! The book of Acts confirms that after the Holy Spirit’s power descended upon the
disciples, the gospel advanced in different ways through different people – simultaneously!”
(See John 16:7.)
2. When a substantial conflict develops between two parties and they appear before a judge, two
or more witnesses are required to establish a legal fact; otherwise, the claims of the plaintiff are
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cancelled by the responses of the defendant. God told Moses, “One witness is not enough to
convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be
established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” (Deuteronomy 19:15) The Two
Witnesses have a prominent role in Revelation’s story because they are intimately involved in a
legal process – the judgment bar of Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:10; Acts 17:31) The judgment bar
of Christ has two phases of operation: The judgment of the dead* and the judgment of the living.
The judgment of the dead is a rather simple process to understand. First, Jesus carefully reviews
a faithful recording of each life. Jesus analyzes what the dead person understood to be right and
wrong, how he treated those around him, and how he responded to the Holy Spirit. After taking
everything into consideration, Jesus announces His decision to millions of angels who are
watching with intense interest. (Daniel 7:9,10; Ecclesiastes 12:14; John 5:22) Every dead
person will be judged before Jesus returns to Earth. Those found to be righteous during the
judgment of the dead will be resurrected at the Second Coming. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
Those found to be evil during the judgment process will not be resurrected until the one thousand
years have ended. (Revelation 20:5) Thus, all dead people will be judged before Christ returns.
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When a person dies, it is impossible for that person to make further decisions or actions. In other
words, a person’s life record is “sealed by death.” When Jesus examines the record of a dead
person, He evaluates a record that cannot be changed. (Ecclesiastes 9:5,6; Psalm 115:17,18)
Jesus’ use of sealed records makes the cleansing of Heaven’s temple (the assignment of guilt)
rather straightforward. After Jesus evaluates the record of a dead person and announces His
decision, the guilt of that dead person is removed* from the temple (where it was temporarily
stored). If the dead person is determined to be wicked, the sinner’s guilt is assigned to the sinner
(who will perish in the Lake of Fire – Revelation 20:14,15), or if the dead person is determined
to be righteous, the sinner’s guilt is assigned to the scapegoat. (Note: Lucifer, the originator of
sin, is the scapegoat. (1 John 3:8-10; Leviticus 16:8-10) God will destroy Lucifer at the end of
the thousand years for his own sins, as well as the sins he led others to commit. Revelation
20:10). When Christ completes the judgment process, the temple in Heaven will be clean
because every sinner’s guilt will be assigned. I believe Jesus began cleansing Heaven’s temple in
1844 and He will conclude this process during the Great Tribulation, just before the seventh
trumpet sounds.** (Revelation 10:7)
These two chapters discuss the concept of parallel temples [earthly and Heavenly temples] and
parallel temple services. It reviews how the guilt of sin was transferred from sinners to the
temple altars of the earthly temple through the blood of sacrifices and how the temple was
cleansed of guilt on the Day of Atonement.
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People Can Change Their Minds and Their Actions
The judgment of the living is unlike the judgment of the dead. The judgment of the living occurs
during the 1,260 days granted to the Two Witnesses. The judgment of the living does not
involve a review of each person’s history because a living person can exercise his power of
choice and change his mind at any time. So, the judgment of the living involves a four step process*
which God will impose on everyone living during the Great Tribulation.
Step One: Jesus will see to it that everyone on Earth hears the truth about the will of God. This
truth is called the eternal gospel of Jesus Christ (Revelation 14:6) and God’s servants (the
144,000) will deliver a series of testing truths during the first 1,260 days of the Great
Tribulation. The first six trumpets will open the minds and hearts of mankind so that each
person, regardless of heritage, culture, or religion, can thoughtfully and intelligently consider a
gospel that may be contrary to everything he or she has ever heard about the will of God.
Step Two: Painful choices will need to be made. Upon hearing the gospel, every person must
make a choice concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 24:14) The choice is clear. Will
the person choose his love for truth or will he succumb to a fear of persecution? The gospel of
Jesus will demand a decision: Repent and submit to the authority of Christ or rebel and reject
His salvation. Eventually, all people who love truth will step out in faith and embrace the gospel
of Jesus Christ. When they take their stand, they will be given the grace and strength to face
persecution. People who love wickedness and are rebellious toward God will be given every
opportunity to intelligently consider their situation. The Holy Spirit will pound on their hearts.
He will do everything within His power to get rebellious people to embrace the gospel of Jesus.
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However, many will reject the Word of God and the Spirit of God – the price for obedience will
be too great. (John 3:19-21; Luke 18:18-25; Revelation 13:8)
Step Three: During the judgment of the living, God has designed a “testing time” to make sure
that everyone has made their final decision. Persecution will force those people who love truth to
take a clear stand for the truth. Those unwilling to make it clear where they stand will capitulate
and join forces with Babylon and the devil to avoid persecution.
Step Four: This final step is what the Bible calls the sealing. Everyone embracing the gospel –
everyone putting faith in Christ and passing the test of faith – will have their carnal natures
removed* and will be sealed with the seal of “the living God.” Everyone not receiving the seal
of God will accept the mark of the beast in order to avoid certain death. When everyone has been
sealed or market, the judgment of the living ends. Each person will choose his or her own fate.
Jesus will seal the righteous and the devil will mark the wicked.
Now that the four steps involved in the judgment bar of the living have been presented, two
observations need to be made: First, consider the love of God. When a sinner passes this test of
faith and his carnal nature is removed, God will seal that faith-full person in a state like that of
Adam and Eve before they sinned. This means that after a person’s sinful nature is removed, that
person will no longer struggle with addictive habits, inner rebellion toward God’s authority, or
any of Lucifer’s previous temptations. The curse of sin and human carnal weakness will be gone.
Those receiving the seal of God will be free of sin’s power because Jesus will set them free.
Because they were willing to take a stand for truth, they are set free! Jesus said, “Then you will
know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) I cannot emphasize this aspect
of God’s amazing grace enough! Think about this: Even the worst addicts or the vilest sinners
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will be set free of their sinful baggage if only they will step out in faith and obey the gospel of
Jesus. The threshold for obedience will be very low: “Just keep my commandments,” says Jesus.
(John 14:15) “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in
heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
(Matthew 11:29,30)
The second observation we need to consider is that at the Second Coming, Jesus will deal
separately with four groups of people:
1. The righteous dead in Christ – those who Jesus declared righteous during the judgment of the
dead will be resurrected
2. The righteous living in Christ – the living who will be sealed with the seal of God and will be
caught up with the resurrected (righteous dead) to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians
4:15,16)
3. The wicked dead – those who Jesus declared wicked during the judgment of the dead will not
be disturbed; they will remain asleep in their graves until the thousand years are over (Revelation
20:5)
4. The living wicked – Jesus will kill those who receive the mark of the beast with the “sword”
(literally, a command) that comes out of His mouth (Revelation 19:15-21)
At the Second Coming, Jesus will have already decided who will receive eternal life and who
will not. The fact that every person who has ever lived on Earth is in one of these four groups
when Christ returns underscores this point.
(*Note: People who do not live long enough during the Great Tribulation to go through all four
steps will be judged on the basis of their completed records. In other words, those who die
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John 3:24)
3. Revelation 11:4 says the Two Witnesses “are the two olive trees and the two lampstands
that stand before the Lord [Ruler] of the Earth.” The Bible also says the Two Witnesses will
be killed at the end of their 1,260 days of empowerment. (Revelation 11:7) I am often amused
when people say, “The Two Witnesses can’t be the Bible and the Holy Spirit because they can’t
be killed.” My response is, “Then, how do you explain the death of two lampstands and two
olive trees that are not on Earth?” This question is usually met with silence because many people
simply ignore Revelation 11:4. It is important to understand that witnesses in the Bible are not
necessarily human beings. Notice the use of witnesses in each of the following four passages:
Seven Lambs are a Witness
“Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, and Abimelech asked Abraham,
‘What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?’ He
replied, ‘Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness that I dug this well.’ So that
place was called Beersheba, because the two men swore an oath there.” (Genesis 21:28-31,
italics mine)
A Heap of Stones are a Witness
“ ‘Come now, let's make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.’ So
Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. He said to his relatives, ‘Gather some stones.’
So they took stones and piled them in a heap, and they ate there by the heap. Laban called
it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed. Laban said, ‘This heap is a witness between
you and me today.’ That is why it was called Galeed. It was also called Mizpah, because he
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said, ‘May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. If
you mistreat my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no
one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.’ Laban also said to
Jacob, ‘Here is this heap, and here is this pillar I have set up between you and me. This
heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this heap to your side to
harm you and that you will not go past this heap and pillar to my side to harm me. May
the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.’ So
Jacob took an oath in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac.” (Genesis 31:44-53, italics
mine)
The Lord Himself is a Witness
“Hear, O peoples, all of you, listen, O earth and all who are in it, that the Sovereign Lord
may witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. Look! The Lord is coming from
his dwelling place; he comes down and treads the high places of the earth. The mountains
melt beneath him and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing
down a slope.” (Micah 1:2-4, italics mine)
The Gospel is a Witness
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all
nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:14, KJV, italics mine)
I wrote earlier that I believe the Two Witnesses are not two human beings. Actually, the Two
Witnesses are personified in Revelation 11 because the Two Witnesses will work through
144,000 people. Revelation 10:1-11:19 is not about 144,000 servants plus two witnesses.
Instead, it is a story of 144,000 empowered by the Holy Spirit to preach the Word of God! The
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144,000 will have supernatural powers. These powers will enable them to say and do things that
ordinary people cannot do! If you want to read about a small sample of these supernatural
powers, just review the book of Acts! The lame were healed. (Acts 3:6) Dead people were
raised to life. (Acts 9:37-40; 20:9,10) The eyes of a blind man were opened. (Acts 9:9-18) At
Pentecost, the disciples spoke in foreign languages without any training or preparation. (Acts 2)
Peter knew that Ananias and Sapphira lied about the money they received from the sale of their
property, even though their lie was known only to them. (Acts 5) The apostle Paul was bitten by
a deadly viper, but was not hurt. (Acts 28:3) An entire island of people were cured of illnesses.
(Acts 28:8, 9) How were these signs and wonders possible? Jesus told His disciples: “But you
will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, italics
mine) To make their witness for Jesus effective, the Holy Spirit enabled the apostles to do signs
and wonders. “The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the
people. . . .” (Acts 5:12)
What was the purpose for the miraculous signs and wonders recorded in the book of Acts? “So
Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who
confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.”
(Acts 14:3, italics mine) What was the source of their message? “Now the Bereans were of
more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the [gospel] message with
great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many
Greek men. When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of
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God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up [with prejudice
so they would not listen to the Word of God].” (Acts 17:11-13, italics and insertions mine)
The use of personification is the best way to explain the Two Witnesses because we cannot
separate the empowerment of the 144,000 from the power of the Holy Spirit who will fill the
144,000 and the Word of God which they will boldly preach. Think about the coming impact of
this phenomena: 144,000 ordinary people will suddenly be able to perform miracles at will and
preach the Word of God with tremendous clarity, which many of them knew very little, if
anything, about! How will this be possible? God’s Two Witnesses will rest on the 144,000 and
everyone will see and hear the amazing results.
The Two Witnesses will use the 144,000 as their mouthpieces to bring about the revelation of
Jesus Christ to the whole world. Consider this: During the Great Tribulation, the gospel will be
preached to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people as a witness – that is, as a measuring rod.
Those who receive the gospel will be given the righteousness of Christ (the wedding garment –
Matthew 22:12) and through the gift of His righteousness and in His power, they will measure up
to the demands of the gospel. Those rejecting the gospel will not measure up. They will be like
the man who went to the wedding but refused the wedding garment.
The Unpardonable Sin
The Bible leaves no wiggle room about the unpardonable sin. There is only one sin that cannot
be forgiven and this sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 12:31,32) A person can
speak against Jesus, use God’s name in vain, and even curse the Father and be forgiven!
However, if a person continues to rebel against the demands of the Holy Spirit, that person will
eventually blaspheme (insult) the grace of God and the Holy Spirit will depart. This sin is
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unpardonable because once it happens, that human being cannot repent of his sins. Many people
may regret making some “bad choices” when they are brought face to face with the consequences
of their actions, but this is not repentance. Cain was distraught when God confronted him about
killing his brother, Abel, but Cain was not repentant. (Genesis 4:13,14) There was no change in
Cain’s evil heart. When the Holy Spirit departs from a human being, there is no further desire to
know God or to submit to God’s authority. In effect, when a sinner “kills” God’s influence in his
soul, spiritually speaking, that sinner is a “dead man” walking. (Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 Corinthians
2:14)
Now that we know it is possible to kill the influence of the Holy Spirit through the unpardonable
sin, we have to ask, “Is it possible to kill the authority of God’s Word?” When a person is
confronted with a demand from God (a testing truth) and that person refuses to submit to the
truth (as did Pharaoh), the sinner “nullifies” God’s Word through rebellion. Paul wrote, “For
the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates
even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of
the heart.” (Hebrews 4;12, italics mine) Jesus scolded the Pharisees for robbing the Word of
God of its power saying, “Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have
handed down. And you do many things like that.” (Mark 7:13) It is possible to kill the
influence of the Spirit and the Word of God because both are alive! Similarly, it is possible to
“kill” a bill in the Senate, a business deal, a friendship, or a good idea. Without even thinking,
we regularly use personification to express our thoughts about various processes and God has
done the same thing in the story of the Two Witnesses.
4. God’s Two Witnesses have always existed. The Word of God (entrusted to various groups)
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has been with mankind since Creation, and the Holy Spirit has been present ever since the first
day of Creation. (Genesis 1:2) The antediluvians killed the influence of the Two Witnesses.
The antediluvians rebelled against the Word of God that He gave to Noah, who was a “preacher
of righteousness.” (2 Peter 2:5) They rejected the Holy Spirit’s call to submit their lives to God’s
will. God saw their hardened rebellion, “Then the Lord said [to Noah], ‘My Spirit will not
contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his [remaining] days [on Earth] will be a
hundred and twenty years.’” (Genesis 6:3, insertions mine)
5. The testimony of the Two Witnesses will be “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the
truth.” Our response to the Two Witnesses during the Great Tribulation will tell Jesus everything
He needs to know so that He can accurately pronounce judgment on each living person. The
Bible will be exalted during the Great Tribulation like never before. In my previous study on the
second seal, I presented how the Holy Spirit moved men and women to establish Bible societies
in Europe and America in the early 1800s. Through the centuries, God’s Spirit moved people to
translate and publish Bibles in hundreds of languages. (Even today, no other book on Earth
comes close to the Bible in terms of translation and distribution.) The Bible is about to become
the most important book on Earth. In fact, a day is coming when the Bible will be the most
studied book on the planet. Many people will argue about it and the wicked will kill the saints
because of its testimony! (Revelation 6:4) This is why the second seal is highly important. The
Bible is about to come “alive” for 1,260 days.
Likewise, the Holy Spirit will exercise enormous power for 1,260 days – power unlike anything
we have previously seen. The outpouring of Holy Spirit power, described in the book of Acts, is
just a small sample of what is coming. God’s Spirit is going to deeply trouble the hearts of every
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living soul, and at the same time, the Holy Spirit will empower 144,000 people to perform signs
and wonders (like Moses and Elijah) to affirm the validity of the Scriptures (in a world where
more than two-thirds of the population denies the Bible is the Word of God). Through the power
of the Holy Spirit, the 144,000 will speak the “testimony of Jesus,” and after people compare the
proclamations of the 144,000 with the Bible, there will be a numberless multitude who embrace
the gospel of Jesus. In short, the 144,000 will be the “arms and legs” of the Two Witnesses.
Through them, the Holy Spirit and the Bible will produce a great harvest! Everyone who
receives the gospel will receive the seal of God. Everyone who rebels against the gospel will be
condemned and ultimately destroyed by fire.
I know this introduction has been lengthy, but I hope this information will accelerate the reader’s
understanding about this important prophecy!
Jesus Takes Control of Earth
The book of Revelation is carefully designed. Every detail is perfectly choreographed. Every
scene is deliberately set up, and each of the seventeen prophecies in Daniel and Revelation
properly fits within a matrix that conforms to valid rules of interpretation. A proper
understanding of apocalyptic prophecy produces an incredible story about Jesus. In fact, the
entire Bible dovetails into the “Revelation of Jesus Christ.” The role and character of the
Godhead, their love for each other and mankind, the sovereign authority of Jesus, the ministry of
the Holy Spirit, the Father’s plan for our salvation, which Jesus will accomplish, is all found in
apocalyptic prophecy. I have said many times that apocalyptic prophecy is not so much about
oncoming events as it is about the love, the plans, and ways of God. If you really want to
appreciate salvation’s process, you will have to study the books of Daniel and Revelation.
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Revelation 10 reveals certain things about Jesus that will shock the world when the events
described in Revelation 10 begin. Remember that Revelation 10:1 starts just before the censer in
Revelation 8 is cast down. As this prophecy begins, Jesus descends to Earth to make Himself
known to the 144,000. Like Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus, most of the 144,000 do not
personally know Jesus currently, but when the appointed time arrives, they will see Him and
behold His sovereign authority over Heaven and Earth. The appearing of Jesus to the 144,000
parallels His unannounced appearing before Abraham. Do you remember how the Lord and two
angels (the two angels were serving as two witnesses) came down from Heaven to see for
themselves how great the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah had become? (Genesis 18) The
Lord Himself will come down from Heaven and appear before 144,000 people to announce the
imminent destruction of Earth.
“Then I saw another mighty angel [this angel is Jesus] coming down from heaven. He was
robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were
like fiery pillars. He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his
right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land [His stance declares sovereign rule over land
and sea], and he gave a loud shout [a thunderous announcement] like the roar of a lion.
When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke.” (Revelation 10:1-3, italics and
insertions mine)
Timing
Rule One says that each apocalyptic prophecy has a beginning and ending point in time. I
understand that Revelation 10:1 occurs a few days before the censer is cast down in Revelation 8
and the seven trumpets begin. Please examine the chart below:
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Relationships between Revelation 7, 8 and 10.
Revelation 7 - ---|----waiting----|--------->
B D
| | Seven Trumpets
Revelation 8 --|---------------war--|------|--|--|--|-----------------------|------------|------>
A ||||| E 1 2 3 4 5 6
| | |
Revelation 10 -----------------|----|--|<---------------- 1,260 days ----------------------->
C D
A= In 1994, the limits of God’s patience were reached. The Jubilee Calendar expires.
The seven angels were given the seven trumpets.
B= The first four angels of the seven trumpets were told do not harm the
Earth – until the sealing of the 144,000 is completed.
C= On or about the same time a great war begins, Jesus descends from Heaven and declares
His sovereign authority over Earth. The appointed time for God’s wrath has
come. Jesus selects and empowers the 144,000.
D= A nuclear exchange occurs. The saints pray for God’s intervention.
E= A few days later, the first of seven thunders occurs, Jesus declares there will
be no more delay, the censer is cast down and the 144,000 begin preaching
for 1,260 days.
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The Mighty Angel The mighty angel in Revelation 10:1 is Jesus. In the previous study about the seven trumpets, I
explained why I believe the censer will be cast down during a war that involves a nuclear
exchange. During this war, Jesus will come down from Heaven and introduce Himself to
individuals He has selected as the 144,000. Only the 144,000 will know about this appearing of
Jesus. (Jesus is robed in a cloud, which I believe indicates that He is essentially hidden from
view.) Even though they are scattered all over Earth, Jesus will appear to the 144,000 on or
about the same time, just as He appeared to Saul of Tarsus. Remember, most of the 144,000
currently do not know Jesus. Even if they do know Him, it would be fair to say that this
introduction will be an overwhelming revelation.
Jesus is depicted as an angel in Revelation 10 for several reasons. A caricature is a depiction of a
person which contains distinguishing characteristics that have been exaggerated to achieve a
desired effect. For example, the devil is represented as a “great red dragon” in Revelation 12.
Jesus is represented as a “lamb with seven horns and seven eyes” in Revelation 5, and Lucifer’s
demons were represented to John as “locusts” in Revelation 9. God designed these caricatures to
help us better understand the identity, character, and work of each prophetic element. (Political
cartoonists use caricatures in the newspapers every day to speak volumes without saying a word!)
By highlighting or exaggerating different characteristics, God enhances our understanding of
complex topics with very few words.
I have been asked many times, “Why do you say Jesus is the angel in Revelation 10?” The
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answer can be determined with a little sleuthing. Rule Three of apocalyptic prophecy requires
that we examine parallel references in Scripture to determine the intended meaning of an
apocalyptic passage. The first clue is found in the parallels that exist between Ezekiel 1 and
Revelation 10. John’s description of Christ and Ezekiel’s description of Christ are in perfect
harmony even though these men lived approximately 700 years apart. Ezekiel wrote, “Above
the expanse over their heads [the four living creatures] was what looked like a throne of
sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from
what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that
from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the
appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.
This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell
facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking. He said to me, ‘Son of man, stand up on
your feet and I will speak to you.’ ” (Ezekiel 1:26-2:1, insertion and italics mine) The fiery
appearance of Jesus and the rainbow surrounding Jesus in Ezekiel and Revelation indicates deity.
Jesus is the Creator of light. (Genesis 1:1; 1 John 1:5; John 8:12) The rainbow around Him
testifies that He is the Creator of everything that exists. (Colossians 1:16) No being, other than
God, has a rainbow radiance in the Bible. No throne, other than God’s throne, has a rainbow
encircling it. (Revelation 4:3)
The second clue indicating this angel is Jesus is found in His deliberate stance. John says, “He
planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land.” This deliberate stance indicates
this angel has sovereign authority over Earth (land and sea). Jesus uses the form of a mighty
angel to describe Himself in Revelation 10 instead of a man for several reasons. Angels are a
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higher order of creation than mankind. Angels have strength and powers that humans do not
have. Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords among the angels just as He is King of kings and
Lord of lords among mankind. Prior to living among us as a man, Jesus lived in Heaven as one
of the angels. Jesus is Michael, the archangel.* When Jesus returned to Heaven on Resurrection
Sunday (John 20:17), He resumed His identity and authority as Michael and He led His angels in
a successful battle to evict** Lucifer and his angels from Heaven. Jesus is represented as a
mighty angel in Revelation 10 because He is the commander of the seven angels who have the
seven trumpets. Let me be perfectly clear, Michael/Jesus is not a created being like angels or
human beings. Michael/Jesus is God, a co-eternal member of the Godhead. Michael/Jesus is
equal in every way to the Father. Many people stumble over the idea of Michael/Jesus living
among His creation as one of us, but the truth on this topic is quite simple. God lives and walks
in the shoes of His creation. Jesus is called by His angelic name, Michael, in Daniel 10:13,21,
12:1, Jude 1:9 and Revelation 12:7 because the Father wants us to know that even after assuming
our humanity, Jesus remains the archangel, the commander of Heaven’s angels. (The prefix
“arch” comes from the Greek word that means ruler – the English word monarch is derived from
that source.) Lucifer and his wicked angels were cast out of
Heaven for rebellion before the world was created. However, Lucifer was permitted to enter
Heaven occasionally as the representative of Earth. Revelation 12:7-9, Job 1:6)
A third clue revealing the identity of this mighty angel comes from the apostle Paul. Paul tells us
that Jesus Himself will come down from Heaven, and speaking with the authority of the
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archangel, Michael, the dead in Christ shall come up out of their graves. “For the Lord himself
will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and
with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16,
italics mine) Paul says that the Lord Himself will come down from Heaven and command the
righteous dead to arise from their sleep. No one other than Jesus has the authority and the power
to create life. (John 1:4) Jesus claims that He holds the keys to life and death. “I am the Living
One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and
Hades [the grave].” (Revelation 1:18, insertion mine) On the basis of His perfect life (He did
not sin) and His humiliating death (to pay the penalty for our sins), our Redeemer was appointed
by the Father to be the judge of mankind. What amazing grace! We are judged by a God who
has lived as we live, a God who has been tempted as we are tempted. When Jesus was found
worthy to conclude the sin problem in 1798,* He was given sovereign power over everything in
the universe. He holds the keys of death (He determines who will live forever and who will not)
and Hades – the grave (Jesus determines who will be resurrected to receive eternal life and who
will be destroyed with fire). Jesus affirms the words of Paul saying, “I tell you the truth, a time
is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God [who is
also Michael the archangel] and those who hear will live.” (John 5:25, italics and insertion
mine) Revelation Chapters 4-6.)
The fourth clue indicating this mighty angel is Jesus is found in the actions of this angel. No
other being can say and do what is done in Revelation 10 but Jesus. Specifically, Jesus swears by
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Note: The previous sections, discussing the 144,000 and the seven trumpets, should be read before proceeding because both topics are essential to this study on the Two Witnesses.Please consider five introductory statements:
1. If a person properly understands the purpose, mission, and empowerment of the 144,000 as
well as God’s actions and objectives for the seven trumpets, the story of the Two Witnesses
reveals the lengths to which God will go to win the hearts of even the worst of sinners. The
Bible teaches that God is love, and the book of Revelation confirms that God’s love is a perfect
balance of justice and mercy. For example, the seven trumpets (seven redemptive judgments)
and the seven bowls (seven destructive judgments) are balanced by the work of the Two
Witnesses (mercy and salvation offered through the Two Witnesses for 1,260 days). The story of
the Two Witnesses begins in Revelation 10:1 and ends with the seventh trumpet in Revelation
11:19, but there is much more to the story than what is written in these verses.
Among Christians today, there is speculation and confusion on the topic of the Two Witnesses.
Some people believe the Two Witnesses are two Old Testament prophets, perhaps Moses and
Elijah, who will descend from Heaven during the Great Tribulation. Others believe the Two
Witnesses could be two religious institutions such as Israel and the Christian church. Still others
believe the Two Witnesses could be Enoch and Elijah, the only two men taken to Heaven
without seeing death. (Advocates of this view believe these two men will be brought back to