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XIX. THE TWO WITNESSES

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 15, 1903

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 29, No. 15.

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XIX. THE TWO WITNESSES.

Chapter 11:1-5.
The great Advent message of 1840 to 1844 went to the world with mighty power. Hearts everywhere were mightily moved and many souls were converted. Thousands placed their all upon the altar of sacrifice. Sin was put away, and believers waited in earnest expectation of beholding their Lord coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Their message was based on definite prophetic time, notably the sounding of the sixth trumpet, which ended Aug. 11, 1840, and the closing of the two thousand three hundred days of Dan. 8:14, in 1844. But the believers in that message were bitterly disappointed. The message was sweet to the mouth, sweet in its reception and giving, but its after effects were bitter. And yet, after that disappointment those who had been led and blessed of God in the presentation of the message felt that if they were again to face the same issue, with the same evidence, they could not do otherwise. And so they waited, strengthened by the scripture: “For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hasteth toward the end, and it shall not lie; tho it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay.” See Hab. 2:1-4; Heb. 10:32-39.
But the work was not yet done. The church of Christ was not prepared for His coming. So as they waited, a further message was revealed. The time of the closing of His priestly work had been reached, and a message of warning and preparation must go to the world. Again must God’s people, of whom John stood as the representative, “prophesy again over many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.” Rev. 10:11. The work of the everlasting Gospel was not yet finished. Chapter 14:6, 7. Connected intimately with this work and having a most important bearing upon it, is the prophecy and work of the two witnesses of chapter 11. Concerning that let us make inquiry of the “Scriptures of truth.”

Questions on the Text.

After the bitter disappointment, what was the prophet told he must do?
“And they say unto me, Thou must prophesy again over many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.” Chapter 10:11.
What was given him, and with what instruction?
“And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and one said, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.”¹ Chapter 11:1.
What was to be omitted in his measurement, and why?
“And the court which is without the temple leave without, and measure it not; for it hath been given unto the nations.”² Verse 2, first clause.
What would the nations do?
“And the holy city shall they tread underfoot forty and two months.”³ Verse 2, last clause.
What agencies did God have to counteract the work of the nations? Under what conditions would these witnesses do this work?
“And I will give unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three-score days, clothed in sackcloth.”⁴ Verse 3.
Who are these witnesses?
“These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks, standing before the Lord of the earth.”⁵ Verse 4.

Note and Comment.

1. The reed, which often grew to a height of twelve feet, was frequently used as a measuring rod. It here symbolizes that which would measure temple and altar and worshipers. It was not, therefore, a measure of actual dimensions in feet and inches, but a measure of value, of use, of character. This last is certainly true of the worshipers, for the only measure or worth of a worshiper is the character of his worship. The temple and altar represent the place and center of the worship. The measure must, therefore, be that which would comprehend all, measure all. But the only thing which could do this is the message of God’s truth, which the church was to bear again before all nations, tongues, and kings. That message is the everlasting Gospel, proclaiming the coming of the hour of God’s judgment, and entreating men to fear God and give glory to Him as Creator and Redeemer. Rev. 14:6, 7. It includes all the truth of God—the lessons taught by type and shadow, by sanctuary and temple. It is a message that comes home first of all to the people of God. The command is, “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain.”¹ Joel 2:1. The tidings of a coming King are first told to Zion and Jerusalem. Isa. 40:9, 10. The first part of God’s great work of judgment begins at the house of God, as does also the punishment. 1 Peter 4:17; Eze. 9:1-6. The whole message takes in the entire world (Rev. 14:6, 7), but that phase of it set forth in the prophecy of the two witnesses pertains alone to the church of God.
2. The court without of the ancient temple was that used by the Gentiles, and was not considered sacred ground. It does not pertain to this work of preparation to fit the church to give to the world the last message. Before men can truly give God’s message in God’s way they must meet His measure. Into this work unconsecrated, unconverted men, the nations of earth, do not come. It pertains to the holy nation, the peculiar people, gathered out of all nations. 1 Peter 2:9.
3. The Work of the Nations.—The nations of earth are not enlisted in God’s work. He uses them to His glory despite their tendencies, despite their rebellions, despite their cruel persecutions of His people; but the nations, tho used by Him, are not Christian. They tread underfoot God’s people, represented by the city, and trample ruthlessly upon the holiest heritages. The prophecy declares that they would do this for forty-two months, according to Bible reckoning, 1,260 days. The same powers and period are clearly portrayed in Daniel 7, under the symbol of the ten-horned beast, controlled by the persecuting little horn. Of this little horn it is said: “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.”² Verse 25. A time equals a year; times (dual number) two years; with the half a time, making three and one-half years, forty and two months, 1,260 prophetic days, or the same number of literal years, beginning in A. D. 538, when the bishop of Rome was recognized as the head of the church by the civil power, the beginning of papal domination, and ending in 1798, when the days of papal domination ended with the overthrow of Pius VII. by General Berthier.
4. Testifying in Sackcloth.—During the long period of persecution by the nation God has His faithful witnesses, but they testify in sackcloth. These witnesses were found in mountain fastnesses, in cloistered cells, in cottage homes. They should have been honored, but instead, were cast out. Instead of the royal robes they were entitled to wear, they prophesied in sackcloth. But more of this later on.
5. The Two Witnesses.—The symbolism of this verse is borrowed from Zechariah 4; therefore, read that chapter in connection with this. Among the most useful trees of Bible-mention is the olive, especially noted, even to the present day, for its fruit and oil. The candlestick is used for a light-bearer. The oil is for the purpose of feeding the light. Lev. 24:2. The two witnesses are symbolized both by olive trees and candlesticks. They represent the great agencies which bear witness for God in the earth. In Zechariah these olive trees are said to be the word of Jehovah unto Zerubbabel, saying, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith Jehovah of Hosts.” The psalmist says: “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Ps. 119:105. The wise man: “The commandment is a lamp; and the law is light.” Prov. 6:23. Jesus declared: “I am the Light of the world.” John 8:12. To His disciples He said: “Ye are the light of the world.” Matt. 5:14. The apostle Paul declares of Christians: “Among whom [the wicked] ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the Word of life.” Phil. 2:15, 16. And the angel tells us in Rev. 1:20 that the seven candlesticks represent the seven churches. Similarly also as regards the other symbol, the church of God is likened to an olive tree (Jer. 11:16; Rom. 11:17), and David sings: “I am like a green olive tree in the house of God” (Ps. 52:8).
What do all these Scripture uses show?—Emphatically that the witness of God is found in His living Word, and that Word translated into the character of His people. This may be clearly shown by other evidence.
When the Pharisees questioned our Lord and told Him that His witness of Himself was not true, Jesus replied: “Yea in your law it is written, that the witness of two men is true. I am He that beareth witness of Myself, and the Father that sent Me beareth witness of Me.” John 8:17, 18. That is the divine order, “in the mouth of two or three witnesses.” (See Deut. 19:15; 2 Cor. 13:1, et al.). God asks no one to accept His Word of claim upon our love and allegiance and service on one witness. He does not ask us to believe on the divine mission of Jesus Christ on the testimony of only one witness. He does not ask us to accept the claim of any church to be the true unless it can meet the demands of the divine law of witness. The great God is willing to satisfy men of the truth of His Word, of the security of the foundation of faith, of the surety of the salvation in Jesus Christ, by giving us at least two agreeing witnesses, that could by no means be collusive witnesses. They will present no made-up story, to which each agrees to testify; but they witness in such a way that every candid, inquiring mind must be constrained to admit the truth of their testimony.
Jesus presented two witnesses: (1) The Father, and (2) Himself. Elsewhere He expresses it: (1) “Ye search the Scriptures, and these are they which bear witness of Me.” John 5:39. And this evidence is manifold. (2) “But the witness which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father hath given Me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father hath sent Me.” Verse 36.
Both of these witnesses are God’s Word—God’s Word in precept, portrayal, and prediction; God’s Word in character, in life, in fulfilment. And these witnesses so testified as to make collusion impossible. The Scriptures of the Old Testament were given from fifteen to four centuries before Christ. Not one Jew believed that the man Jesus had aught to do with the writing of the scrolls of the prophets. Those prophets spoke of the Messiah, of the time of His coming, of His nativity, of His lowly birth in manner and place, of His work of mercy in healing and restoring soul and body, of His teaching, of His suffering, of His death, burial, and resurrection, and the glory to follow. God had written it all in His prophets. And, then, centuries later, the great Jehovah wrote it again in the life, the work, the mission of His Son—wrote so clearly, so strongly, so truly that every believing heart could stand upon the Rock and find it firm; that every believing soul could trust the anchor and find it secure; wrote it so true to the God-implanted instincts of the human heart that foreign, pagan men in authority must perforce acknowledge that Jesus was the Son of God. And these are God’s witnesses—God’s Word in precept, in prophecy, and God’s Word in the life and character of His Son, written in the New Testament. But there is yet more to be said, which we reserve to a future study.