As we read the Book of Revelation we read in the eleventh chapter of the two witnesses who Gods sends to the earth during the Great tribulation to pronounce judgments, to call down plagues upon the earth and warn the people of the coming of the end of all things. Much is said about these two witnesses. They will receive power from God and they will prophecy for two hundred and three score days in sack cloth. Why the sack cloth? The could mean that they are to also preaching repentance. Sack cloth was used in several places through out the Bible when repentance was preached or a person repented. They probably also wore sack clothe because they were mourning the terrible wickedness of the world and The Lord’s judgment on it. So in appearance and actions people would have no trouble knowing who these two were and what they were saying. Believing these witnesses will be a different matter. What would you do today if two men just appeared from nowhere dressed in sack cloth and was telling you to repent because time is short? would you fall on your knees and ask forgiveness or would you just laugh it off?
These two witnesses will be killed by the anti-christ and they will lay in the street for three and a half days without being buried so the whole world can see. The people will be able to see because of TV. What do you think will happen when people will see these two witnesses rise up from the dead and ascend into heaven? Will they realize that the word of God is being fulfilled before their eyes? Much could be said about the responsibility of this two men but did you ever notice that in most religious circles there is more discussion as to who these two witnesses are than what God’s purpose for them are.
There should be no second guessing as to who one of these two witnesses are. One of them we know is Elijah. Malachi has this to say in chapter four verses four: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the dreadful day of the Lord!” So by this scripture alone we have Elijah as one of the two witnesses. More than anything else the big question and discussion by most Christians about these two witnesses is: “Who is the other Witness?” There are mostly two point of views on that question. Bible scholars are pretty much split with some scholars saying it is Enoch and others saying it is Moses. It is impossible to be firm as to who this second person is so let us take a closer look at the the two and let you make up your mind.
Moses was called by God to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. He called down plagues, performed miracles, preached God’s Word He was present, with Elijah, at the transfiguration of Jesus. Moses and Elijah both used supernatural means to provoke repentance the same as the two witnesses will do, also the Jews have a tradition that predicts Moses will return. Read {Deut. 18:15-18} When Moses died he was buried by God in a place where it would never be found. This pretty much sums up the evidence that a lot of Bible scholars and Bible commentaries put forth to say the second witness is Moses.
Enoch and Elijah have this in common. They were both prophets They were both translated to heaven with out seeing death. They both must die their own appointed death. Their lives are parallel to each other. We must ask our self these questions: “Why were these two men { Enoch and Elijah} taken to heaven without seeing death? What purpose did the Lord have in mind, Why were these two men the only ones the Bible records as being taken to heaven without seeing death and why does the scripture say that: “It is appointed to man once to die?” These are some compelling questions.
I have studied the Bible the most of my life and by no means am I a authority on it, but from what this writer reads and puts together the rise or fall of Enoch and Elijah as the two witnesses are combined together. However some scholars have different thoughts on this subject and I simply disagree with them, buy I also humbly respect their views.
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