August 24, 2018
AN EXPOSITION OF THE TWO WITNESSES – PART 5
In Parts 1 through 4, I presented a case to show that: (1) The two witnesses of Revelation 11:3 are two flesh and blood men who preach in the Spirit by which Moses and Elijah proclaimed God’s word, (2) They represent the Assembly of Israel, who dispensed the Word by the Spirit in the Old Testament Law of Moses, and the local called out Assemblies of Christ known as churches, who dispense the Word by the Spirit in the New Testament Law of Liberty in Jesus, and (3) John was, and is, the spiritual Elijah for all who believe his message that Jesus was, and is, the Messiah.
Revelation 11:3
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
There is no question that John the Baptist was the one sent as God’s messenger to prepare the way before the messenger of the covenant, who was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.
Malachi 3:1
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.
Nor is there any doubt that Malachi 4:5,6 clearly paints John the Baptist with its prediction of a coming Elijah, because Malachi is quoted as such by the Father of John in Luke 1:16,17.
Malachi 4:5,6
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: [6] And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
Luke 1:16,17
And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. [17] And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
Please note that Luke interprets “and the heart of the children to their fathers” to mean “and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just.” Since Luke’s interpretation is inspired, I am persuaded that Malachi is referring to the need of the disobedient children to turn to the faith their ancestors exhibited in the promise of a seed, a Messiah, who would one day deliver them. John the Baptist, who came preaching in the spirit of Elijah, proclaimed the message that their forefather Abraham believed.
Genesis 22:18
And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Galatians 3:6-9
Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. [7] Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. [8] And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. [9] So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
Matthew 3:1,2
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, [2] And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Both John, the messenger of the Lord, who was sent to prepare the way before the messenger of the covenant, and Jesus, who came to confirm the covenant, gave the same message to Israel. It was a message that the seed of Abraham had arrived to bring in the kingdom.
Mark 1:14,15
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, [15] And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
But Israel rejected the gospel message of both John and Jesus. They have paid a terrible price since they rejected their Messiah and His message.
But what about the “curse” of Malachi 4:6, and will the Lord send another Elijah to announce the soon coming of the Second Advent? Lord willing, I will begin to address these issues in Part 6.