Two Witnesses
Angels Visit
Seth finished rolling up the hose and stood to see two young men with a Bible approaching. He started toward the side gate to get away. “I hate it when these guys come around.”
The tall one saw his intention, so he raised his hand. “Seth. We only need a minute.”
Seth stopped. “Who told you my name is Seth? And who are you?”
The shorter of the two answered. “You can call him Mr. Big and me Mr. Little.” He held out a Bible and tapped on it.
“Right. I got to go guys.”
Mr. Big cleared his throat. “Mel sent us Seth. Are you sure you’re in a hurry?”
Seth shrugged his shoulders. “Mel?”
Mr. Little flipped the Bible over to show him a gold embossed crown circled by twelve silver embossed logos.
Seth’s eyes opened wide. “I remember that. It was on the back of the band’s jacket the night I played RPG… I played drums, and Mel was the singer.”
Mr. Big smiled. “Do you know what these symbols are?”
“Of course I do. The center crown is God’s throne, and the surrounding twelve are the tribes. Don’t forget, you came here.”
Mr. Little flipped the Bible and spun it by his side like a cowboy holstering a gun. “We’re here to tell you the Two Witnesses are going to start their ministry. You know what to do Seth, right?”
“What? You mean go to Lake Stampede?”
Mr. Big frowned. “I’m sorry. Maybe we mistook. Aren’t you from the tribe of Levi?”
“Yes. Levin. From my mother.”
Mr. Little patted Seth on the back. “Come on, who was Jesus’ cousin?”
“John. Why?”
“John who?”
Seth shrugged his shoulders. “John the Baptist.”
Mr. Little nudged Mr. Big in the side. “He doesn’t remember us.”
Seth squinted at both of them. “Remember you from where?”
Mr. Big snickered. “A little over a decade ago you baptized Megumi.”
“Sure. That day we were the only one’s by the lake. It was a wonderful ceremony.”
“What did you tell her when you walked her back to the car?”
Seth smiled. “I told her there would be a day when Lake Stampede earned its name.”
Mr. Little cut him off. “And you both would long for the days it was empty like it was that day.”
“How did you know that?”
“You walked right by me. Don’t you remember two guys standing in front of a yellow classic? In the parking lot?”
Seth’s mouth dropped open. “Oh yeah, you watched from the car while we sang and baptized Megumi. Why didn’t you say anything?”
They replied in unison. “It wasn’t time.”
Seth tilted his head a bit. “And now?”
Mr. Big grinned. “And now you have our previous encounter to reference in case you doubt we are real. You sure look a decade older, but do we?”
“No. Not a day.”
Mr. Little adjusted his tie. “I didn’t think so. Listen Seth. If you miss the Two Witnesses you will certainly be taken by surprise. You know why, right?”
“Because shortly following their start the ‘Prince of Darkness’ will be booted from his place in heaven, and given a few months to take all the souls he can.“
Mr. Little rested his hand on Seth’s shoulder. “Are you ready?”
Seth swallowed hard, looking back and forth between them. “Obviously you didn’t come here to stuff a newsletter down my throat? I was hoping we would have a few more years. I really wanted to get it right this time. I really messed up before. Now I finally get a good thing going, and you’re telling me time’s up?”
“Think Seth.” Mr. Little took his hand off Seth’s shoulder and tapped him on the forehead a few times. “Think about what you just said. Your journey prepares you for this, and how you handle yourself and come to maturity is what allows God to measure your heart. It’s that way for everyone. At least you’re still in the game.”
Seth smiled. “You guys should give some lessons to those other clowns who keep knocking on my door.”
Mr. Big started to laugh. “Technically, we’re not allowed to call them clowns.”
Mr. Little lightly backhanded Mr. Big in the stomach. “Stop it.”
Seth put his hands to his face. “Okay. Let me think.” He rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath, opening them to find his visitors gone.
*****
That night at the Oak Barrel, Jovel came back from break to find Rodger and Seth at the bar, engrossed in a conversation. “When did you guys get here?”
Seth held his fingers pinching the space from the top of the glass to the beer level. “About that long ago.”
Rodger lifted his beer to toast. “Here’s to Seth’s ‘Two Witnesses’ from the Bible.”
“The two who?” Jovel wiped the counter.
Seth finished his beer and slid the glass for a refill. “I was told the Two Witnesses would start their ministry soon.”
Bruce walked in behind the bar. “I thought Moses and Elijah are the Two Witnesses? You say they’re coming? Here? How soon?”
Seth shook his head. “A lot of people think it will be Moses and Elijah, because they appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration with Christ. I propose those two are Christ’s witnesses to the transfiguration, plus they already played their positions in this human life. Others teach that the Two Witnesses will be churches. The fact is until they come nobody can prove their perspective.”
“Why not?”
“The intriguing thing about these two is they are not named, so who, or what, they might be comes from a lot of speculation. I speculate they are regular men like us.”
Bruce rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, but what about Elijah? It says he will come back.”
Seth smiled and held his finger up in the air. “In Malachi it says He would send Elijah the prophet first. But in the next verse it says his ministry is to turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers. That’s plural. Two fathers. Each claiming to be God, but One is and one isn’t. Most churches don’t teach that, but I know one that does.”
“So it’s not Elijah himself?”
“Hey. Elijah could show up tomorrow if that’s the plan, but it wouldn’t be consistent with God’s style to date. Besides, we have other hints to consider. In Matthew, Christ told the people that if they would receive John it would be Elias. That’s Greek for Elijah. What would they receive? He obviously was referring to his teaching, because John wasn’t going to physically change into somebody else?”
Bruce shook his head. “I don’t get it.”
“‘God doesn’t play demonic possession. He’s not going to hijack a body and let Elijah drive.”
Bruce nodded. “Because it is given for man to live and die once.”
“Later in Mathew some people thought Jesus was either John the Baptist, Elias, Jeremias, or one of the other prophets? Everybody knows Jesus didn’t look like those guys, yet you have to consider people then were open to Elijah returning through another individual. They knew to look for Elijah, but they looked for a physical possession instead of spiritual relations. I believe it will be the resurgence of Elijah’s ministry that allows his spirit to flow.”
Bruce polished a wine glass and checked it in the light. “That’s amazing. I was always taught Moses and Elijah appear on the mount and start teaching?”
Seth shook his head. “Probably not. . . Something like that would be supernatural, and with a head start on the fallen angels I think the Two Witnesses could convince most of the world to avoid the hour of temptation.”
Bruce motioned to Seth about some foam on his cheek. “Hour of temptation?”
Seth wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “Satan’s the one that wanted God’s seat. He pulled one third of the stars by deception before, and now he’s coming to do it again. We’re told it’s during the time of the locust, which is May to September. Revelation nine, verse five backs it up by telling us he will have five months. It’s called the hour of temptation. They are coming disguised as holy entities to ‘rapture’ away all the believers, but that’s a trick.”
“Now you’re telling me the rapture is fake?”
“It sure is. Christ is returning here at the seventh trump, but Satan gets booted from heaven and sent here at the sixth. All those that get tricked will think he is Christ returned, but not everyone is going to get suckered. Revelation eleven gives you some real meat to chew on regarding this. I’m telling you things are about to get biblical, and they will happen fast.”
Bruce grabbed another wine glass to buff. “I can see people following the first supernatural being. If that’s going to be Satan, we’re in trouble.”
“Think about it. Jesus, Moses, and every hero in God’s ranks all played in the flesh. I believe the Two Witnesses will be regular people, like us, who get cast into those roles. The problem is only a few days after the Two Witnesses start, Satan and his fallen angels get booted from heaven, and they come here pretending to rescue the world. They won’t be natural, and they will convince the majority, even your family.”
Rodger laughed. “Seth, I’ve heard a lot of people ramble on about God, but I’ve never before heard them say what you are saying.”
“Think about it. This is why it is written there is a great falling away from God. They don’t know any better and follow Satan who presents himself to be God. I have no problem saying the church is not an expert in these matters. They too are about to get hooked.”
“Wow. That’s pretty strong. I thought you loved church.”
“Everyone loves their church and they think they are learning the truth. But I see many lies woven into denominational church doctrine, and it only accomplishes two things: keeping the smart people away, and lining up the dumb ones for Satan to slay. How’s that grab you?”
Rodger laughed. “I can’t wait to hear what the Two Witnesses have to say.”
Jovel poured another round of beers while Seth started his phone. Bruce left to seat a family, but he made it back by the time Seth found his information.
Seth held up his phone. “Okay guys. Here’s what Revelation says about the Two Witnesses. If any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.”
Jovel raised an eyebrow. “Fire coming from their mouths to kill people?”
“Don’t think about a flame shooting from somebody’s mouth. It’s a saying like the tongue being a two edged sword. Here’s a hint. Twice in Deuteronomy and once in Hebrews it is written that God is a consuming fire. When the Two Witnesses start their testimony, what do you think they will be saying? They’ll be explaining what’s happening, and it will be different from what the mainstream churches teach. They will make a lot of enemies fast. The churches will try to discredit them. So the verse really means any of the people trying to defend their denominations will draw the attention and focus of the Two Witnesses. It will be as a fire when the truth of God’s word purges the dregs from their theories.”
Bruce cleared his throat. “But it says they will be killed in the same manner? That’s dead.”
Seth took a sip of beer. “Okay, here’s the rub. The Two Witnesses teach for the full duration, and Satan kills them at the end of his five months. That’s already written. Nobody on earth is able to do anything to stop the fulfillment of what’s written, so they will go the full duration.”
Rodger looked at Seth over the rim of his glasses. “So you’re saying the word killed is symbolic?”
Seth nodded. “The subject they will be preaching about is the Bible, so the people that symbolically hurt the Two Witnesses are defending their positions. Standing against the Two Witnesses will be what stops people from obtaining salvation like a pebble in the shoe of a long distance runner. They have no chance. And any church that fails to adjust their positions kills their own ministry. Look. You can’t stand against God’s truth. He will undress you in public.
Rodger pushed his glasses into place and looked at his book. “That’s a lot of symbolism there Seth.”
“Revelation is full of symbolism, but a lot of people take it literally because they saw the Ten Commandments on television. Sadly many won’t even see the scriptures being fulfilled right under their noses.”
Bruce took Seth’s phone. “What about the power to shut heaven.”
Seth leaned back. “What if the truths they revealed shut the path to heaven for certain groups? Every church thinks they have a path to heaven’s gate. If the witnesses expose the dead ends in their maps, I think it equates with shutting heaven for anyone clinging to those beliefs.”
“And making it not rain?”
“What does rain do? It feeds the crops. Consider this as a time when the Antichrist is trying to convince people to join their local church. The teaching of the Two Witnesses is so pure none of the false doctrines grow.”
“Okay. How do you explain water turning to blood?”
Seth smiled. “That’s the easiest one. In Revelation seventeen it tells us the waters are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. So the Two Witnesses will be able to reach into many cultures with the truth. Some of those people will turn toward Christ, symbolized by the blood shed for them. That’s how waters turn to blood.
Bruce handed Seth his phone. “And the plagues?”
“Well. God used the plagues with Egypt, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw them again… But it also says when they finish their testimony, the beast from the bottomless pit makes war against them, and kills them.
Bruce tapped his finger on the bar. “You mean Satan is going to kill them?”
Seth nodded. “Yes. This time it won’t be symbolic. The next verse makes it clear, because their dead bodies lie in the street for three days.”
“Why is that?”
“The dead bodies of the Two Witnesses are left on public display so there will be no chance for grave robbery, like certain groups believe happened to Jesus. Other groups even teach they drugged Him enough to pass out, and took His body from the tomb later.”
Rodger rubbed his chin. “I’ve heard those theories.”
“No sir, these two will remain in public view. After three days time everyone starts to celebrate thinking Satan is God.”
Bruce nodded his head. “Because the Two Witnesses remain dead.”
Seth pointed at him. “Exactly. The world celebrates! You don’t want to be part of that celebration, because at the three and a half day mark the spirit of life from God enters into them, and they stand upon their feet.”
Rodger turned to Seth. “What was that?”
“They stood up! Everyone saw it. That’s when they realized they were duped. Satan got them!”
Bruce and Rodger looked at each other. “Then what?”
“Then the seventh trump sounds and the real Christ returns. You can take it from there. All I’m saying is if the Two Witnesses show up this will be our last summer. If the hour of temptation is May to September, Christ returns three and a half days after they are killed, it will be in late September. Of course you have to do a study on Daniel and Jeremiah. Ezekiel would really help too. But this gives you a slice of the same pie.”
Rodger tipped his beer to Seth. “You’re chipping away, aren’t you?”
Seth smiled. “It sounds a little fantastic at the beginning, but my puzzle pieces fit and strengthen each other. If nothing happens over the next couple of months I’ll take my lumps, but if you see these two guys step up you better get to my website fast and start reading.”
“To the truth.” Rodger winked.
“Cheers Rodger!”