Two witnesses 1

 Two Witnesses

Recap previous weeks:

After 2 days ( 2000 years after Jesus) (or after 6 days) these things are prophecized to occur on the MORNING of the third day(or 7th day).

-revive and raise us up

-flesh is burnt off (dead body)

-somehow we lay down works of the flesh in/on the 7th day

-seems to be for those looking for him

-Esther put on royal apparel on 7th day

-eastern gate in INNER court is opened (Eze 46:1) is opened on 7th day

-Ark of covenent goes across Jordan about 2000 cubits in front of everyone else. Signifying that we follow example about 2000 years after He did.

Josh 6 - Another pattern of the 7 days and a mini book of Revelation:

Jericho - it's moon, God's people

Joshua/Ark = Jesus

1 day = 1000 years

Joshua 6:1-5

1 Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. 2 And Jehovah said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thy hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor. 3 And ye shall compass the city, all the men of war, going about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 And it shall be, that, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before him.

-march around city once each day for 6 days

-7th day, go around city 7x's

-does the 7x's on day 7 represent tribulation?

-on 7th day after 7 trips around city, people shout, walls fall

*7th day - big event happens

Joshua 6:6-10

6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of Jehovah. 7 And they said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let the armed men pass on before the ark of Jehovah. 8 And it was so, that, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before Jehovah passed on, and blew the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of Jehovah followed them. 9 And the armed men went before the priests that blew the trumpets, and the rearward went after the ark, the priests blowing the trumpets as they went. 10 And Joshua commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.

-Joshua/Jesus calls the shots

*What does the city represent?*

-flesh, Babylon, building the kingdom of God w human understanding?

Joshua 6:11-19

11 So he caused the ark of Jehovah to compass the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp. 12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of Jehovah. 13 And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of Jehovah went on continually, and blew the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; and the rearward came after the ark of Jehovah, the priests blowing the trumpets as they went. 14 And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days. 15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early at the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on the day they compassed the city seven times. 16 And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for Jehovah hath given you the city. 

17 And the city shall be devoted (accursed/devoted to destruction), even it and all that is therein, to Jehovah: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 But as for you, only keep yourselves from the devoted (accursed) thing, lest when ye have devoted it, ye take of the devoted thing; so would ye make the camp of Israel accursed, and trouble it. 19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are holy unto Jehovah: they shall come into the treasury of Jehovah.

-gold, silver, bronze, iron are valuable

-devoted thing?

Joshua 6:20-21

20 So the people shouted, and the priests blew the trumpets; and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. 21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword. 

Why use the sword?

Joshua 6:22-24

22 And Joshua said unto the two men that had spied out the land, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her. 23 And the young men the spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; all her kindred also they brought out; and they set them without the camp of Israel. 24 And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein; only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of Jehovah.

-1Th 4:16 

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first;

-city is burned. What city is burned in Rev? Rev 18:2;8

Joshua 6:25-26

25 But Rahab the harlot, and her father's household, and all that she had, did Joshua save alive; and she dwelt in the midst of Israel unto this day, because she hid the messengers, whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. 26 And Joshua charged them with an oath at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before Jehovah, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: with the loss of his first-born shall he lay the foundation thereof, and with the loss of his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.

-why is the man who rebuilds the city accursed? He would be rebuilding Babylon.

Two spies sent ahead to Jericho (it's moon) to spy it out. They also go in to take out Rahab, the harlot, making sure she is saved after the walls are down.

***Pattern seems to be that Jesus (Joshua) in NT sends his witnesses to his people (it's moon). 

Rev 11 refers to two witnesses

Rev 11:1-13 

1 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. 2 And the court which is without the temple leave without, and measure it not; for it hath been given unto the nations: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. 3 And I will give unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 

***Why sackcloth?

4 These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks, standing before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if any man desireth to hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies; and if any man shall desire to hurt them, in this manner must he be killed. 6 These have the power to shut the heaven, that it rain not during the days of their prophecy: and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they shall desire. 

Who has these powers?

Elijah 1Kings 17:1

Moses Ex 7:19

1 kings 18:38

7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 And from among the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations do men look upon their dead bodies three days and a half, and suffer not their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. 10 And they that dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and make merry; and they shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth. 11 And after the three days and a half the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them that beheld them. 12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they went up into heaven in the cloud; and their enemies beheld them. 13 And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell; and there were killed in the earthquake seven thousand persons: and the rest were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Rev 11 1:13 ***Read***

***Without understanding***

***What happens to them?***

Two witnesses framework in NT

Joshua 3:3-4 sets the pattern.

First Ark/Jesus

We follow 2000 cubits behind the ark/Jesus (about 2000 years)

In NT Disciples are called witnesses

Witness in NT is H3144 - 'martus' - witness, martyr

Act 1:8 

But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Luk 24:48-49 

Ye are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I send forth the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city, until ye be clothed with power from on high. 

***They were witnesses before the HS but impowered after the HS***

Act 10:40-41 

40 Him God raised up the third day, and gave him to be made manifest, 41 not to all the people, but unto witnesses that were chosen before of God, even to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

Why two?

Deu 19:15 

One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.

Mat 18:16 

But if he hear thee not, take with thee one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established.

Jesus is also a labeled as a 'witness'

Rev 1:5 

and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood;

Rev 3:14 

And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God:

Jesus sets the pattern. Ecc 3:9

First Jesus (true witness) - HS - Then his witnesses.

---2000 cubits---

What about his witnesses in our day??

Holy Spirit in our day!!

Hos 6:1-3 

1 Come, and let us return unto Jehovah; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. 2 After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. 3 And let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth.

Jas 5:7 

Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receive the early and latter rain.