The God who empowers His witnesses.........continued/
- God's witnesses were untouchable; they had to be. The nature of the days of their prophesy will be such that men will desire to hurt them. This fact is stated twice over lest we be in any doubt. The picture is very strange of two men with "fire coming from their mouths" to "devour their enemies", but I think we must take it as literal. This is confirmed by the phrase "if any desire to hurt them they must in this manner be killed."
- They possessed divine authority; these men became symbols of fear to the entire world. Their power was supernatural. The examples used reflect back to the days of Elijah and the days of Moses; power to with hold the rain for the entire period of their prophecy (reminiscent of Elijah); power to turn waters to blood and to smite the earth with plagues as often as they will. (reminiscent of Moses in Egypt). This is why some take them to be a re-incarnation of Elijah & Moses, the two witnesses of old who confronted the powers of evil in their day. Certainly these men will be of a similar spirit to Moses & Elijah, if not actually them. There is a phrase in Luke 1v17 which says concerning John the Baptist "He shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people for the Lord." John the Baptist denied that he was Elijah but the holy Spirit records that he came in the spirit and power of Elijah. Therefore God can raise up men of like spirit in whatever age, for whatever task He chooses. We have seen that they are untouchable in their defence, we now see that they are powerful in their attack.
- Their purpose on earth is their testimony; they are not here to terrify, but they are here to testify to the living power of God. It is noted here that they will "finish their testimony." It is left to our imagination how they went about their testimony but certainly it would involve the preaching of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ as per chapter 1v2 and chapter 1v9 and chapter 22v18-19. Let us take account of the wonder of this, that it was decreed they would prophecy 1260 days and it is recorded in verse 7 they shall finish their testimony. There is a well known cliché "immortal until their work is done," and here is an example of that. Jesus said in John 17v4 "I have finished the work which thou gavest Me to do." The apostle Paul likewise, who said "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." 2nd Timothy 4v7. These two witnesses for three and a half years in the darkest and most dangerous period of human history will faithfully testify for their God and will finish the work..
- These men will be martyred; only when God removes His restraining hand, will they become vulnerable, and not to any normal man. Satan will be allowed to conjure someone from the abyss who will make war against them and kill them. The purpose no doubt is to inspire the world to reject the testimony of God by overpowering these men in the sight of all. The end result will be quite different to that expected. There is little point in conjecturing who is the beast that will overcome them, simply, that it is a case of Satan having his way for a few days.
Let us remember that we are called to be witnesses in our day.
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