Wednesday, September 27, 2017

                                                             THE TWO WITNESSES

 So let's start again where we left off:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXcJUIAJNW0
 Many of the tribulation saints will also have heard the gospel from the two witnesses (Revelation 11:1–13). The Bible says these two individuals “will prophesy for 1,260 days [three and a half years]” (verse 3) and perform great miracles (verse 6)
Re 11:1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
 2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. {leave out: Gr. cast out}
 3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. {I will give...: or, I will give unto my two witnesses that they may prophesy}
 4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
 5 And 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.
 6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
 7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
 8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
 9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
 10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
 11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
 12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
 13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. {of men: Gr. names of men}

 (KJV)
While there are guesses and arguments about the identity of the Antichrist and the False Prophet as we've mentioned that range all over, the discussion over the two witnesses in these verses equals that guessing game.
https://www.gotquestions.org/two-witnesses.html
Question: "Who are the two witnesses in the book of Revelation?"

Answer: There are three primary viewpoints on the identity of the two witnesses in Revelation 11:3-12: (1) Moses and Elijah, (2) Enoch and Elijah, (3) two unknown believers whom God calls to be His witnesses in the end times. (1) Moses and Elijah are seen as possibilities for the two witnesses due to the witnesses' power to turn water into blood (Revelation 11:6), which Moses is known for (Exodus chapter 7), and their power to destroy people with fire (Revelation 11:5), which Elijah is known for (2 Kings chapter 1). Also giving strength to this view is the fact that Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:3-4). Further, Jewish tradition expected Moses and Elijah to return in the future. Malachi 4:5 predicted the return of Elijah, and the Jews believed that God’s promise to raise up a prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18) necessitated his return.

(2) Enoch and Elijah are seen as possibilities for the two witnesses because they are the two individuals whom God has taken to heaven apart from experiencing death (Genesis 5:23; 2 Kings 2:11). The fact that neither Enoch or Elijah have experienced death seems to qualify them to experience death and resurrection, as the two witnesses experience (Revelation 11:7-12). Proponents of this view claim that Hebrews 9:27 (all men die once) disqualifies Moses from being one of the two witnesses, as Moses has died once already (Deuteronomy 34:5). However, there are several others in the Bible who died twice—e.g., Lazarus, Dorcas, and the daughter of the synagogue ruler—so there is really no reason why Moses should be eliminated on this basis.

View (3) essentially argues that Revelation chapter 11 does not attach any famous identity to the two witnesses. If their identities were Moses and Elijah, or Enoch and Elijah, why would Scripture be silent about this? God is perfectly capable of taking two "ordinary" believers and enabling them to perform the same signs and wonders that Moses and Elijah did. There is nothing in Revelation 11 that requires us to assume a "famous" identity for the two witnesses.

Which view is correct? The possible weakness of (1) is that Moses has already died once, and therefore could not be one of the two witnesses, who die, which would make Moses a contradiction of Hebrews 9:27. Proponents of (1) will argue that all of the people who were miraculously resurrected in the Bible (e.g., Lazarus) later died again. Hebrews 9:27 is viewed, then, as a "general rule," not a universal principle. There are no clear weaknesses to view (2), as it solves the "die once" problem, and it makes sense that if God took two people to heaven without dying, Enoch and Elijah, it was to prepare them for a special purpose. There are also no clear weaknesses to view (3). All three views are valid and plausible interpretations that Christians can have. The identities of the two witnesses is an issue Christians should not be dogmatic about.

                                                                                                                                                                  





Many Christians through the ages have wondered who the "two witnesses" of Revelation 11 happen to be. The two witnesses are among the most dramatic characters of Scripture. They prophesy before the world for three and a half years (1,260 days) (11:3). During this time, they can strike the earth with whatever plague they desire, and cannot be harmed by their enemies (11:5-6). Ultimately, they are killed by the beast (11:7) but they rise to life in three and a half days (11:11). How are we to understand the two witnesses and the unusual happenings surrounding their lives?

Are they two actual people who prophesy before Jesus’ return? Do they symbolize the church in an aspect of its gospel preaching? Commentators have found Revelation 11 quite difficult to interpret and have identified the two witnesses in more than a dozen ways. Let’s see what the book of Revelation tells us.

John does not name or specifically identify the two witnesses. However, some indicators point the way towards at least their symbolic identification. Revelation describes the two witnesses as two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the Lord (11:4). Not surprisingly, an Old Testament passage contains these images. Zechariah saw a vision of a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at its top containing seven lights. By the bowls, one on each side, were the two olive trees (4:2-3).

Zechariah asked the angel for the identity of the two olive trees. The angel’s answer was: "These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth" (4:14). That is, they are witnesses or prophets of God.

The subject of Zechariah’s book was a call to God’s people to repent (Zechariah 1:3). As did their ancient predecessors, the two witnesses wear rough sackcloth, a badge of the office of a prophet who calls people to repentance. In ancient times, sackcloth was the garment depicting mourning and contrition (Jeremiah 4:8; Matthew 11:21).

In Zechariah, the two olive trees stand beside the lampstand that has seven lights. Revelation uses a lampstand as a symbol of the church (1:20). Perhaps John was trying to tell his readers that the two witnesses were to be identified with the church, perhaps as its representatives or leaders. Through them the divine light of God reflected by the churches is made evident to the world (Matthew 5:15-16).

It’s also possible that the two witnesses are symbolically modeled after Moses and Elijah. They "have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain" (11:6). This power was associated with Elijah, whose prayer caused a terrible drought in Israel (1 Kings 17:1).
Elijah’s deed was proverbial among Jews in the first century. James mentioned the drought as an example of the power of a righteous person’s prayer (James 5:17). He said that Elijah’s prayer caused a drought of exactly three and a half years — the time referred to in Revelation in various forms. Luke also referred to the famine in Elijah’s time, and said it had a length of three and a half years (4:25). Interestingly, in 1 Kings the time of the drought is said to be "the next few years" (17:1) or about three years (18:1).
As did Moses, the two witnesses "have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague" (11:6 with Exodus 7:14-21). This recalls Moses’ role as God’s agent, who through ten plagues — including turning the Nile and the waters of Egypt into blood — brought down the most powerful kingdom of the day.
Also, like Elijah, the two witnesses can consume their enemies with fire, if they try to hurt them (11:5 with 2 Kings 1:10). This fire is said to "come from their mouths" (11:5). Such a literal occurrence would be an odd sight, indeed!
It seems clear, then, that the two witnesses are portrayed as coming in the power of both Moses and Elijah, two of the greatest prophets of the Jewish nation. The writer appears to be creating a symbolic universe for his readers in which he is making a connection between God's acts in Jewish history and through the church.
Perhaps there is a literal aspect to the fire from heaven or other elements, but we cannot neglect their metaphorical meaning. Fire coming from the mouth is a symbol used for powerful preaching. The image was used of Jeremiah’s witnessing: "I will make my words in your mouth a fire and these people the wood it consumes" (5:14).

(I would suggest there is a definite literal meaning and perhaps a symbolic one though I would agree the symbolism is also likely.  Why is it that so many on each side can't realize God does things with multiple meanings and implications as our study here has shown again and again.  The problem with symbolic meaning is that we have to realize the symbolism needs to connect with the text not with some thesis someone developed. This is a good example of exploring a symbol from the text and making a fine analysis,  Here the question is legitimate though I suspect the writer fails to see that BOTH the symbolic and the literal are possible. W) 

However, Jeremiah did not do any miraculous works. He was a prophet who spoke God’s word. That was the only "fire" that came out of his mouth. He "tormented" Judah with his spiritually sharp words, which his hearers could not bear.

We must be careful, then, how we interpret the images of Revelation. Is the preaching of the two witnesses the "fire" that "kills" their enemies by being unbearable? Or do they actually call down real fire from heaven, which is said to come from their mouth — at their request? (To repeat, it would be strange, indeed, if actual fire came from the mouth of two human beings. Yet, that would be the conclusion of a literal interpretation of this image.)

 (I think I have some responsibility to suggest that things we find strange, i.e. talking mules, the sun stopped in the sky, a world wide flood, the blind healed, the dead raised, are prety much the sock and trade of our Lord. W)
In any case, the imagery of Revelation 11 is so carefully worked out to coincide with the most noteworthy accomplishments of Elijah and Moses that it cannot be accidental. John is giving his hearer - readers a message. When you think of the two witnesses, think of Moses and Elijah.
Why was he doing this? Here is one possible answer. The Jews commonly expected that Elijah and Moses would somehow "return" before the end-time (Mark 9:11). This idea was based on Old Testament texts. The prophet Malachi had written in God’s name: "I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes" (4:5). Of course, Jesus had already pointed out that Malachi’s "Elijah" was a symbol for a great prophet, in this case John the Baptist (Matthew 11:11-14). So had the Gospel of Luke (1:16).  

(Another possible answer: the guiding of then Holy Spirit. W.)
Thus, the church should have understood that "Elijah" had already come, and he was symbolic of John the Baptist. Perhaps, because of some Jewish thinking to the contrary, a question about this had arisen in the church.
In the same way, the Jews expected a Moses to come on the scene at some point in the future (John 6:14). This idea may have come from Moses’ prophecy of Christ ("I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers"), which was sometimes misunderstood to refer to Moses himself (Deuteronomy 18:18).
Christ himself seemed to play on this important symbolism. It was Moses and Elijah who appeared with Jesus in the Transfiguration (Mark 9:4). Apparently, the disciples who saw this associated the vision with the kingdom to come at the end of the age.


While I have cited these two  sources only, they tend to summarize the various ideas.  Historicists tend to see the witnesses as all those who rose against the papacy over the centuries.  This is the case of coming at the text with a thesis and making the symbol fit the preconceived notion. We've touched on many of the martyrs here and in Myth misunderstanding.   The view here:  These are two real people who will stand against the AC and the FP for the first 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation.  They will preach and apparently will develop a following.  

But two things of note.  The first comes from an old riddle:


There's a boy and his dad they got in a severe car accident. They were rushed to the hospital where they were separated into separate rooms. The Doctor went into the boys room and said I can not operate on him he is my son.
How can this be?

Now, I first heard this decades ago when there was no Grey's Anatomy on the TV.  You have to have been living a bit isolated not to know the answer is: because the doctor is his mother.  

I read commentary after commentary and never was the idea ventured that one or both might be a woman.  I suppose somewhere in the Greek something is in masculine tense, but it never reaches into any translation.  Not to diss my own gender, I suspect the main reason is that the commentaries are written by men.  The Witnesses  are referred to always in plural, acting together as one.  Which makes me think more of  Priscilla and Aquila, the couple who accompanied Paul for some of his missions.

I copy here an extensive report on their life and times with Him.  Their story is worth the space.  If it teaches nothing else, it teaches the secret of success in a Christian marriage.  The support of each  for the other. 



Dr. Luke records the first meeting of the Apostle Paul with this couple in Corinth thus: “And he [Paul] found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them” (Acts 18:2). Aquila was originally from the Roman province of Pontus on the south shore of the Black Sea, called the Euxine Sea during the Roman period. His Latin name, Aquila, means “eagle.” Most likely he was a freedman living in Rome because most of the Jews living in Rome at this time were such.

We are not told where Priscilla is from, her ethnicity, or her religious heritage. Her name is a common Roman name among the aristocratic families. Luke hints at the fact that she is not of Jewish heritage because he states Aquila is Jewish, but does not refer to her as such. Whether she was a convert to Judaism, and thus a proselyte, or a convert to Christianity, we are not told. She could have been originally from Rome and Aquila met and married her in the Eternal City.

There are at least four possibilities as to how and when this couple came to faith in the Lord Jesus. First, Aquila could have heard the preaching of Peter in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost in AD 30. Dr. Luke records that there were Diaspora Jews from Pontus in Jerusalem for this festival (Acts 2:9). If Aquila heard Peter, he might have been touched by the words of the apostle and convicted by the Holy Spirit of his sin of unbelief. He realized he was a sinner, as we all are, and could not merit salvation or work for it. He realized the Lord Jesus was the Messiah of Israel who fulfilled the prophecies of His first coming to the earth. Aquila might have put his trust in the Lord Jesus as his Savior and Messiah at that time. When the festival was over, he returned to his Diaspora home in Pontus.

The second possibility is that he and his wife could have been part of the Jewish and proselyte delegation from Rome that made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Pentecost in AD 30 (Acts 2:10). This would have been another opportunity for them to come to faith. The third possibility could have been if Aquila heard the preaching of Peter on the apostle’s missionary trip through Pontus in AD 40-42 (I Peter 1:1; cf. Acts 12:17). Jerome, one of the early church fathers, states in his Lives of Illustrious Men: “Simon Peter … after having been bishop of the church in Antioch and having preached to the Dispersion – the believers in circumcision, in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia – pushed on to Rome in the second year of Claudius” (1994:3:361). The final possibility might have been if they were in Rome in AD 42 when Peter arrived in the second year of Claudius. Peter could have led them to the Lord at that time.

These possible scenarios also raise some interesting questions. Was Peter invited by Aquila to minister in Pontus on his first missionary journey in AD 40-42? This would have been a follow-up ministry visit to those who had come to faith in the Lord Jesus on the day of Pentecost ten years earlier. Did Peter take Aquila with him as a disciple when he ventured to the city of Rome after his first missionary journey? If this is the case, it would account for how Aquila got to Rome. Does a “nice Jewish boy” from Pontus marry a proselyte or Christian girl from Rome after Peter introduced them to each other? Was Aquila one of the leaders in the “pro-Cephas” faction in the church at Corinth (cf. 1 Cor. 1:12; 3:22)? If so, he was being loyal to the one who led him to the Lord and mentored him. These are questions that can be asked, but Scripture is silent as to the answers.

I am looking forward to that day in Heaven when I can sit down with Priscilla and Aquila and hear their life story. I am also curious to know how they risked their neck for the Apostle Paul. It should be easy to find the mansion that the Lord Jesus prepared for them (John 14:3) because it will have beautiful Corinthian columns in front of it!

Aquila and Priscilla’s name appears together six times (Acts 18:2,18,26; Rom. 16:3; 1 Cor. 16:19; 2 Tim. 4:19), in the Textus Receptus, half the time she is mentioned before her husband (Acts 18:18; Rom. 16:3; 2 Tim. 4:19 where she is called Prisca). The name “Priscilla” is the diminutive of “Prisca.” I suspect her name was put first because she had a more active spiritual role in the church, but that is only speculation on my part.

Aquila and Priscilla in Rome – Acts 18:2

Scripture does state that Aquila and Priscilla were expelled from Rome by a decree during the days of Emperor Claudius (Acts 18:2). Most scholars date this decree to AD 49. There are some scholars, however, who have suggested AD 41 as the possible date for the expulsion (Murphy-O’Connor 1983:130-140; 1992:47-49). The Roman historian, Suetonius, wrote that “since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he expelled them from Rome” (Claudius 25:4; LCL 2:53). Whether Chrestus is another name for Christ, or the name of a Jewish rabble rouser in Rome, is debated. Dr. Luke records that Aquila and Priscilla “recently” arrived in Corinth from Rome. This would rule out the earlier expulsion in AD 41. But the record is clear; Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome.

Apparently Claudius’s decree did not discriminate between Jews and Messianic Jews, those Jews who had put their trust in the Lord Jesus as Messiah. Aquila, a Messianic Jew, and his wife Priscilla were included in the expulsion from Rome.

Aquila and Priscilla in Corinth – Acts 18:2-18

Aquila and Priscilla decided to relocate to the Roman colony of Corinth and practiced their trade of tentmaking in that cosmopolitan and Latin speaking city. They would have arrived several years before the Apostle Paul and most likely would have started evangelistic work in the city, or continued what the Apostle Peter may have started if he came through Corinth in AD 42.

In AD 52, Paul arrived in Corinth to begin his evangelistic endeavors. Silas and Timothy soon joined Paul in the work. Perhaps they had heard of the work in Corinth and came along to help. One other thing that may have attracted these three apostles to Corinth was the Isthmian Games that were held near Corinth (Acts 18:2-5).

The Apostle Paul was attracted to this couple, not only because of their common faith in the Lord Jesus, but also because of their common occupation. Dr. Luke records: “for by occupation they were tentmakers” (Acts 18:3). Both were involved in this trade which indicates that this was a family business.

There have been several suggestions as to what the “tentmaking” profession involved. Some have suggested, because Paul was from Tarsus in Cilicia, his father had taught him the trade of weaving tent cloth from goat’s hair (cilicium). Others have suggested, because the tents were made of leather, that the tentmaking involved leather working. Hiebert points out that “Paul’s father was a strict Pharisee (Acts 23:6) and thus regarded contact with the skins of dead animals as defiling, it seems improbable that he would have permitted his son to learn such a trade” (1992:29).

Aquila and Priscilla were from Rome and in the Eternal City there was a Tentmakers Associations, called in Latin collegium tabernaclariorum (Murphy-O’Conner 1992:44). Pliny the Elder (AD 23-79) describes what was made of linen cloths: awnings used to cover theaters, the Roman Forum, the Sacred Way, and Nero’s amphitheaters. It was also used for awnings in houses and sails for ships (Natural History19:23-25; LCL 5:435-437).

Aquila and Priscilla would have had no problem finding employment when they arrived in Corinth or establishing their own business. Shades were needed for the construction work going on in Corinth at this time, sails for ships were in need of mending as ships crossed the Isthmus of Corinth, and tents were in need of mending during the Isthmian Games. Their workshop afforded them the opportunity for evangelism (Hock 1978, 1979).

Where the shop was located in Corinth is an open question. Murphy-O’Conner suggested it might have been in the newly built North Market located just to the north of the Archaic Temple to Apollo (1983:169). However, a careful reading of the preliminary excavation report suggests this market had not been built at this time and was built by the initiative of Emperor Vespasian after the earthquake of AD 77-78 (de Waele 1930:453).

Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus – Acts 18:19;24-28; 1 Cor. 16:19

After 18 months of ministering in Corinth, Paul decided to move his base of operation to Ephesus. He took Aquila and Priscilla to this major trading center on the west coast of Asia Minor, the fourth largest city in the Roman Empire; Rome, Alexandria and Antioch on the Orontes being larger (Acts 18:18,19). Paul left them there in order to establish the work in the city. He also promised that he would return to Ephesus after his visit to Jerusalem.

In Ephesus they established a church that met in their house (1 Cor. 16:19). This afforded them the opportunity to show hospitality to sinners and saints. One day, while attending the synagogue in Ephesus, they heard Apollos, a Jewish preacher from Alexandria (Egypt) who was eloquent and mighty in the Scriptures, but he only knew of the baptism of John (Acts 18:24-25). After the meeting, they took him aside, apparently to their home, and explained to him the finer points of the Word of God and his salvation (Acts 18:26).

Aquila and Priscilla did not have roast preacher for lunch that day, instead they had home-made apple pie on a silver platter. The Book of Proverbs says: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver” (25:11). I realize I am allegorizing this passage, but you get the point. They did not take him home and say, “That was a stupid sermon, don’t you know your Bible? Don’t you know what happened after John the Baptizer? Don’t you know about Jesus?” No, they brought him home, showed him hospitality by feeding him a good meal and then gently and lovingly “explained to him the way of God more accurately” (18:26).

When Paul arrived in Ephesus during his third missionary journey, he ministered in the city for nearly three years (Acts 20:31). While there, he and Timothy had a discipleship program in the School of Tyrannus (Acts 19:9; 20:31). Paul did not want to be a burden on the church in Ephesus, so he stayed and worked with Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 20:34). Some manuscripts in 1 Cor. 16:19 say, “Aquila and Prisca with whom I lodge” (Hiebert 1992:31).

In the quietness of the home, after the business of the day, the three of them discussed missionary strategy. While in Ephesus, Paul saw the importance of going to Rome. Most likely it was Aquila and Priscilla that planted the thought in his mind that the Spirit of God used to direct Paul’s ways (Acts 19:21). Several years later, Paul wrote to the Roman church from Corinth and he conveyed a more detailed and refined plan. He would stop by Rome on his way to Spain (1:10-13; 15:22-28).

Aquila and Priscilla in Rome Again – Rom. 16:3-4

The next time Aquila and Priscilla are recorded in Scripture is when they are back in Rome when the epistle to the Romans arrives in AD 58 (Rom. 16:3-5). Rome, not Corinth or Ephesus, was home for them, so they returned to the Eternal City sometime after the death of Claudius on October 13, AD 54 and Nero’s reversal of the Jewish expulsion decree. Murphy-O’Conner suggests they returned to Rome during the summer of AD 55 (1992:51).

Paul would have sent them on their way with his blessings because they would be preparing the church in Rome for his visit. Most likely they returned home via Corinth in order to visit the saints in that city. Possibly they persuaded Epaenetus to join them in the work in Rome as well (cf. Rom. 16:5b).

Paul indicates that there is a church meeting in their home (Rom. 16:5a).  A 6th century AD tradition has it that their house church was on the Aventine Hill, on todays Via Prisca (Platner 1929:65-67). This site was excavated by the Augustinian monks of St. Prisca between 1934 and 1958. Underneath the church they found a Mithraeum with an altar dating to the 2nd century AD with statues of Oceanus Saturnus and Mithras killing the bull. This is called today the Mithraeum Domus Sanctae Priscae (Richardson 1992:257-258).

When Paul instructs the church at Rome to greet Priscilla and Aquila on his behalf, he describes them as his “fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also, all the churches of the Gentiles” (16:3b,4). Paul had labored with them in Corinth and the beginning of the work at Ephesus. Paul mentions an event that is unrecorded in the book of Acts: they put their life on the line for the Apostle Paul. What they did, we do not know, but it must have been heroic because the Gentile church gave thanks. We have a hint from Paul’s writings as to the nature of this event.  He writes: “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivers us from so great a death, and does deliver us, in whom we trust that He will still deliver us” (2 Cor. 1:8-10; cf. Acts 20:19). Paul also mentioned fighting the beasts in Ephesus (1 Cor. 15:32). Exactly what the “sentence of death in ourselves” or the circumstances leading up to fighting the beasts, we are not told. Perhaps the letter carrier told the Corinthian believers when he delivered the letter to them.

Whatever they did to risk their necks for Paul’s sake might have been in the back of the apostle’s mind when he wrote earlier in the epistle to the Romans: “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (5:7-8).

Why does Paul mention this event in his letter to the Romans? Some Gentile believers in the church in Rome may have wanted to marginalize this Messianic Jewish couple and the church that was in their home. Paul says to greet them (the Greek word has the idea of giving them a big bear hug) and thank them for risking their lives for his sake. Paul says that even their fellow Gentiles in churches in the east have been thankful for their testimony. In essence, Paul was trying to unify the church in Rome that was divided along economic, gender and ethnic lines.

The church had been meeting in the home of Aquila and Priscilla for nearly 10 years when a catastrophe struck. The Great Fire of July 19, AD 64, completely destroyed or seriously damaged 10 of the 14 districts of Rome, including the homes on the Aventine Hill. Aquila and Priscilla may have been homeless in Rome (again), along with tens of thousands of other Romans.

(I hear the echoes of hurricane victims today, without homes, living by prayer and rainwater  in Puerto Rico, unable to phione loved ones, hoping food arrives.   In trailers and hand to mouth in Texas, hoping for a replacement for lost jobs, for lost homes.  On Florida Keys, seeing nothing where there was once a community, struggling to find transportation, laid off because no ships are coming to port there.  It has gone on for forever because of that sin thing, that sin thing that keeps pulling us back.  Do we see the destruction we have wrought by the continuation of our sin, by our refusal to repent? The power of our disobedience felt across the world in tidal waves and earthquakes and tornados.  The things God has kept in check that will suddenly be slowly unleashed when the saved are gone. And how those poor unsaved will face it with no faith only a false hope.  And how this couple those centuries ago led by the Spirit worked together, constantly together, as we are all supposed to do, as so many of us fail to do. W.)

Perhaps they saw the handwriting on the wall. There were rumors that Nero had started this fire, thus making it a government induced crisis, so he could build his Domus Aurea (“Golden House/Palace”) and engage in extensive urban renewal (Suetonius, Nero 38; LCL 2:155,157; Tacitus, Annals 15:38-44; LCL 5:271-285). He quickly blamed the Christians for starting the fire and they were soon persecuted.

Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus Again – 2 Tim. 4:19

Aquila and Priscilla, perhaps being homeless and fearing the persecution that followed the fire, presumably escaped to Ephesus. When Paul wrote his son in the faith, Timothy, who was in Ephesus in AD 67, he instructed him to “greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus (2 Tim. 4:19).

It may be instructive to note that Paul does not mention a church meeting in their house. This couple may have lost everything, and maybe in the Great Fire of Rome - their home, their business. They may have escaped with their lives, the shirt on their back, and any money they could carry. It could also be an indication that the church in Ephesus was well established and meeting in other places, thus there was no need for them to open their home.

Lessons from the Lives of Aquila and Priscilla

There are at least three lessons we can learn from the life of this godly couple who wanted their lives to be used in the service of the Lord. First, they understood the providential workings of God in their lives. Second, they experienced togetherness, some have suggested it should be “two-getherness” in their marriage. And finally, they put God first in their lives.

God’s Providence in the lives of Aquila and Priscilla

Let’s look at how the big picture may have taken shape. Perhaps we have a nice Jewish boy from Pontus who goes to Rome. He meets a nice aristocratic Gentile or Christian woman and they get married and begin to establish their lives together in Rome. Along comes Emperor Claudius and expels them from Rome so they lost their home and their business. In events like this, most people would have gotten bent out of shape by these events, but our couple may have considered that they still had each other, and that God, in His providence, may have moved them to Corinth where they met, ministered to, and eventually worked closely with the Apostle Paul in strategic missionary endeavors. Can anybody see the Hand of God here?

Nothing happens in our life by chance. We want to understand the “big picture” of our lives because God has put eternity in our hearts. We want to know the end from the beginning (Eccl. 3:11). But we don’t understand the “big picture” because we are frail, sinful, finite human beings, thus Solomon said to enjoy life, for it is a gift from God (Eccl. 2:24; 3:12-13,22; 5:18-20; 8:15; 9:7-9). So as believers in the Lord Jesus, we must trust the Lord that He is sovereign and in control of every detail of our life. He is leading us by His Word and His providence in order that we might be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:18-30).
...

The Two-getherness of Aquila and Priscilla

When Aquila and Priscilla are mentioned in scripture, they are always mentioned together, never separately. They appeared to be inseparable. Someone once said that “togetherness is a multifaceted thing that involves every dimension of our lives. There is emotional intimacy (the depth sharing of significant feelings), intellectual intimacy (the sharing in the world of ideas), aesthetic intimacy (the depth sharing of experiences of beauty), creative intimacy (the sharing of acts of creativity), recreational intimacy (sharing activities and fun times), work intimacy (sharing in common tasks), crisis intimacy (standing together against the buffeting of life), spiritual intimacy (the sharing of ultimate concerns), and sexual intimacy. True togetherness comes as we experience intimacy in each of these areas” (cited in Harbour 1979:121).

As we examine these nine aspects of intimacy, it can be observed from the limited information recorded in the Scriptures that Aquila and Priscilla experienced at least four of them. The first, spiritual intimacy is seen in the fact that their lives centered on the Lord and His Church. They opened their home up to the local church and they entertained traveling preachers. Second, work intimacy is seen in their tent-making together. Apparently this was a family business that they were both involved in. Third, instructing Apollos shows their intellectual intimacy. They both knew the Scriptures well and they wanted to share them with others. Finally, putting their life on the line for Paul’s sake and moving for the sake of the gospel showed their crisis intimacy. I am sure if Scripture had recorded more of the lives of these two saints, we would have seen more intimacy in their two-getherness.

Aquila and Priscilla put the Lord first in their lives

When the Lord Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, He said “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things [food, clothing and drink] shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:33). The Apostle Paul describes Aquila and Priscilla as “fellow workers in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 16:3). We have seen that this couple was missions minded, they opened their home so that the believers could gather to remember the Lord, pray, and have fellowship as they were instructed in the Word of God (cf. Acts 2:42). They also were engaged in “secular” employment so that they were not a financial burden on the churches. Yet God blessed them with a very successful business so they could show hospitality to the saints by inviting the church in their home. For a detailed discussion of hospitality in the church, see Strauch 1993.

May there be an increase in the church of couples like Aquila and Priscilla who have a godly marriage for ministry.



Married, working together, studying the Word together, growing in Christ together, working with Paul every step of the way in tentmaking and ministry.  You never see any miracles attributed to them, but they seem to have the same "chemistry" as the witnesses.  I can see a married couple as easily as two men so long as the Spirit wills it.  I can even see it as perhaps a way of reaching everyone with their witness.   
And even if I am in error here, it provides us with the Biblical view of marriage as a partnership IN Christ even as the witnesses are a partnership IN Christ, powered by the Holy Spirit.

Whether I am correct in this insight or overstepping, the point made above is the one that matteres:  Seek First the Kingdom of God.   

I don't discount the idea the two are great men from the Israelite past, but they are never named as such.  Clearly the Holy Spirit will empower the witnesses  similarly to Moses and Elijah and we futurists seem fascinated with the idea of ancient prophets dropped directly from Heaven to die for God. The mentioned example of John the Baptist  being Elijah in spirit by The Spirit takes home the most cogent point: the Spirit can empower anyone in the way of Moses or Elijah.  The lack of names of identity implies that God is keeping them hidden from Satan and from other believers until they are there to testify.  Since  the Rapture occurs PRE Tribulation, it lends credence to theory  the witnesses are dropped in by God to start evangelizing immediately. The witnesses seem to know a lot about  the Bible and evangelizing but they could as easily be ones who convert right after the Rapture,  are filled with the Spirit for immediate service, are gifted in interpretation and evangelizing even we have pointed out the Spiritual gifts certain of us today. .  

Which brings up my next point: these are believers.  Two people who will be aware who they are.  They will know their mission.  They will know they are given a power for a short time and they will know their mission.  

We've stressed the need for all this in every Christian life.  Because, one day, God will call on each of us.  It might be in a moment on a train or plane, in an instant in an elevator, while talking at the coffee urn at break, words shared with a water or waitress, with a friend over drinks, at a quiet moment after a stressful day, in the car taking your children or someone else's home from school or a game or a party.  It might be by the way you have chosen not to swear at work, not to belittle a coworker or your bosses.  It might be by the way you have taken cares with a loved one or been kind to strangers.

But more, Christians in every country included the USA will face sanctions and prejudices more powerfully until the days ot the actual Tribulation.  These are a part of the birth pangs of the new universe, just off over the horizon of our current one, the one aching to be born again into sanctity and the perfection this one lost.    We may all face repression and persecution as so many of us already face the world over, as we have pointed out since the beginning of this blog.  We know it.  It is predicted by God an therefore it will be.  His children have faced it with hope and martyrdom across the centuries.  Our blogs have touched on that, too.  So I emphasize it here again with these two witnesses.  With a song as introduction:



These two know they are going to die.  For a couple thousand years God has told them that.  They are going to die and be resurrected.  They will do their jobs for Him.  They are not named here most of all because their NAMES DON'T MATTER.  They will carry His name wherever they go and it is a statement to our own egos that we want to know their names.  We want to know who these heroes or heroines are.  Since most of the  commentaries I find out there are written by men, we see them framed as men.  Since we admire those Old Testament  heroes of the faith so much, we brand them with those names, even argue about which name is correct, wanting the right one to get credit.  When God sent the Elijah of Jesus' day, he was a crazed wildman eating honeycomb and nuts and berries crying in the wilderness and to this day as we've noted in another blog on John, there are still people who claim HE was the Messiah.  We want our heroes to look like us  It has given us vulnerable spots and sometimes led us to elect the wrong people or to go to war for dictators who tell us our countries are what matter.  It has always been this way.  We chose a smiling serpent who told us what we secretly wanted to hear over God.  We chose a strong heroic looking king that we demanded instead of waiting for God to give us His David.  The world around the two witnesses with choose the AC and the FP telling them that they can be God themselves over the way to salvation and life offered by the two witnesses who will know even as Jesus knew, that their actions will lead to their deaths and believe as He believed that God will resurrect them.  

They will know they will die and they will believe they will be raised.  Like Jesus himself did.  How he chose this life to reach us all.  Max Lucado with verses added by me:



"We need a simple home with a single mom and an ordinary laborer.  Jesus neighbors remembered him as a worker.

Mr 6:2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. {offended: scandalized in, or, by him}
 (KJV)


"Jesus had dirty hands and sweat stained shirts and-this may surprise you-ordinary looks.


Isa 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
 (KJV)

"He had to enter every detail of human life... experience it all himself-all the pain, all the testing-and be able to help where help was needed. 

Heb 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
 18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
 (KJV)

"Why would Heaven's finest Son endure life's toughest pain? (Death on the cross. W) So you would know that He knows how you feel."



And knowing that about Him, the witnesses will choose to die by whatever force the Satan brings against them. 

Note here that they are dead on the streets, left for the buzzards and crows and bugs to feed on while the world that could not longer tolerate the Message of Christ celebrates that no one is wracking their consciences with the truth.  Some suggest this 3 and a half day period corresponds with the three and half years from the date of the Fifth Lateran Council declaring end to protest to the Popes until the time Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Church.  This Historicist view comes from the idea that the prophets here represent the many original protestant groups from the early Catholic eras. They base the analysis on the idea that the dead bodies of many of those protesters were left with nowhere to be buried since they were denied sacred burial ground by excommunication.   I mention this since it demonstrates again the way we reach to match events to Scripture and suit our own thesis when we are faced with one simple detail that was impossible then but very possible now thanks to satellites and vast television networks:

 9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
 10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

One need only point out that no one in Australia  at that time saw any of those early Protestant dead bodies to prove that not all "nations" witnessed the terrors of the Dark Ages. Now, all peoples CAN see those bodies which was obviously impossible until the last decade or so.  Men may make all their thesis based on  their own limited knowledge, making Historicist and Preterist beliefs seem much more accurate for a time.  They could hold sway BEFORE Israel was reborn, before the advent of USSR as a world power and even when it looked like Russia was fallen.  Yet God raised them up again as He resurrected the dry bones of Israel.  As he enabled the scientific advances that  men  now bring to witness   the world wide destruction He predicted, even as that ability has increased the egos of the men controlling the weapons of that advance, into seeing themselves as gods. 

The two witnesses are real people who will evangelize a world that has lost the sense of the Voice of God, shouting at the spiritually deaf until the ears of some are opened. And their deaths will echo throughout the following  three and a half years in the lives of those they convert, in the face of the worst times in human history even into martyrdom.  Saving some despite the odds.  It says a lot about all of us that their words and acts of obedience will matter while we are arguing about their names.  We all lose focus too easily.   

Meanwhile what awaits the world after the end of the Russian battle, events  all wrapped around these main characters, forms the story of humanity's last days in our Fallen Flesh. And of God's last valiant efforts to get us home before it is too late.  Efforts partly founded in the 144,000 and the witnesses.  The  efforts are called judgements. As with any judgement, the one judged can accept the verdict and repent or just keep going.   Really, what we will spend a few future posts on will be the last hopes, the calls of God to those who never listened before.  

 But , first we have to pause for a consideration of our End Times view.  
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