| Subject: The Resurrections Post #8 |
Author:
Hillbilly
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Date Posted: 19:56:33 03/25/10 Thu
Resurrection #5: Having looked at the first 4 resurrections which were Jesus Christ, the saints of Matthew 27:52, the spiritual resurrection of the soul and the resurrection/rapture of the Church we now move to the next resurrection. Resurrection #5 is found in Revelation11:3-13 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 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.
The setting and context is the tribulation period. The two witness are in my opinion Moses and Elijah. They are the two greatest characters associated with the "Law and the Prophets" in the eyes of the Jews. It was Moses and Elias (Elijah) who appeared with Jesus on the mountain where Jesus was transfigured. Some object that Moses had died but that does not prevent it from being Moses. Jude 9 records a dispute between Michael the archangel and the devil over the body of Moses. Jude9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. I suggest the reason for the dispute is that God was raising Moses back in his natural body in order for him to be one of the witnesses in Revelation 11. The devil was crying foul as Moses was taken from his normal lot and placed in a special lot for a special reason and unique resurrection.
The events portrayed above in Revelation 11 fits all the criteria for a resurrection from the natural to the spiritual. From the moment of the "come up hither", Moses will never die again. As it stood Moses fit in the same category of Lazarus. Lazarus was dead four days and stunk. We don't know how long Moses was dead but it doesn't matter. Four days or four thousand years makes no difference to God. He is able!
This resurrection of Moses and Elijah will probably be concurrent with another group that will be raised during the tribulation. In Revelation 7 we are introduced to a group consisting of 12,000 out of each of the 12 tribes of Israel. The total number is 144,000 AND THEY ARE NOT JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES! Each group is named specific to a tribe of Israel. They are sealed from being harmed by the terrible things that take place during the tribulation. My personal belief is that their work will be to go out two by two into the world and witness of the wrath of God about to be poured out on the earth. The anti-Christ and his bunch won't be able to stop these witnesses. Moses and Elias will be witnesses in Israel and Jerusalem and the 144,000 will have the rest of the world. Over in Revelation 14 we run into the 144,000 again and we can readily see they are no longer on the earth. Revelation14:1-5 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: 3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: (see Rev. chap. 5) and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. We should notice the word "firstfruits" again with this resurrection. It could point to these being the first to be resurrected in this dispensation as the dispensation of the Church age is closed. The firstfruits of Matt. 27:52 were pre-church age saints. Different grain and fruit harvests came at different times so you would have firstfruits of the harvest at different times. The barley harvest and the wheat harvest fell at different times.
For proof this is a resurrection/rapture which takes place before the end of the tribulation we need only look a little further down in chapter 14. Revelation14:6-20 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. (notice God's judgment is about to fall on the earth) 8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. (it is my belief that Babylon falls toward the end of the tribulation) 9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, (the anti-Christ is still in power) and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. 12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. 13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. (from verse 14 to the end of this chapter show the harvest of he earth and it is after the witnesses and the 144,000 are raised) 14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. 17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
Some say the resurrection of the witnesses and 144,000 mark the middle of the tribulation but I am not positive of the time. My own leaning is toward the middle of the last half of the tribulation but that is just a guess. If the two witnesses start at day one of the 7 year tribulation then, yes, it is a mid-tribulation resurrection. The prophecy is that they prophecy (preach) for 1,260 days which is 42 months which is 3 1/2 years. Every day away from the start of the tribulation places them a day further from the exact middle of the tribulation so I'm guessing somewhere past the mid-point of the "great tribulation" which is the last half of the 7 year tribulation period.
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