THE SATANIC WAR & THE TWO WITNESSES

The Satanic War and its Effect on the Witnesses 11:7-10

"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." "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." "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." "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."

 

The Destruction of the Witnesses vs. 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."

 

 

The Time of Destruction

This is at the conclusion of their testimony, the completion of their mission in the earth.
This comes at the end of 42 months, at the close of the first 3 1/2 years (11:3).

"And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth."

The Agent of Destruction

This is the beast that ascendeth out of the Abyss. This is the beast of Rev. 13:1; 17:3, 8; 19:19-20; 20:10). This is the Antichrist, the head of the revived Roman Empire.

"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy."

"So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns." "The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is."

"And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army." "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone."

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

The Nature of the Destruction

The beast makes war with them: the magni­tude of the attempt.
He overcomes them: the outcome of the attempt.
He finally kills them: the purpose of the attempt.

The Humiliation of the Witnesses vs. 8-9

"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." "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."

The Place of Their Humiliation vs. 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."

The physical location is the streets of the great city. There their bodies are allowed to lie.
The spiritual location is the Sodom and Egypt of the world. So low and sinful has this city become that it is like Sodom and Egypt.
The geographical location is the city of Jerusalem. This is the place where Christ was crucified. It is not surprising that His witnesses are killed there and their bodies exposed to humiliation.

The Extremity of Their Humiliation vs. 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."

The Publicity Given the Bodies

They are exposed to the view of the people of the world. This may be a reference to television of the end time.

The Period of Time

This covers a full 3 1/2 days. In that hot climate they will have begun to decay and decompose and to be eaten with worms, to say nothing of the odor.

The Prohibition of Burial

The proper and decent thing to do with bodies, even of the enemy, is to bury. But this is the only earthly remains, and to satisfy their hatred they vent their wrath upon that which remains.

The Exultation Over the Witnesses vs. 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."

 

The Extent of Exultation

Apparently all that dwell upon the earth are included in this rejoicing group.

The Nature of Exultation

The people make merry to the extent of sending gifts to one another. This is surely the devil's Christmas.

The Reason for Exultation

Because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt upon the earth. These prophets were witnesses only. They proclaimed a message. When others tried to do them harm, they defended themselves by the miraculous power granted to them. There is therefore only one explanation, and it is this: The message they brought was the thing that tormented people. This simply means that humanity has become too incorrigible in its unbelief and that any message of truth is a torment to them.

By their testimony, 144,000 of the Jews are sealed. They are led to believe the truth and to rebel against Antichrist. This not only stirs up Antichrist, but it is regarded as a direct insult by all those who pledge allegiance to him. The war organized against the two witnesses is doubtless great because the two witnesses were able to defend themselves miracu­lously and the 144,000 were sealed against any harm.