January 2022

The Two Witnesses of Revelation: Enoch and Elijah

May 22, 2023

And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. (Revelation 11:3-4). Here in the opening verses of the eleventh chapter of the book of Revelation are we introduced to the Two Witnesses. Over the years many have speculated over their identity. Some say that the Two Witnesses are Moses and Elijah, while others hold to the belief that the Two Witnesses are Enoch and Elijah. It is the opinion of this author that the Two Witnesses of Revelation chapter eleven are indeed Enoch and Elijah, and not Moses and Elijah. That being said let us now look at these claims a little deeper.

First off, when paring the two suggestions for the identification of the Two Witnesses, Elijah is always a candidate, while Moses and Enoch are interchangeable as possible partners with Elijah. Now we know from scripture that Elijah will return prior to the coming of the Lord. For as it is written in Malachi 4:5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.” So here we see scripture confirming scripture as identifying one of the Two Witnesses. It is also interesting to note that after the time of their prophecy the Two Witnesses will be killed by the Antichrist, and since Elijah has not yet died, but will be one of those being martyred during the great Tribulation, then the other witness must be a prophet who also has not yet died. For as we read in Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”

The Bible goes on to state that the Two Witnesses, “…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. (Revelation 11:6). The power to shut heaven that it not rain is reminiscent of the days of Elijah when he caused it not to rain for a period of three and a half years by the word of the Lord. (1 Kings 17:1). The power to turn water to blood, and to smite the earth with plagues is likened to the works that the prophet Moses performed as recorded in the book of Exodus. But in the book of Deuteronomy it is written that, “…Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.” (Deuteronomy 34:5). So the fact that Moses died would eliminate him as one of the Two Witnesses, especially due to the fact that the Two Witnesses will be killed and then resurrected three days after their deaths. If Moses is one of the Two Witnesses, then that would mean that God would have to raise him from the dead only for Moses to die again and be resurrected again, as we see the Two Witnesses being resurrected in Revelation 11:11. Remember, it is appointed unto men once to die, not twice.

Now that we can eliminate Moses as one of the Two Witnesses, the only man left to fill this office is the prophet Enoch. Being the seventh from Adam, Enoch is also believed to be the first prophet after Adam. The Bible Illustrates that, “…Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” (Genesis 5:24). Enoch did not die, but was translated that he might not see death (Hebrews 11:5), and since it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment then there will come a day when Enoch too must die. Just as Elijah is still alive, and so Enoch too still lives then the prophets Enoch and Elijah fit perfectly into the role of the persons known as the Two Witnesses.

A very strange and amazing supernatural ability of the Two Witnesses is that if any man will attempt to hurt them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies. (Revelation 11:5). At first glance this would almost seem impossible and nothing like what any prophet has ever done including Jesus Christ. However, if we look at this as an allegory then we can better understand this difficult verse of scripture. The prophets of the Old Testament were known to be fiery, Elijah himself was very acquainted with fire. But the most fiery thing about all the prophets were the words that proceeded out of their mouths. They had the power to convict people of sin, which I can assume burned the conscience of the sinners they addressed. Jesus too spoke many things which burned into the very core of His enemies. So the fact that the Two Witnesses are given enough of the fire of the Holy Spirit to defend themselves from people that want to hurt them is truly a miracle. For this fire that comes out of the mouths of the Two Witnesses and destroys their enemies is none other than the pure and unadulterated Word of God.

Though protected from evil people who try to hurt them, the Two Witnesses will indeed be killed. The Bible states that when they have finished their testimony, the beast from the bottomless pit shall overcome them and kill them. (Revelation 11:7). This will happen during the midpoint of the seven year period known as the Tribulation. On top of their martyrdom no one will bury their bodies, and they shall lie in the street of the great city, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. (Revelation 11:8). Now we know that Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem outside the city walls, so to compare the holy city to Sodom and Egypt must mean that during the reign of the Antichrist, Jerusalem will be totally wrapped up in the worship of the beast and his image. Going further the people of the earth will rejoice and send each other gifts in celebration of the deaths of the Two Witnesses who tormented them who dwelt upon the earth. However, after three and a half days the Spirit of life from God entered them, and they stood up, and great fear fell upon them which saw them. 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. (Revelation 11:9-12).

This resurrection of the Two Witnesses is like that of Christ’s resurrection, for now the Two Witnesses have incorruptible bodies allowing flesh to enter heaven. For since there is not a man who lives and does not sin, then even though the Two Witnesses are holy men, before their resurrection there is still sin in their bodies preventing their flesh from entering heaven. Once they have died, and are judged, then will they be resurrected and given an incorruptible body. Just as Jesus Christ is the firstborn of the dead, at the Second Coming of Christ all the faithful will also be granted incorruptible bodies. For as it is written in 1 John 3:2, “…when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” Thus with the deaths the Two Witnesses Enoch and Elijah the scriptures are fulfilled which point out that human flesh is mortal.

In conclusion, the Two Witnesses of Revelation are indeed the the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth, and who will one day give the witness of Jesus Christ before an apostate mankind during the era of the Antichrist. Though some may say that the Two Witnesses are really two angels or that they represent both the Old and New Testaments, I believe it is safe to say that the Two Witnesses are indeed two men given from the outline of what has been previously stated. Though Moses and Elijah appeared at the transfiguration of Christ, I believe it was the spirit of Moses that appeared, unlike Elijah who must have appeared physically. Together, Moses and Elijah represent the law and the prophets, which Christ fulfilled during His ministry. Now you may be wondering as to where Enoch and Elijah could be. If they cannot be in heaven does that mean they are still walking the earth? Now this is only a theory, but since the Fathers of the Church relate that the Garden of Eden is in a state between corruptibility and incorruptibility, then this would be a more suitable place for men made up of body and soul to enter into and dwell in before the resurrection. Though we may not be able to interpret with certainty the myriads of mysteries contained in the book of Revelation, it is still a blessing to read this book as is pondering upon the story of the Two Witnesses: Enoch and Elijah.

Is the Abaddon of Revelation the Angel of Death in Exodus?

May 23, 2023

When the Lord sent Moses to deliver the Children of Israel from the bondage of Pharaoh, the Lord also sent many plagues upon the land of the Egyptians. The tenth and final plague would be known as The Passover. For this plague would destroy all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn in Pharaoh’s house, to the firstborn among the servants, even to the firstborn of all the animals. The Lord instructed Moses that the congregation of Israel, every man according to the house of their fathers, should take a lamb for that house. They were to kill it in the evening, and take of the blood and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, where inside they would eat the lamb.

This ritual was to protect the Children of Israel from the plague of The Passover. For the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, “…I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast…and the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:12,13). Moses himself would go on to tell the elders of Israel that, “…the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.” (Exodus 12:23).

From what we see here in these verses from the Book of Exodus, it is the Lord that passes over the house with the blood of a lamb on the door posts and lintel, and it is also the Lord that does not allow “the destroyer” to enter that house to smite the firstborn. So, it would seem that there is a duality of persons involved in the execution of the tenth and last plague upon the land of Egypt. The Lord passes through the land of Egypt that night, but “the destroyer” is the one who smites the firstborn. It is common to hear “the destroyer” of the plague of The Passover being called the Angel of Death, but nowhere in either the Old or New Testament is that phrase found. However, the name of “the destroyer” is found in the New Testament book of The Revelation of St. John the Divine.

Now the book of Revelation is filled with both the blessings and promises of God. It is also filled with the judgments of God and plagues, that in many ways mirror the plagues God sent upon the land of Egypt in the days of The Exodus. In Revelation chapter 9, a most frightening plague of supernatural locusts are sent to torment, “…those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.” (Revelation 9:4). This plague of locusts sent unto the future inhabitants of the earth, is strikingly akin to the plague of locusts sent unto the ancient Egyptians. The fact that these future and supernatural locusts only hurt the people of the earth who have not the seal of God in their foreheads, would echo the office of “the destroyer” in Exodus who smites the firstborn of every house in Egypt without the blood of a lamb on the door posts and lintel.

Going further, these locusts of Revelation who arise from the bottomless pit, “…had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.” (Revelation 9:11). The Hebrew term adaddon appears six times in the Masoretic text of the Hebrew Bible, and has the meaning of destruction or “place of destruction,” or realm of the dead. The Greek Apollyon comes from apollymi, which means “to destroy,” while the Greek term Apollyon itself directly translates to “the destroyer.” So, here we could argue that this angel of the bottomless pit mentioned in Revelation, who is named as “the destroyer” could quite possibly be linked to “the destroyer” mentioned in the Book of Exodus, who smites the firstborn in the land of ancient Egypt.

In conclusion, it is not the intent of this author to forge Biblical doctrine from what has been presented, but rather inspire individual study of the holy scriptures, and to challenge the believer to think. There are indeed many mysteries of the Bible, and several interpretations of these mysteries, and more than a few schools of theology, all with differing opinions of the meaning of these oracles. That being said, may we all take into consideration the myriad of possibilities that have come down to us over the centuries concerning the deep mysteries presented in the pages of the Holy Bible. Hopefully, together and in cooperation we can assist each other in the study, as well as in the understanding of God’s Holy Word. As it is written in Isiah 1:18 – “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD…”

 

References:

Green, J.P. The Interlinear Hebrew-Greek-English Bible. (Lafayette, IN: Sovereign Grace Publishers, 2000).

Zondervan. The Holy Bible, King James Version. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009).

Biblical Parallels in Ancient Sumer

May 23, 2023

Ancient Sumer is the earliest known civilization of Mesopotamia, located in the southeastern most region of the Fertile Crescent. Some of the first settlements or cities of Sumer were Uruk, Akkad, and Ur. The names of these Sumerian cities are paralleled with similar names found in the Bible, which describe the same geographical locations. For example, Sumerian Uruk is known as Erech in the tenth chapter of the book of Genesis where Akkad, or Accad is also found. A direct parallel of Sumeria and the Bible, is the ancient city state of Ur of the Chaldees. Not only was Ur one of the main settlements of Sumer, it was also the birthplace of the patriarch and prophet Abraham. Since Abraham has Sumerian roots, so too does the Bible share in this ancient Mesopotamian legacy.

The Sumerian language was first written down on clay tablets around 3,200 BC, and was the first language to be written in the cuneiform script. Even though Sumer was in the middle of Semitic civilizations, the Sumerian language was not a Semitic language. However, the Akkadian civilization to the north of Sumer spoke a different language but shared the use of cuneiform to write down their Semitic tongue. These ancient Mesopotamian civilizations not only shared a writing system, they also shared an immense literary library as well as a complex mythology. One such mythological literary work, which indeed possesses Biblical parallels, is the ancient Babylonian poem, “The Epic of Gilgamesh.”

Gilgamesh, the hero of the story, is stated to be two-thirds a god and one-third a mortal man. He is a might ruler, and a great builder. One could say he was a giant of a man. The Bible reveals that there were indeed giants in ancient times. The Bible tells us that the giants were mighty men, and men of renown, very much like the Gilgamesh of ancient Mesopotamia. One specific Biblical character that parallels Gilgamesh, is Nimrod. The Bibles states that Nimrod was a mighty one on the earth, and a mighty hunter. Nimrod is described as if he too were a giant. Also, the Bible says that the beginning of Nimrod’s kingdom was “Babel, and Erech, and Accad…in the land of Shinar.” (Genesis 10:10). From Babel we get Babylonia, and from Erech we have Sumerian Uruk. Thus the geography and personal stature of the Biblical Nimrod corresponds to the Babylonian Gilgamesh.

Moving past Genesis and looking into other books of the Holy Bible, we still see similarities with other ancient Mesopotamian historical figures and their accomplishments. For example, in around the year 1,754 BC, the Babylonian king Hammurabi put together a code of law, which in many ways echos the laws of Moses found in Leviticus. The Code of Hammurabi has laws of retaliation, such as “an eye for an eye,” which is also written in Leviticus 24:20. Though laws in the Code of Hammurabi are also found in the Bible, the law of Moses has many more laws in it than that of Hammurabi’s Code. For instance, the Code of Hammurabi consists of 282 laws while the law of Moses contains 613 commandments, far surpassing the laws of the Babylonian Code. Despite this difference the Code of Hammurabi is indeed an ancient Mesopotamian forerunner of the Biblical Mosaic Law.

Returning to the Epic of Gilgamesh we see a most dazzling parallel with the story of the Flood as recorded in the book of Genesis. In the Gilgamesh epic the gods decide to destroy the world with a Flood, but choose one man and his family to escape this judgment by constructing a boat. The Noah character is named Upnapishti, and like Noah he releases birds after the Flood to see if there is any dry land. Unlike Noah, Upnapishti is granted immortality, but Noah’s memory is still alive to this very day. And that might be the biggest parallel of the Bible and ancient Sumeria; the theme of how man is born only to die one day. In both cases the quest of mortals who seek immortality is to live a virtuous life, with the gift of Paradise and everlasting life awaiting them when their work in this life is over.

 

References:

George, A. The Epic of Gilgamesh. (London, England: Penguin Classics, 1999).

Kramer, S.N. History Begins at Sumer. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1959).

Roux, G. Ancient Iraq. (New York, NY: Penguin Books, Inc., 1992).