The Beast worshippers think the Two Witnesses are responsible for the terrible plagues that have come on them.

.....Their deaths seems to prove that the Antichrist is greater than Christ.

People all over are happy and this time it looks like the representatives of God have lost. The bodies of the Two Witnesses lay in the streets of Jerusalem.

The followers of the Beast will celebrate an "Antichrist-mas". They will send gifts to one another.

................Christmas will have long been stopped, with most people, from being a reverent observation of Jesus' birthday.

.................It is now a commerial holiday. It is only a winter holiday with Santa, his deer and gift giving.

There is little worship of Christ,
God's gift to the world!

In his moment of victory, the Antichrist cannot keep from gratifying his hatred for the Two Witnesses so he orders their dead bodies to be left on the street.

..............No one will be able to doubt that they are really dead.

The Antichrist is Satan's counterfeit of Jesus Christ.

........He is commited to change and force everyone to turn against God.

.............Political and church leaders will weaken under the Antichrist's charm.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-11
"Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:..."

The Two Witnesses have been a curse to the antichrist.

.......He presents himself as a superman, to the people of the world, the one who could solve all their problems. The world eagerly turns to him as he convinces them he is able to deal with all the chaos.

He is seen as the man for the job!

Only in the day we are now living , is it possible for 'every eye to see' what is happening all around the world.

..........Through television and the internet that has been greatly developed over the past 20 years will 100's of millions of people be able to see or witness the same event at the same time.

....................The Antichrist's program to impress himself on the people of the world will be very simple.

Just like Jesus, the Two Witnesses bodies are resurrected after three days.






Then they are
caught up to
heaven.







Here those who hate them will actually see their deaths and resurrections. It will take place in Jerusalem.

One scholar writes: The two witnesses re-enact the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Their ministry being about three years the same as Jesus

...............................Their bodies will not be buried because the Antichrist will not make the same mistake that Pilot made when he allowed Jesus to be buried in such a way that it might be stolen or made some how to disappear.

......No, he wants them left in the street for everyone to see.

The Beast hates the Witnesses so he leaves their corpses in the street for everyone to see.

.............................It's no doubt that he does it so that he can prove to the people that the Witnesses are truly dead.

The Two Witnesses testimony is finished.

............They die but it's a small victory for the Antichrist.

.....................Three days later they are resurrected right in front of those who were rejoicing over their death.

The true Israel will accept the claims of God.

.....Multitudes under the influence of the Antichrist will continue to follow him.

.....After finishing their testimony the Witnesses will be slain. But the joy of the worshippers of the Beast will be brief.

.....In three days after their death, the Witnesses will be raised from the dead.

When the Antichrist is known, the question will also be, who is God....he or Jehovah?

.......But this time the False Prophet is able to call fire down too, so the test will not be definite. The False Prophet will be able to duplicate the miracle similar to the magicians of Egypt with Moses.

Elijah hasn't lost his power to call down fire.

He will bring fire from heaven on his enemies, again.

....."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." Revelation 11:5

Elijah's fire

contest

Elijah won against the prophets of Baal, in a test of fire, during the days of Israel's kingdom.

..........He said, "And the God that answereth by fire, let him be god." 1 Kings 18:24

When the fire fell at Elijah's command, the people fell on their faces and said, "The Lord He is God; the Lord He is God". verse 39

........His success in the contest between God and Baal was the way of turning the people back from Baal worship to the worship of Jehovah.

When the testimony of the Two Witnesses is done, the Beast [Antichrist] overcomes them.

......The Beast is not destroyed right away. He continues a while longer, until he is defeated at Armageddon.

......In the meantime he and his followers go through the Vial judgments.

The Beast's [Antichrist's] covenant with the Jews will bring about Daniel's Seventieth Week, which half way through the covenant will be broken.

..............The 42 months of the Great Tribultion follows the breaking of the covenant.

.......At this time the Two Witnesses begin their prophecying and the Beast becomes their enemy.

The Antichist will have a deceptive, harmless appearance, but inside there will be ruthless hatred, and the fires of hell.

..........The first confirmation of his identity may be his covenant with the Jews.
..........This event may not take place until after the rapture.

The rise of the Antichrist will take a few years.

........At the beginning he may appear unimportant.

In fact he may not be recognized and rising to power some place in the world right now, with nothing about him to mark him or give warning of the terrible course he will take.

The Two Witnesses appear during the Great Tribulation. For they come BEFORE the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord which is the time of the Tribulation.

Revelation 13:5 says that the Beast, or Antichrist, will have power over tongues, people and nations for 42 months.

.......This is the time of the Great Tribulation when the Beast has complete control over ten kingdoms and over many other small nations.

.......At that time many will believe him to be the world's great deliver.

The Two Witnesses that Zechariah saw are ministers of Christ who will be a big part at the end-time,

*Turning the hearts of the children to the fathers,
*Turning the hearts of the fathers to the children,

........Even though the Witnesses come with the ministry of judgment, they are ministers of mercy.

.....Their ministry in turning the hearts of the people back to God, stops the judgments, so that the earth is not struck with a curse.

Malachi 4:6
"And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."

Zechariah closes his prophecies with the:

*Battle of Armageddon

*Capture and destruction of Jerusalem

*Jesus returning and striking the Beast with a consuming plague

*Beginning of the Millennium [1000 year rule of Jesus on the earth]

Zechariah chapter 13 describes Israel's repentence and the cleansing of their land.

..........Two-thirds of the people perish.

..................But one-third will be left. That one-third, God will bring through the fire, and redeem in the refining process. (Zechariah 13:8-9)

Zechariah fortells the rise of the Antichrist and his doom; of the uniting of nations against Jerusalem in the Battle of Armageddon. How at that time, God will deal with His people Israel and how they will accept Christ as their Messiah.

................They will see Him, with sorrow, as the One they have pierced. They will weep and mourn because of Him.

Zechariah is the Old Testament book which refers to the Two Witnesses and their ministry [in chapter 4].

................This same book tells of the results of their ministry. Zechariah forsees the coming of the Lord in glory, and of the Righteous Branch who will build the temple after His return. He speaks of the restoration of Jerusalem and of the salvation of the remnant of God's turning again to the Jew, after many centuries.

As John the Baptist's ministry was being the forerunner of Jesus's first coming, Elijah and his
companion will be messengers to prepare the way of the Lord.

............................................This would fulfill Jesus' words after John the Baptist had died, "Elsias truly shall first come, and restore all things". Matthew 17:11

............................................The disciples had just seen Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration, and they understood that it was the same Elijah who would come and restore Israel to her appointed place.

Malachi 4:5-6
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."

...............As Elijah was a voice that called Israel back to God in the days of the Old Testament, he and the other witness will call them again.

...............As Elijah called fire out of heaven, pronounced drought, punished the false prophets, and called for Israel to return to God, he will do it again.

Jeremiah tells how that after the Lord had scattered the children of Israel among all nations, they shall be recovered from "all countries whither I have driven them", and "they shall fear no more", and God "shall rise unto David a righteous BRANCH, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice on earth. In his days, Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely. . . ." Jeremiah 23:3-6

At the time of the Two Witnesses' deaths and resurrections, we are told that "the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven".
...........................................................................
In Revelation 12:17, we are told of a "remnant" who "keep the commandments of God".

The Two Witnesses' testimony are not only of the judgments, they also will have converts.
.......................................................
Many will heed their testimony while many will go on the insane course charmed by the Antichrist.
.....................................................
Their testimony is centered in Jerusalem. Their message is for the Jews although in verse 9 it is affecting the whole world.