Tribulation Special Lesson 6   The Witnesses
	
	Besides the faithful believers being witnesses during the tribulation period, there are two special groups of witnesses: the 144,000 Jewish evangelists and the Two Witnesses, Moses and Elijah. Both of these special groups do their ministry in the first half of the tribulation. 

	The 144,000 

	We first learn of the 144,000 witnesses in Rev. 7:3.

	The chapter opens with the four angels standing at the four corners 	of the earth, holding back any damage done on the earth or sea until these 144,000 witnesses are sealed (7:1-3).
	
	Their Seal and Mark of Protection 

	Rev. 7:3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the 		trees, until we have sealed the slaves of our God on their 		foreheads.”

	The four angels are directed to withhold doing any physical damage to the earth or sea until these “slaves of God,” the 144,000 are sealed. 
	A slave is more than just servant. He belongs to God. God is his Master. The seal on the forehead indicates ownership by God which includes provision and protection. 
	The forehead marking both anticipates and in a sense counters the mark of the beast (Rev. 13:6-7). For the believer it is a sign of ownership.
	Our seal today is the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14;4:30).

	This seal alludes back to Ezekiel 9.

	During the time of  Ezekiel 9 ff. , Israel was in apostasy. Before the punishment falls upon the people, the LORD said:

	Ezek. 9:4 And the LORD said to him, “Pass through the 		city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads 	of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations 		that are committed in it.”
	Ezek. 9:5 And to the others he said in my hearing, “Pass 		through the city after him, and strike. Your eye shall not 		spare, and you shall show no pity.
	Ezek. 9:6 Kill old men outright, young men and maidens, 		little children and women, but touch no one on whom is 		the mark. And begin at my sanctuary.” So they began 			with the elders who were before the house.

	The mark is probably the Hebrew letter tav, the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet, which in  
 ת	modern script			
		ancient script would appear as an X or t

	You can see how the ancient Hebrew script would have it looking more like a X for the name of Christ or the cross. 

	As the tav would indicate belonging to God so the mark of the beast would indicate belonging to Satan. 

	In the same passage, there is a prediction with a near and far fulfillment for the people coming back to the land. 

	Ezek. 11:17 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: I 			will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of 		the countries where you have been scattered, and I will 		give you the land of Israel.’
	Ezek. 11:18 And when they come there, they will remove 		from it all its detestable things and all its abominations.
	Ezek. 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and a new 			spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of 		stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,
	Ezek. 11:20 that they may walk in my statutes and keep 		my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and 	I will be their God.

	The new heart and new spirit anticipates the New Covenant which will be in effect during the tribulation. 
	
	Their Number									                                              	
	
	Rev. 7:4  And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, 		sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: 
	(5) From the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, 
	from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand, 
	from the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand,
	(6) from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand, 
	from the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand, 
	from the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand,
	(7) from the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand, 
	from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand, 
	from the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand,
	(8) from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand, 
	from the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand, 
	from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.

	In four verses four groups with three tribes each are said to have twelve thousand from each tribe sealed. No question that these 144,000 will be some of the most aggressive witnesses and stalwarts for Christ the world has ever known, yet heavily attacked from the forces of Satan. Demonic forces will try and prevent them from functioning and fulfilling their special mission to evangelize unbelieving Jews throughout the world during the tribulation period. This special protection marked by the seal enables them to withstand the multiple supernatural assaults on them. This protection would include primarily spiritual protection. 

	There is no reason to think this 144,000 Jews is not literal. The angel speaks going through the tribes and numbers precisely, associating every one with a tribe of Israel and a number. This is not a symbolic pattern. It is too detailed and precise. 

	Their Service

	A significant number of Jewish men identified with their tribe from Israel will be sent out serving the Lord, reaching out to Jews in particular to witness for Christ. Many unbelieving Jews will hear the gospel from a fellow Jew and possibly tribe. Just as the twelve apostles and Paul and several of his associates did. 

	It is expected that they will minister in the same patterns as we know the twelve and seventy-two did from instructions from our Lord during his ministry. Moses and Elijah are two. 

	Work in pairs         Mark 6:7;Luke 10:1

	Target audience is the Jews   Matt. 10:5-6,23

	Message is to evangelize    Luke 9:2,6,11

	Accredited by miracles  Matt. 10:8; Mark 3:15;6:7; Luke 		9:2,6

	To be dependent on the Lord for provision and protection.
	Matt. 10:9-14 Luke 9:3-4; 22:35

	Persecuted and hated  Matt. 10:22-23; Mark 13:13;Luke 		21:12-19; John 15:18-21

	Many Jews will respond to the gospel convert to Christ and will start to return to the land, worship with memorial sacrifices, and experience the ministries of Moses and Elijah in Jerusalem.   

	It also makes sense that the 144,000 that they will be working with Moses and Elijah, perhaps even under their supervision. 

	Their Redemption 

	In chapter 14 of Revelation, John begins to write of his vision seeing the 144,000 with the Lamb, Jesus Christ.  

	14:1  Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb standing on 			Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000, who had his 			name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.

	The name written on the forehead indicates ownership, to Christ and God the Father. We just saw this in 7:3 as marking them as slaves to God.
	Christ here is symbolized as the sacrificial Lamb with the 144,000 on the heavenly Mount Zion. 

	14:2  And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of 		many 	waters and like the sound of loud thunder. Now the 	voice I heard was like harpists playing on their harps, (3)  	and they were singing a new song before the throne and 		before the four living creatures and the elders. No one 			could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been 		redeemed from the earth.

	Though the voice is “from heaven” making one first think that their location is on earth, the further description of their location before the throne with the four living creatures and elders indicates they are on the heavenly Mt. Zion. 
	They are singing a new song because it is about a new event which is the redemption of the 144,000 from the earth. 	
They have been redeemed from the earth.
	Like all believers they have been purchased by the blood of Christ (1 Pet. 1:18-19). 
									                                                    5
	The 144,000 Jewish evangelists get a wonderful look at their future with the Lord. They can be confident of their destiny no matter how difficult their mission may be-- no matter how much persecution they go through, including martyrdom  

	Their Character  

	14:4 These are those who have not defiled themselves 			with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow 		the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed 		from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, (5) and 	in their mouth no lie was found; they are blameless.
		
	They lived pure and blameless lives. Their purity is described as not being defiled with sexual sins. They also remained virgin indicating stayed single. 
	The tribulation will be a time of great sexual temptation. 
	They are said to “follow the Lamb wherever he goes.” 
Following Christ is one of the frequent descriptions of those who are faithful to Christ (Matt. 4:19; 8:22; 9:9; 10:38* etc.).  

	Amidst all the corruption, temptation, demonic activity, and attacks the 144,000 remain fully dedicated to the Lord. 

	As Firstfruits in Martyrdom

	14:4b These have been redeemed from mankind 	as 				firstfruits for God and the Lamb, 

	“These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God.” Firstfruits comes from the Israelite practice of dedicating the first of the harvest in thanksgiving to the Lord. (Deut. 26:1-11). Here the 144,000 are shown to be some of if not the most dedicated believers on earth and will set the standard of not only purity and faithfulness but martyrdom. 
	No doubt they will be special targets of Satan and his demonic forces during their life on earth as the world becomes more corrupt. They live in a time when the standard of the day is lies and corruption. 
	This scene shows their faithfulness supreme. They did not lie and were blameless. Not lying and blameless are two of the rarest traits in the human race. 
 	Blameless is comparable to the Hebrew word tamin, the term used for a sacrifice without blemish and used for our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:19). These men were about as close to perfect in conduct as a human can be. 

	These 144,000 lived stellar lives in the eyes of God, serving Christ to the fullest — all the way to the end of their lives. 
												                                    
	The Two Witnesses

	John is writing about events that happen between his description of the sixth and seventh trumpet judgments.  
	Here is that section of the outline--

	D. The Seven Trumpets and Further Interludes 					   (8:2-14:20)
     		    1. The First Four Trumpets (8:2-13)
     		    2. The Fifth Trumpet- First Woe (9:1-12)
     		    3. The Sixth Trumpet-Second Woe (9:13-21)
               4. The Interlude of the Little Scroll, Temple 			   		   	   Measurements and the Two Witnesses 								(10:1-11:14)
        		   a. John and the Little Scroll (10:1-11)
        	         b. Temple Measurements and the Two 								   Witnesses 				(11:1-14)	
		    5. The Seventh Trumpet- Third Woe: Anticipating 				   God's Rule (11:15-19)		

		Their Connection to the Temple

	Rev. 11:1-2 speaks of John being told to measure the anticipated tribulational temple, altar and worshippers in the tribulation. He is not to measure the courtyard because it will be given over to the unbeliever Gentiles for forty-two months, that is the second half of the tribulation when the antichrist takes control of the temple and worship. 
	The size of the temple or altar is not given. 
	Without having any more specifics in the Scripture, it is probable that the temple will be built rather quickly, perhaps a few months. 

[The tabernacle which was 30L X 9W X 10H cubits 	45’L X 13.5’W X 15’H (Ex. 26:15-25);  Solomon’s temple which was 60L X 20W X 30H cubits  90’L X  30’W X 45’H (1 Kg. 6:1-6).
	Moses altar was 8’ X 8’, Solomon’s over 30’ X 30’.]

	It is after this we are introduced to the two witnesses. 

	11:3  “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and 	they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” 

	It is significant that John mentions the two witnesses in connection with the building of the temple using the conjunction kai translated “and.” This indicates that their ministry is linked to the temple. Their witnessing will take place for the 1260 days or the first half of the tribulation. 
They are dressed in sackcloth, that of some prophets who led an austere life (e.g. John the Baptist Matt. 3:4; Elijah 2 Kgs. 1:8 ). Sackcloth was made of some coarse cloth or animal hair.

	As the Two Olive Trees and Two Lampstands

	11:4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands 
	that stand before the Lord of the earth. 

	The two olive trees is an allusion is to Zechariah where he describes the two olive trees feeding the golden lampstand. These two olive trees represented the two anointed “who stand by the Lord of the whole earth” (Zech. 4:10-14), Joshua the priest (Zech. 3:1) and Zerubbabel the governor (Zech. 4:6–7). These were the leaders of Israel and were charged to rebuild the temple after their return from exile. 
	This sets up a parallel with the two witnesses being  instrumental in the rebuilding of the temple, further confirming their ministry early in the first half of the tribulation. 
	The two lampstands picture them as empowered and having divine authority as witnesses before God to the people. They will provide the light of truth providing many the opportunity to turn to Christ as the Messiah.

		Their Identity

	These two witnesses are Moses and Elijah. Moses received the instructions for the tabernacle and Elijah was a major prophet during one of the worst times of apostasy in Israel. In addition these two appeared with our Lord Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-13) which is a preview of the coming kingdom. Elijah was also predicted to come before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD (Mal. 4:5), which in the same passage is connected to Moses (Mal. 4:4). Elijah is to turn the hearts of the people back to God (Mal. 4:6). So we can expect the thrust of preaching to be evangelistic. 

		Their Miraculous Self-Defense and Power

	(5) And if anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of 		their mouth and devours their enemies; and so if anyone 		wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. (6) 			These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain 			will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they 	have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and 		to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they 			desire. 

	They have miraculous power for their own self-defense and the ability to bring curses on their opposition, which probably go hand in hand with the trumpet judgments. In other words, the unbelievers of the world will experience their own set of plagues like the Egyptians of Moses’ day. 

		Their Martyrdom 

	(7) When they have finished their testimony, the beast 			that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, 		and overcome them and kill them. (8) And their dead 			bodies will lie on the street of the great city which 				spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their 		Lord was crucified. (9) And those from the peoples, tribes, 		languages, and nations will look at their dead bodies for 		three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies 	to be laid in a tomb. (10) And those who live on the earth 		will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send 		gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented 	those who live on the earth.

	The beast-antichrist will be allowed to kill them and display their bodies publically for three and a half days. The general public will celebrate. 

		Their Resuscitation

	Note: The term resuscitation is distinguished from resurrection. Resuscitation is a reviving of bringing back life into the same body. Resurrection refers to receiving both life and an eternal resurrection body. 

	(11) And after the three and a half days, the breath of life 		from God entered in them, and they stood on their feet; 
	and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. 		(12) And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to 		them, 	“Come up here.” And they went up into heaven in 
	the cloud, and their enemies watched them. (13) And at 
	that time there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the 	city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the 				earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to 		the God of heaven.

	God will bring the two witnesses back to life by giving their bodies “the breath of life” and they will be called up to heaven in their interim bodies. Their enemies will witness this. A great earthquake will occur in Jerusalem, seven thousand will be killed. The people will realize that the true God was on the two witnesses side. These enemies will go from celebration to being terrified and giving glory to God.