City of the two witnesses

[Shilohsfoal]

Ezekiel 9:6-9

"Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has thes mark. Begin at my sanctuary", so they begin with the old men who were in front of the temple. 

Then he said to them, "Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain, Go! So they went out and began killing throughout the city. 

While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell face down and crying out, Alas Sovereign Lord! Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath upon Jerusalem? 

He answrd me, "The sin of Israel and of Judah is exceedingly great, the land is full of bloodshed and the city full of injustice. They say the Lord has forsaken the land, The Lord does not see. 

[Shilohsfoal]

Mission accomplished. 

[Shilohsfoal]

Just look at what those two witnesses caused. Now God is destroying about everyone there. 

I think it would had been good if at least one of those two prophets had a talking donkey. 

 

[AdHoc]

On 5/25/2022 at 4:45 AM, Shilohsfoal said:

Ezekiel 9:6-9

"Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has thes mark. Begin at my sanctuary", so they begin with the old men who were in front of the temple. 

Then he said to them, "Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain, Go! So they went out and began killing throughout the city. 

While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell face down and crying out, Alas Sovereign Lord! Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath upon Jerusalem? 

He answrd me, "The sin of Israel and of Judah is exceedingly great, the land is full of bloodshed and the city full of injustice. They say the Lord has forsaken the land, The Lord does not see. 

 

Ezekiel is a very sad book. But it ends gloriously.

130 years earlier the northern Tribes were defeated and carried off to Assyria, never to e recovered till today. Judah has followed her stiff-necked brethren and their sin is so grievous that God has raised up Nebuchadnezzar to carry Judah off for 70 years of chastisement. But there is a problem. The God of glory, Who dwells in unapproachable light and Who inhabits eternity, still resides in the Temple at Jerusalem. Woe unto any man that comes near this holy God. Every one of Nebuchadnezzar's mighty men will be slaughtered in an instant if they breach the Temple. What does God do?

The first Chapters are a record of God leaving the Temple desolate. God's glory will no longer grace Solomon's Temple. For a hundred years to come, God will have no testimony and House on earth. What a shame after all that He did for Israel. How He loved Israel. How he took them out of Egypt with a strong arm. How he fed them and put up with their pollutions in the wilderness. And now the stink of Judah's idols has penetrated even the Holy of Holies. God must withdraw. And so we have the utter glory of God, Who Israel had the privilege to entertain, leaving the Temple and Jerusalem.

In Chapter 9  the slaughter of Jerusalem begins. But God, ever faithful to even those with feeble faith, sets a mark on men like Daniel. And just as the mechanisms of the Great Tribulation cannot hurt those sealed in Revelation 7:1-8, so the sword is diverted from those Israelites who are faithful i Daniel's time.

Though they will not admit it, the Church is apostate. Our Lord will return to find Laodicea. 2nd Thessalonians Chapter 2 predicts a "falling away". We, the church are worse than Judah, for we had the indwelling Holy Spirit. What will be our fate when God allows the Beast to "make war with the saints AND OVERCOME THEM"! (Rev.13:7)? While the foolish Virgins think everything is for free, the hour of our Lord's coming is at hand. Last time, when he came in His Kingdom in Matthew 17, only THREE of TWELVE disciples were invited on high. The other nine were left in the valley to be overcome by a demon. I wonder who will be raptured. Paul calls it the PRIZE of the "Upward Call". Luke 21:36 says we must be "counted WORTHY" to stand before the Son of man in the clouds. I wonder how man, or few, of us will make it.

[douggg]

Revelation 11 indicates the two witnesses will be testifying in Jerusalem.

[WilliamL]

On 6/11/2022 at 10:28 PM, douggg said:

Revelation 11 indicates the two witnesses will be testifying in Jerusalem.

But only after the "great multitude which no one could number...coming out of the great tribulation" are already in heaven.

Welcome back, douggg. Long time since our old FP days, eh?

[iamlamad]

On 6/10/2022 at 5:28 PM, AdHoc said:

Ezekiel is a very sad book. But it ends gloriously.

130 years earlier the northern Tribes were defeated and carried off to Assyria, never to e recovered till today. Judah has followed her stiff-necked brethren and their sin is so grievous that God has raised up Nebuchadnezzar to carry Judah off for 70 years of chastisement. But there is a problem. The God of glory, Who dwells in unapproachable light and Who inhabits eternity, still resides in the Temple at Jerusalem. Woe unto any man that comes near this holy God. Every one of Nebuchadnezzar's mighty men will be slaughtered in an instant if they breach the Temple. What does God do?

The first Chapters are a record of God leaving the Temple desolate. God's glory will no longer grace Solomon's Temple. For a hundred years to come, God will have no testimony and House on earth. What a shame after all that He did for Israel. How He loved Israel. How he took them out of Egypt with a strong arm. How he fed them and put up with their pollutions in the wilderness. And now the stink of Judah's idols has penetrated even the Holy of Holies. God must withdraw. And so we have the utter glory of God, Who Israel had the privilege to entertain, leaving the Temple and Jerusalem.

In Chapter 9  the slaughter of Jerusalem begins. But God, ever faithful to even those with feeble faith, sets a mark on men like Daniel. And just as the mechanisms of the Great Tribulation cannot hurt those sealed in Revelation 7:1-8, so the sword is diverted from those Israelites who are faithful i Daniel's time.

Though they will not admit it, the Church is apostate. Our Lord will return to find Laodicea. 2nd Thessalonians Chapter 2 predicts a "falling away". We, the church are worse than Judah, for we had the indwelling Holy Spirit. What will be our fate when God allows the Beast to "make war with the saints AND OVERCOME THEM"! (Rev.13:7)? While the foolish Virgins think everything is for free, the hour of our Lord's coming is at hand. Last time, when he came in His Kingdom in Matthew 17, only THREE of TWELVE disciples were invited on high. The other nine were left in the valley to be overcome by a demon. I wonder who will be raptured. Paul calls it the PRIZE of the "Upward Call". Luke 21:36 says we must be "counted WORTHY" to stand before the Son of man in the clouds. I wonder how man, or few, of us will make it.

I believe all, or most of those who are born again will make it -  especially those who are "looking for His coming." I believe it is possible that some who are born again are NOT "looking for His coming." Perhaps they will be left behind.

[iamlamad]

On 6/22/2022 at 3:58 PM, WilliamL said:

But only after the "great multitude which no one could number...coming out of the great tribulation" are already in heaven.

Welcome back, douggg. Long time since our old FP days, eh?

Exactly! The rapture will take place just before wrath begins (at the 6th seal) and after the final martyr has been slain (the 5th seal) but the two witnesses will not show up until just days (I believe just 3.5 days) before the midpoint of the 70th week. (The midpoint will be marked by the sounding of the 7th trumpet.) The two witnesses will then testify for 1260 days, and be killed just 3.5 days before the end of the week. They will lay dead for those 3.5 days, then be resurrected with all the rest of the Old Testament saints, "on the last day."

[AdHoc]

14 minutes ago, iamlamad said:

I believe all, or most of those who are born again will make it -  especially those who are "looking for His coming." I believe it is possible that some who are born again are NOT "looking for His coming." Perhaps they will be left behind.

Fair enough. If you believe that the majority of Christians will be counted worthy of the PRIZE of the "Upward call" based on what is evident in the Bible, it is your call. But let's just take one Church and you set yourself a number. The Church at Laodicea. Our Lord is firmly locked outside the door of this Church. The call of our blessed Lord is; "IF ANY MAN". He is outside the door. Why ... when it only takes ONE Man (singular) to open the door - for the Lord promises to sup WITH HIM (singular). But perhaps the implication of our Lord's words elsewhere might impress. Was there one man who our Lord did not threaten to vomit out of His mouth?

Now cast your eyes back to Chapter 1. Here the Lord Jesus walks among the candlestick (lampstands). Is he welcoming in His demeanor? Has He got that welcoming smile for His friends? Eyes like fire .... for the Church! And feet of brass. Brass in parable signifies judgement unto death - for Korah's hoard were burnt to ash and their BRASS censers used to cover the altar of bloodshed (see Numbers 16). Or take our Lord's Word - an "Two-edged sword"! For what? Killing! In Hebrews 4:12 when a man has his marrow separated from his bones he dies.

This is not a cheerful Lord. This is not a satisfied Lord. ALL indicators are that He is on the war-path. And where is He? Armageddon? NO! He is walking among the Churches!

I am fully convinced that if our Lord Jesus was this angry in 96 AD, imagine what His demeanor is now?

[iamlamad]

4 hours ago, AdHoc said:

Fair enough. If you believe that the majority of Christians will be counted worthy of the PRIZE of the "Upward call" based on what is evident in the Bible, it is your call. But let's just take one Church and you set yourself a number. The Church at Laodicea. Our Lord is firmly locked outside the door of this Church. The call of our blessed Lord is; "IF ANY MAN". He is outside the door. Why ... when it only takes ONE Man (singular) to open the door - for the Lord promises to sup WITH HIM (singular). But perhaps the implication of our Lord's words elsewhere might impress. Was there one man who our Lord did not threaten to vomit out of His mouth?

Now cast your eyes back to Chapter 1. Here the Lord Jesus walks among the candlestick (lampstands). Is he welcoming in His demeanor? Has He got that welcoming smile for His friends? Eyes like fire .... for the Church! And feet of brass. Brass in parable signifies judgement unto death - for Korah's hoard were burnt to ash and their BRASS censers used to cover the altar of bloodshed (see Numbers 16). Or take our Lord's Word - an "Two-edged sword"! For what? Killing! In Hebrews 4:12 when a man has his marrow separated from his bones he dies.

This is not a cheerful Lord. This is not a satisfied Lord. ALL indicators are that He is on the war-path. And where is He? Armageddon? NO! He is walking among the Churches!

I am fully convinced that if our Lord Jesus was this angry in 96 AD, imagine what His demeanor is now?

If He is outside the door, it should be obvious they are not born again. This is showing us people PLAYING CHURCH, but not entering into the body of Christ by becoming born again and maturing from a baby Christian. Let's stick with pertinent passages: what did Paul tell us? The dead "in Christ" will rise first. Then those who are "in Christ" remaining alive when Jesus comes will be caught up and changed. 

Jesus USES His "two edged sword" at Armageddon. At believers? NO! At those who assembled to fight Him.

There have always (since the church began) those who hear the message, believe the message, and get born again and become a part of the body of Christ on earth. Others don't hear the right message, so many of these never get born again, but imagine they are "Christian" and are a follower of Christ. They may "follow" Christ but have never come into the family of Christ by being born again. 

There are are some that may be born again but don't believe Jesus will come first for His church, then later with His church. They will not be expecting Him or looking for Him. According to Hebrews 9, they may well be left behind.

In summary, there are some believers today that are HOT: filled with the Spirit and a close follower of Jesus.  But there are many who are born again but have not talked with God for years. Can Jesus truthfully tell them "I don't know you" because He has not heard a prayer from them for years? Will these people go up in the rapture? I don't know.