[We continue now with the commentary from the first segment.]

Much of the material which follows is taken from this writer's commentary on the book of Revelation. Some parts will be expanded to include details not found in the commentary narrative. Further, an attempt will be made to document the measuring of the temple and the description of the Two Witnesses to their chronological order within John's narrative.

Now as we prepare to get into the commentary, it is appropriate to point out that the pre-dominant Futurist View of today is not the biblical one. The dominant futurist View contains many elements of GRCB, which is demonstrably related to many other issues of Gentile bias (not covered here).

For contrast, we will also include some statements from the short commentary, REVELATION, by E. C. Gillentine, 1954, published by the Baptist Sunday School Committee, Texarkana, Arkansas-Texas. We point out that Gillentine, a Baptist, was apparently a proponent of GRCB.

On pg. 66 of his little book, Gillentine comments on Rev. 11:1-2. We will look only at statements made concerning the "temple".

The "Temple" that John was to measure is evidently at Jerusalem. It was not the Temple built by Herod, for it had been destroyed 25 years previous to this time, in A.D. 70 by Titus. There is to be a temple at Jerusalem and Antichrist is to sit in it, II Thess. 2:3, 4. (boldness added)

The views expressed here from 1954 by Gillentine (and before that time by others) have survived to the present in the writings of those false teachers who continue to promote the unbiblical doctrine of the secret, invisible, pre-tribulation rapture of the "church". Most of them assert that because "Israel" became a nation one minute past midnight, on May 15, 1948, they may now confidently perpetuate the unbiblical myth that a temple (Gr. "naos") must inevitably be built in Jerusalem - AFTER (they say) the "rapture" of the "church". Many of those same false teachers taught that those events would begin to occur by 1981 and that the second coming of Christ would probably occur sometime in 1988 (Lindsey). Their proof? II Thess. 2:3-4 and Rev. 11:1-2. The reader is invited to recall and review the previous discussion of the distinction between the "man of sin" and the "beast" as being identified as "THE Antichrist". It was previously established that these two personages could not be one and the same.

From this writer's commentary, with the synopsis of the chapter (relative to vss. 1 and 2).

Below, we will comment on each important word or phrase as each appears in vss. 1 and 2.

G. The holy city, denotes symbolically the heavenly Jerusalem, the the city of God, which Abraham saw afar off. Its imprint is to be found in the new Creation of II Cor. 5:17.

H. Forty and two months, a specified time allotted before the commencement of the Seven Trumpet Judgments which will end in the "second" Parousia Coming of Christ at the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet (followed by the resurrection/catching up, the Seven Bowls of Wrath, the final [Phase 2] destruction of Babylon, and the battle of Armageddon). Gentiles are given that period of time to repent of their Bias Against the Biblical Jewish Model of the N.T. church. Jews will be afforded that opportunity to recognize and receive their Messiah according to the mercy of God which will be extended to them in the last days.

While I am convinced that a great multitude of believers come out of the end-time great tribulation, many of them will not have repented of their bias (GRCB). By their inaction, they shall have chosen to be guests of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, rather than as Members of the Corporate Bride of Christ.

BEFORE the specific 42-month period commences, the Lord will empower the Two Witnesses Company in preparation for their testimony. Enter the TWO WITNESSES.

Here is what Gillentine, on pg. 66, said on the "Two Witnesses".

4.The "Two Witnesses", verses 3-12. Who are these "Two Witnesses"?
(1) They are men. They are not churches, not systems, not a body of witnesses. Several things are mentioned which they do which prove them to be men; there are two of them. Let us observe what they do:

Under "(1)" above, he states who he thinks they are, and offers several alternatives of who they are not. Why would he deny that which is so clearly suggested by the symbolism of the descriptive statements of the "Two Witnesses" (vss. 3 and 4)? That is, why deny so specifically? The specific denials strongly suggest that he was aware in 1954, that there were teachers somewhere who were trying to get at the truth of the matter.

From his "(3)" through "(12)" he enumerates accurately the events described by John from vss. 3-13.

Let's take a look at Gillentine's last paragraph on this passage, pg. 67.

I do not know who the "Two Witnesses" are, no one does that I know of, but the evidence seems to identify them as Moses and Elijah. Note the title: "Two men". The angel said, they were "Two Witnesses". Compare Matt. 17:3. "Two men" Luke 24:4-7. "Two men", Acts 1:10, 11. The specific business of these "two men" is to witness. Compare Zech. 4:1-14; Hag. 1:1, 14; Zech. 3:1-7; 4:6. No doubt, these "Two Witnesses" will reestablish the Temple worship, Ezek. 40:1-44:30.

As I compared Gillentine's N.T. references above, I could find no contextual connection between them and Rev. 11:3-4. Further, with the exception of Zech. 4, the other O.T. references in Haggai, Zechariah, and Ezekiel, likewise have no contextual connection with Rev. 11:3-4.

Finally, we note that neither Rev. 11:1-2 nor Ezek. 40-44 presents any evidence that the "Temple" will be, or must be, reestablished in the contextual sense implied by Gillentine.

Why do the teachers of the popular pre-tribulation rapture myth insist on maintaining a position which, based on Scripture, is absolutely indefensible to a 100% certainty? Surely they understand that the interpretation of types and shadows from the O.T. was irrevocably changed forever by the birth, life, ministry, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ Who now sits at the Father's right hand. While many things were fulfilled by His advent into this world, many other things remain yet unfulfilled. The rebuilding of the Jewish temple is NOT one of them!

Here, we resume this writer's commentary on Rev. 11:3-13.

Vss. 3-13 describe the testimony and fall of the Two Witnesses, their re-animation and ascension to heaven (or sky), a great earthquake that destroys a tenth part of the "city" of Jerusalem in which 7,000 men were slain.

The point of commonality between vss. 1 and 2, and vss. 3-13 is the apparently identical period of time denoted by 42 months and 1260 days. This leads us to the less specific connection between temple as it is described and the symbolic description of the Two Witnesses.

This company is/will be composed of both Jews and Gentiles (including converted Muslims) after the flesh, but spiritually they are all Jews, acknowledging themselves to being the seed of Abraham even as Paul wrote. The covenants shall be brought before the people with such power and clarity during that 3 and 1/2 year period of tribulation, till their testimony shall be finished, by the Will of God, so that no one shall have excuse for rejecting His majesty, His Lordship, and yes, His shed blood for the remission of sin and sins.

While the Two Witnesses Company has protection for a specific period of time, that Divine protection is removed when they have finished their testimony. However, there is no evidence that Outer Court Christians (an all-too-real description) will have the same protection during, or after, the tribulation.

As we go to vs. 9, we must remember that the "household of God", "an holy temple in the Lord" (from Eph. 2:19, 21), extends around the whole earth, and proceeds forth from "the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem" (from Hebr. 12:22).

By the end of the tribulation, many unbelievers and believers alike will have heeded the end-time testimony of the Two Witnesses, and the admonition to "Come out of her, my people", (Rev. 18:4). Apparently the fleshly bodies of many saints will lie in streets around the world, in view of those who were tormented by their words. Then for 3 and 1/2 days the people of the beast shall rejoice over their dead bodies (vs. 10) and not permit them to be put into graves (vs. 9). They shall make merry and exchange gifts with one another, (sound familiar?) "...because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth."

For all satanic intents and purposes, the two covenants (two olive trees) and the two churches (two candlesticks) were/shall be effectively silenced.

Here, we interject that at the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet which signals the events of I Thess. 4:15-17, there will be in fact a remnant body of overcomers who will be alive and remaining at the coming of the Lord. This specific remnant is alluded to in Rev. 12:17.

This writer believes that the living remnant (I Thess. 4:15-17) must be in fulfillment of Jesus' own words in two separate passages in Matthew. See Matt. 16:18 and 24:22.

Suffice it to say that Satan is wrong, the beast will be wrong, the false prophet will be wrong. Vs. 11, "And after three and a half days (perhaps years?)the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and fear fell upon them which saw them."

The standard of the Two Witnesses will be raised, symbolically and possibly in a literal sense, if the resurrection and catching up of the saints is also in view here.

Many other remarks might be made of the Two Witnesses before exhausting the topic, not the least of which would document the correlation of the Two Witnesses to the description of the 144,000 who were sealed from the twelve tribes of Israel which is found in Revelation 7.

As we close our remarks on the Two Witnesses, questions remain before the aspiring Body of Christ. Who will heed the message, the testimony of the Two Witnesses? Who will become a part of the Two Witnesses Company? Who will choose to remain as a guest? ONLY THE INDIVIDUAL BELIEVER CAN ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS.

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