Hi Darren,
Or is this symbloic and not to be taken litaral? The book of revelation is symbloic and it speaks of spiritual matters and not physical matters. So one has to ask, or they really 2 witnesses or is it a metaphore for some spiritusl meaning. From what I gather that is what the book of revelation is a revelation of spiritual matters.
http://bible-truths.com/lake1.html --------------------
LITERAL OR SYMBOLIC?
In many cases it is not difficult to determine whether a verse is literal or not. But, since we use figures of speech so often we tend to forget that much of what we say daily is not literally true. Many of us would hardly be able to carry on a conversation if we had to drop out of our vocabulary every word and every phrase we speak that is NOT LITERALLY TRUE. The English language, as well as all other languages, is just filled with symbolic and metaphorical phrases.
The first eleven verses of Chapter one in Revelation are an introduction regarding where, how, and what John is going to record for us. Much of this introduction can be taken literally, however, not all. Beginning with verse twelve, we are confronted with one symbol after another for the remainder of the entire twenty-two-chapter-book.
Everything written in Revelation is true, but most is not literally true.
The fact is there are many many truths in the Bible that are not literally true.
Jesus "said" that the bread He gave His disciples at the Lord’s supper was His body. Yet, Jesus Himself explains in other places that this was not literally true. He gave them literal bread, and not His literal physical flesh. What that bread represented, and symbolized, was indeed, His body--but not his physical body.
Jesus said that the words that he spoke were SPIRIT (John 6:63). Jesus Christ changes not. His words are STILL spirit and they certainly were spirit when John wrote the words of Christ regarding His unveiling or revelation. Just as we physically feed on physical bread for PHYSICAL LIFE, thus also we spiritually feed on Jesus Christ’s spiritual body for SPIRITUAL LIFE.
Understand this! Some think that by accepting the Scriptures as they are given (in the case of Revelation that means AS SYMBOLS), that somehow this "spiritualizes away" the teaching. What? It is the "spiritual" aspect of these symbols that IS THE REAL THING; THE REAL UNDERSTANDING! Physical things "pass away" whereas spiritual things are eternal! The very FACT that this book is written in "symbols" is proof positive that the understanding of them is SPIRITUAL and not physical or literal.
Symbols, metaphors, and parables ARE NEVER LITERALLY TRUE! But they powerfully demonstrate SPIRITUAL TRUTHS!
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So one has to ask, or they really 2 witnesses or is it a metaphore for some spiritusl meaning.
Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto My
two witnesses 3144, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
G3144 martus - a witness (literally [judicially] or figuratively [generally]); by analogy a “martyr”: -
martyr, record, witness.
Martyr - One who, by his death, bears witness to the truth of the gospel.
Do you see the connection here? These "two witnesses" are those put to death (spiritually). And it says in verse 3 "they shall
prophesy," which is speaking under inspiration. And what is "clothed in sackcloth" a sign of?
Mat 11:21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. I know this may be confusing, but I'm trying to look at what this verse means in the Scripture and what the "two witnesses" are; those who have repented and have been put to death while in the flesh and speak under inspiration of the Holy Spirit... the Elect.
Then you have the next verse that further brings understanding on this.
Rev 11:4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.
Zec 4:11 Then I answered and said to Him, "What are these two olive trees--at the right of the lampstand and at its left?"
v. 12 And I further answered and said to Him, "What are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?"
v. 13 Then He answered me and said, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord."
v. 14 So He said, "
These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth."
So who are these "anointed ones."
2Co 1:21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God,
Heb 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy
God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
You can see that Paul speakes to the believers as "anointed" of God.
I hope this is helpful. As the book of Revelation is a book of symbols and a lot of times these symbols have more than one meaning. But the meanings can be found, you just have to dig it out of the Scriptures.
mercy, peace and love
Kat