Who are the two witnesses?

[Trivalee]

Hebrews 9:27...yes, so at some point they would have to die...some say Moses and Elijah, since they were present at His Transfiguration...to represent the Law and the Prophets.

I am with you on this. I share the same view...

 

[ArmyMatt]

That's a very good point. I'd not thought of it that way.

it's one I got from Fr Hopko

 

[Trivalee]

From MORTAL to IMMORTAL. I never said anything regarding dying twice, I said once as the scripture plainly says. In revelation the two witnesses clearly die (Revelation 11). 1 Corinthians 15:36-53. Read Revelation 20:6-14 there is a second death. There is a physical birth and a spiritual birth. There is a physical death and a possible spiritual death...or eternal life...

You say they all died twice...any scriptures to prove your point? So far you have not posted any...

Whether the 2Ws are Moses and Elijah, Enoch or any of the prophets, we should not split hair whether they die twice or not. What we cannot refute is that whoever they are, they already died in the OT age! Yet God is sending them back. It is also irrefutable that they will die and rise again (Rev 11:7 & 11).

It is God's special dispensation to makes this possible to fulfil his promise.

Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: 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.

Someone might argue that Elijah here denotes John the Baptist, but they couldn't be further from the truth. Notice that this Elijah will come before the "great and dreadful day of the Lord". This is a clear reference to the end times when "the day of the Lord or the wrath of the Lamb (Rev 6:16-17) will be unleashed on the Christ-rejecting earth. So this is an unambiguous reference to one of the 2Ws.

Secondly, in the first advent, Jesus did not come in judgment (a great and dreadful day) but to bring salvation.

We only need to look at the story of Melchisedec, said to be without descent, etc, to understand the coming of the Witnesses. IOW, there's no record of his birth nor death. These 2Ws will also appear in the same way; with no record of their birth or family.

 

[Yeshua HaDerekh]

Someone might argue that Elijah here denotes John the Baptist, but they couldn't be further from the truth. Notice that this Elijah will come before the "great and dreadful day of the Lord". This is a clear reference to the end times when "the day of the Lord or the wrath of the Lamb (Rev 6:16-17) will be unleashed on the Christ-rejecting earth. So this is an unambiguous reference to one of the 2Ws.

Well, and then you have Matthew 11:14. In mystical Judaism, there is belief in reincarnation, so there is that too.

 

[All4Christ]

yep, because if you do dwell on it, and it doesn't turn out the way you planned, it's easier to be deceived.

I always think about Bridegroom Matins. I figure, if we follow the hymns in those services, we will be doing what Christ directed us to do.

Our bishop served at our parish once at Bridegroom Matins and spontaneously sang this arrangement afterwards while we came to venerate the icon of Christ the Bridegroom. It really left an impression that this is what we really need to do, more so that focusing on the end times and the details of how it all will play out.

I see Thy Bridal Chamber all adorned, O my Saviour, but I have no wedding garment, so that I may enter in; Make bright the vesture of my soul, O Giver of Light, and save me.

 

[ArmyMatt]

I always think about Bridegroom Matins. I figure, if we follow the hymns in those services, we will be doing what Christ directed us to do.

Our bishop served at our parish once at Bridegroom Matins and spontaneously sang this arrangement afterwards while we came to venerate the icon of Christ the Bridegroom. It really left an impression that this is what we really need to do, more so that focusing on the end times and the details of how it all will play out.

I see Thy Bridal Chamber all adorned, O my Saviour, but I have no wedding garment, so that I may enter in; Make bright the gesture of my soul, O Giver of Light, and save me.

amen