T H E M Y S T E R Y O F L A W L E S S N E S S I

T H E M Y S T E R Y O F L A W L E S S N E S S

AN "END TIMES" SCENARIO -- PART ONE

by Earl R. Johnson

The only book of the Bible to proclaim a blessing for all who read and heed its warnings, the Revelation tells about a time leading up to our Lord's second coming, a seven year period during which humanity will suffer the greatest tribulation ever to be seen on earth. A blessing? Indeed, for the Bible says we should consider it all joy when we encounter various trials, knowing the testing of our faith produces endurance (Jam.1:2). We aren't told when these years of blessing will commence; and although it's a matter of curiosity, people who truly believe in Christ shouldn't be fearfully concerned about it. But what constitutes a true belief in Christ? And where shall we draw the line which, when crossed, may very well make it important to fear what will come during the tribulation; and why? We'll consider those questions; but first, let's satisfy curiosity.

There's little question the seven year tribulation is near, for Christ spoke at length about when He would return. Once in particular He mentioned Jerusalem which had been part of the Roman empire for some two hundred years, and He said the city would "...be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" (Luk.21:24). That condition, a Gentile government in control, existed until June of 1967 when Israel once again acquired a position of authority over the City of Peace.

A parallel section sheds additional light on the timing where Christ said, "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened" (Mat.24:32-34). The "all these things" are events that will take place with increased frequency toward the beginning of the tribulation. But why a "fig tree?"

The Scriptures often refer to people as trees; and several verses call Israel a fig. One such explains a sign of our times: "Then the Lord asked me, 'What do you see, Jeremiah?' 'Figs, I answered...' [to which God replied], '...I will bring them (the "Figs," which were the captives of Judah or the northern kingdom of a divided Israel) back to this land (fulfilled when Israel became a nation in May of 1948). I will build them up and not tear them down. I will plant them and not uproot them'" (Jer.24:3,4,6). It appears as though God plans to keep "Figs" growing in the Holy Land a long, long time.

The tribulation will occur within the generation that saw the "Fig" bud. That may include those living when Israel became a nation in 1948, or when it took control of Jerusalem in 1967. Or it may even refer to some other time. And it's additionally uncertain just how many years should now be considered a generation. Regardless of timing, however, the Revelation says there will be "two witnesses" acting for God during at least part of that seven years.

As with much of the Revelation, it's difficult to be certain about what John meant by particular words he used. And, again, where the crucial thing is what a person believes about Christ, it's not overly important that we do understand completely. In any instance, He tells us the "two witnesses" are "...the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth" (Rev.11:4). But, who might that be referring to; who is the two olive trees, and who is the two lampstands?

Many Bible scholars have said the witnesses are the prophet Elijah and either Enoch or Moses. Elijah and Enoch were, of course, taken to heaven without apparently having died in the flesh (see 2 Kin.2:1-15 and Gen.5:24); while our last word of Moses tells us simply that He died after viewing the Promised Land only from a distance. He wasn't allowed to enter (Deu.34:4-5). Additionally, they point out that both Elijah and Moses were seen at the Transfiguration of Christ (Mat.17:2-3), which may or may not be significant to the end- times. But, then, to further substantiate their reasoning they remind us that, "it is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes the judgement" (Heb.9:27), while recounting that Elijah and Enoch never died a natural death. Although, perhaps the scholars don't understand that, as men, they already "died once" in Adam (1 Cor.15:22), and were therefore being continually judged by "being put to death all day long" (Rom.8:36 and see also 1 Cor.15:31) as we are even now. Notwithstanding these points, however, Christ made it clear that Elijah, whom the Old Testament prophecy said would come before the "great and terrible day of the Lord" (see Mal.4:5), had already appeared as John the Baptizer (see Mat.11:13-14).

So, if Elijah and John the Baptizer are one and the same person as Christ conferred, and if "without any dispute, the lesser is blessed by the greater" (Heb.7:7), who is the person we're considering? If we are to believe the letter to the Hebrews, there can be only one answer. The spirit of Elijah, and subsequently of John, was the same spirit as that of the High Priest Melchizedek. He who had the authority to bless Abraham and, two-thousand years later, to baptize our Lord Jesus Christ had to have been the Holy Spirit of God; for only God is "greater" than Christ (equal to, actually).

Elijah was specifically ordained by God to return as John the Baptizer. But a human spirit (a soul) does not reincarnate. Souls are created after the natural flesh and will be on earth only once before Christ's second coming; for it is written, "the spiritual is not first but the natural, then the spiritual" (1 Cor.15:46). But God can be here more than once, and has been here more than once. "Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases" (Psa.115:3).

This should not be a difficult comprehension for people who are truly Christian; for the person we're considering, the Holy Spirit of God, indwells the heart of every believer in Christ. We may not allow Him the same full measure of control in our lives as Elijah and John the Baptizer probably did; although, a belief in spirit possession, whether of God or demonic, is one we commonly accept without perhaps fully realizing what's implied by that conviction. But if we were to display the same faith as Moses, that same Moses who killed the Egyptian, then to experience the seven years of tribulation could be truly a blessing. However, if the two witnesses are not Elijah and Enoch or Moses, who might they be? There's probably little question the two olive trees will be Jewish. Although, the naming of that second witness may cause some anxiety for many of today's Christians; because, you see, Revelation 1:20 specifically refers to churches as "lampstands." Is it therefore possible that second witness, the two lampstands, is the church?

There's precedent for believing the church may be included in part of the tribulation. For, in a parallel sense, where the Hebrews in Egypt had the blood of a lamb on the door posts of their dwelling places to keep adversity from entering, they were obliged to stay under the authority of Pharaoh during a time of affliction directed at him and his household. Therefore, it's probable the two witnesses of the tribulation, who have the blood of The Lamb covering the entrance to His dwelling places (their bodies), will remain "in the streets of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt" (Rev.11:8) through at least a portion of the seven years. Also, remember that, notwithstanding their physical and emotional pain, Noah, Lot, Job, and many other righteous individuals faced adversity and judgement in the world, while God kept them from harm without removing them bodily from earth. Should we, therefore, believe we are more preferred than they, that God would not likewise leave us to observe the indignation this world will soon be facing?

In America, many Christians are like the ostrich who sticks his head in the ground when faced with adversity, thinking it will simply go away. And because our lives are fairly comfortable, we commonly exhibit an air of apathy, even complacency, toward what's going on in the world, especially toward the possibility of being included in the tribulation. We concern ourselves more about whether or not our clothes are in style than we do with whether or not our neighbor has clothes to wear. In fact, many Christians add to the problem rather than help to eliminate it; and God will not let that pass.

Christ suffered, leaving us an example "to follow in His steps" (1 Pet.2:21). But, do we follow? Do we "set our mind on the things above, and not on the things that are on earth" (Col.3:2). We need to see life on earth from the spiritual perspective, like John where he saw the world's tribulation while "in the Spirit" (Rev.1:10). What does the America of today look like when seen from that point of view? If you'd examine the world from within the Spirit, you'd probably see that many of your "Christian" friends, those whom you have previously thought were alive and literally walking around, are really quite dead. To the same extent, where there are people you may have thought were dead, God may see them as very much alive. That is how Christians should see the world, perhaps even ourselves, and how we should also regard the upcoming seven year period of tribulation.

It's a lot to comprehend at once; but the entire seven year timetable is apparent in Rev.11:1-13. That overview shows the witnesses will prophesy for "twelve hundred and sixty days" (v.3), or the first three and a half years of the tribulation. Then they will be "dead" (killed by the beast) for "three and a half days" (v.7), or for what is probably the second three and a half years. But then, at the end of that time, they will once again become "alive" whereupon they will then be called to heaven (v.11). Here it's necessary to remember that the Bible occasionally says "day" when it is actually referring to a "year," or even a "thousand years" (see 2 Pet.3:8).

During that first half, despite the destruction and death that will remove many if not all gentile Christians, the witnesses will conspicuously preach the gospel of Christ, and will otherwise thoroughly aggravate people bent of living for the world. But, during the second half there are two possibilities. Christians may actually be physically dead with their bones left to lie literally in the streets; or they may fall victim to the possible scenario where they'll comply with a preaching ban, part of an anti-religion law enacted after the beast has been released from the pit (v.7). Many will be seen alive on earth, perhaps after having flown "into the wilderness" (Rev.12:14, maybe they'll become "wild" like Nebuchadnezzar, see Dan.4:33-36) where the Jewish nation and Christians (the "woman and her offspring" of Rev.12:17) will be kept for a time. Regardless, all true witnesses, knowing that "he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God" (Rom.13:1-4), will do as God requires and submit themselves to the law of the land. So, where they won't be allowed to openly do the Lord's work, they will appear to be dead in their faith (see Jam.2:26). And while God won't actually leave or forsake them, from the world's point of view it will appear as though He left them to be persecuted by those who live in the shadow of the "beast" from the pit.

Now, it's not possible to consider all the possibilities with this writing, but keep in mind that the italicized words like "will lie" (Rev.11:8) aren't in the original text; and where they're said to "stand on their feet" (Rev.11:11) may be a figure of speech referring to their countenance after the Lord has intervened. It's an entirely proper point of view; and when considered from that perspective, it's easy to see how many will appear to be dead spiritually (dead in their faith) while actually they'll simply want to die. As God's people, they won't break the law; so the law won't allow them to be executed or "laid in a tomb" (Rev.11:9). They'll therefore be seen in their wilderness and depression like street people today; and their despondency will give worldly people added reason to indulge sin (Rev.11:10).

At tribulation's conclusion, however, the "breath of Life from God" will enter the witnesses (Rev.11:11); which may actually be where they'll "become absent from the body [and go to] be at home with the Lord" (2 Cor.5:8). It's possible the natural body of those few who remain will die at Armageddon where death will be a triumph, where "death is swallowed up in victory" (1 Cor.15:54). Each of the dying witnesses will hear a loud voice saying, "Come up here" (Rev.11:12); and in the "twinkling of an eye" before their body dies, they will rise from their mortal stature to be forever with the Lord in the clouds, that great "cloud of witnesses" (Heb.12:1) who have gone before. Then Christ will return visibly with the clouds at His second coming to establish dominion over the few people, probably all Jewish, who remain on natural earth; and thus will begin "the Day of the Lord," the millennial reign of Christ.

Now as mentioned previously, many people believe the church will leave earth before the tribulation, having been removed in what's been called "the rapture of the church." And in some respects, I hope they're right; because the seven years of tribulation will be coming soon, possibly within my lifetime, and I don't like pain. But I'm certain they're missing at least one crucial point.

The church is a great body of believers, and while it's seen in many corporate organizations throughout the world, its true manifestation and reality is that of the individual. And when you consider that each person in the church is part of the body of Christ, a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit, a mansion of the Father's house, then much of God's temple has already been raptured, perhaps most. Actually, the rapture has occurred daily since Stephen was stoned to death nearly two-thousand years ago (Act.7:55-60), each time a born of the Spirit believer has gone to be with Christ. Paul referred to that in Titus 2:13 calling it the "blessed hope." But, only the mind of an individual can have hope, not an organization.

In part 2 we'll further consider the rapture and look at a very real "apostasy" occurring in the church even now. Plus, we'll speculate on possibilities regarding the "image of the beast" and the "mark of the beast," and how those might be manifest in the lives of worldly Christians today.