The identity of the Two Witnesses, and when they shall appear upon the prophetic scene, takes an eschatological back seat to what they actually do. We have entered the cosmic courtroom of the Almighty--this is the purpose of John's Revelation. The Lamb is coming in judgment and His judgment is altogether righteous; however, prior to the verdict and subsequent sentencing, the witnesses must come forth to testify--literally to prophesy. They are not the accused. They are the plaintiffs. These witnesses have been compiling evidence nigh 4,000 years against an implacable foe who knows he has but a short time. It is time to present the facts. Why? Because literally millions have paid with their very lives. These are the slain--martyred; whose blood cries out from beneath the altar to be avenged. On trial is a thief and a robber, a murderer from the very beginning of history--one who came to steal, to kill and to destroy. He has done everything imaginable to intimidate the witnesses, lest he be convicted of his high crimes and misdemeanors against God and humankind. His identity is known to all. The trial, although taking place for centuries wherein scores of testimonies have been given by countless souls from every tribe, nation, tongue, people and even from kings against this Destroyer and Desolator--has entered its formidable and final seven-year phase. Alas! From the murky abyss arises a figure to accuse the brethren one more time--but they are not on trial--the Devil, Satan, the Dragon, the Beast and False Prophet are and all they "who dwell on the earth" are on trial. It will appear throughout this text that fear and intimidation--you can call it "witness tampering to the uttermost" will and has been incessantly used by this crafty deceiver who repeatedly either murdered the faithful followers or tried to bribe them from giving testimony against his evil cabal. The word for "witness" in the Bible's Greek has its root in the word "martyr" - for these witnesses upon giving the culmination of their testimony against the Wicked One's Great City, Babylon . . . against his apostate religious, exploitative commercial and corrupted political system know full-well that if they do so, and they most definitely will, they most likely will have to pay with their lives, so costly will be their disclosures. But they know, as well, a "great cloud of witnesses" have gone on before them; many perished for the same reasons and many of them survived his onslaughts.Eventually, the witnesses are as prophets; willing to tell all and to persuade multitudes to believe there's a better life beyond this temporal pale where true justice and lasting peace abides forevermore."The Two Witnesses" are bigger than life. The closer you move into their history, past, present and future, you inevitably discover that without their unmitigated testimony and final flurry of intimidation, along with their willingness to lay down their lives, if need be, to gain that final climactic verdict, sentence and execution against their foe . . . the more you realize it was worth it all: "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"This is not an easy read--it is a theological bombshell whose ramifications at the close of this age are staggering. Today, the Two Olive Trees and the Two Lampstands, so identified as these Two Prophets, Two Witnesses, in Revelation 11, are engaged in a divine drama whose end was prophesied nearly 4,000 years ago, and some say nigh 6,000 years. These two volumes may constitute the magnum opus of Israel and the Church in the Latter Days. The Court is calling forth His witnesses . . . and wouldn't you know it: You might be one of them! Now's no time to run from it--you can't you've been subpoenaed to testify and there's no turning back. You will testify for some 1,260 days with power and authority. Will the witnesses tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God? YES!
About the Author: Douglas W. Krieger is a published author having written or co-authored several books, including "The Final Babylon . . . America and the Coming of Antichrist" (with Dene McGriff and S. Douglas Woodward); "SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS and ON THE EARTH...Man's Days Are Numbered!"; "Blood on the Altar" (co-authored with 11 others); "Uncommon Sense" (co-authored with S. Douglas Woodward); and the two volume set of "THE TWO WITNESSES...I Will Give Authority to My Two Witnesses"-a treatise on Israel and the Church in the Last Days. He and Dene McGriff have operated several blogs: The Tribulation Network and the Tribnet for over ten years (www.the-tribulation-network.com and www.tribnet.org). The blogs have over 1 million "hits" per month. Theology, specifically eschatology, as well as analysis of today's news is the major emphasis on the sites. Literally hundreds of articles and e-books can be viewed on these sites as well as at World Mysteries (www.world-mysteries.com). His specialty is his studies on the Neolithic Earth and their relationship to the "Dimensions of Paradise." Doug has been married to Deborah since 1968, has three married children. For twenty years Doug was in public education as a high school teacher and administrator-he was graduated from both California State University, Los Angeles and Sacramento. He currently serves on the boards of The Prophecy Forum, a national symposium of evangelical Christians committed to the increase of prophetic studies with live streaming and with Urban Hope Prophecy based out of Sacramento, California. His background includes serving as a pastor-elder in Berkeley, California during the Jesus Movement, after doing a stint in the Army during the Viet Nam Era. He is a frequent speaker at prophetic conferences during the past decade. Doug has also embarked on an international radio talk show in concert with TruNews out of Vero Beach, Florida. His next book, "The Twelve Wars of Heaven and Earth," will be released in 2015.