When God sends Elijah this time, He will send him with a second witness. These two witnesses will preach the gospel to the children of Israel for a period of three-and-a-half-years. Unlike John the Baptist however, whose ministry did not demonstrate the power of God, the gift of the working of miracles will be very prominent in the ministries of the two witnesses. Scripture reveals to us that their ministries will not only impact the nation of Israel however, but also the whole earth, for they will have power to strike the whole earth with various plagues as often as they desire. In fact, they will torment the earth to such a degree, that when they are finally killed the earth will rejoice over the fact that they have been removed from the earth. So why is it that God will allow these two men to strike the earth with various plagues as often as they desire? The reason is because the world would have changed dramatically by the time the two witnesses are manifested in the earth. As I have already mentioned, the fullness of the gentiles would have come into the kingdom of God, and so no more salvations will take place in the nations of the world. The Anti-Christ would recently have invaded Israel with his armies, and put an end to the daily sacrifice in the temple. He would have also set himself up as god in the earth, and instituted great persecution against both the Jews and the Lord’s saints in the nations under his control. As we have already seen in a previous section, it is during this time that the falling away in the church will take place.
Michael E.B. Maher
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