Revelation 11:3-11 (NKJV) "And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."

These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire. When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them."

ANTICHRIST

There are three end time actors. Two of Gods servants or vassals, {one Jew, one Gentile}; the ones that stand in for God. And the king of Assyria or Babylon, whoever he may be. The two witnesses establish Zion, preparing the people for the coming of their God and King. The other destroys Babylon; the very world he wants and represents.

Although the king of Assyria is one man, he has the roles and character traits of a number of evil rulers who came before him. They were militaristic world conquerors. They were from the north. They were a very religious group of people. They were full of idolatry. Their whole economic system was based on the production and making of false gods; the work of mens hands and imagination. It has all kinds of shrines, idols, statuettes and beads. That was Babylon. Now, in contrast of Babylon who gets all their economic base on the manufacture of false gods and useless items, Zions system will be rural; based on agriculture, showing a stabile society. Babylon's materialistic system "the many" {the manufacturers of idols} depend on the "few" {the farmers}. That system makes Babylon's society unstable. So what we have is, when we look at the stability of Babylon and their concept of God, they're an upside down triangle trying to balance on the point of the triangle. Whereas Zion, with the faith of God and the principles of God, is setting on the flat side of the triangle and has as the head cornerstone; God. So, they're very stable.

The whore, having no concept of anything to believe, will be gullible enough to believe anything and everything. The king of Babylon, having an idolatrous nature, makes himself into a god; a false god. The Anti-Christ, being the ruler of the world he conquers, demands the worship and alliance of all humanity. Isaiah mockingly compares the king of Babylon in these last days with figures in Assyrian and Babylonian mythology. They are like Horous and Seth of Egyptian mythology or like latter day David and Goliath. He means to rule all mankind, if not from the earth, at least from above the earth. He believes he is God. Therefore, he believes he can actually transcend all physical elements.

Paul warns, "Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."

If Isaiah were to use men of today, he would probably now use Stalin, Nero, Hitler, or Darth Vader. The future world dictator will combine the evil traits of every evil man before him. He will conquer the world by military force and brutally enforce his false ideology. Yet, in spite of all these mythological illusions, he's a real person. He will exist at the end of the world and actually do what Isaiah says he will do.

Isaiah shows the king of Babylon to be a counterfeit of Godhood. He's going to try to counterfeit everything that's good. This tyrant king functions as the power of chaos, not of creation. His works and acts are destructive throughout the earth. Instead of being a God who gives or saves life, he destroys countless lives as well as human habitats. He takes captive and tyrannizes those left alive. He reduces the earth to a state of chaos, as it was in the beginning. When he finishes, the few who survive must commence a new civilization.

God's servants work to establish justice and righteousness in the earth, which are the foundation of all good. They save from destruction those who repent; who renew their allegiance to God. They release them from captivity and tyranny and lead them to safety in the Day of the Lord. After the desolation of the earth, these two and God's people rebuild the ruined places.

Isaiah shows that chaos is going to be on the earth for a period of time. But out of that chaos comes peace. Chaos is going to overwhelm the world of the consequence of wickedness. The king of Assyria, Babylon is going to burn up cities and destroy whole nations. He's going to plunder the wealth like a thief in the night. He has one purpose; to rule the world. But God has another purpose. He's using this evil tyrant to prove who's with God and who's not. He's an instrument of test, as are the two witnesses. The tyrant, the Anti-Christ, is to prove these people have blasphemed the Holy Spirit. They can't follow God, don't want to repent, won't repent or just don't want to do anything. The witnesses find the people that have the desire and ability to change. The scales will be way over balanced toward evil. The evil tyrant is serving God's purpose. When that purpose is done, then he and his people will come to an end.

In Hebrew prophecy, wickedness followed by destruction is a cause and effect; the consequences of sin. God's people, you and I, don't need to be worried about anybody out there. Just because he can cause destruction, just because he can gain a whole world, just because he's got millions of followers, he can't touch you. He is only a tool. He doesn't have God. Though he rules the earth, though he makes himself higher than all, God will thrust his soul down to hell; the very lowest pit. It isn't until God's covenant is released that you will then be hurt, and then only for a short period of time, to rise up with God.

We shouldn't be afraid of his vast and invincible army. We should only focus on the task at hand and serve God. We need to stop our sins that cause destruction. We should keep the terms of God's covenant so that God can deliver us. God planned the destruction of the wicked one from the beginning.

We find then we have two voices. We have God's servant, which is a voice to good. The king of Babylon, which is the voice to the wicked. A tongue speaking perverse things against God and God's people. He opens his mouth insatiably like hell, swallowing up peoples souls. His lips flow with wrathful speeches. He is the scourge of the wicked; a yoke around their necks. He is darkness itself. As the power of darkness, he causes gloom and misery and brings a veil of darkness over the whole earth. God chose the king of Assyria, the king of Babylon as His rod and staff not to destroy the good, but to gather and bring down the bad. He functions as God's axe and saw to hew down those who fight against God's people. That's why Isaiah likened the proud and arrogant peoples of the earth to lofty cedars and mighty oaks. He compared her cities to dense forests. He likened their nations to high mountains and elevated hills. And these are all destroyed by the King, God. The king of Assyria at Babylon personifies God's anger and wrath. God's anger will be kindled against evildoers in the days of His blazing wrath, the Day of the Lord. In that day, this evil tyrant will wield power over the whole earth as a reward for wickedness. The king of Babylon will come upon them as God's vengeance and fury, His rage and indignation. He is God's upraised hand extended against evildoers. Like a sinister ensign, he rallies an alliance of wicked nations to assist him in conquering the world. This is the nature of the Anti-Christ, but it's also the nature of God's justice. This is how complete that justice will be. God is not an angry God. He doesn't want to just smite and punish people. He's kind, loving, gentle, patient and longsuffering. But these people have broken the covenant with God. Now God has no choice but to bring this upon them. God has promised to deliver His faithful people from the threat of death. Therefore, God permits the wicked person, the king of Babylon, to destroy and punish the wicked; those who threaten and oppress God's people. In that way, justice is done. People ultimately bring evil on themselves. The end time will resemble the time before the Flood, both in wickedness and in the destruction that follows.

Now we have God's servants. They function as God's right hand; releasing Israel's captives {Jew} and the churches oppressed {Gentile}. They are an ensign to God's people to rally them to repent; to return home from exile. They are voices to the righteous. God's mouth to His people, both Jew and Gentile. They are the rod and staff that wields power over the king of Assyria, Babylon. They are the sword of God; a fire that consumes tyrants. The servants are trumpets heralding the Day of the Lord, announcing God's coming to reign on the earth. The servants function as lights; lighting up the darkness. They personify righteousness and faithfulness to God's covenant. They serve as examples of these character traits in a time of wickedness. God's servants are chosen arrows; righteous branches that bear good fruit. They are the saving armor of God by whose means God intervenes in the affairs of His people to deliver them. And like the king of Babylon, God's servants are a composite of ancient types. And like Abraham, His servants are going to call on God's name and the righteous and beloved of God. As Abraham kept God's council and performed all God asked him to, so do the servants. As Abraham was valiant in delivering the associates from the kings of the north, so are the servants. As God spared the righteous in Sodom for Abraham's sake, so God will spare those who repent in Babylon for His servants' sake. Like Moses, God's servants are called the shepherds of their people. Like Moses, they intercede for the transgressions among their people. Like Moses, they release God's people from bondage and deliver them in an exodus to the promised land. As Moses led Israel's return wanderings in the wilderness, so the servants lead Israel's and the churches return. As Moses meditated God's covenant and served as a law giver to Israel, so the servants teach, both Jew and Gentile, respectfully. As Moses anointed Aaron and his sons as priests, so the servants anoint the people of Zion to be God's priests. Just as Moses' strength did not fail, so the servants strength will not fail but they will fulfill all God requires them to do. God's servants also resemble Joshua. Like Joshua, they lead Israel's and the churches armies against their enemies and destroy them. Like Joshua, they assign God's people inheritance in the promised land. The servants further resemble Gideon. Gideon overthrew a vast Midianite army with only a few men of Israel, so God's servants will overthrow the armies of Babylon. They will smash the yokes from the necks of God's people and break their oppressive rod and staff. But more than any other, God's servants will be like King David. The servants are a descendent of David, the son of Jesse and legitimate heirs, the Jew by bloodline, the Gentile by adoption. God makes with them an unconditional covenant, as He did with King David. God chose them and calls them His servants and sons. Like David, they are God's anointed ones, filled with the Spirit of God. Like David, the servants overthrow the enemies of God's people and divide their spoils. As David led Israel's armies and united Israel's tribes, so do God's servants. God appoints His servants as a light to Israel and the churches, as was David. God makes them princes and lawgivers to the people of the earth, as was David. Like David, God's servants establish justice and righteousness among the nations. In their day peace will be established in all the earth. God's dominions will extend throughout the world, as they did in the days of David and Solomon, David's son. Like Solomon, the servants will grow renowned among the nations for their wisdom and understanding. Like Hezekiah suffering a mortal threat, so do the servants. Like Hezekiah pouring out his soul to God in his deathly afflictions, so do the servants. Like Hezekiah being healed of his illness, so He heals His servants. Like Hezekiah, His servants act as proxies of his people in obtaining protection for his people. Like Hezekiah, His servants intercede for his people for deliverance from the false Jews and the false church. However, as they grow in righteousness and prove themselves faithful as God's people and a church, they will obtain God's protection for themselves. Like Isaiah, His servants accurately predict the future, showing God is with them. As God endowed Isaiah with a learned tongue, so He endows His servants. As God justified Isaiah, when he met opposition, so He justifies His servants in the eyes of all. Like Job, who's sons and daughters were pleasure lovers, the servants suffer for the sins of others. Like David, who Saul outlawed, the servants are numbered among transgressors. Like King Uzziah, who was covered with leprosy, the servants appearances are marred beyond human likeness before God heals them. As God chose Cyrus and gave him power over nations and rulers, so He chooses His servants and gives them power over the nations and rulers of the earth. As God insights Cyrus to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple, so He inspires His servants. God's servant, in Isaiah's and John's prophetic structure, embodies in two witnesses all the positive features of Israel's heroes. And not surprising, the servants fulfill all the expectations of the church and the Jew.

Isaiah claims he only wrote the things he saw in a vision. He only wrote about seeing and hearing actual scenes from this last day. John says the same, as does Jeremiah, and all the other prophets agree. That's why the bible always called them seers, because they were seeing into the future. They were seeing something that was going to happen. Isaiah also claimed; God inspired me to say it. He ran into great opposition from people, when he wrote it or when he said it. Never was he received openly. And the third claim that Isaiah makes in his writing is that he deals with the end from the beginning. Dealing with the end, I have to start at the beginning. I have to start with Adam and Eve. We must give Isaiah credibility in the idea that he came up with a complete picture of something he saw, but something he didn't necessarily understand. He received no personal reward out of it. There is no personal reward in any prophets life. Isaiah then must be possessed by the Spirit of God. He was, in fact, a man of God and wrote what God told him to; letting Isaiah use his own words and literary style. Isaiah didn't limit himself to prophecy. His whole book created a theology; a belief system. Yet, this theology overlays all Paul's writings, as well as the book of Revelations.

We take two men from two different worlds, from two different time periods and weave a story that has the same beginning, the same ending, in two complete different idea settings. There is a theology brought out of the bible that we can have faith in. We can no longer say, "God's not doing anything, He's not saying anything to us." Isaiah's building a faith theology for all of us.

Revelations, Jeremiah, all the prophets overlay completely. By God's design, we have the same witness throughout the complete bible.

Isaiah's theology of people; those who are ascending and those who are descending. The theology of right and wrong; the bad king and the two good servants. We have the witnesses bringing the righteous people, the sons of God, the ascending group, to Zion. We have the bad king taking the people who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

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