God is concerned about witnesses for Him. As the Bible, a spiritual book, cannot be understood by the spiritually dead or blind, God uses His people as His witnesses by way of godly families (eg: Abraham’s), His nation Israel (which failed when they rejected Christ as the Messiah), and godly churches (God’s present chosen witness). Through the church witness, sinners can see the impact of the love of God for them through Christ in the lives of God’s children, so that they may receive Christ and be saved. Witnesses must represent Christ correctly. God left a remnant on earth for this purpose. But when the rapture takes place, the world would be without any human witness to testify of the power of the work of Christ at Calvary. Revelation 11 tells us that God will then send two witnesses to earth. Their ministry on earth will last three-and-a-half years.

1. The Spiritual Climate (Rev 11:1-2): The spiritual climate under which the two witnesses will serve in is very similar to ours now: great confusion, evil, wickedness, might is right, etc. Apostle John was asked to measure the Tribulation Temple as a judgment because Jerusalem will become very wicked and evil, and the church will become a harlot church of the Anti-Christ.

2. The Spiritual Mission (Rev 11:3-4): The two witnesses that God will send to earth will serve for a period of 1,260 days (Rev 11:3). Verse 2 tells us that “…the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months,” i.e. the same time period as the ministry of the two witnesses. The use of “days” (instead of months) in verse 3 reminds us that we are to bear God’s burden one day at a time. With His help, and bearing only a one-day-sized burden, we will not be crushed.

The two witnesses’ mission is to forthtell and to foretell. Their messages will cause many to seek salvation. But the enemies of God will hate them, and will kill them. The two witnesses are described as “olive trees” and “candlesticks” (Rev 11:4), symbols of the light of Christ. The two witnesses will lead many to Christ.

3. The Spiritual Power (Rev 11:5-6): The whole world will see the spiritual battle. God will enable the two witnesses to do mighty miracles to destroy those who attempt to stop them before their mission is accomplished.

In this new year, having dedicated ourselves anew to serve God, make sure that we are saved, and know that after salvation, we have a choice whether to lead a life of hypocrisy (holy outwardly, but carnal inwardly) or a holy life (which begins with a holy mind and a guarded heart, with the singular motive of loving God) witnessing for the Lord. Anything that is of hypocrisy will be burnt up as wood, hay, stubble. A holy life is described by God as gold, silver, precious stones. May God help us to number our days unto wisdom.