In the 2nd verse of Revelation chapter 11, John is told: 

This tells us two things about the Gentiles. One is that they will be in control of the city of Jerusalem during this period. The other, is that they will occupy the outer court, that is to say, the will be in the area of the temple (which we described before) thinking themselves to be Christians, as opposed to the true witnesses of God. In other words, they will not be in Christ. 

And this group of professing believers will not be measured with the rod because they are illegitimate children, and they will by and large, be the persecutors of the believers, in their pharisaical self righteousness, having a form of Godliness, clinging to the letter of the law, but having none of the spirit of Truth in them, “thinking they do God’s service”. They will deliver us up to be killed. (John 16:2) They will be the instruments of the spirit of the age, accusing us and condemning us as the Pharisees did our Lord.  

By their standard, Christ would have no part of the temple of God. Read Deuteronomy 23:3, and Nehemiah 13:1,and learn that no Moabite shall enter into the congregation of our Lord forever. Then read The 4th Chapter of the book of Ruth. Ruth, who was Christ’s Great grandmother, was a Moabite. 

These self-righteous Gentiles, drunk in their own pride, will accuse God’s people and his two witnesses, just as they accused our Lord of being a bastard, an illegitimate child, born into sin.  These false accusations will follow the two witnesses until the end, inspired by the “accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10), Satan. This holding the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18) will continue until the scores are settled when Christ returns.

Verse 3 states: 

The phrase “a thousand two hundred and threescore days”  (1260 days), gives us significant information about the character of their ministry.  

1260 days equals the length of our Lord’s ministry (3 ½ years), and once we have this perspective, we can see many similes between his ministry and that of the two witnesses. We also see in the book of the prophet Daniel, chapter 9, verse 27, that our Savior the Messiah, was to “confirm the covenant with many for one week” (a 7 year period of time) and verse 26 of Daniel chapter 9 tell us he would be cut off in the middle of that week (7 year period of time). We do know that his ministry lasted for 3 ½ years. This 3 ½ year period in which the two witnesses are to give the world the final testimony of Jesus Christ, is the other half of that “week” that Christ himself confirmed.  

 This also corresponds with the period of time the Antichrist is given his dominion over planet earth (42 months). It is interesting to note that reference in the 2nd verse to the gentiles trampling the holy city is also given as 42 months as opposed to 1260 days, as if to distinguish between the two, even though they signify the same period of time (3 ½ years).   The information in verse 3 also gives us information as to the date they can be expected to begin their 1260 days of prophecy, when compared with verses 9 and 10 (which we will address later). 

We also see in verse 3 that the two witnesses will prophesy in "sackcloth". 

Most of us assume today that sackcloth is made from burlap or hemp, or some other kind of rough fabric that might be used today for sacking. What is more likely is that it will be made of goat’s hair.  

The Old Testament has many references to the killing of goats for a sin offering, and our predecessors may have actually worn the skins of the animals they killed for the sacrifice It has also been said that the blood of goats is more like human blood than that of any other animal. As regards purging of sin, we are told in the book of Hebrews, the 9th chapter, verse 22 that “…without shedding of blood is no remission.” And it certain that is why it was necessary for animals to be killed in the Garden of Eden after the fall of mankind, to cover their sin as well as their nakedness, and who were clothed with their skins. We do not know exactly what kind of animal God killed to make the skins to clothe Adam and Eve, but they may well have been that of goats, and the tradition of sackcloth may have begun there We do know that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). 

Of course we have a “more perfect sacrifice” in the person of Christ, and do not need to sacrafice animals today, a sacrifice that cannot be compared with the blood of animals, It is obvious that the shedding of blood in the sacrifice of the sin offering prior to the death and resurrection of our Savior was required to satisfy that aspect of God’s law. 

We do know that goat’s hair was associated with the making of curtains for the tabernacle when the children of Israel were in the wilderness (Exodus 27:7), and this material was placed over the tabernacle itself (Exodus 36:14).

In keeping with the mysterious way in which God seems pleased to hide his own, the difference between what the world might expect in the way of sackcloth and actual goat’s hair clothing, may be another way he disguises his two end day prophets from all but the elect.  

It also may be that the material from which it is made will be something the world will never expect, and of a type with which we associate luxury as opposed to privation. 

The word we have in the New Testament, which was translated into English as the word sackcloth, is described in the Strong’s bible concordance as mohair. This is the Greek word SAK-KOS (Strong’s # 4526), that is to say, the hair of the Angora goat, from which we get the fabric known as angora wool or cashmere. 

We have even more confidence in the sackcloth being goat’s wool when we examine the 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews, which describes what has been called “the prophets hall of fame” or “the heroes of the faith”. 

We read of the prophets in Hebrews11:37 that:

Should we expect less than this from the last two prophets of God?  

These last day prophets will, as did our Lord and Savior, come in a form and from a direction that few will expect, appearing in a much different form and style than that which is expected, that they might be judged, not from the outward appearance as man does, but by the Spirit in which they come. 

In keeping with the way God likes to hide things, the true character of sackcloth may be another way he disguises his two witnesses from all but the elect in the last days. 

And while we are on the subject of the disguises of God, we will address another key to understanding the mystery of the two witnesses. Their prophetic ministry will, in as many ways as possible, parallel that of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Just as our Lord did not meet the expectations of those who taught the scriptures in his day, neither will God’s two last day prophets. 

 We are told as much in verse 3 that God will give them power. They will not operate in their own might, nor their own power, by the power of the Spirit of God. This would preclude the possibility of seeing any of the charismatic individuals often claiming the mantle of these two last day prophets, standing before the one we call Antichrist. 

The Pharisees taught that the Messiah would come in power and great glory, and this great Deliverer King would take Israel, and rule with a rod of iron. He has yet to assert that authority (but he soon will). They did not expect him to come humbly as a servant of the Father, nor did they expect him to be crucified for the sins of the world. In fact, they seemed to expect all those things, which we now know to be true of his second coming, at his first appearance. 

Christ never claimed plainly to be the Messiah. He just fulfilled those prophecies that were given, which foretold his ministry, without meeting the expectations of the Clergy. The Spirit of God revealed him as the Lamb of God to those who were to receive him. To all others his Lordship was hidden.  

The same will be true of these two witnesses of God. 

The Pharisees of today, expect a couple of wild, railing individuals, appearing in burlap, pointing fingers, calling fire down from heaven, grandstanding, and putting on a performance for the whole planet, claiming God’s anointing and authority, proudly killing their enemies with fireballs from their angry mouths. 

This would of course be out of character for the prophets which God has sent previously. 

There are those today who would disagree with this conclusion, citing the example of Jesus Christ in the temple’ overturning the tables of the moneychangers, to justify their own prideful attitude (although they themselves seem to have set up their own merchandise  in exchange for money!).  

Some claim that John the Baptist was of that sort as well (he hade no products for sale either), however we have no evidence to support that assertion. Perhaps such individuals would “cop an attitude” themselves, when delivering such a message and so assume that John would naturally do likewise, but this offers no proof other than their own personal standard. It is always best to assume that we are not the “Rosetta stone” by which God’s servants are to be measured.  

I often wonder if some of the more prideful individuals heard preaching on the shortwave radio, might not entertain the notion that they themselves might be one of the two witnesses. Perhaps the most flamboyant of them all, is Ralph Stair, AKA R.J. Stair/ “Brother” Stair. For several years he has claimed to be “The Last Day Prophet of God” (even though God has told us in the Book of Revelation that there will be two), and has even intimated that he is the Prophet Elijah reincarnated. 

We can be reasonably certain after reading the third verse, that the two witnesses will not come forth, hawking merchandise, begging for money, or pandering to the tastes of any “audience”. They will come in the power of the Holy Spirit, presenting the testimony of Jesus Christ without any self-promotion.

God's last two witnesses are an example of the kind of faith and humility we are to emulate if we are to survive for any meaningful period of time in the Great Tribulation which we are promised will come. They will seek to emulate the the meek and gentle Spirit our Savior, and will depend upon His power as they herald his return in the spirit of Elijah, and will publish his testimony before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord, a day of darkness and not light. The exemplify Christ and they will prove by their ministry that they love not their lives, even unto death.

In our next installment we will examine verse 4.

©2001-2004 Craig Portwood