Athen's Library

THE WORD, “the two Witnesses”

February 1998

Witness in Greek is Martus, or Martur, and signifies one that gives testimony to the truth at the expense of his life. It is in this sense that the word is mainly used in the New Testament, and our word martyr has come from this also.

The law appoints, that in case of a capital charge one witness only was not sufficient, Deut. 17:6.  When any one was condemned to die the witnesses were the first that began the execution. They threw the first stone, for example, if the party was to be stoned. Deut. 17:7.  The law condemned a false witness to the same punishment that he would have subjected his neighbor to. Deut. 19:16, 17, 18, 19.  On the whole the law was very careful to provide evidence in all cases, and to punish both false swearing and one who kept back a part of the truth.  Crudens Complete Concordance pg. 754.

Testimony, (1) A witnessing evidence, or proof, Acts 14:3. (2) The whole scripture, or word of God, which declares what is to be believed and practiced, Ps. 19:7. (3) The two tables of stone, whereon the law, or ten commandments, were written, which were witnesses of that covenant made between God and his people, Ex. 25:16, 21;  31:18.  (4) The book of the law which testifies of God’s will and man’s duty, 2 Kings 11:12. (5) The ark in which the law was deposited, Ex. 16:34. Ibid pg. 665.

When God Brought Israel out to Sinai, He SPOKE His law, then with His finger, He WROTE His law on two tablets of Stone.  Thus, He gave to His people two ways to know what is truth, the Written Word and the Spoken Word.  The two tablets of stone represent the Spoken Word and the Written Word.  ...by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established... Matthew 18:16.  To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this ‘Word’, it is because there is no light in them. Isaiah 8:20.  When the two tablets of stone were placed into the ark they were placed there for a witness.  With these two witnesses, the Spoken Word and Written Word, God will bring all flesh into judgment.

Jesus said of the Spoken Word, The Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. John 14:26. Bringing “to your remembrance all things that I said to you”; this is revelation, the work of the Spoken Word.

And David saith, Let their table (tables of stone) be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. Romans 11:9-10.

The first two tablets of stone, the ones that God, Himself hewed and Moses broke, represented the first advent of the Messiah. When Moses broke the stones then gave the people the symbol of His blood to drink (Ex. 32:20, and Deuteronomy. 9:21; gold beaten to powder or dust and mixed with water turns blood red), he was showing the coming of the Messiah. Jesus said of the bread He broke, “this is my body which is broken for you”, (even as the tablets of stone were broken); then giving them the wine said, “this cup is the new covenant in my blood.”

Jesus had promised to leave His Helper with the disciples when He left them.  After He was risen, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:22.  This “helper” would be with His new church and reveal new truths as new generations would arise, and as the time for His Kingdom would draw near.

Psalms 118:22, Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10 all tell that the Written Word, “The stone which the builders rejected, has become the Chief cornerstone.”  As in the Old Testament the Written Word is the corner Stone of the temple (church), so the New Testament church is built upon the Spoken Word, the Rock of Revelation.  Jesus said ...But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven... upon this rock (revelation from God) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:15-18.  And God has appointed these in the church; first apostles, second prophets... 1 Corinthians. 12:28.

I have a friend to whom the Lord gave an understanding of the two covenants. This friend, you would think, would be over run with people wanting to know the true understanding, because “the path of the just” is to be “like the shining sun that shines even brighter unto the perfect day.” Proverbs 4:18. But, like the parable of the ten Virgins, wise and foolish, points out, people are happy with the light that comes from the Written Word; the light from the Spoken Word is extra, so why worry until our light goes out.

The Spoken Word is revelation, oil in the flask. Revelation becomes the Written Word, oil in the lamp.  Moses, with the revelation of the “Spoken Word” wrote a sizable portion of the Old Testament, which declares what is to be believed and practiced.  Paul, by revelation, the Spoken Word, was privileged to record a sizable portion of that which declares what is to be believed and practiced in the New Testament church.  Today, as in ages past, the Spoken Word gives understanding to these Testimonies, both Old and New. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16.  Prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God (Men set apart by God) spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21.  Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word (Spoken and Written) that proceeds from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4.

Now all these things happened to them as examples... 1 Corinthians 10:11. Israel, in not accepting the corner stone of the temple, missed out on the Messiah when He came. This coming of the Messiah and His three and one half years of ministry, or the one half week of years, brought the temple offerings to an end. With the end of the temple service the people were left without any leadership. This is the type for what happens to the church.

For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good tree, how much more will these, who are the natural branches, be grafted into their own tree? For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that hardening in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. Romans 11:24-25.  Until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in is the time granted the Christian Church to see if they will do the will of Him that sent Me. John 4:34.

The Christian church leadership, by not believing that the Spoken Word is the foundation stone for the church, goes right on teaching the doctrines of men. (See Daniel 7:25)  These teachings, as with Israel, will bring about her missing the Messiah that comes during the second half of the week of years.  This second half of the week of years will bring the Spoken Word.  The Written Word brought the temple service to an end. So, the Spoken Word to the church will bring the church to an end. Just as the temple service ended, so the church will come to an end; and this will bring the Stone Kingdom (the Kingdom of Glory Daniel 2:44-45) into visible existence and will bring about a new leadership.

This leadership will be the one represented by the two Tables of Stone that were placed into the Ark.  It was set in motion in the wilderness when God brought Israel to Mt. Sinai, but Israel never wholly accepted the Word (Lord) to be their leader. Today, God will bring His people around again to the same place and Revelation 21:3 says that ...God Himself will be with them and be their God, showing that God will accomplish His work of salvation.

In John, chapter 1, we read, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Verses 1 & 14.  We have not understood that both the “Spoken Word” and the “Written Word” were made flesh, but this is truly what happened. Romans 1:20 tells us that the invisible is seen by what was made. The creation of Adam and his helper being typical (Roman 5:14) and visible, presents a picture of the last Adam, 1 Corinthians 15:45, Christ and His Helper, Another Comforter.  As in the type, God put Adam into a deep sleep and took Eve from his side, so Christ, the last Adam, entered a deep sleep and when He raised He released His Helper as He had promised. John 20:22. In Genesis 2:24, we read ...and they (two,) shall become one flesh.  Jesus in talking about this in John 6:51, says ...and the bread that I shall (future tense) give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.

1.  “My flesh”. John 6:51

2.  “His seed”. Isaiah 53:10

3.  “His generation”. Isaiah. 53:8

4.  “This Child in My name”. Luke 9:48

5.  “My son”, the overcomer that inherits all things.                Revelation 21:7

6.  “He who is born of God”. 1 John 3:9, 5:4

7.  “One like the Son of Man”. Revelation 14:14, Daniel 7:13

8.  “The Son of Man coming in the clouds”. Matthew 24:30

9.  “A little child shall lead them”. Isaiah 11:6,

10. “The Man whose name is the Branch” shall build the               temple. Zechariah 6:12

11. “The man child that rules all nations”. Revelation 12

12.  “The overcomer” that sits with Christ even as Christ sits         with His Father. Revelation 3:21

It has been revealed that these verses along with the two Tablets of Stone that were placed in the ark, provide us a profile of the leadership of the Kingdom of Glory. The ark being a place of safety, and also having the mercy seat where the Holy Spirit rested, shows His kingdom, the place of safety, where nothing will ...hurt or destroy in all My holy Mountain says the Lord. Isaiah 65:25.

The church, in not believing that God would test them like He did the Jewish church, and not thinking that they would be brought back to Sinai to see if they would accept the ‘Word’, go right on teaching the doctrines of men. John tells us how the seventh church, the one just before Jesus’ return, says “I am rich, and have need of nothing.” But, the Lord (Word) says ...because you are lukewarm, and neither cold or hot, I will spew you out of my mouth... Revelation 3:16-17. Here again we see that the church will come to its end like the temple service (the Jewish church) did.

Again in Galatians 4:30 we read, Nevertheless what does the Scripture (Word) say? Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.  By reading Revelation 12, we see that the son of the freewoman is born at the beginning of the second half of the one week of years so the son of the bondwoman is the one that is cast out.  But, you say the church is the bride.  This much is true that the church is a symbol of the bride.

When we read in Acts 1:11 what the two men in white apparel said, This same Jesus (Word), who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”, we have the idea that this is the Matthew 24 coming, but every eye did not see Him go into heaven. So, this coming “in like manner”, would be the ‘Word’ to the church to see if they will accept, and obey the ‘Word’, or be cast out as the leadership was in Jesus’ time.

Athen Slawson