Book 1 of Musings Moral Image and Power

The final witness of the coming of the Kingdom is represented by the two lampstands of Revelation, Chapter Eleven. The forming of Christ in the believers is represented by the male Son of Revelation, Chapter Twelve. The same group of people participate in the end-time witness and in the inner formation of Christ.

I have written a great deal about the two witnesses of the eleventh chapter of the Book of Revelation. As I understand the symbolic portrayal, the two Lamp stands represent Christ and His Body. The two Olive Trees speak of a double portion of the Holy Spirit resting on Christ and His Body to enable the witness that is to be given.

It is my opinion that this end-time witness is that of which the Lord spoke: "This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

I think this is the promised "latter rain" mentioned in the Old Testament and the New.

What interests me at the present time is the nature of the testimony that will be given.

First of all, there are the works of destruction that did not characterize the testimony described in the Book of Acts, nor have they occurred throughout the Christian Era, to the best of my knowledge.

If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. These men have power to shut up the sky so it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want. (Rev 11:5-6)

The witnesses have the power to destroy, and to affect the course of nature. Perhaps the reason for this is that God wants to make sure no government will be able to prevent the giving of the testimony to any group of people. Does that sound reasonable to you?

But this still does not tell us what they will preach, the positive side of the testimony.

Matthew 24:14 tell us it is the Gospel of the Kingdom that will be preached. This is logical in that the testimony of the two witnesses will occur just prior to the taking over of the governments of the world by the Lord Jesus.

The witnesses will announce that the Lord is coming with His saints and holy angels to install the Kingdom of God on the earth. This is the Good News of the Kingdom.

Perhaps, as in the case when the Lord Jesus sent out His disciples to preach the coming of the Kingdom, the two witnesses will heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons.

But what will the witnesses themselves be like? What kind of people will be permitted to exercise such authority and power?

I think the key is found in the following verse:

But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets. (Rev 10:7)

The mystery of the Gospel is Christ in us. I think Christ is going to suddenly appear to those who are looking for Him and create His image in them.

Notice the fourth chapter of Zechariah, which is the prophetic background for Revelation, Chapter Eleven:

So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!' Then the word of the LORD came to me: "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know the LORD Almighty has sent me to you." (Zechariah 4:6-9)

The point is this: The Cornerstone of the eternal Temple of God has been laid. At the time when the seventh angel begins to sound, the Capstone will be brought forth, and the Temple will be completed.

The Lord Jesus Christ is both the Cornerstone and the Capstone of the House of God.

Revelation and Zechariah tell us in the last days the Temple of God, which is the Christian Church, will be completed.

Notice particularly that the work will be accomplished "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit." This ought to be our watchword, our rallying cry from now until the Lord returns. The present hour is not the time for the thinking and efforts of talented believers.

Up to the present hour the Divine testimony has consisted primarily of teaching. My point of view is that the testimony that will be given during the closing days of the present age will result from a much greater Presence of Christ in His Church than we have known.

I think the Lord is coming to His people today as "the Lord, strong and mighty in battle" of the twenty-fourth Psalm. We are to open up the everlasting doors of our heart and let Him enter. He does not come as the gentle Shepherd. He is coming to us as the Warrior. He is declaring war against the enemies that live in His people.

Our part is to confess our sins when they are pointed out to us and to turn away from them with all the strength Christ gives us. His part is to put our spiritual enemies under our feet and His feet.

When Christ has cleansed His Church He can appear in us in an extraordinary manner. I think this will be the testimony to be given in the last days. When we are in Christ in God, and one with each other, then the world will believe. This is the testimony the world is waiting to see.

Christ will bear witness in and with us in the same manner that was true of Him in the first century. He will bear the testimony of a righteous, holy, personality, and He will bear the testimony of miraculous works.

Both of these aspects are vital to the testimony: we must have the moral image of Christ in us; and we must perform mighty works. The Church Era has seen enough sin and self-seeking in the Christian ministry.

The Lord Jesus prophesied that those who have faith in Him will do the same and greater works than He did two thousand years ago, because He has gone to dwell at the right hand of God in Heaven.

The Lord was not challenging our faith by so saying, He was prophesying of what will be true during the closing days of the Church Era.

Let me point out that the Lord will not give us this kind of power. He Himself will do the works. Our part is to listen carefully to what He tells us, and then to do exactly that.

"Whatever He says to you, do it."

We should pray to be in His moral image. We should pray that He will do the same and greater works through us. We should and we must pray these things. We must also accompany our prayers with faith, joy, thanksgiving, and an attitude of keen expectancy, even though our prayers are not answered for many years.

"Maybe it will be today! Maybe today He will tell me to stretch forth my hand, or to speak the word, or to go somewhere and do something there."

This is the attitude we must take in the present hour. The Lord has been speaking of His desire to reveal His Glory. Our part is to be strictly obedient, to put away our sins as the Holy Spirit directs and empowers us, and to listen! listen! listen with joyful expectancy to see what He is going to do!

Speaking for myself, I do not want power, other than that which Christ decides to give me. I do not want any spiritual secrets that will enable me to do this or that or get the other. I do not want and I reject any and all metaphysical approaches to power, such as speaking words of faith, speaking creative words, or using imaging to bring to pass what I desire. I want to live like the Lord. He did nothing of Himself. It was the Father who spoke and worked through Him.

I want it to be true of me that I am able to do nothing and say nothing except as Christ acts in me and through me. Do you feel that way?

The testimony to be given to the world will be that of Jesus Christ living and working in and through the faithful, believing members of His Body. They will reveal in themselves the moral image of Christ and work great miracles. It may be true that the acts of destruction they perform will not only prevent opposition to the testimony but also warn the world of the destruction that will occur when Christ returns from Heaven with His saints and holy angels.

The twelfth chapter of the Book of Revelation describes the birth of Christ in the Christian people. He ascends to God and to God's Throne as soon as He is born. I understand this to be a portrayal of what happens when we are born again. Paul commanded us to set our heart on things above because we have died and our life now is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who has become our life, appears, we shall appear with Him and together we will install the Kingdom of God on the earth.

The two witnesses announce the coming of Christ and His saints, the rulers of the nations of the earth, just before it takes place.

We are living in a terrible and wonderful time. There will be much deception from this time forth. We already see how devout Christian people can be deceived into believing false teaching such as an imminent pre-tribulation "rapture," the so-called "prosperity message," and the faith and imaging errors. I have no doubt there will be new delusions in the days to come that will draw away as many people into error as has been true of the misunderstandings I have mentioned.

The Lord Jesus Christ commanded us to deny ourselves, to take up our cross, and to follow Him each day. When we do this, the chance of our being deceived is greatly diminished. It is the personal cross of the believer that is the best protection from deception.

Terrible and wonderful days! Whoever chooses to pursue Christ diligently and live the victorious Christian life may succeed in pressing forward to the fullness of the inheritance. The opportunity is open to all. If we do not take advantage of all that is being offered today, we have only our own unbelief and disobedience to blame. Christ will give all needed assistance to anyone who cares enough to turn away from the distractions of the world and seek Him with singleness of purpose.

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12)